Emilie Ackerman

A picture always has a thousand words. When looking at images or posters, each one tells its own story. Whether it is the color, the subjects in the image, or the background of the image, these are the elements that tell the meaning behind them. As someone who wants to work in entertainment marketing, I thought I would analyze the stills and posters of some of my favorite movies.

ZOMBIES 4: Dawn Of The Vampires (2025) Poster:

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/zombies-4-dawn-vampires-trailer/

This Zombies 4: Dawn Of The Vampires movie poster does a great job of telling you what the movie is about. With this movie being the fourth one in the franchise, you can definitely see the themes of unity and embracing each other’s differences which is what the Zombies movies are all about. In the center, you have Addison, Zed, Eliza, and Willa who have been the main characters throughout all of the movies. Zed and Addison (in the center of the four) are holding the glowing bloodfruit, a key element symbolizing the energy and connection between the vampires and the daywalkers, the newest supernatural groups introduced in this installment. In the background, you see Nova (a daywalker) and Victor (a vampire), hinting at how the story could continue and how the main characters are taking what they learned throughout the four movies and passing them to the next generation. Visually, you see the orange side representing the daywalkers and the blue representing the vampires, showcasing division and unity. Even if you have not seen the movies before, the poster conveys these themes through its imagery and color design. 

Zombies 4: Dawn Of The Vampires (2025) Movie Still

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/zombies-4-dawn-of-the-vampires/

Another still I found from Zombies 4: Dawn Of The Vampires was another one I found very interesting and felt visually told the story very well. The main thing that helps convey the story in this still is the use of focus in the image. The characters focused in the image are Addison and Zed. You can tell from the photo that they are a couple and that they come from different supernatural universes by their appearance. Addison is an alien and Zed is a zombie. The focus on these two characters, contrasted with the blurred figures of Victor and Nova in the background symbolizes the closing of their chapter. They watch the new generation from afar with admiration, recognizing themselves in Victor and Nova’s story. In the first Zombies movie, Addison and Zed faced a social barrier as zombies were not accepted at their school. But now, they are mentors bringing the vampires and daywalkers together. This still beautifully and emotionally captures the passing of the next generation of the franchise.

Frozen (2013) Still

This still is from another one of my favorite movies, Frozen (2013). I felt that this still truly represented the main message of the movie really well. In this image, you can definitely feel the emotion. You can see how heartbroken Elsa is from accidentally freezing Anna’s heart as she embraces her frozen figure – showing love, protection, and sacrifice. I also felt like the snow in the background did a great job of symbolizing the tension in this scene as there are a lot of flurries flying around everywhere. Through Anna’s posture that she was frozen into (her holding her hand up to stop Hans from killing Elsa), you can truly see the close relationship her and her sister have as she tried to sacrifice herself when Hans tried to kill her. This scene is caused by the scene at the beginning of the movie when Anna and Elsa get into an argument when Anna keeps asking Elsa why she always shuts her out and does not understand why they could not be close like they were when they were kids. Elsa accidentally strikes her with her powers and runs off into the mountains. She later learns that the only thing that could save Anna from a frozen heart was an act of true love. She thought she had this with Hans, but that was not the case. He ended up tricking her because he only wanted to be crowned king of Arendelle and have  the kingdom for himself. The main message of this still shows that an act of true love does not only come from significant others but from your family as well. In the end, Anna becomes unfrozen and she and Elsa live happily ever after. 

Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012) Still

From another one of my favorite movies, Breaking Dawn – Part 2, this still definitely captured the story clearly through its visual details. In the image, Bella and Edward stand protectively in the snow, with their daughter Renesmee slightly behind them and Jake in his wolf form by their side. Edward and Bella’s concerned expressions immediately convey tension, emphasizing their focus on protecting Renesmee. Having been conceived in Breaking Dawn – Part 1, Renesmee is growing rapidly, making her a target in the vampire world, where immortal children are forbidden because they can never mature. The Volturi are approaching to investigate and potentially punish the Cullens, raising the stakes even further. Family members in the background stand ready to defend them, highlighting the seriousness of the moment. Through posture, expressions, and the snowy setting, this still tells a compelling story of protection, loyalty, and the lengths a family will go to keep their loved ones safe.

The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 (2014) Still:

https://www.vulture.com/2014/11/mockingjay-hunger-games-review.html

In this still from The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1, I think there is a lot of symbolism here. With Katniss in the center, wearing her battle armor, and the poor people of District 8 holding up their fingers, it shows that she is the symbolism in hope of restoring peace to the people of Panem. The people surrounding her look dirty, tired, and sad. The people of District 8 all looking at her with hope shows how much they believe in Katniss. In the still, Katniss also has a concerned expression on her face as she only wants to help them and is determined to fight for their rights. In the Hunger Games, President Snow as he believed control was necessary for order which is how all of this started in the first place. In the series, Katniss volunteered as tribute in the 74th Hunger Games after her younger sister Prim was reaped to be in the games. In the end, she and Peeta, who was the male tribute alongside her, who she eventually fell in love with. With them almost sacrificing their lives when they were the last two tributes left in the arena, these people truly believe in her making a difference as no one in Panem has ever taken this stand ever before.  

How To Build A Better Boy (2014) Still

https://theplayground.com/how-to-build-a-better-boy/

From a Disney Channel original movie How To Build A Better Boy (2014), you can tell that the main characters and nerds of the school, Gabby and Mae, are being victimized by Naveah (the girl in the red) based on the way they are positioned in the photo. Gabby and Mae are facing towards her and her minions and along with their other classmates in school. You know these girls are Naveah’s minions without knowing anything because they are posed right next to her in a line wearing angel wings on the back of their shirts. You can also tell her classmates are victimizing them as they are all facing Gabby and Mae– some of them having smirks on their faces. Before this scene happened, Mae thought that Jaden, her crush and Naveah’s ex-boyfriend, was going to ask her to the homecoming dance. After Naveah overhears her telling Gabby how she thinks he likes her, she is furious and that is what leads to this moment. As Naveah is focused on targeting Mae, you can tell that this will be the central reason to the actions that happen later in the movie– Mae and Gabby building a robot boyfriend.

Mean Girls (2004) Still

https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/mean-girls-film-review-by-david-stanners

In this still from Mean Girls (2004), you can tell what the movie is about. To the left, you see Cady Heron who is the new girl at school looking over at “the Plastics” (Regina, Gretchen, and Karen) along with her crush and Regina’s ex-boyfriend Aaron Samuels. Looking at the way “the Plastics” are standing together along with Aaron, really shows they are basically “the celebrities” of the school. The way their standing looks like the way celebrities in real life would be posing if the paparazzi snapped pictures of them. Looking at the expression Cady has on her face while looking at them, you can tell that she easily compares herself to them and feels inferior. Especially after she has been hanging around them a lot. Another detail I think is symbolic of how Cady feels around them is the trash can standing in front of her. Seconds after this still, she actually falls into the trash can.  Cady originally got involved with “the Plastics” when her new friends and enemies of Regina George Janice Ian Damian Leigh ask her to help them get revenge on her. However, when Cady ends up having a crush on Aaron, this causes things to get messy with “the Plastics.”