Research into Film Posters
Conventions of Short Film Posters:
Short film posters use many of the same features as feature-length film posters, but tend to have less information on them. For example, the date of release and format of the film such as IMAX or 3D. There is an acceptance to the rule with some short film posters such as 'Beyond Black Mesa' shown on the right, whereby they have a festival date on them.
As opposed to feature-length posters, short film ones are also very simple; they traditionally use one or two characters as the main focus of the poster, making it clear as to who the protagonists are. In additiont to this, short film posters generally have the generic information which would be expected on any film poster: a production company, directors' names and actors names. Colours tend to reflect the actor(s) personalities and overal message of short film.
Moreover, short film posters may also give small clues of the film - props or the way the character(s) stand. The genre of the film can also be clear via the fonts used.
By Ashley Fontaine
Film Poster Deconstruction:
Reincarnated is a documentary feature-length film about Snoop Lion (Previously known as Snoop Dogg) and his travels back to Jamaica to reconnect with his roots. The individuals he meets on his travels take him on a spiritual and musical journey.
The colour of the writing is green yellow and red. These are the Pan-African colours, sybolic of his roots which this movie explores. People who look at this poster are able to identify the theme easily and it may provoke those from a similar background to feel more compelled to watch the movie.
The close up shot of Snoop allows us to see the smoke he is surrounded by. Smoke connotes mystery or being unclear which fits in with the documentary. Snoop finds out about the culture in Jamaica surrounding music and some other things associated with the country and his background/Spiritual journey. The smoke could also connote other things as Snoop is widely known as an avid weed smoker. For me, knowing some basic information of Jamaica's history in use of herb for spiritual enlightening makes me think that the film has something to do with that.
The poster is in black and white apart from the word 'Reincarnated'. Black and white is dull and almost lifeless but the contrast of the text may represent colour, warmth and life being brought into the poster. This connects to the theme of the movie where Snoop's life is enhanced by what he learns in Jamaica.
The poster is in black and white apart from the word 'Reincarnated'. Black and white is dull and almost lifeless but the contrast of the text may represent colour, warmth and life being brought into the poster. This connects to the theme of the movie where Snoop's life is enhanced by what he learns in Jamaica.
Connected is a short film about two beings on baren land who need eachother to survive. The movie shows the struggle of one individual who's struggling to carry on in his journey as his accomplace seems to have fallen ill and has become a liability. They travel along dead land when a mysterious figure appears with something our character wants.
The symbols on both of their heads within the poster corralate with each other because it's as if when put together the symbols would fit like a jigsaw. This implies that they need each other to survive, hence the title "Connected".
In the background of the poster, there is little detail and the air is unclear. This could imply that the air is toxic which is why they have masks on. It could also represent the future for them as the neutral colour is dull and lifeless like their future which is very bleak as all the characters end up dead. The floor resembles sand which typically represents the absence of life, possibly indicating they are not on earth - another planet. This shows the importance of the opposite halfs of the symbols on both characters' heads because they need each other to stay alive in this barren wasteland.
The positioning of the characters show an intimacy and close bond between them. This is because the character on the right seems to be holding the other one up and helping them walk. This reinforces the connection between them as he feels like he needs to look after him. From this, we can tell that the story has something to do with their relationship.
By Tamuka Walker
Documentary Short Film Posters:
From the posters above, it is evident that they include features such as a tagline, clear title and nominations from film festivals. Documentary short film and feature-length posters tend to convey a strong message, whereby the main image used on the poster is used to provoke thoughts amongst the audience. From the posters above, it is evident that they include features such as a tagline, clear title and nominations from film festivals. There isn't much information on documentary short/feature-length film posters, but here is a slideshare presentation that was helpful to us:
By Ashley Fontaine
Our research into short film posters and their deconstructions aided us in our creative decisions and whether or not we want to stick or subvert film poster conventions.