Genre Specific Poster Analysis: The Notebook

• This poster may be the main theatrical poster as it contains information about the production personnel, the stars and most importantly the films title as the audience remember it and know what to look out for. 
• As soon as the audience look at the poster they will be able to identify that the film is of the romance genre. This is due to the main image of the two protagonists in the centre. Having a male and a female as the stock characters is stereotypical of most romance films as this is is iconic of romance and relationships therefore this is why they have been chosen in the casting of the film.
• The image of the characters is the biggest and most central thing on the poster emphasising that they will be important in the narrative of the film and that their relationship will be explained. The position the characters are in is very intimate and they are about to kiss. Kissing is iconic of the romance genre and will almost always appear in part of the films narrative, this is because it has conventions of love and happiness and it is a way of showing affection. 
• Using this particular image of the characters about to kiss on the poster will attract and interest the target audience of people who like romance films as they will immediately associate this image with the genre due to its numerous conventions such as character types and stance/positioning of characters. 
• The male character is picking the female character up off the ground and holding her tightly. This conforms to the stereotype of males being masculine and strong and protective over females as the muscles on his arm are emphasised and she looks very petite compared to him. The idea that he is holding her and she looks smaller than him also conforms to the stereotype of female characters being less strong and shorter/skinnier than males. However she is higher up and looking down at him showing that she is not less dominant and doesn't need defending and they are both equal to each other, which might play a key role in the narrative. 
• The title of the film is "The Notebook" which indicates something to do with writing messages or keeping a diary etc, maybe one of the main characters keeps a diary for example. The typography is written in the style of a persons handwritten which again emphasises the idea that letters/diaries will play a key part in the films narrative. Behind the main title are faint outlines of handwritten words, this links to the title and the main characters in the idea that these letters/notes will most likely have something to do with them. 
• The quotation "from the best-selling novel" is included on the front of the poster. This is because the producers want a clear link between the film and the book to be made as the novel had proven to be very successful and therefore people who were aware of the book and enjoyed it may be more likely to want to watch the film as they will be anticipating its success and this will therefore excite them.
• The slogan "behind every great love is a great story" is included at the top of the film poster. This emphasises even further the idea of the film being of the romance genre as it talks about love which is the common narrative theme in all romance films. Also, this slightly links to the idea of the film being a book first and ties in with the best-selling novel title that I've mentioned above. This is to further interest an audience who are aware of the book, a target audience who enjoy  romance books are likely to enjoy romance films too and therefore this is another reason why constant links are made. 
• The poster includes heavy rain and the love interests are both soaking wet as a result of this. However, often heavy rain in films gives conventions and codes of sadness and tragedy but in this instance it subverts this stereotype. The sky behind is fairly blue indicating happiness and hope, the rain is included to make the poster more dramatic. Often kissing in the rain is seen as a romantic gesture and in this case it is used to show that the characters don't care that they are getting soaked in the rain as long as they are together. So this shows their dedication and is meant to be perceived as sweet and romantic by the audience and make them happy. 
• The image of the two characters is lit up from behind in a white outline, this is in the sky and so is intended to look slightly cloud-like but it's main aim is to make the characters stand out to the audience and play on their desires. 
• The main target audience for this film will be female teenagers and adults probably about 15+ as these are the demographic that have been proven to enjoy romance films in the past. This poster includes lots of clear conventions that emphasise the genre in order to specifically appeal to this female target audience. The target audience are likely to be in higher education or work of some sort and some will probably enjoy current films, music and television programs. Many might stereotypically enjoy going out to the cinema, going shopping, meeting friends etc. Therefore these stereotypical hobbies of females of the specific age range mentioned above will all be taken into account by the distributors. 
• The main image of the characters hugging hints at the narrative slightly because the hug is very dramatic and the characters both look excited and relieved to see each other, like they have been apart and are reunited. This offers the idea of a disequilibrium in the storyline but then an equilibrium when they are reunited at the end. This narrative structure is very stereotypical of films, romance films especially, where the two characters cannot be together because of something or someone getting in the way e.g. one of them moving away or the parents not wanting them to be together. However, they solve the problem and are reunited at the end to tie in with the "happily ever after" ending that is conventional in many films.