Conventions of Posters and Magazine covers

The conventions of a magazine cover: 

There are many conventions that make film posters instantly recognisable as just that:

• The title typically written in the font as shown in the trailer titles. Here it is written in red and is bold and eye catching.
• The focal picture in the poster usually gives audiences an insight into part of the movie whether it be the characters or the setting etc. This is demonstrated in the inception poster as it reveals the two. 
• The genre should be be also clearly defined for example horror movie posters tend to stick to dark themes, with hints of red in which connote danger and death. 

• The release date is often displayed at the bottom which can either be specific or simply say 'coming soon' 
• Information about the production company and directors is often displayed again near the bottom, typically stating their previous films, this creates continuity for the audiences and if they like their previous films they are more likely to see this one
• Reviews from established film festivals, or magazine ratings are all used to entice the audience
• The tagline is often short and gripping and keeps the audience guessing