Forms and Conventions of Film Posters

Film posters are a vital aspect for the promotion of any film during the marketing process, they attract an audience as they are a major form of visual communication and are of interest to many people of all ages. The main forms and conventions of film posters include:
- A large, bold title to attract the eye and ensure the audience will be aware of the name of the film.
- Contrasting colours so that all the colours of the poster are clearly visible.
- Usually only one predominant image is used to promote the film.
- The names of the main characters also help to promote the film as the appearance of popular, well known actors and actresses encourage fans to go and see the film.
The way in which the poster is constructed and what it consists of are very important for the representation of the film featured. For example if the poster was promoting a horror film but the font used for the title was smooth and elegant, than the film is likely to be percieved incorrectly by an audience. The colours used on the poster can also affect the impression given to an audience about the film, for example it is unlikely that pastel colours such as light pink and purple tones would be used for a horror film poster as pink represents love and beauty whilst purple symbolizes royalty and magic.

When I design my own poster to promote my horror film I will carefully consider what colours and types of font etc that I should use to ensure that my poster reflects the movie. I am going to avoid using any soft pastel colours and any bright and luminous colours.