Poster Analysis: World War Z (2013)

We can see in the background that there is mass destruction due to collapsed and damaged buildings, and fires. This hints to the audience the narrative of the film, and that it may be set during some sort of battle/war in the future. It also clearly tells the audience that this film is an action/thriller as images like destruction, helicopters and other aircraft are often seen in action films and are identifiable for fans. The use of the dark smoke and bad weather is conventional of action/thriller films as it creates a dark and ominous atmosphere which is typical of the genre. In the foreground, there is a long shot of a male character and from the mise en scene, we can see he is wearing oversized, practical clothing which suggests that he is going into some sort of battle or strenuous activity, conventional of action films, where practical clothing is needed.

The typography used for the title of the film is in a metallic colour, reflecting the metal on aircraft which is featured within the poster. There is also a red 'Z' which connotes danger, a conventional theme throughout action/thriller films, but also connotes blood, an icon of the genre often featured in the film's narrative. The 'Z' also looks slightly scratched out and disheveled, linking to the rubble of buildings and destruction featured in the background of the poster.

The star system is used in the poster with the actor Brad Pitt clearly written at the top of the poster. There are many fans of Brad Pitt and including this on the poster will make people want to see the film if they like the actor, even people who are not necessarily fans of the genre, may want to see the film just because of Brad Pitt.

The lighting is quite low, and there are shadows cast behind the male character which is conventional of the genre as action/thriller films often use low lighting to create dark and ominous atmospheres.