Forms and conventions of film posters

Image 
There is usually a large main image which covers up the majority of the page, this is so that the audience/people walking past will get their attention caught by the large image. They can either be a shot taken directly from the film or from a shoot before but it usually shows what genre the film is.

Title
Nearly all film posters have a title, unless the film is so popular that it is not needed. If there is a title it is usually in the middle and just below the main image.

Directors, producers and actors
These people are most of the time included and are near the title, especially if it is a well-known name as it will stand out more near the title. If it is a small budget film then normally only the main characters are named, but if it is big budgeted film it usually will have more well known names so will include all of these in order to attract a wider audience.

Quotes, recommendations and ratings

When critics have seen the film, they redo their posters and add the positive things said about them, especially if it by someone who is well known giving it a high rating as people will want to see the film because of this, an example of a well known company is UK Film Magazine.

Awards
If the poster is put out near awards season then these will be put near the names of the directors, producers and actors who have won an award which will make their name more widely known and will force the audience into thinking this is a good film to see because of this, as it gives them a unique selling point above competitors

Taglines
These are used to give a hint about the film and add a tiny bit of context. They can also be a common line from the film, for example in Forrest Gump "life is like a box of chocolates" is used.

Date and extra information
This shows the date of the release so that the audience doesn't miss it. The extra information shows things like the age restriction of the film and if there is things like swearing included. This is usually located at the bottom of the poster as it isn't as important as the rest of the poster.


I feel that Barthes' codes relate to this very well. The enigma code is when the audience is left asking questions, and this is the main aim of film posters to entice them into watching the film. Also the semantic code relates to this as it is common in posters for them to be symbolic for something which is included in the film.