These are the signifiers or iconography that have been established over time and can be recognised by characters, storyline and mise-en-scene.
Clearly film posters are a vital aspect of film promotion as they help to promote the actors, generate interest from the audience, sell the merchandise, the director, the film and the stars. In order to achieve box office success studios invest heavily in film promotion. This ensures that the film is well known and appeals to the target audience.
Film promotion has several intended effects: importantly, it aims to attract an audience, usually by creating word of mouth, hype raising our expectations, through the use of a unique selling point, and narrative enigmas. The most successful posters manage to be eye-catching, informative and entertaining without being overcomplicated. Recently, posters like "The Matrix" have been memorable because it managed to do all of the above, and convey an appealing and fresh unique selling point. It teases the audience; Neo's face is half cast in shadow. The characters also wear sunglasses and some carry weapons. Their poses suggest tense situations and their sleek leather costumes are distinctive and stylish. The green strings of data are central in creating the film's style and unique approach to genre. This approach to both action and science fiction has been seen in other recent films such as "Spy Kids 2". By imitating this generic code, audiences recognise this being related to this genre. The responsibility for film promotion lies with the distributors and may involve several specialist companies, which can be expensive. The larger studios may avoid the cost as these studios are often vertically integrated. Vertical integration is one of the ways in which studios, such as Warner Brothers attempt to distribute and exhibit their own films. Major studios would create a production line, which specialises in making films.
