Research
These posters should give you more ideas about how to produce your own for this genre.
Answer the following questions to help you get together your ideas. Make sure that you use examples from the posters in your answers.
You can add these to your research notes.
q1. What do you notice about the representation of places and setting?
q2. Which colour design is conventional in this genre?
q3. Which slogans worked best and why?
q4. Why have particular text types and fonts been chosen?
q5. What information is required on the poster for a theatrical release?
q6. How are images used to tell the story?
q7. How does shot composition make clear which characters are most important or powerful?
q8. Which conventions of dystopian SF do these posters remind you of?
q9. How do costume and body language create character representations?
q9. Which posters did you find most effective and why?
These posters should give you more ideas about how to produce your own for this genre.
Answer the following questions to help you get together your ideas. Make sure that you use examples from the posters in your answers.
You can add these to your research notes.
q1. What do you notice about the representation of places and setting?
q2. Which colour design is conventional in this genre?
q3. Which slogans worked best and why?
q4. Why have particular text types and fonts been chosen?
q5. What information is required on the poster for a theatrical release?
q6. How are images used to tell the story?
q7. How does shot composition make clear which characters are most important or powerful?
q8. Which conventions of dystopian SF do these posters remind you of?
q9. How do costume and body language create character representations?
q9. Which posters did you find most effective and why?
ASSESSED INDEPENDENT RESEARCH TASK
(THIS GOES TOWARDS YOUR TOTAL UNIT GRADE - THE SF UNIT IS 30% OF YOUR TOTAL GRADE)
ANALYSE several (minimum 5) posters for science fiction films.
Make notes on the conventions used.
- colour design
- shot composition
- representation of people and places
- text types and fonts
- images used and their significance
- genre conventions
- information
(THIS GOES TOWARDS YOUR TOTAL UNIT GRADE - THE SF UNIT IS 30% OF YOUR TOTAL GRADE)
ANALYSE several (minimum 5) posters for science fiction films.
Make notes on the conventions used.
- colour design
- shot composition
- representation of people and places
- text types and fonts
- images used and their significance
- genre conventions
- information
EXAMPLE ANALYSIS : STAR WARS POSTER
This is a complicated poster which illustrates a great deal about the narrative/story in order to create interest in the film and reinforce the genre. Luke is the main protagonist and is central to the image. Shot composition tells us a great deal about characters and creates immediate representations. Luke is central and his image takes up more of the space on the poster. His pose is determined and he is the only character looking directly at the audience. He is flanked by other protagonists (Han and Leia) , both firing weapons indicating the action in the film's narrative. Secondary characters (R2D2, Ben) are given less space. We also note Darth Vader in the background of the image. Although backgrounded there is a forced perspective and he is given similar space to the protagonists connoting his importance to the narrative as a constant threat.
Clothing and costume create clear representations. Luke's robes and lightsabre have connotations of medieval knights while Han's holster and waistcoat create connotations of the cowboy. As the knight and cowboy are stereotypically represented as heroic this creates further positive connotations. Darth Vader's Mechanical costume dehumanises the character and positions the audience to see him as an antagonist. This is reinforced by the colour connotations of Luke's white and Vader's black costumes. The characters are well lit, while the two characters with more low key lighting are Han (possibly connoting his anti-hero status) and Peter Cushing playing a high ranking antagonist. The characters are flanked by battling spaceships to reinforce the theme of action. Around the characters there is a background of stars in space which clearly indicates the science fiction genre. The dominant colour is blue, a cold colour which is conventionally used in the genre. The Death Star is featured at the top left. Like Vader, its position indicates threat and is conventional to the genre suggests a technological threat.
A white banner at the bottom of the poster has key information such as the name of the film and film companies.Actors are listed in order of status (Ford was yet to become a major star) followed by the director, producer and composer. The Film name has a different font and is enlarged to improve marketing potential.
This is a complicated poster which illustrates a great deal about the narrative/story in order to create interest in the film and reinforce the genre. Luke is the main protagonist and is central to the image. Shot composition tells us a great deal about characters and creates immediate representations. Luke is central and his image takes up more of the space on the poster. His pose is determined and he is the only character looking directly at the audience. He is flanked by other protagonists (Han and Leia) , both firing weapons indicating the action in the film's narrative. Secondary characters (R2D2, Ben) are given less space. We also note Darth Vader in the background of the image. Although backgrounded there is a forced perspective and he is given similar space to the protagonists connoting his importance to the narrative as a constant threat.
Clothing and costume create clear representations. Luke's robes and lightsabre have connotations of medieval knights while Han's holster and waistcoat create connotations of the cowboy. As the knight and cowboy are stereotypically represented as heroic this creates further positive connotations. Darth Vader's Mechanical costume dehumanises the character and positions the audience to see him as an antagonist. This is reinforced by the colour connotations of Luke's white and Vader's black costumes. The characters are well lit, while the two characters with more low key lighting are Han (possibly connoting his anti-hero status) and Peter Cushing playing a high ranking antagonist. The characters are flanked by battling spaceships to reinforce the theme of action. Around the characters there is a background of stars in space which clearly indicates the science fiction genre. The dominant colour is blue, a cold colour which is conventionally used in the genre. The Death Star is featured at the top left. Like Vader, its position indicates threat and is conventional to the genre suggests a technological threat.
A white banner at the bottom of the poster has key information such as the name of the film and film companies.Actors are listed in order of status (Ford was yet to become a major star) followed by the director, producer and composer. The Film name has a different font and is enlarged to improve marketing potential.