Deconstruction of film postersBy Kerry Caulfield

The main colours used in this poster are red, black and white. The red could represent blood, which would link in to the gun that the person (Liam Neeson) is holding in his hand. White is usually used to represent innocence, but in this poster, there are helicopters with spotlights. These are usually used when someone is being hunted. The use of white and the search helicopters, could suggest that someone is being hunted and they’re innocent. The black could represent that something dark has happened. This would link in with the representation of the colour white; an innocent person is being blamed for something terrible that happened and is being hunted by someone else.

There is an image of a celebrity, Liam Neeson, standing and holding a gun. This could suggest that he is a violent man. However, it could also suggest that he is trying to protect himself using violence. This links in with the idea of teenagers being violent and them being represented in that way.

The poster gives off a sense that the film will be violent and action based. This is presented both visually and verbally. The image of Liam Neeson holding a gun visually gives out the message of violence while the tagline, ‘IT ENDS HERE’ gives out the message of violence verbally.

The star is used as a Unique Selling Point in this poster. He is the only person that is seen, so the focus is on him. His name is mentioned above the title to suggest that he is the starring character in the film.

The release date is in red to make it stand out against the black colour behind it. This emphasises the date and allows the people to recognise it quickly.

There is a gratification of violence in the film. This is shown through the visible gun in Liam’s hand and the police helicopters flying in the background.

The intended audience is teenage boys, young male adults. This is because violence is linked with teenagers, as they are thought of as violent and represented that way in films. The reason it would be targeted at young male adults, would be because they’re still young and into violence.

This film poster could offend people who don’t agree with violence or weaponry. If they believe that owning a weapon is not a good thing, this poster may not be good for them to see as there is a gun present in the image.

The main colours used are blue and white. These are bright colours, which could suggest the film is upbeat. White represents innocence and the film poster doesn’t make the film look innocent as the two people are holding guns.

The poster is giving off the sense of violence and danger. This message is presented visually looking at the guns and seeing all the shattered glass. The background shows the sky and the clouds and the two people in the image are in the centre. This could suggest (with the way they’re positioned) that they’re falling. This interpretation can back up the theory that the poster is giving out the message that the film is dangerous.

There are two stars being used as Unique Selling Points. These stars are Shailene Woodley and Theo James. The names of the main featuring stars are at the top of the poster, so that people who read it will know who’s casted and if their favourite actor/actress is present in the film, they’ll most likely want to go see it.

There is a gratification of violence being present in the film. This is because of the guns present in the poster. Another gratification is that there will be teamwork in the film. This is because the stars on the poster are back to back and one is aiming up while the other is aiming down. This suggests that they “have each others backs”.

The film is probably aimed at teenage boys, teenage girls and young adults. It would be aimed at teenage boys because they’re stereotyped to enjoy violence. This would be aimed at teenage girls because there is a young female showing strength and bravery; this would be giving them the message that they’re strong and brave, and it would inspire them. The reason it would be aimed at young adults could be of three reasons. The first reason would be that they may have read the book and enjoyed it. The second reason would be that there are two young adults presented as brave in the poster and it may speak to them as an audience. The third reason would be that the violence may not be suitable for teenagers, as there are guns used.

There is something present in the poster image that may offend people. If someone is against violence and weaponry, then they may find it offensive. It may also give out the wrong message to people and tell them that using guns is a good thing as it protects them. It could possibly offend people with a religion that don’t agree with females showing skin. In this poster, the female character is wearing skin-tight clothes and is showing a lot of bare upper body.

This poster contains a picture, a credit block, the stars names, some of the stars and the release date. This makes it a good promotional film poster.