Ancillary Task - Poster Designs

The first poster is of simple design. Two nooses are hanging from the top of the poster which is representational of the beam. It is on a plain black background. The basis of this design is that it conveys the moral message and theme to the audience, as well as detailing the importance of creativity. These factors are common conventions of short films and therefore are crucial within a poster design. The black background conveys the importance of the central image, making it the focal point of the poster. The colour black is representational of fear and death both of which are key themes of the films narrative but are also central to the horror genre. Dark imagery is also an important element of the genre. The image of the two nooses represents a key and memorable feature of the mise-en-scene and the narrative of the film, making the concept and moral easier to understand and remember. The use of nooses is an ambiguous element and consequently does not suggest the narrative to an audience before watching the film. The number of nooses is also important. The fact that there are two conveys the two characters of the film, the two minutes that Rhys has to decide as well as the two decisions that have to be made. It connotes this information subtlety to an audience and allows them to interact with the piece on a variety of different levels. The main text of the poster is at the top so it does not detract from the focal point. This feature is found commonly in both short and feature length films posters. The information at the top of the poster details facts such as director and cast to the audience without dominating the lay out. The film’s title “two” is placed directly under the image, so that the eye tilts down towards it. The title of the piece is representing the narrative, but upon the poster is not the main feature of representation of the films moral or genre.

The second poster design relies much more on the actual danger present. The image on this poster is of two pairs of legs belonging to Lucy and Kathy upon the trapdoor that is keeping them alive as well as representing the threat of death. The image at the top of the poster is shot in colour, so it contrasts with theme of danger and death in the bottom ¾ of the poster. The information about the film is then underneath this image upon a simple black background connoting the fact that this is being kept back from the two characters in the darkness of one of their deaths. Compared to the first poster this design gives more information away about the narrative of the film, although crucial details and factors are not shown.  The fact that the two characters are shown is a common feature of posters using a key character to advertise the film. By only showing their legs it uses this factor but manipulates it in a more creative and stylised approached suited to short films. The danger and death aspect as well as the two lives that are potentially at risk reinforces the genre (social and horror) to the audience. The reason behind showing two pairs of legs is that once again it relates to the importance of “two” within the film highlighting the two choices that have to be made. This aspect only becomes clear after studying the narrative, allowing the poster to be used in varying interpretations.  The title is the second element of the poster to be seen, conveying the importance and relevance of it, as the middle of the poster is commonly were attention is drawn first. The information about the film is at the bottom of the poster so not to detract from the themes in the image. This is found commonly in all film posters.

The third design creates a focus at the centre of the page. The two eyes in the middle are those of Rhys who the narrative of the film is based around. By keeping the focal point of the design at the core of the poster it helps to create an eye catching and memorable design for the audience. The choice behind the two eyes is that it helps to portray the importance of characterisation within the film. It also reinforces the importance of humanity and emotion in the plots moral message. Rhys’ eyes are used because he is the character in which the narrative is hinged upon; he has the important decision to make.  The image is once again on a black background; by using the colour black it reinforces the darkness and horror aspect of the genre.  It also helps to generate an ethereal tone to the image of the eyes which unsettles the audience which is representational of the social genre. The poster design was kept simple so it did not detract from the important information and message it creates for the audience. The title is underneath the eyes so that the information and image are connect and retained by the audience. Also by placing this information here it links the two the concepts together. Basic film information is placed at the bottom of the design as it a common location on film posters for this information. It also displays the information in an accessible manner without distracting from the focal point of the image.

The fourth image was inspired by the poster design and the trailer for The National Theatre’s production of Frankenstein. The image uses superimposition of both Katy and Lucy at the centre of the page to represent the strong connection, similarities and differences between them. This notion was created by the blurring and repetition of Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller as their respective characters on the poster; as well as by the editing used on the trailer. The image of Kathy and Lucy takes up the majority of the poster space and focuses upon them as being the important characters of the plot. This concept is true as they are the decision for life that Rhys is facing. The fact that two of them are shown together and joined, links back to the importance of the number two within the narrative.  They are the two difficult decisions that Rhys has to make. The design like all of those previous is on a black background; this not only creates a stylised and professional appearance, but is representation of the dark themes of the narrative and does not draw attention away from the main image. The title is placed at the top of the poster in order to detail its importance to the film and what is represents. It helps to engage with the audience on different levels. After the main image of the two women, this is the next most important piece of information and by placing it at the top it reinforces the title helping to advertise the film more effectively. Once again the film information is at the bottom of the poster, but in this design it is overlaid upon the focal image. It shows the importance of the information and it also helps to make it a clear connection between the actors of the film, its narrative and those who worked on the film during its production.

This is the poster that inspired the fourth design for the advertisng poster for the short film "two".

The fifth and final poster design is a variation of the image used in design three. The central image of this piece is two sets of eyes appearing out of the darkness. Unlike in design three, the eyes used within the shot are never specified and are ambiguous in order to allow the audience to draw their own interpretation of the poster, allowing it to interact on a variety of levels. The fact that there are two pairs of eyes connotes back to the theme of two, and can depict the variety of relationships that could exist between the three lead characters.  The eyes are in the middle of the design in order to attract the attention and become the focus point. By doing this it allows factual information such as the title to be communicated and understood effectively. Eyes are an important concept to the moral of the short film as they are believed to represent a window into the human soul, and the message of the film is all about the flaws and imperfections of humanity. This design like those before it is based on a black background. It helps to create the sense of danger and death of the film and communicates this to the audience in a subtle format. The title of this design is just above the top of the image but not at the top of the page. This can indicate the often common use of the location but show it as developed in a more artistic style. It also helps to create a link between the image and the title of the piece. The film information is at the bottom of this piece in order not to detract from the message of the eyes, also for the reason that it helps to make the information easier to read.

Each of the designs above helps to advertise and portray vital information to the audience about the short film “two”. The artistic style and tone of the poster are important as they are the first contact with the film that a perspective audience may have. They also offer the ability to subtlety represent key traits and conventions such as the genre to them.  All of the poster designs above convey the central  themes of the film but designs two and four convey unique and artistic designs that could be developed into a successful representation and form of advertising for the film.