I am going to create two promotional film posters and three Instagram posts for a coming-of-age dramedy film about an aspiring teenage drummer from an urban city/town. The posters are intended to be posted on the GQ website; therefore, the primary audience will be teenage males aged between 16 and 40 that are interested in music, including those who are familiar with using instruments.

The posters will depict the film’s protagonist surrounded by colourful, eye-catching backgrounds, one with him putting headphones on and the other presenting a low angle of him holding and looking at drumsticks. For media language, the title and release date of the film will take up large amounts of poster space, making it clear to audiences what is being advertised. Additionally, a variety of positive reviews from well-known publications, film credits and a reference to the director of the film (establishing star power) will be featured. The Instagram posts would take a more basic approach of applying text (such as the title, release date and positive reviews) to images that appear to be stills from the film itself. In these images, the subject would be seen standing and sitting around exterior areas, reinforcing the setting. The images used will feature both smiles but also a more neutral, ambiguous facial expression, connoting that the film will have dramatic elements combined with the pre-constructed upbeat tone.

In terms of VALs, the potential audience for my film poster would be ‘achievers’ and ‘seekers.’ The posters and Instagram posts suggest that the film has just one main protagonist, who is seen throughout all 5 pieces. This links to the idea that seekers are interested in individuality and self-discovery. Musical items, such as drumsticks and headphones, are present in the images, which would gain the attention of achievers, as the character is perhaps working hard in order to achieve something related to music.

According to the ‘Uses and Gratifications’ theory, audiences for the posters and posts may be provided with diversion through the aspirational themes of success and working towards a goal, as the narrative may allow them to escape from their real lives and become immersed in the story of the young musician. They may also relate their personal identity to the film’s advertising campaign, perhaps if they are of a similar age or have similar interests to the main character. Having the character live in an urban area may also allow for audiences to see themselves in the promotional material. Lastly, including the name of the director may establish a sense of personal relationship between him and the audience, especially if they are already familiar with his work.

The posters will counter stereotypes in relation to representation of males. A common expectation in media products is for men to not show emotion, which will be challenged in my products by emphasising facial expressions to connote how the musician is feeling in the images. Additionally, the protagonist isn’t presented as being unrealistically powerful as men often are in media products.