Adulthood: Poster Analysis

• The main photograph of this poster is one of all the protagonists of the film and they seem to be placed in order of importance, with the most important one (Sam) at the front in the centre. As well as their poses, their costumes also suggest a lot about their characters. This is because Kidulthood was released before Adulthood and their costumes were carefully chosen effectively in order to show which characters have in fact grown and become "adults". Furthermore, through the addition of new characters, the audience want to find out what their relevance to the narrative is making them want to watch this part of the sequel to see if it has developed further in comparison to Kidulthood. The characters' facial expressions further suggest that they may be going through something tough individually or even as a group. Slightly to Sam's left (his left) on the floor next to him there is a baseball bat which is in fact the murder weapon he used to kill another character who was in Kidulthood. This makes the audience members wonder why it has been included on the poster, wondering if anything will happen to Sam for the crime he has committed or even if the same scenario will occur again only with a different person. The location of this shot further supports the films narrative as it is a long shot which in the background has a city's skyline which is stereotypically associated with inner city working class people and crime or violence within those areas. Similarly, because these particular characters are placed in front of it, this suggests that they are most likely in a run down or council estate area of this urban area. Adulthood's already established audience members will know this, however, this will help the new audience members gain a deeper understanding of the narrative. 

• The release date of the film is key in the marketing campaign of any film so it is therefore always included on the poster. "June 20 in cinemas Nationwide" is placed towards the bottom of the poster allowing audience members to gain the last bit of information they need to know about the film which is when they can see it. It further allows audience members a chance to promote the film through word of mouth (two step flow) as this gives them a date to look forward to. 

• Above the release date is the films website where audience members can in fact access soundtracks, DVDs, pictures etc. Above the website link and opposite it are the billing blocks which include the names of all the cast and crew members and companies which helped distribute or produce the film. For example, Pathe Pictures' logo was placed there as they were involved with the distribution which gave them an advantage as Pathe Pictures is a French media company which suggests that this gave them a good opportunity for advertisement abroad.  

• Slightly below the release date however, is a text messaging service which allows viewers to download Adulthood's official trailer for free on their phones. This is very effective as it is appealing due to its easy method and its easy accessibility. Furthermore, it is effective because it is attracting the right type of audience through the use of technology as this is something their target audience is interest in. 

• The title of the film has become the brand identity and makes it easily recognisable as it is written in bold and as a result, stands out. The blurb, along with the title of the film was placed on the poster above its main photograph. This makes it look as though it is overlooking the characters which claim to be "adults" (despite some of them being young teens) making them appear very small which links in nicely with the themes covered in the film as the characters are exposed to the harsh events that can occur in life. It is composed in a very clever way as it then makes the audience wonder and ask if these characters have actually grown up since Kidulthood. Underneath "After Kidulthood comes Adulthood" (which acts as a clear link between the two films as previously mentioned they are part of the same sequel). Underneath this, in even smaller text "A Noel Clarke film" is placed in the same type of font in the colour of black in order to stand out against the background. This name is important as he wrote, directed and starred in this film so he is one of the key people which helped make this film what it is. Next to "Adulthood", in slightly bigger font than the tag lines above and beneath the title, the film's age certificate is stated which is 15 y/o. This could attract audience members who haven't seen Kidulthood and would be interested in films like this. 

• At the very top of the poster are two different reviews written by critics of UK magazines and are placed in bold white text in order to stand out. This, along with the title are initially the first things that catch our eye when looking at this poster. This is effective as it draws in viewers, telling them that this film is worth watching. Such reviews include those from "The Mirror" which has given Adulthood an exceptional rating of four stars. The reviews that are usually included on posters, just like on this one are always positive in order to create a positive buzz about the film which is being promoted. 

• As a whole, in my opinion this poster is very effective as it keeps with the theme of the film and draws the viewer in as the colour scheme along with the compositional ideas work well together. The colours used are relatively dark and have been altered in this way so it can add an extra element of drama and mysteriousness.