Print Images: Analysis

Previously Unposted 

As a way to help us analyse print based images, My teacher gave the class an activity where we were given 5 DVD covers , and we had to identify the main icon within the image and the explain why it is the main icon/what makes it so iconic. 

The list of DVD covers that I analysed is : 

The Hurt Locker 

The Vow 

The Departed

The Bounty Hunter 

Avengers Assemble

The Hurt Locker- The main icon present that I can identify is the explosion at the top of the DVD Cover. This is iconic because you can see the light of the fire and the black billowing smoke that covers half of the scene being shown. Another icon is the types of transport being shown such as the army vehicles being shown. This is iconic because the colour of them and the actual form of the vehicle hints at the army being present within the film.  The genre of the film in my opinion is action/war purely because the scenes that are shown on the cover hint at a lot of different events taking place and the picture of a clock at the bottom of the cover shows that there is a time limit for the plot, and also hints that it is going to be a fast paced film. Also the use of the explosions in the background and the men wearing soldier uniforms gives away the idea of a fight/war happening, so yes it is easy to identify the genre.  The genre is also an important message to the customer as it will attract an audience that loves that certain genre. The actors’ names on the front are also important because it lets the audience know who stars in the film and whether they will enjoy the film based on their reputation etc. At the bottom of the cover there is a star rating that shows the audience how critics rated it on a scale of 1-5 stars. This cover has a 5 star rating which tells us that the film must be a really good film and that is a possible 'must see'. Overall the most important consumer message that the cover shows is the star rating and the genre, as the rating makes the audience want to see it and the genre would also appeal to a certain type of audience which is who it would be targeted to.
 
The Vow- Within this DVD Cover, the icon that stands out the most to me is the poster of both characters and the way they are positioned. It shows that they are a couple or at least going to be and that they are in love, which is shown through the facial expressions of both characters. The genre is romance/ or rom-com and you can see this through, again the facial expressions but also the colour of the background as it is bright and cheery. The film title also hints at the genre through the actual words. This is because 'THE VOW', hints at a marriage/ love/romance. The border also shows the genre through the colour, pink to highlight fairy-tale and the actual design which has little flicks which are made to look like vines to also make it look 'girly'. The words in the corner of the cover say ‘Inspired by true events’ which could also mean that the genre is true story as well. This shows that the genre is easy to find, however it could be either one or both.  The genre of this particular film is vital as the cover portrays a very ‘lovey-dovey’ scenario/film sequence, so it is targeted towards a very select audience (mainly girls/women who like chick flicks). The actors names are important to because they are the main characters, which mean you, would have to like them to watch the film. However, they could be new to the film industry and never been heard of before so the names on the front would help to further their career.
 
The Departed- Straight away, I can see Leonardo Di Caprio on the cover, which is an icon because, even though his name is on the cover, his face is very distinguishable. The only other icon that I can identify is the landscape of a bay with tall buildings, which hints at a place within the USA. I would say it is New York because of the shape of the buildings. Looking at it, the cover doesn’t really convey the genre of the film, which, in my opinion, is a good thing because it makes people curious to know what the film is about. However the colour used for the characters faces, shows that the film could be set in the past or, as I originally thought, a gangster film. The use of the buildings ties in with my gangster thought because most films of that genre have been centred around New York or America in general. The quote at the bottom of the cover tells the audience that the genre of the film is crime. This then ties in with the facial expressions of the characters, which tell you that the one on the bottom left is a detective of some sort due to the hint of clothing we can see. Overall the genre of this film is not very easy to identify if you don’t look hard enough.  With this DVD cover, the genre is not the main message, but the actors are. This is shown through the well know actors names going first and the names are all in one place in a list, which draws the audience’s attention to them. The quote and the star rating are also important on this DVD cover as it shows that the film is a ‘must see’ and it gives away the genre of the film.

The Bounty Hunter- The generic icons on this DVD cover would be the main characters as they are well known /famous and are easily identifiable from their looks. The other generic icon is the fire ball in the background which hints at an explosion through the red/orange/yellow light that shows there is a fire and the smoke that it emitting from the car. Looking at the background I think that the film is an action/comedy film because the background stands out as being happy and cheerful. The background also makes the characters look slightly cartoon like, which again shows the genre is a comedy or it could suggest the age of the film through the graphics not being merged properly. Also the characters faces give it away, as in my opinion it looks like they are trying not to smile. Another factor is that the actress ‘Jennifer Anniston’ tends to star in comedy/chick flick films. However generally looking at the cover, the genre is not really reflected other than the use of the explosion and the handcuffs around the actors wrists. Again on this cover, the actors names are the most important as they convince the audience whether to buy it or not based on whether they like them or not.  The quote at the bottom is also another important factor in conveying messages as it tells the audience the genre of the film, but without actually saying what the genre is.  ‘From the director of Hitch’ also gives the message that if you liked that film you will like this as well. It also gives the message that maybe the film follows the same route that the ‘Hitch’ did.
 
Avengers Assemble- There are many different icons present on the cover of this DVD.  The main one that probably everyone will notice is the different superheroes at the foreground of the cover.  This is an icon because through the different appearances and the distinctive dress/weapons, for example we know which one is the Hulk due to the colour of his skin, the facial expression and his type of dress/ or lack of, and Captain America can be identified through the colours he is wearing and the shield he carries. Another icon is the Empire state building at the very back of the cover, which shows that the film is set in New York.  The explosion to the right of the cover is also an icon because the colours and the fire ball, give the audience that impression. The parts of flying glass also help to boost that idea of an explosion.  As the genres of this film are fantasy/ superhero/action. This is shown through the use of all the marvel characters at the foreground of the cover. However there are other ways of figuring out the genre such as the use of the colours/lighting shows that the characters are cartoon –like or based on cartoons. All the debris at the foreground of the cover hints at the action/destruction which shows there is a battle/fight that ties in with the action part of the genre. The fact that all the characters are standing together in the middle of New York shows the fantasy side of the genre as, superheroes are imaginary and seeing them in New York is a fantasy. The message of the genre is conveyed very strongly through the image on the cover because ‘MARVEL’ is a very well know company and everyone knows that it is linked with superheroes. The use of the ‘MARVEL’ logo is also a huge selling point. However the actors names are also important in attracting the customers attention, because they are all well-known and would persuade the audience whether to buy it or not.