1. Film Advertising Campaign
Analysed using McMahon & Quinn’s
codes for print analysis:

2. The Wolfman

3. Key: Red = Technical Codes Blue = Symbolic Codes Green = Written Codes
The Wolfman Poster
Lighting:
Denotation – source of light is the Colours:
moon, overall very dark. Denotation - primarily dark, blues, reds.
Connotation – We have a natural Connotation – darkness, night and fear. Red
fear of darkness, a dark poster is connotes blood and is the universal colour
more frightening as a result. The for danger
moon being the source of light is
scary because it is considered
unnatural and it also emphasises
the power of the Werewolf
Camera Angle:
Denotation: Low angle shot of the
Font Size and Colour: Werewolf.
Connotation: The Werewolf is superior and
Denotation – All white, title is the
we are looking up to it from an inferior
largest, actors names second
position. Camera from the point of view of
largest.
a victim on the ground. This superiority
Connotation – The white font
makes the Werewolf more terrifying.
links to the moon and emphasises
it as being a sign of the
Werewolf's power. The film title is Background:
the largest because they are the Denotation: Forest at night
most important words on the Connotation: Forest's are often isolated
page. The actor’s names are also and one of the main rules of the horror
large because they are famous film is to isolate the victim. Therefore by
and the fact that they are in the looking at this poster audiences feel
film will help to attract potential isolated and consider themselves possible
audiences. victims which will scare them.

4. The Wolfman Magazine Cover
Facial Expression: Colours:
Denotation – Anger and rage. Denotation – White is the only light
Connotation - Scares the colour, the rest are all dark.
audience, conforms to the Connotation – Darkness is scary,
normal rules of monsters relevant to the horror genre
(scary)
Font Size, Style and Colour:
Denotation – Magazine title is the
Lighting: largest, with blood style font and
Denotation – No visible source of
coloured red. Movie titles and famous
light. Werewolf face is well lit,
names in large white font.
especially the teeth and one eye.
Connotation – The magazine title is
Connotation – Because we cannot see
the most important thing on the page
the source of light we assume that it
because it is the largest, the blood
must be the moon. The fact that the
style font and colour help to target
werewolf face is lit so well is aimed to
the magazine to audiences of the
scare the reader. This works because
horror genre, as does the title.
the more detail of the creature we see
The movie titles and names are large
on a cover the more scary it is,
to help them stand out on the page,
especially certain parts such as the
the white colour juxtaposed with the
teeth which are shown here very
darkness on the page helps to
clearly. The fact that we can clearly
emphasise them even more.
see the resemblance to a human in
the eyes is also very scary as this
creature could be anyone.

5. The Wolfman Trailer Analysis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPieOzIA7NM
Opens with an establishing shot of a man in dark forest. He is alone and seemingly isolated. This helps to
identify this film as a horror as already it is using the darkness to scare the audience and the victims are
being isolated.
During the first attack a voiceover speaks of previous werewolf murders. This linked in with the panic of the
character on screen and scary claws helps to create a sense of terror for the viewer.
Mentioning silver bullets and the full moon. Relating back to werewolf mythology and the legends.
Morph transition from the Universal logo to the full moon with clouds creates a sense of unease and also a
degree of suspense.
Lots of short scenes in succession, some of which with sound bridges, help to increase the pace of the trailer.
Dark, grungy setting and costume create an tense atmosphere within the trailer and foreshadow the bad
events to come later.
Trailer begins with scary action and then settles down to give us more information about the story before
building up the terror again towards the end. I will aim to use a similar structure in my own trailer.
The attack on the main character marks the start of the terror build-up.
Non diagetic fast paced choral music is playing in the background building the tension and suspense.
By the end of the trailer we have seen the Wolfman in detail and so there is not much left for the imagination
of the audience to create. My research indicated that the idea of a monster rather than the sight of one is
truly terrifying so I will want to make sure very little or nothing of my werewolf is shown.

6. ALIEN

7. The layout on the page is very
simplistic and seems empty,
an extension of the emptiness
Alien Poster High angle shot of the egg
connotes it’s appearance of
being mostly harmless as we
are looking down on it from a
of space and the fact that the
position of power.
crew are isolated.
The green light escaping from
The design also means that
the crack however connotes
nothing distracts the
that something very
audience from it’s key
unnatural lies within. The fact
features: The title, tag line
that an egg is giving off light is
and the egg itself. From these
unnatural in itself and is an
three things alone you are
example of changing an
given a solid indication that
everyday object to make it
the film will be about an
seem strange and scary.
attacking alien. What you are
not given is any idea of what The text on the poster only
this alien will look like, has the intention of scaring
meaning that the audience’s the audience. The tag line is
imaginations can take over very ominous and
and create the image of a foreshadows the events
creature that is truly which take place in the film.
terrifying. This will lead to So does the title because the
more interest in the film and alien featured isn’t recognised
could be one of the reasons it by anyone. Describing it
Is so popular. simply as ‘alien’ allows the
imagination to invent some
crazy concepts, many of
which will be frightening.

8. Alien Trailer
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0DFvWLXv9U
• Establishing shot showing the emptiness and blackness of space. This uses an
almost natural fear that the audience has of the dark to put them in a state of
unease. Shapes begin to appear at the top of the page.
• Unnatural (alien) rhythmic sounds utilize the fear of the unknown. These noises
aren’t recognisable so you must ask yourself: what is making them?
• Scenes running along the surface of a planet and a strange object. These shots also
create questions in the mind of the audience about what this mystery object could
be and they are compelled to keep watching.
• Reveal the object to be an egg at the same time the title has fully formed at the
top of the screen has connotations of this ‘alien’ being something new.
• Alien sounding noises - one layer of sound resembles a very fast heartbeat. This
heartbeat sound is working with all of the others to build the audience up into the
maximum state of unease when they will be most likely to get scared.
• Egg cracks – light pours out, we begin to see clips from the film now but they are
muted. All the director wants us to do is focus on the action beginning to unfold.
Continued…

9. Alien Trailer Continued…
• The alien sounding noises are starting to resemble alarms as well as the human
heart. Or could it be the call of an alien creature. These alarm sounds will induce
panic into the audience and further strengthen the feeling of unease.
• Very dark scenes on board the ship and out on the surface of the planet. This
darkness again plays on our natural fear of the dark and the inability to see.
• The expressions of the characters have now turned to anger, panic and fear, which
cause the audience to become even more uneasy as they share in that fear.
• The music is overpowered by the frantic scenes which now have volume.
Everything up until this point has been designed to build up the suspense and
tension within the trailer to put the audience into a position of anxiety and
unease. Having the audience in this state means that the most terrifying scenes of
the trailer (those found towards the end) will be far more effective at scaring
them.
• The last few scenes are ones of total anarchy and horror but we have never seen
the alien. One of the reasons I believe this trailer works so well in scaring the
audience is that it does not give away any information on the alien itself so viewers
are left to wonder what kind of creature could possibly cause all of the chaos they
have just witnessed.
• In space no one can hear you scream. Probably one of the most famous tag lines in
cinema history, this phrase highlights the fact that the crew on board the ship are
isolated in deep space with nowhere safe to which they can escape. No matter
how loud they scream, help isn’t coming for them.