Film Poster Analysis Sheet

Title of Film:
Poster

Boyhood

Type of Poster: Main

Mise-En-Scene Code
or Convention

Detail (description & what it means)

Setting

This poster is set outside, which represents the open air and freedom,
and we can relate this to little boys when theyre always playing outside
in the open air and this film is based on a young boys life growing up.
The image of the young boy represents the boy, and the grass
represents outside and showing his freedom.
N/A

Props

Non-Verbal
Communication

The young boy on the poster is lying down on the grass showing him not
caring about getting dirty which is stereotypical that boys dont care
about being unclean. He is lying on his arm holding his head suggests he
is looking at something above and has been lying there for a long time,
and his other arm is above him, the way he is lying suggest he is relaxed
and enjoying lying there. His facial expressions shows he is looking up
toward the sky, this is showing the innocence of a small child.

Costume / Make-Up

He is dressed in a stripy t-shirt which is showing he is just a typical

young boy, the shirt is different colours blue, blue shows the conventions
of boys and this film is about one boys life growing up. The boy has quite
long messy hair, young boys stereotypically dont care about their
appearance, and his hair being long and not groomed shows this. His
appearance doesnt suggest a different personality; he is representing
the stereotypical young boy.

Colour

The poster is mainly green,. Green represents naturalness and this film
is bout the natural growing up of a young boy, and due o it be filmed
over 12 years it suggests that this is the natural way of a persons
boyhood. Green also represents nature, this film is about growing up
which is something that is natural and not man made. The other colour
on this poster is his t-shirt colour, blue. Blue represents boyish, and this
links with how the film is about a young boys childhood. The brighter
shades of blue represents the happiness and carefree attitude that
young people have, and the darker shades are representing the coldness
of this young boys life growing up and how some times can be hard, so
its the contrast between the two. The white stripes represent his
innocence as a young child.

Image

The key image in this photo is the young boy, the film is about a young boy life and
growing up, so by focusing the poster entirely on this boy it will let the audience know its
about this boys childhood and he is the most important character in the plot. The image is a
medium close up of this young boy and it is cropped so we only see the top half of his
body, this is to focus in on the boys face, natural lighting is used to represent how this is a
completely natural film of the life of a boy growing up. The image behind is grass. The
grass represents the nature and freedom of this film, there is a lot of dead space around the
boy which represents time, the colour of the grass has been enhanced and made brighter so
it will attract the audience. There isn't a iconic image as this is an independent film.

Language

A quote from a film review has been used on the poster of this film, this exact quote A
moving 12 year epic that isnt quite like anything else in the history of cinema is used to
give the audience an clue that this film has been filmed over 12 years, and also that it is
different from anything else in cinema history which may attract an audience. Using a
quote that someone has said about the film will make the audience trust what this audience
member is saying and is more likely to watch the film.

Typography

The title boyhood and having a picture of a young boy on the poster, gives the meaning
that this film will be able this young boys life growing up. The typeface for the title is a
chalkboard like font, as this film is about a young boy growing up, school would have been
a main part of this and we associate chalkboards with school and it gives the audience an
idea of youth. The title is positioned in the dead space in the centre above the image of the
boy and is the largest font so this out of all text will catch the audiences eye. The other text
on this poster is sans-terif typeface, this is so it will be easier to read as it is important
information such as cast, quote, director etc.

Layout

There is no tagline for this film. The top line of the quote which is positioned at the very
top of the poster is the sec on biggest text on the poster, this is because this gives the 12
years of filming plot and it is also positive feedback about the film and promoting it. Then
the cast are the nest biggest font and their last names are larger than first (as they are often
remembered by their last name), this is because often people watch films due to their
favourite actors/actress starring in the film, so having the casts name above the title and
quite big may attract the audiences. The credit block is placed at the bottom of the poster,
because the main focus on it is the boy they dont want to distract the audiences attention
away from that. The biggest text and centred on this poster is the title. The rest of the text is
above or at the bottom, this is to so there is little writing within the dead so the audience
will focus straight away on the boy and title. The director/writer has put his name under the
title, as this is a very original film he wants the audience to be away who created it. There
is no certificate rating on this poster.

Film Poster Analysis Prompts

What is the setting?

What are the key images in the poster?
Why do you think these were chosen?
What clues are there to the films narrative? (the storyline)
What can you tell about the genre of the film from their facial expressions, body language, stance,
appearance and position on the poster? What makes you say this?
What impression do you get of the characters/personalities from their expression, clothes &
props?
Is there an enigma being presented?
Is the poster composed of a series of images (montage with lack of perspective) or is the key
image a still from the film?
What colours are used in the poster?
Are they relevant to the genre? For example, horror film posters use dark strong colours,
especially black and red, to represent death and evil.
Romance films tend to employ lighter pastel and warm colours such as pinks, purples and other
warm shades.
Are the colours of the poster important? Why?
What clues do the colours give you about the genre and how do they help to attract an audience?
Talk about how the images are laid out.
Are they blended in without any concern for real perspective or size relationships between people
and settings?

Does the position and size of individual images suggest a level of importance to the plot?
Why do you think they are laid out like that?
Does the layout tell you what the plot, genre and/or them is? If so, how?
Most posters are portrait, not landscape. What shape and orientation is yours?

Describe and discuss the title, fonts, typefaces and graphics in the poster.
What style are they in? Where are they positioned?
Is the poster painted or printed using photos?
Have any special effects been applied to the images?

Is there a tagline?
What does the tagline tell you about the action, genre and attitudes within the film?
Who do you think is the target audience for this film? What makes you think that?
How has the poster been made attractive to this target audience?
What information does the credit block include?
Do we get information about who is in the cast, who directed the film, which company distributes
and promotes it? Where are these placed on the poster?
Is there any other text on the poster?
Does it use a formal or informal register?
Does the poster use a direct mode of address? (you)
Where is the classification rating? (age certificate)
What does the rating indicate about the target audience and the content of the film?
Does the poster list a website? If not, why not?
Does the poster list a USP? What makes it different from other films?