Poster Development Diary

Stage 1

In the first stage of creating my poster, the first ancillary texts I drew two mock ups on A4 paper. I got these ideas from the information based on my textual analysis of existing film magazine reviews and the knowledge and further research I have from my secondary findings. As the images above show I have created a poster containing all the conventional elements with a typical layout including cast and crew, credits, reviews and a main image form the film. All of these elements will help to promote the film as they are what audiences will expect to see and therefore will understand the text.

Stage 2

I started off openening a new project on Photoshop, starting with a dark gray background which I made using the paint bucket tool. This is a typical crime genre colour and represents the style and themes of my film; even the colour of my film is very similar, dark and dull. Using a still image of Cory from the film I opened a new document where I used the magnetic lasso tool to cut the image out that I needed, to get an accurate cut I applied the quick mask tool and then the pencil tool to touch it up to perfection. Desaturating the image to black and white I transferred it onto the original page so that my poster’s 1st stage was almost finished. I added an inner glow to the image so it gave it a 3D element, making Cory come out of the poster to grab the audience’s attention. At this point I specifically chose it to be black and white to connote the deeper meanings the poster would have, being dark, mysterious and dim representing the themes and narrative of my film.

Branston G and Stafford R stated that media gives audiences ways of imagining particular groups, identities and situations, these are called stereotypes. In this genre stereotyping is a common thing, almost a convention and is something I have applied in this design, where Cory is portrayed as the powerful, violent, murdering high class gangster. Something else this image has importance from is it challenges ‘The Male Gaze’ theory in which women are supposedly used to gain viewing figures and success due to male audiences seeing them for viewing pleasure. Avoiding this I have been able to challenge this theory, relying on the success for the design in order to promote our film.

Image showing the options used to apply the inner glow to the image of Cory.

Stage 3

Moving onto the next stage of the poster I used the rectangle shape tool to create 3 vertical lines running along the left side of the poster being mirrored horizontally along the top. In the left hand corner each rectangle line overlaps creating a cross hatch of layers. This design represents the deeper meaning within our film and portrays the narrative structure. I used the paint bucket tool fill in the shapes, choosing red, black and white as these colours portray the themes of the film. Also from research it was seen that all the great crime films use these colours as their prime base such as Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Reservoir dogs and Scarface. Finally I used the free transform tool to drag out and increase their size so it ran from top to bottom and across the top in order to create a border style. These specific colours were used as they each represent our film through connotation; black being dark, mysterious, death and representing crime, white representing purity and red portraying blood, anger, passion and violence. These are all aspects which are present in our film.

Paint bucket tool.

The ‘Cross hatch’.

Rectangular Shape tool.

Colour selection

Stage 4

Moving on with the construction of the poster I used the text tool Stencil STD in a large font to write the title ‘5ive’. This font type was used as it is used in the film so it cross promotes the film using a vertical synergy therefore increasing success. I wrote on the names of the star actors over the title, in the conventional layout, titling a pull quote from the film below the title, again the conventional position in which the audience will expect. Using the internet I obtained a copyright free image of the BBFC 18 image in which I dragged into the document and used the free transform tool to alter it to the correct size and then manipulated its position with the move tool. This is an

extremely important code within a film poster and lets the view know the censorship of the film. This has connotations in which the audience can assume the themes of the film by its age rating; in this case they can expect some sort of bad language, violence etc...

Text Tool.

Copy right free image.

Stage 5

In this stage I moved onto putting the reviews onto the poster. Using the text tool I wrote out the names of the reviewers and then the review itself, choosing the colour using the colour

selection tool, applying white to all the text as this denotes the purity and ‘coolness’ of the characters and narrative of the film. I used the custom shape tool too search until I found an appropriate star shape, dragging it out to the correct size I wanted. I held down shift in order to keep it symmetrical and in size. I used the paint bucket tool to fill in the shape red, again representing blood, anger, passion and violence. In order to save time and avoid continuity I copied the layer to give me 8 stars (4 stars rating each). The importance of adding these reviews were essential as it shows the audience an outsider’s opinion of the film which in turn will persuade them that it is worth watching.

Custom shape tool

Reviews.

Text tool.

Stage 6

Next I had to design the credits for the poster which displayed all the cast and crew roles responsible in the film. For this I referred to my research, looking at Goodfellas for an example I copied the roles on their poster. I used the text tool in order to type out the roles in capitals and then the character and paragraph palettes to adjust the text. I chose Perpetua Titling MT at sizes 18 and 36 in order to lay it out in the conventional style and form. However the spacing and look of the credits still wasn’t to that of a professional look, so I altered the spacing to make it in a correct format. This was a hard task to perform however it worked really well in making the poster look professional and authentic.

Stage 7

CreditsCharacter and paragraph palettes

One thing I found in research was that contemporary posters promoted their films through websites in which they were able to encourage the success for their film. I used the text tool again with Stencil STD in a bold white font. I used the move tool to position it at the bottom of the poster centrally in order to promote awareness for my film, hoping it will encourage audiences to look at the website, which is again another form of promotion for my film. Naming the website 5IVEFILM.com I have again cross promoted within a vertical synergy in order to attempt to increase awareness and success.

Stage 8

Colour selection tool.

Text tool.

Move tool.

For the final stage I began using the text tool to create the release date, using the same principles as before with the same font and colour, I use the move tool to position it in the conventional place – the bottom left corner. I then obtained a copyright free image of ‘Dolby Digital’ from the internet and use the free transform tool to re size and then I repositioned it just above the website. Lastly I created a logo for our company, 5IVEFILM. I used the custom text tool again in order to find a shape; going with one I used the free transform and eraser tool along with rotating it to create a shape, in which I input text of 5FILM. Lastly I used the colour selection tool to change the colour to white to suit the theme. Doing this I have been able to create iconography for our company and cross promote.

Whilst studying Posters I looked at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which stated advertisements for entertainment products promise to fulfil our needs to be accepted into social groups and our need for self-esteem and self respect. I feel in creating this poster I have been able to capture and use this theory which will result in having a knock on effect to the success of m film.