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Joanne Perry

A2 Media Studies

Intertextuality

Whilst carrying out research for my advanced

portfolio, I came across two film posters which I

found great similarities with due to the

intertextuality which has been induced to ensure

the success of these films. High School Musical

was a very successful Disney trilogy featuring

heart throb, Zac Efron. The final High School

Musical, was released in 2008 and was proven

 just as successful as the others, if not moresuccessful due to this film being shown in the

cinemas, as oppose to the first and second, only

been shown on Disney Channel. 17 Again was

released in 2009, not long after High School

Musical 3, ensuring that the film was still new and

present in people’s minds.

17 Again was released with the same protagonist

as in High School Musical, Zac Efron. This ensured

that the film, 17 Again, immediately had an audience due to him

being the teenage heart throb of that present time and making sure that the audience who watched

High School Musical, would also go see this film.

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Not only did 17 Again gain success from its already established actor, it also used forms of

intertextuality within its advertising to gain more

attention from lovers of High School Musical. Within

both film posters, it is made very clear of the

intertextuality through not only the protagonist but also the use of colours. The

colours red and black was symbolic within High School Musical 3 due totheir graduation gowns reflecting their school colours. Within the poster

for 17 Again, it has used these same colours to appeal

to the same, large audience. This would ensure that

when people saw these colours, they would

remember High School Musical 3 due to these colours

representing their brand image and if they were a fan of

the film, they would immediately take interest with 17

Again as it has been represented similarly.

The title positioning differs within the posters to represent the

target audience. As High School Musical 3 was to appeal to a

younger target audience, the canted angle of the title

and characters represents the film as fun.

Moreover, 17 Again is aimed at an older, teenage

target audience and has represented the

positioning on its poster simple, straight and serious. The font is also the same

to represent the intertextuality further. As High School Musical began in 2006, the target audience

grew up watching these films and therefore once 17 Again was released, a majority of them were

old enough to see it therefore maintaining the same target audience as High School Musical whilst

also gaining a larger audience of an older age who this film will also appeal to. The expansion of its

target audience was proven successful due to its $40 million budget and $136.3 million box office.

Creating my film, I have chosen to use intertextuality through the TV series Gossip Girl and Pretty

Little Liars. By using intertextuality, I am developing an already existing target market and therefore

ensures that, if I were producing this film for a large conglomerate, we would save on marketing

allowing us to spend more of our budget on ensuring the film is up to a professional standard. By

using an already established target market, it immediately ensures the films success due to the

success of both TV series, if done properly. I aim to create a film poster to market my film andtherefore will use intertextuality of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, similarly to 17 Again and High

School Musical 3 film posters by inducing a title with similar font and colours to make it

recognisable to the existing target market by representing their brand image.