6. Online Film Marketing Website

The home page of the “Sin City” website acts as an effective interactive poster for the film. The narrative image is set out clearly, through iconography such as guns suggesting the thriller genre, while the familiar distinct logo distinguishes “Sin City” as a brand outside of being a film. Scrolling over the screen produces rain and lightning, keeping the potential audience entertained and giving them a taster as to what the rest of the sight will be like if they enter.

The trailers on offer are a traditional marketing medium that help construct the film’s narrative image, while maintaining its enigma. The clips from the film take this promotion a step further by giving you an example of a scene from the film so that potential audiences are able to identify with characters or appreciate the filmic style, but they do not give any plot insight, so that the enigma around the film is maintained, and the potential audience remains intrigued.

The “Behind the scenes” section of the website draws the audience into the process of making the film, and enables them to identify with the directors, actors, and others involved, so that they feel that they, as allies, share the vision that the film encompasses. The audience would also be enticed to go and see the effects of all the hard work and effort, and judge for themselves whether the film has been a success. The “Behind the Scenes” section also shows the process in each shot of moving from comic book sketch, to shot of the actors, to the final digitally restructured and coloured, which results in merging reality with the larger-than-life graphics of the iconographic comic-book imagery. This interactive addition would definitely appeal to the target audience of the film, who would probably have an artistic interest in graphics and comic books- as this style is such a major part of the film’s overall narrative image.

The games on the site also target the film’s audience, as they are “shoot-outs”, mostly preferred my teenage boys, who would also be the target audience of thrillers, action adventures, and comic books. The games available are an audience attraction to the website itself, and the main source of entertainment from the site. The games compel the players to associate the site and the “Sin City” brand with fun and amusement, and the fact that players are encouraged to take on the personas of characters, allows them to identify more with the protagonists of the film, increasing their enjoyment of the film when they watch it.

The Downloads are probably used to market “Sin City” as a brand, rather than to promote the film, as the Downloads would only really appeal to those who have already seen the film. However the Downloads are vital in that they allow the website to self-fund, and make viewers who have seen the film act as serious fans by allowing them to download merchandise such as wallpapers, screensavers etc. This brings the viewer a lot closer to the film and helps the film to attract a larger following, possibly eventually achieving a cult status.