Inception(Poster Analysis)

The title of this film is ‘Inception’. The word is unusual and therefore when people read it, it makes them think perhaps about what the film may

involve. Because the title is mysterious, it may also give the impression that the film may be as well.

Inception means ‘The beginning of a new project’ which may convey over into the story line meaning that the film may be about a new project or a

series of projects.

In contrast to the rest of the poster which consists of dull, blue colours, the title is red. However it is slightly transparent which means that even

though the colour contrasts, it still blends in with the rest of the photo meaning that it doesn’t stand out. This may suggest that the film, along

with the title, may be unclear or uncertain.

Within the poster, there are many key images. At first glimpse, the eye is drawn into the centre where is an image of a man however he has his back to the viewers which raises many enigmas, as it is unclear who he is or weather he is good or bad, this is especially unclear as he is holding a gun.

The low angle of the camera makes the man look powerful which raises questions as to who he is and why he is so powerful.

Another key image is the surrounding sky scrapers which give an inner city feel, the fact that they are standing on both sides of the poster gives the viewers a feel that they are also trapped between them, and they are shutting out most of the light leaving the poster dull.

From the poster, you can see that the genre of the film is action thriller. This is made clear by the dull colours that have been used mixed with clouds and gloomy weather.

The element that gives away the action genre is the gun that the man is holding, this suggests that there will be elements of violence and action in the film.

Another factor that suggests the genre of the film is thriller is the fact that although the setting is clearly in a city location, the man is knee deep in water, which raises more enigmas and also adds in a hint of futuristic which adds to the hybrid.

The name of the star, Leonardo Dicaprio, is placed right at the top of the poster and although it may not stand out immediately when you first look at the poster, in comparison to the rest of the words, the name is bigger and bolder, which shows that the film producers are using his name as a selling point for the film. This may be because due to the fact he is a blockbuster film star that he will have a lot of fans who will be willing to come and see him in this new film. Leonardo does not usually play dark roles like this so this will also intrigue his fans and bring out more interest in the film amongst the audience.

The colours that have been used in this poster are dull which matches the genre. However, this contrasts with the weather that is in front of the man which may raise certain enigmas such as what his purpose is. The weather may also suggest that something bad is about to happen as the dull clouds are over powering the bright light.

The dull colours also suggest the seriousness of the film and the storyline. The metallic blue of the sky scrapers also add a futuristic vibe to the poster

The tagline of the poster is ‘your mind is the scene of the crime’. The wording implies that this or may be aimed towards the audience and that there is a problem that is going to need solving. It also implies that the film is going to require some thinking and once again shows that there is going to be an element of action within the film.

TARGET AUDIENCETARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience for this film is a little unclear at first. It has been made appealing to men because of the crime aspect of the poster and it could also be argued that the use of colour is appealing to men. However the fact that it is clearly not a typical crime/action film appeals to women and the star of the film also attracts them. I would say that the unique selling point of this poster would be the interesting and unique setting as well as the main character who would also interest a large amount of men as well as women and teenagers to view the film.