Film Poster Research: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix / The Matrix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:
This poster has a lot of common conventions of a typical one, especially with the main characters and the classic film title print. Something that stood out to me was the fact Harry (in the middle) is surrounded by his friends as if they are protecting him which in a way, happens in the film. A very gloomy, smokey background has been chosen which represents danger and mystery which is what I think is important in a poster as it drags you in to the film. 'The Rebellion Begins' is printed at the top and this provides evidence of a lot more action that will take place and may even appeal to people who have not already seen the previous films. The classic font has been used to title the film on the poster which is important as it is great marketing and is recognised world wide.

The Matrix:
This poster; like the Harry Potter one shows many codes and conventions of a classic film poster. To start, it has all the characters, dressed in dark colours which conotes with danger. The font used for the actors names at the top has a purple outline to help make it look more lit up like a computer (like the film). Same with the main title font, it's 'glitched' as the film is about inside computers. The characters on the front are stood in a defensive stance which indicates violence in the film and so oes also the fact they are holding guns and wearing dark sunglasses.

Film Magazine Research - The Dark Knight

This magazine cover for 'The Dark Knight' doesn't actually have an image of the main character (Batman). Instead it focuses on The Joker.
The Joker doesn't look like your everyday, stereotypical villain so by the way he is dressed and the use of make up makes it very appealing to customers to by as they want to find out more. The typography for 'Joker' is almost like a ransom note which connotes with villains.
The sentence: 'He's a cold blooded, mass murdering clown' has been quoted onto the cover which gives us a slight overview of how dangerous he is in the film. Also because he is a clown, that makes it scarier for some as a lot of people have a fear of them. The Batman logo at the top helps signify the film in terms of informing the reader of the specific film series as without it people might not know it'sB Batman.

Film Magazine Research - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One

Personally, the Harry Potter films are one of my favourite series of all time. The films became massive when the first film was released in 2001. I chose to analyse the seventh film in the series, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One as there is a lot that can be said from the magazine cover.
I think the main element to this magazine that makes it a powerful one is the shards of broken glass. First, it indicates action in a sense as they do take up a lot of the page. The scratches and sharp edges of the glass do help emphasise the part genre. Also, if you have seen the film, this does correspond to one of the events (which includes a lot of action). The faces in the larger shards at the bottom also have some meaning. Voldermort (the baddie) is at the bottom, representing him as not a very liked character which is true from the series. Whereas Harry's friends, Ron and Hermione are slightly hire up, allowing them to be represented in a more positive manner. .Another part is the slanted picture of Harry, this has a great contribution as it seems like it's either a mid action shot which links well with the flying glass, however it could also be to emphasise the fantasy genre as it could represent magic etc.
The dark blue background (not a lot shown) contrasts well with the image as is connotes with evil which is something that is experienced a lot in the films.
Overall the magazine cover works well because it emphasises a lot of the moods within the film and helps give a clear insight into what to expect, but without giving too much away.

Film Magazine Research - Skyfall

The James Bond franchise is probably one of the most recognised in the world. It has such a long history dating back to 1953 when the first book was written. I chose this film magazine cover to analyse because it's very different from other ones. The main thing about it id that it's mainly black and white which makes it seem like the classic James Bond films which date back to the 1960's. The fact that it looks older makes it more appealing to fans as the older films are considered the 'better' ones.
An image of Daniel Craig dominates the cover, like with my analysis of the image of Hugh Jackman on the Empire Magazine cover, he is well known which makes his face recognisable which could draw easy attention to the cover.
The word 'Skyfall' is printed in a font which almost looks like it's deteriorating, which does link to the film as they have to fight at the end 'the old fashioned way'. It also links with the film as it links back to James' past.

Film Magazine Research - X-Men Origins: Wolverine

The X-Men films have become massive since they began in the early 2000's. Marvel have received incredibly high ratings from the which has boosted their publicity dramatically. So, for Marvel to carry on with this reputation, they're going to have to advertise their latest films very well, starting with this Empire Magazine cover for one of their latest X-Men films, 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine.'

The main thing that strikes you when you first look at this magazine cover is the centralised image of the well known actor Hugh Jackman. His face looking very serious emphasises the action genre of the film and the fact his muscles are on show along with his Wolverine claws indicate there to be violence in the film. It is a powerful image because it gives off the classic Wolverine look with the hair done properly.

The dark blue dominated background connotes with 'evil' and 'darkness' making the film more desirable to watch as it gives a sense of it being suspense filled and thrilling.

Although every Empire Magazine has a red headlining title, in this instance it works well as red connotes with danger, blood and death which is what is expected from this particular film.