Film Posters

I have begun looking at posters created for films so I can get an idea what to make for my ancillary product. Film posters are generally designed to create a buzz around a film which is going to be released soon, and throughout the advertising campaign different posters are released with more information on than the last. Film posters have artistic value and allow the designer to be creative. They can become as iconic as the film and people buy film posters to hang in their house, which means they have to be visually pleasing, as well as attention grabbing. Posters need to inform the reader of the films plot, release date, name and actors in it as well as make the film appear interesting and are often referred to as 'a movie in a glance' because of this.

There are four main types of film posters - teaser posters, main posters, DVD release posters and character posters. These are released at different points in the advertising campaign, with the teaser trailer being first. This is released before production has finished to spike interest in the film and generate buzz, and maybe draw attention to any interactive advertising being used for the same reason. Once the film is finished, the main campaign begins and the main poster and character posters are released. The main poster is seen on billboards and in public places, while character posters are often not as commonly seen however often sold as merchandise. Character posters are used primarily if the characters are the main focus point of the film or if a famous actor is starring - with horror films they are not as common. Main posters are created to encourage people to go to the cinema and see this film, and after the cinema screening has finished the DVD release posters replace these. They're usually similar, however the DVD release poster will feature experts opinions or ratings on the film to encourage people to buy the DVD even if they did not care enough to go to the cinema initially.