Sex & The City, one of my personal favourites, was a film which had many different film posters.
There isn't a specific main colour used on these posters, as the characters have different outfits on in each which instead suggest fashion is a key element to this film. However the title of the film is written in pink, sparkly text which connotates to me that this is a film aimed at women and possibly a "chick flick". The background of the posters is mainly dark colours, or is blurred out so the focus is on the characters and the attention grabbing text. As the characters are wearing standout outfits in each poster this again represents the strong relationship the film has with fashion.
Only in some of the film posters are symbols used. In the background of the first film poster I have posted there is a blurred yellow taxi. This is an iconic symbol of New York City where the movie is set. Many fans who already followed the tv series of Sex & The City would have this foreknowledge, however as this is such an iconic image of NYC, the audience would be able to decode it without seeing the film first. In the background of the third poster that I posted you can see the blurred setting of bright lights and possibly a theatre which creates the feel of a New York Street. Not so much a symbol, but the mise-en-scene of costume is used to decode the theme of fashion in the movie. The glamourous high couture dresses the characters are wearing represent the fashion capital the film is based in and also the glamourous social lives of the characters that requires them to dress that way.
In two of the film posters the main focus is of the main character Carrie Bradshaw. This suggests her as the lead role in the film and who the story line is based around. Another film poster is of four female characters out on the town together, which suggests the story is based around the friendship and lives of these three women. These three posters are all represented photographically with the background blurred out. In the final movie poster the main focus of the poster is the stand out pink sparkling text and an image of Carrie's character. This is represented graphically and is quite a minimalistic layout suggesting this poster is aimed at people who are already fans of the Sex & The City tv programme, and don't need to know more about the film to sell it to them. In the first three posters the messages are primarily visual whereas the final posters message is verbal with the film title and slogan "get carried away".
I think as the tv programme is already a success, the posters are primarily aimed at its tv fans. However through these posters I do think they are aimed at women in particular through the texts and images used. The word "sex" in the title also suggest it is aimed at older teenagers and women who can find the lives of four middle aged women interesting!
Not many conventional persuasive techniques are used to attract and audience to this poster, as they are using the already successful movie title to attract the main audience. They use stereotypical aspects to attract a female girly audience for example, glamourous clothes which suggest to the audience they can live vicariously through these characters. It is a steroetypical "chick-flick" genre.
The main character is cast as Sarah Jessica Parker which is a unique selling point to the film. With her as the main character, the film is already attracting her own fan base as she is a well loved and respected actress. She is the only focus in three of the four movie posters representing her as a unique selling point to the film.
Through the movie posters some pleasures are promised. On the cinema release date the caption reads "Save the date", suggesting that this film is something worth waiting for. Through the happiness in the characters facial expressions on the movie posters it implies the film will bring you into this world, if only for the films length, yet it gives you the feeling you can be as happy as these characters.
Attention is gained in these posters through the stand out colour and the beauty and glamour of the characters. One the final movie poster there is a tagline. "Get Carried Away" suggests the film can carry you into a different world yet it is always a pun on the main characters name Carrie.
Like any other poster their is product constraints. From this poster you do not learn alot about the movies institutional context in the stages of production. We are aware that this movie is a blockbuster as it is being awaited in cinemas, yet the only information that we can gather through the movie posters is that it is in association with HBO, and american televeision company. The movie posters are important to the marketing campaign as a whole as they help to sell the film. The different conventions and style of the posters appeal to its target audience.
In my opinion I think the posters are effective as they do promote the housestyle of the movie, without giving away the plot. The key to the movie's success is drawn on the success of the tv series and the movie posters highlight what women love most about the tv series, Carrie Bradshaw and her outfits! Therefore appealing to the target audience it gives them what they want to see in the film. I don't think the poster can be seen as effective in anyway as it doesn't give off any violent or abusive messages. The posters don't damage the message of the marketing campaign as I don't feel they can be taken the wrong way. The poster's aren't nesseccerily trying to send a particular message just promoting the glitz and glamour of the film.
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