8 Elements of Film

1. Character

Having a character that catches the audience's interest, whether that be for their traits, actions, relations, all of which could be positive or negative. Characters influence the progress of the film, but having character development is also key to having a successful film. 

2. Plot 

The journey of the film in which the audience travels with you. It is influenced by characters, the issues or challenges they face. The plot is the series of events that occur from beginning to end, often resulting in a resolution of a conflict of sorts. 

3. Conflict

Conflict creates drama in a film, draws the audience in, makes them more involved in what is happening. The more issues the characters face the more they overcome, increasing the audience's interest in what's happening. 

4. Resolution 

A good story needs a good ending, how this happens is important in cinema as it is how the audience will remember the experience. The ending is the emotional high point of the film, it is where everything comes together to end the experience.

5. Structure

A story needs to have a beginning, middle, and end, without this the whole film falls apart. However, this order doesn't need to be kept, there can be experimentation with time but it needs to be able to be understood by the audience. Using the correct structure can make an okay film a great film..

6. Scenes

The building blocks of any film are the scenes, a scene usually ends when it jumps to a new setting or a different time. The correct use of scenes can make the audience feel as though they're experiencing the film for themselves. Artistic direction can be made with the scenes.

7. Dialogue 

Each line spoken in a film may serve several functions - from entertaining and seducing the audience to making them empathise with even the coldest of characters, and dialogue, as well as conscious and economical lack of it, forms a major part of our movie-viewing pleasure. However, more often than not, bad dialogue also completely ruins the film.

8. Visuals

The visuals allow the audience to be transported to an unlimited number of surroundings, ranging from different countries all around the world to planets and locations that don't even exist yet. Certain visuals can be associated to different films, a particular aesthetic can be adopted and recognised to be by a particular producer or director.

How can these elements be considered throughout the screening as well as in the poster?

Think about the individual components that can be adjusted to the screening. 

What elements within the film can be used within the poster design? Any objects, scenes or memorable moments that could be translated onto the poster?