Action Film Poster- Inception

This film poster for the action film 'Inception' gives the impression of dark and mysterious events which may occur in the film. The main character is in the centre of the poster holding a gun which suggests that he may be in danger. There are other characters surrounding him who look involved and aware of the circumstance they are in. The street behind this group of characters seems to be in an unusual position as it is stretching high above them. This suggests to the viewer that the environment in which they are in is scary and may put them in a difficult position.

The lines on the street and the vertical lines going upwards towards the sky are intimidating as they tower over the people below them. The city looks dark and urban as the buildings are very condense. Leonardo Di Caprio's name is printed in large letters at the top of the poster. This shows that he is one of the selling points for the film as audiences may be interested in seeing him in an action film. The title of the film, 'Inception' is in deep red letters which connotes blood and evil.

Horror Film Poster- The Devil Inside

This film poster looks intense as the close up shot of the woman is scary and intimidating. This will immediately tell the audience that this film is not suitable for the younger audience. The title on the film poster is white which shows up clearly on the dark background, it also highlights how strange it looks as the letter D in the word 'inside' is turned the wrong way, this reinforces the scary image above as nothing seems right in the picture. The red slogan at the bottom of the film poster suggests blood and evil which could be seen as disturbing for the viewer. The woman in the picture looks blank and shows little sign of life with deep set dark eyes which draw the viewers attention and set the tone for the genre of horror. The cross in the picture represents the role of religion in the film as many of the possessed woman are nuns. In addition the relationship between a possessed woman and religion could be said to refer to the Salem which hunts in the 1600's giving the film historical background and drawing upon the fears already associated with those events.

   

Stereotypes of Comedy Films

Slapstick

This film contains lots of different types  of humour one of these being slapstick which a lot of audiences find amusing. It usually involves aggressive, physical or visual actions. People are invited to laugh at other people’s misfortunes. Perhaps it is the surprise element that makes the audience laugh or perhaps they just enjoy seeing somebody suffer minor accidents to make them feel better.

Hero

The main character of the film is usually seen at the end as a hero. This may be shown in many different ways. He is usually known as one of the idiots at the beginning of the film who wants to overcome his misfortune. This causes the audience to know right from the start that this character is going to entertain them throughout the film, and as he is a likeable character the audience will want him to be happy. They will also be interested to see how he can overcome his stupidity.

A best friend/ Side kick

The main character usually has a few friends who are also idiots at the beginning. They are quite often hopeless as friends which can be seen as funny to some audiences as they get to see the mistakes made by them. The audience may be able to relate to the main character and feel sorry for him as he doesn’t stand a chance.

Stereotypes

There are a variety of stereotypical characters used in the comedy genre and they are very often connected with a minority group of some kind. People are more inclined to laugh at or about somebody who they feel is different from themselves. It is perhaps not so much that they are actually laughing at the minority group but more that they are trying to show that they are part of the main stream community. Laughing at other people makes them feel more powerful. The minority groups targeted may be those with disabilities, those of a different race, of the opposite sex, of a different sexual persuasion or two dimensional characters. As an example of this in ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ the best friend of one of the main characters is obviously gay and the audience laughs both at him and with him as his ‘campness’ is exaggerated.

Romantic sub plot

This type of comedy is usually called ‘romantic comedy’ which typically involves a relationship between a man and a woman. This story line may appeal more to the female audience as it is about relationships and love interests, although the male audience may be able to relate to the male main character if he has had unfortunate situations with his own relationships. This could add more entertainment and enjoyment for the audience.

Journey

One of the clichés seen is a journey which the main character and their friends will embark on. This means that as the film progresses the audience will feel attached to the characters and begin to understand them.

Stereotypes of Crime Films

Tough guys

In crime films there is usually at least one gang, who are the tough scary villains. They are the ones who operate outside the law and often the audience don’t indentify with them. Usually the gang is a minority group who is involved in crime. Sometimes there is the added thrill of violence to the plot.

The gang leaders in crime films are nearly always feared by everyone. This is a cliché which adds something that the audience can be scared of and who they don’t want to do well.

The good guy amongst the villains

The good guy amongst the villains is a person the audience has sympathy with. It causes the audience to anxiously follow the activities of the criminals in the hope that all will be well for the good guy. It also means that the audience can relate to one of the villains. The audience then can have an interest in both the law abiding and criminal aspects of the film and it is hoped that ‘the good guy’ will change his allegiance in the end.

Corrupt cop

The corrupt cop in crime films is a cliché as the policeman is often being turned or bribed by one of the gang members to help them. This is the opposite scenario to the good guy amongst the villains. However because the audience tends to relate more to the law abiding side it does not have the same effect of making them take an interest in everybody. Quite often one of the policemen doesn’t play by the rules or is undercover. This may make the audience more anxious about the people they identify with and more worried that they are going to be betrayed. This heightens the tension in the film.

Gang rivalry

Quite often in crime films there is one group who is against the other group: this causes gang rivalry. There is quite often a fight or disagreement between these two gangs which means the police become involved. This is exciting for the audience as the conflict between these two gangs is thrilling and exciting.

Good cop/ Bad cop interrogation

The good cop, bad cop interrogation scene became very popular as soon as the genre crime began. This highlights the different personalities of the two policemen and shows the different views the audience may feel. It also demonstrates how the character who is being interrogated reacts and how he is putting up a front about his situation.

Code of honour (not explicit)

In crime films there is always an amorphous code of behaviour amongst the criminals or their family members which must not be broken. Although the code is vaguely mentioned throughout the film it cannot be dishonoured. This is what usually starts the film’s plot line. This sometimes intrigues the audience and makes them think about what it could be. The neighbourhood is often very similar in crime films, set in large, crowded cities, to give the element of secrets of the criminals which means that the society that the criminals live in is very similar. This could be the reason for the code of honour.

Violence

Violence is a prominent factor in crime films as the gangs are usually aggressive and forceful towards some of the other main characters in the film. The body in the car boot is a cliché as it is very common in the crime genre. This is because the gangs are brutal and may feel that it is necessary to kill someone. This gives excitement to the plot and means the audience feels interested.

Comedy Film Poster - Just Go With It

This film poster for the comedy 'Just Go With It' looks laid back and comical. The setting is on a beach which looks idyllic to the audience so they may associate with relaxation and fun experiences which would make them want to see the film. The title of the film draws attention to the word 'go' as it suggests action, which represents the storyline of the film as it is all about being spontaneous and not having an organized plan. The main character played by 'Adam Sandler' is smiling at his co star 'Jennifer Aniston'. This suggests that he is a funny character although she doesn't seem to be amused. The girl in the background is in bright colourful clothes which demonstrates that she is a happy and sunny character; she looks much more at home in her surroundings than the main characters which suggests that she is distinctly separate from their relationship. The fist bump between the main characters in the centre of the poster indicates that their relationship is unromantic and comical this is reinforced by the distance between them and the other woman standing in the gap.

Romance Film Poster- Titanic

This film poster centres around the theme of passion as it is from the romantic genre. The two main characters are centred at the top of the film poster to demonstrate their relationship in the film. It also draws attention to one of the main selling point of the film which are famous actors: Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet. The boat is a prominent feature in the poster because it is a key aspect in the film. The title of the film is written boldly on the front of the boat which suggests that this is also the name of the boat. The slogan of the film is a lot smaller than the title as it is not such a significant feature although it does give indication to the viewer about the storyline. The slogan suggests that nothing could break the bond between the couple which draws attention to the bow of the boat which appears to be directed in the centre of the couples embrace as though the boat its self is trying to part them. This is a metaphor for the titanic tragedy.   

The Karate kid Trailer Analysis

Credits/ intertitles

There are only three intertitles throughout the trailer to demonstrate the feelings of the ‘Karate Kid’. These intertitles tell the audience details about the character: ‘A stranger in a new world’ and show the audience how he feels about his new life: ‘A life he never wanted’ and ‘A teacher he never expected’. This lets the audience get to know the main character and see what issues he may face in the film.

Genre

The genre of this film is action as it follows a boy defeating his rival and becoming the ‘hero’ of the film. The film includes lots of actions scenes which are shown throughout the trailer.

Pace

This trailer is quite slow paced as it wants to show the story in detail for the young audience to understand what’s happening and relate with the main character, a little boy. It also means that the action scenes seem more involved and busy in contrast to the slow moving trailer. This trailer is also set apart from others as it is slow comapred to other action films which would be very fast paced and intense.

Shot types/ camera angles

There are lots of long shots of exotic locations which suggest to the audience that it is set in a hot country which has lots of dramtic sunsets and unusual buildings. This is used to demonstrate the mountains and  

Target audience

This film is mainly aimed at children as they can relate to the main character who is a young boy. However, there is some adult humour which may amuse older audiences if they go and see it with their children. The film has a very simple storyline which children can understand and exciting action scenes which would be intense to watch.

Unique selling point

The unique selling point of ‘The Karate kid’ is that it is a new take on the film which was made in 1984. This means that it is a lot more interesting for the audience and up to date. Another selling point of this film is that it has two well-known actors, Jakie Chan and Jaden Smith which some audiences would be interested to see as it was one of Smiths first films. Also the exotic location may interest some audiences as they would want to see the unusual settings.