FILM POSTER ANALYSIS

The main colours used in this poster are; blue and green, these colours are unisex and so this tells you the film is aimed at both male and female audiences. Blue is said to resemble intelligence, hence Matilda (the main character in the film) being very smart and overcoming the adults who are against her. The colour blue also connotes authority, as shown by the variety of adults on the poster, foreshadowing a possible uprising against the adults. Green represents youth and harmony. This tells you the film will probably have a happy ending overall. As well as this, the girl looks happy and it can be suggested the film is quite cheeky and fun. The symbols used in the poster are; a globe and books which are represented photographically, this suggests this could be based in a school, and is based on knowledge, or wanting to be smart. These symbols are easy to understand and child friendly. Again, this poster is very visual, however there is a lot more going on, this is to fascinate the audience and give them lot's to look at and keep them interested. Also children like to look at things and ask their parents what something is and why its there and so they would be educated by them, however children are also very imaginative and so are open to interpretation and can imagine what they wish. It gives them the opportunity to be open minded and put their own story together, making them want to go and see the film. As well as this, the film is also a children's book so many children and adults would have some knowledge of the film anyway, also the author Roald Dahl is very popular with children and in schools so people going to watch the film is guaranteed. The messages in the poster are primarily visual however there is some text, "somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world". This message gives children hope and delivers a nice message to the audience teaching children that even they can make a difference and do something if they believe in it, making adults more likely to take their children to see it. Also this relates to the globe in the top right corner, this tells us this is a big part of the film, that the film is about a young girl who makes a difference for the good. As the poster is fun and based on a children's book it is obvious that it is aimed at children and families as many parents would have read the children this book themselves. The persuasive techniques used here are making the poster relate to the audience as much as possible as all children are surrounded by adults and go to school, as well as this it has high artistic value and many children who enjoyed the book and/or film would purchase the poster to keep in their bedroom, especially Roald Dahl fans. You may also find it in schools and libraries in DVD sections alongside the books. As this poster has an inspirational quote, parents may want to let their children see it to inspire them and teach them lessons, or just to have a bit of fun with the family, it's the perfect film. Also, actors names such as Danny DeVito are used to spark an interest in adults who may already be familiar with them and so know the film would be good if it starred certain people. Matilda has many genres; children's literature, humour and fantasy. the humour is shown through the child having one over on the adults and defeating them and their juvenile ways, this is portrayed in the poster by the girl being the larger dominant figure and in the center of the poster, smirking showing she is the main character and the happy/smug look tells us that she 'wins'. No critics are used as children wouldn't understand the purpose of them and be much more interested in the visual representation of the poster than the actual words. Also having read the book, many people would know how it ends or be able to express their opinion to those who haven't already. As well as this, children could be encouraged to read more and so might borrow the book to fit in with everyone else talking about it. Having a child be the main attraction on the poster would get the children's attention as they know they would relate to it and possibly enjoy the film, for example there are children on cbeebies etc so they would have an idea of what kind of fun stuff would happen in the film.

The poster tells us that the film may be based in a real life scenarios and real life settings e.g school, with real adults and school life for example classes. There is no sign of animations or another world and so this film is maybe for children older than 6, who can read. The poster gives you a lot of information about what to expect so that the children are not surprised and it doesn't deceive them, it gives them the opportunity to make up their own ideas and stays child friendly. This poster is likely to be placed in schools and children's libraries as previously stated, also in cinemas and maybe buses so when children are mobile with their parents they can see them.

I believe this poster may be very effective for children as it would stand out to them among others in many ways. It has all the right elements to show that its unisex and for children to enjoy as well as the whole family. Its message is very clear through the use of imagery with the help of little text and so is not hard to understand. Its not scary or too baby-ish and so is perfect at targeting its age group. I think the poster is straight forward and there are no mixed messages from it, also it is not offensive in anyway.

FILM POSTER ANALYSIS

The main colours used in this poster, are blue, which adds an element of mystery, and grey, also gloomy and mysterious, from this we learn that there could be a darkness in this film, hence the dominating male figure on the left hand side in dark clothing. The suitcase in this poster suggests some type of escape or chase, possibly money many characters in films keep money in suitcases. The children running away from the adult in the opposite direction, also suggests a chase and that they are a team as suggested by their body language of holding hands. The adults arms wrapping around the frame suggests that he is trying to catch the children but can not seem to as they keep running away from him. This poster is quite easy to read, this is because it is aimed at young teens. Children are the main characters, this is shown by the children being in the middle of the poster. The poster is quite simple and so young teens would be to be attracted to it, and it's not too difficult for them to decode. It is mainly aimed at ages 12+ as the film was actually originally a book. As well as this, the poster doesn't have colours like red green and yellow which would attract ages 8 and below, and so the film is for a slightly more complex audience, but not too hard to understand for a younger audience. The background of the poster looks like the ocean and the sky, this could be used to foreshadow the journey the children take escaping the evil adult trying to capture them, and the different places they end up. The adult being so large and the children so small represents some kind of authority or power over the children and the children being quite vulnerable, it can also be suggested that they are on their own as there is no nicer looking adult present to try and protect them. The messages in this poster are primarily visual, this is so that it doesn't deter young teens from it, it doesn't bore them and keeps them interested in the poster. Despite the film being based on a book, those too young to read it, or those who do not have an interest in reading would still be interested in the poster due to the lack of words. The poster is not just used to promote the film, is also has an artistic value, hence why it's not just a plain poster, this is because fans like to buy them and hang them up on their walls. The writing "We're very concerned" makes the audience feel like part of the film, the use of "we're" invites the audience into the film as well as adding a sense of escapism. Plus it compliments the eerie background adding to the mystery, intriguing the audience Also this is not too serious and worrying to the audience, its almost as if you read it in a funny voice in your head, adding a comedy element to the film. The "coming soon" piques the audiences interest as well as adding a sense of anticipation, making them excited for the release of the film. Also as the film poster doesn't blatantly give much away it could lead to the audience doing further research and so finding the book, leading to them reading it and becoming more interested in the release of the film. As well as this as the film posters mystery may lead to people asking others if they have seen it and trying to find out what its about, and so more publicity. The genres of this poster are; comedy, family, fantasy and adventure. The comedy is shown by the comical look on the large mans face, suggesting a cheeky smirk but not too evil to be a horror or threatening to the audience, it's unwelcoming and mischievous but not scary enough to put of young teens and below, as well as this the colours are not too dark for example black and so its not off putting. The adventure could be represented through the use of the sky and ocean meeting in the background suggesting that while the children are running away they go on an adventure and have a quest or mission to complete themselves. This adds on to the fantasy element, this is also suggested by the strange clothes the children are wearing, this isn't what children of today would normally wear and so suggests an alternative time period or even world that the children live in, a different way of life or parallel universe, also adding to the sense of escapism it aims to give the audience.The family element is an overall result of all of the genres put together, the comedy of the adults vs. children make it fun for the family to watch all together as they could relate to it, as well as this the film not being scary makes it family friendly, plus the fantasy and adventure keeps both adults and children interested as its suitable for both ages, and parents would like to watch films with their children. It has the right balance of all genres to make it fun for everyone to enjoy. A very well known A list celebrity actor isn't used as a unique selling point for the film, so its possibly more difficult to get viewers, however it can be argued that as the film was originally a book, it would already have a fan base so its not crucial. No critics are used in this specific poster, I believe this is because teens tend to pay less attention to this and also more wording on the poster may put the audience off. There is already text on the poster so more is not necessary, also this adds to the mystery element of the film as nothing is given away.

Due to the man being enlarged making the children look very small, and also the edited sky meets ocean background, it can be guessed that this film may have a lot of animation in it, especially to the scenery, adding to the fantasy and adventure genre. This puts it at the top of childrens/young teens films as it fits all the codes and conventions, other films like this may be Harry Potter, as Hogwarts is animated. This film poster would have been found on buses and at bus stops, also in cinemas to encourage people to go back again and watch another film. This poster would have been one of the first film posters released as hardly any information is shown, no date or actors, in order to create a build up to the film and keep the audience on the edge of their seats waiting to find out more information. As many young people use the bus to get to school and because it's free for them, they are more likely to see it on buses and bus stops so it targets the audience very well, also putting it in actual cinemas would encourage regular cinema users to go back, giving them an idea of whats coming next and to tell their friends about it, as childrens tickets are cheaper than adults, its likely they would return or tell their parents about it.

I believe this poster is effective as I would be intrigued by it, the mystery element could make young teens feel like they're watching an 'older' film. Also it tells you a lot without actually giving much away, and so you're left in suspense wanting to know more. I think it communicates with the audience very well it manages to show all its genres without any text and is very visual making it perfect for its target audience, its more of a mature young teen film but also fun for the family which I think is clearly shown by the images and colours used. The poster could be seen as offensive to old men with beards as the man is portrayed as scary, this could lead to a bad reputation or fear in younger children who do not understand, however this is just a stereotype. Also, this adds to the character of the man and so going against these characteristics would not have the same effect. 

COLD (Award-Winning Short Film)

In this film the credits are quite fast and small due to the fast cuts and pace of the music, this is done to match these aspects as they all relate to each other. However in my film 'Ink' I wont be doing the credits this fast as the beginning of our film starts off quite slow and gradually speeds up, easing the audience into the action.