Textual Analysis: Film Poster 5

The poster of 'Mary Last Seen' is split into two block images; the lower image seen to be in grey scale takes up 2/3 of the frame whilst the top image appears in high key lighting and is seen to be more intimate. The top image shows two people, presumably lovers, sharing a moment of passion; it can be inferred that these will be the two main characters throughout the sequence. However, according to the rule of thirds, it is the female that is seen to be central to the framing; alongside the title consisting of the female name 'Mary', this allows the audience to assume that she is of more importance to the plot/narrative when compared the male who is positioned more so to the right. Both characters are seen from a side profile and both characters show a lot of skin/body; it can be argued that this is symbolic of being exposed/vulnerable and therefore may allude to a running theme within the sequence. The colour scheme consists of much warmer tones than the bottom image which somewhat adds to the element of lust/romance implied via the image itself.

The bottom image within the film poster strongly juxtaposes that of the top; not only is the colour scheme different, but the sense of togetherness felt within the first image is gone as only one character (presumably Mary) is featured. The personal insight previously felt is no longer felt by the audience as the character's identity and situation is left ambiguous, therefore causing the audience to ask questions (e.g. Where is she? Why is she alone? Is it Mary? Where is she jumping from?) The character is very central to the screen which is somewhat eerie as it appears unnatural, especially when considering the lack of familiarity- no facial features are shown and the audience cannot infer any emotion from the image.

The use of the split screen in this case is very effective as it implies a lack of equilibrium within the short film; the juxtaposing images suggest that the narrative/storyline will face some sort of twist within the plot.

The credits appear in a neutral black typography at the bottom of the poster, central to the frame, subtle and just a small space away from the title- as seen in most of the posters I have analysed. There is some sort of logo in the top left corner of the frame featured as some sort of self-promotion/acknowledgement however no tagline is present.