VISUAL AND VERBAL ANALYSIS OF ACTION MOVIE POSTERS

Abstract

This research aims to analyze visual and verbal signs in the movie posters John Wick 2, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and The Expendables 2, using the semiotic theories of Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes, as well as Herman Cerrato's color theory. Ferdinand de Saussure's theory distinguishes between "signifier" and "signified" to describe how visual and verbal elements act as signs in the transmission of messages. Roland Barthes' theory emphasizes denotation and connotation, which allows for a deeper analysis to find the meaning behind signs. Finally, Herman Cerrato's color theory was used to determine how the use of color influenced the audience's perspective. The research used a qualitative descriptive method to identify and analyze the visual and verbal signs of the three movie posters. The data were collected by direct observation of visual and verbal elements in the posters and analyzed according to semiotic and color theory. The results of this research show that there are 13 visual and 16 verbal signs identified in three movie posters. Visual signs include characters, weapons, buildings and the background of the poster. Verbal signs include the title of the movie, the sequence of the series, the name of the cast, and other information related to the movie. The analysis of these signs revealed that each poster had different, but complementary visual and verbal features to convey the entire movie's message to the public.