Key:
1. Representational Image
Pretty much every film poster has an intriguing image that draws in the audience. This usually depicts a scene in the movie or, like in the example above, introduced the main characters and hints as to what the plot may entail. The representational image is a good opportunity to catch the eye of your audience; bright colours (such as pink in the example 'I give it a year') and interesting layouts/subjects ensures the poster stands out at cinemas and on buses etc.
2. Title of the Film
As expected, the title of the film is placed prominently on the movie poster. It is usually typeset in a large, bold font and occupies the full width of the poster. Typically, rom-com film names are typeset in sans-serif fonts, as they are commonly promoted at a younger target audience. The colour of the font is usually linked to the representational image, for example the example above uses the same pink colour for their title and for the representational image.
3. Promotional Copy
Just like most film posters, the poster for 'I Give It A Year' includes the promotional copy "A new comedy from the producers of Love Actually, Bridget Jones's Diary & Notting Hill" to engage with a pre-existing audience in an effort to drive more people to go and see their film. This is a very clever technique as audiences often get comfortable or fond of certain films and form emotional bonds with them, so the idea of having the people behind your favourite movies produce another one just like it is likely to get you to want to go and see it. Hence the name "promotional copy".
4. Extra Information
In another last-ditch attempt to drive people to the cinemas, the producers behind this poster for 'I Give It A Year' have included the extra information, and name drop "From the writer of Borat". This may be in an effort to attract a new audience not commonly associated with romantic comedy films: men. Borat is a comedy film primarily targeted at young men. By promoting the fact that I Give It A Year has been written by the same writer as Borat, it may make young men more likely to go and watch the movie.
5. Cast & Crew Information
Pretty much obligatory for most film posters, romantic-comedy or not, there are credits called "steel tongs" at the bottom of the page. These credits give thanks and promote individuals for their work on the film. This includes titles such as the director, producer, production/distribution companies, music director et al. On most posters, including this one, the steel tongs font is typeset quite small and usually not very legibly. This is because most people do not read them and the real estate for the poster can be better utilised for say a photograph or the name of the film.
6. Production & Distribution Companies
Common place for most conglomerate-produced/distributed movies is the inclusion of their logos in the bottom left or right corners of the poster. These corners have become synonymous for showcasing the media powerhouses/production studios behind many blockbusters. Interestingly, these production company/distribution company logos are not often found on independent movie posters; perhaps because they are not well known and that it may make people less likely to go and see the film if they do not recognise the production company.
7. Social Media & Web Links
It is becoming more and more popular for movie posters to include various social media and web links to engage the audience and ultimately convince them to both watch the movie at the cinemas and then buy merchandise, own the movie or get hooked into a franchise. Social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook are the most popular, though Instagram is creeping up and becoming a great marketing technique for film producers. Many posters simply include the globally-recognised blue bird and facebook icons, which prompt the audience to search the name of the film online to unlock more content. Of course, all of this is, again, an attempt to bring the audience into the cinema.
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