Science Fiction Film Poster Analysis

Science Fiction
Film Poster Analysis
by Tom Chamberlain

I Am Legend – Science Fiction Horror
There are many indicators that suggest New York City has
been abandoned and destroyed, as the weeds in the ground
are not tended to and ‘Brooklyn Bridge' has collapsed into
the estuary. The dark and gloomy clouds create a very
negative vibe, while the overall golden colour grading convey
strong emotions of pessimism and violence.

The male protagonist is represented as being insecure, as his
long sleeved jacket and automatic rifle provide a level of
protection against the harsh surrounding environment. It
should also be noted that the dog is looking to the left and
not strait forward, therefore the audience understand that
the animal is protecting the protagonist as it vigilantly
watches for danger.

The title style of the film text is very interesting, as it
creatively connects the text composition to the narrative
through the technical construction and positioning of the
text. At first glance, it appears that the words are gradually
getting larger, but when analysing their structuring to the
narrative; it looks like an eyesight test. This can be
justified, as infected marauders have their eyes scanned to
find evidence of a viral infection. Overall I like the
combination of images and the superimposition of the script
running down the middle of the sky.

Dredd – Science Fiction Action
Power is given to the protagonist, as a low camera angle
makes the audience feel inferior and vulnerable looking up at
the male being represented as being very masculine and
dominant; as he is well build in combat clothing and carrying
a firearm. His helmet covers his eyes and the upper portion of
his face, thus his identity is concealed from the
audience, creating a sense of mystery to intrigue the viewer.

The colouring of the film title connotes strength, power, war
and danger. The bold style may represent the boldness of the
characters personality, and thus show that the protagonist is
courageous. This can be justified, as the male is surround by
burring buildings and fire, stereotypically an element that
strongly scares and deters individuals.

The dark sky is a symbol of doom and ending, contrasted
with the lighter shades of grey surrounding the male to show
how his presence is creating a sense of hope amongst the
gloom.

Finally I feel the film poster is very effective, as it clearly
represents an authoritative figure fighting for order in the
chaos. Overall it communicates well with the audience
through simple graphic text showing the film title, release
date and tagline.

The Dark Night Rises – Science Fiction Crime
Genre can instantly be established by the audience as the lead
antagonist is framed in the centre of the image holding an iconic
‘Thomson Rifle’, suggesting the film text will include elements of
crime, guns, gangs and thus violence.

As the male is the focus of the film poster, he is being represented
to the audience as very eccentric, as the colours of his dress code
and facial paint also suggests that he may be crazy and does not
take his crimes ‘seriously’; meaning he is actually a ‘joker’. This
statement can be reinforced, as the colour purple symbolises
power and ambition, and is associated with creativity, mystery
and magic. The background and foreground graphics and images
create a feeling of destruction, as the sparks and shards of
shrapnel imply that there may have been conflict between two
characters which resulted in some form of explosion.

The audience understand that the film text may be set in a large
city, such as New York or the fictitious Gotham City; as ideology
of skyscrapers and large buildings is used to help the viewer
recognize these iconic locations. To conclude, I like the style of
this film poster, but feel it lacks vital conventions like taglines and
film ratings to improve the visual and writtencommunication
between the marketing campaign and the potential target
audience.

The Road – Post-apocalyptic Drama
Genre can easily be established through the codes of this film
poster, as the gloomy and colourless sky creates a depressive
mise-en-scene, adding to the dark mood of the film text. As
the title has a grungy style, it could suggest the roughness of
the characters travels or the harsh living environments within
the film universe

The wide angle establishing shot allows the audience to
locate themselves within the scene, while the photo
manipulation technique of adding a vignette draws the
audiences attention to the centre of the frame. I feel the
image connotes that family bonds stay strong during times of
hardship, and thus the road shows the length of the journey
the characters will be forced to endure if they choose to
continue on the pursuit for a better life.

As there are no other significant conventions on the film
poster, I can assume the designer wanted the primary focus
to be the image and the tagline. I like how the tagline is in the
centre of the poster, therefore it will not be missed unlike if it
was positioned at either the top or bottom of the design. I
think the film poster could have some added
conventions, such as film ratings and reviews to persuade
the audience that the text will not be another drawn out and
dismal Science Fiction adventure.

The Book of Eli – Biblical Science Fiction Adventure
‘Denzel Washington’ is portrayed as ‘God’s’ last prophet, as
his character ‘Eli’ wonders the planes of a barren Earth
carrying a ‘King James Bible’.

The use of a low angle camera shot connotes the characters
dominance and power, and thus helps the audience to
understand that he is the key protagonist in the film text.
While full face lighting does not hide any element of the
characters face, his eyes are covered with dark
glasses, creating a level of mystery as the viewer cannot see
his true identity.

particularly like the creative position of the film posters
text, as many other marketing products centre align all of the
information. This technique may have been chosen as the
actors popularity is being exploited as the unique selling
point for the film text.

In terms of representation, the characters gun suggests the
film content may be slightly violent and his dishevelled
clothing adds to the overall semantic code of the image. As
the lead role is played by a black actor, this conforms to
society's stereotype of coloured males carrying weapons and
intentionally harming others for their own benefit.

Science Fiction Film Poster Analysis

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Science Fiction Film Poster Analysis