Archive for August 2014

In this TimeOut cover for the Kickass sequel it has very bright colouring of yellow and purple which demonstrates the boisterous nature of this franchise, however that they are complementary colours it is portraying the film in a positive light. The purple is also important because it is the signature colour of the feature character on this cover; Hit-girl. This establishes the brand and will help to create a hype around the upcoming release. She is positioned centrally, taking up most of the cover which shows how big a part she will be playing in the film and also would help to encourage fans of the first film to both buy the magazine and watch the sequel as Hit-girl is a popular character.

 While none of her signature weapons are visible you can see a good deal of her costume, including the now almost iconic mask and wig combo again reinforcing the branding. The lettering is big, bold and exclamatory, channelling the vibe of the film it is promoting, even including a humorous crossed out expletive in the style of Hit-girl. This alerts anyone who isn't aware of the first film to the mood of the films and may encourage them to look into them. 

Before The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out Empire magazine did a series of 5 collectable covers to promote it, this is one of them. It features one of the main characters from the previous Lord of The Rings films which would help to establish the branding of the franchise and assure old fans of what they would be getting out of the new film. As Galadriel is played by the actress Cate Blanchett, a well established and popular actor, it is important that she is positioned centrally, taking up pretty much the entirety of the page.

 As the image itself is overwhelmingly white the text of both the magazine title and the film title stand out very clearly as an example of the synergy of this venture. In her hand is an important item from the previous trilogy, again establishing the link between the films for those who were fans of them. However for those who weren't fans of the previous films it serves to anchor the magical, fantasy element of the action/adventure genre to this film.

Because the film is being featured in such a prominent film magazine like Empire it establishes it as an important release, especially as it has a whole issue devoted to it. This kind of publicity is important as it spreads the word that a film is worth seeing to both the casual film-going community and critics.

The yellow and black colouring of this poster screams danger which hints toward the graphic violence of the film. A second hint to the film's violence is the large katana sword which is very clearly placed on the poster alongside the occasional burst of blood red lettering.The bright yellow also suggests that this is an unusual film thus giving it a USP in its own quirkiness. 

It is stated very clearly that this is a Quentin Tarantino film just bellow the title which  is important because Tarantino films are effectively a brand in their own right and the fact that he directed it would on its own draw in an audience. The title is relatively ambiguous in the sense that it doesn't give away much of the film aside from the fact that a man named Bill has it coming. 

Uma Thurman's "The Bride" is positioned centrally showing that she is the main protagonist of the film, this is a drawing point for the film as you don't get that many female protagonists within the action genre. It also shows off that Uma Thurman, a well known actress, is in the film and would attract her fans.

In this poster for The Bourne Identity Jason Bourne is very large and central showing him to be the main character and implying that his is the identity in question which hint to the plot of the film. The only other images in the poster portray both action and a romantic plot line which suggests that the film will adhere to those conventional elements of the action genre.

In terms of colours there are two key ones that dominate the poster: orange and blue. The blue suggests a logical and collected theme hinting towards the technological aspect of the film while the orange portrays the danger and passion of the film.

All the text is in a bold, simplistic, white font which is often used in the action genre to show the brash nature of these films while still lending an air of sophistication the will appeal to the target age group of 14+. At the bottom of the poster yet still clear is a positive review from a prominent american publication which would help to sway those on the fence about watching the film.