Ancillary product research: Poster

As part of the type of product we have decided to create (film trailer), we have to create two ancillary products that run alongside the film trailer:

What is an ancillary product?

Something that is subordinate or accessory to something else; in the context of film, an ancillary product is something that would accompany a film in it's promotion in order to help it become well known and recognisable. From the three options I was given in the specification, I have decided to carry out the film magazine front cover that features the film and a poster for the film, as I feel that these will be the most effective methods of advertising the film we are creating.

What does a film poster do?
The primary purpose of a film poster is to inform the target audience and to advertise a forthcoming film release; this will generate an excitement around the release, meaning that there is more chance that the film will be successful in box office and the opening weekend. Film posters contain important information such as release date, actors and suitability with reference to age (BBFC certification.) Film posters merge illustrations, lettering, colouring and a clever layout to create a 'movie-at-a-glance' image to entice an audience into seeing the film. They focus on visual elements such as, powerful photographs and graphics to make posters attention grabbing and something the audience would want to see. These visual elements can also give the audience an insight into the themes and genre that will be portrayed throughout the film. The images and film name are often striking in order to gain the attention of the public; it has to be memorable so that the audience remember the film and pay to view it.

What are the stereotypical conventions of a film poster?

• A film poster conventionally features the main characters involved in the film, which allows the audience to build a connection with them before they have even watched the film. This is done through them being included in the main image as well as in the list of actors included on the poster. By having an A-list actor in the film, it will appeal to a wider target audience as there may be people who specifically enjoy films that star a certain actor. 
• The image used on a film poster often determines the opinion that. person will have on the film;  the image is one of the biggest representations of the film, and the appropriateness to the film will reflect the genre and theme of the film it is advertising. Conventionally, the main image includes the main protagonists, with a potential antagonist in the background - this foreshadows the narrative of the film and will provide an insight for the audience as to what the film is about.
• The title of the film is almost always included in a film poster, as this informs the audience the name of the production so that they can ember for the future release of the film. Conventionally, film titles are bold so that they stand out on the poster. 
• Institutional information is normally present on a film poster, conventionally located in small print at the bottom of the document. They include the companies who produced and distributed the film (this helps to advertise the companies and to associated them with the success of a film). 
• One of the main reasons for a film poster is to inform the audience about the release date of the film, so this is key convention that most film posters include. A date/month is used in bold to stand out from the rest of the information so that the audience remember the release date. 
• Taglines are used in film posters to emphasise a specific theme or point in the narrative to the audience, and is often a 'slogan' that is memorable for the audience. 

Film posters are positioned in places that will reach the most people possible in order to widen the target audience set by the film. They are not only produced as physical copies visible from a particular place or object, but the film posters are also distributed digitally as adverts or features of a website; this ensures that as many people receive the information as possible. An example of one of the most popular places in the UK where films and other products are advertised is the London Underground. Countless billboards and posters line the walls of the Underground, which holds up to 4.8 million passenger journeys per day. This means that the demographic is vastly widened which will overall improve the consumption of the film. 

The poster of 'Dead pool', which was produced in February 2016, was shown on numerous billboards globally, and it featured the tagline, title and release date of the film. These are the key points of information that are important to inform the audience about, as the relate to when the film is available for viewing as well as the title of the film, so they know what it is that they will be watching. The tagline is written in large font, which will stand out against the main image of the protagonist (this can be assumed). 

'The Dark Knight Rises' (produced in 2012) used an entire block of flats to paste their film poster on to in order to promote their film. This includes the titles of the film, and the release date - this is similar to Deadpool, where the key pieces of information are used so that the audience are able to remember what is featured on the film poster. The way in which film posters are displayed and distributed will also reflect the budget that has gone into making the film, and conventionally the bigger the budget to more elaborate the techniques of heritage marketing are.

Poster composition?

The rule of thirds is used in visual arts such as photography, art and design that divides an image into nine equal sections- two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally spaced vertical lines. The subject of the image or compositional elements should be placed within these intersections or along the line. It is believed that following the rule of thirds is more effective in creating energy and interest to an image and placing the subject/s of the image within the nine sections than just typically centering the subject.