the Dark Knight Poster Analysis

                                                   

   Here is the official film poster for Batman- The Dark Knight. This movie was released in 2008 and was a huge success. There were a number of posters for this movie as it was part of its highly successful marketing campaign and this is the one which consists of the Joker who in hindsight I know is the evil character but can also be identified by this poster. As seen this poster came out way before the producers even knew of a release date which tells me how important a poster actually is in order to set the foundations of the success of the movie.
   The first thing that I can Identify is the visible destruction in the background of the Joker. The sparks all over the poster connotes danger and really makes this character known as the Joker stand out. Furthermore, the lighting in the background is dark and gloomy which tell the audience that this movie may be scary but more importantly puts more emphasis on the Joker being the bad guy and it also helps his make-up stand out which is what differentiates him from other batman evil characters.
    The Joker is holding a weapon which tells me that he is the cause of this destruction. Furthermore, there are flames flying everywhere and he doesn't seem scared which shows that this poster is trying its best to tell the audience that Joker is going to be the evil character in this Batman. Furthermore, Joker is looking directly at the audience which brings the audience in and makes them gain an interest in the movie whereby ultimately they will want to find out when the movie actually releases and this is the sole purpose of releasing a poster this early and the success of Batmans marketing campaign supports the fact that promoting through posters is an effective way in which to gain the audiences attention. Having the central image look at the audience is a common theme in both Magazines and Posters which shows the effectiveness of it.
    The picture of Joker is shot at an angle and makes it seem as if we are looking up at the Joker which makes him seem more powerful and tells the audience that he is going to be difficult to beat. Moreover, it makes him seem huge as he looks as if he is the same height as the buildings. Furthermore, the weapon in his hand also connotes action which is one of the genres in this Batman movie and does give a little indication of the storyline.
   Overall, this poster has taught me a lot about how different angles make the audience perceive the character in question and how posters should have as minimal information as possible; especially teaser posters which is what I feel this is. Also, this poster has shown how the lighting can make up the way in which you perceive the centralised image whereby dark and gloomy tends to be associated with evil whereas light can be seen as heroic.