This document summarizes several horror film posters. For Friday the 13th, the lighting creates tension and fear, the title is in red suggesting danger, and the villain wears a mask and holds a machete. For Scream, the black and white color scheme makes it seem dark and scary, and the close-up of a terrified girl's eyes uses light and color contrast. Insidious advertises its producers of popular horror films and features a drained image of a boy in pajamas with "insidious" in his eye. Paranormal Activity emphasizes its basis on a true story by showing footage from a home camera. The Woman in Black only mentions actor Daniel Radcliffe to attract fans and uses a dark
2. FRIDAY THE 13TH
The use of the lighting is key for this background. This has been used for audiences to recognise the
isolated locations. For example, the woods and forest with a blurry mist. The use of lighting
conforms to creating a feeling of tension and fear.
The text Friday the 13th is written in red, this suggests something dangerous
and death could be round the corner. The title of the film creates a mystery
this makes the audience question what is going to happen in ‘Friday the 13th’,
this leads the audience to watch the film and to find out what happens.
The tagline can be seen as playing with the audience as in relation to the image
and the title, it is apparent that it is a joke which would normally be in reality
seen as welcoming. However in the horror context it conveys that it is welcoming
the end of a person’s life.
The villain is wearing a mask which is a typical convention of horror films as it
hides someone's identity and makes the person unknown.
The weapon that he is holding is a machete which is symbolic al of being
associated
with death and murder.
Behind the villain there is a glimmer of light that shines directly behind him. This symbolises that there is
hope from escaping the area and the villain. As it is only a glimmer this suggests that the likelihood of
the majority dying most certain.
3. SCREAM
T h e c o l o u r s c h e me o f t h e p o s t e r i s m a i n l y b l a c k a n d wh i t e , t h i s i s ve r y
c o m m o n wi t h h o r r o r p o s t e r s a s i t m a k e s i t s e e m ve r y d a r k a n d s c a r y.
T h e c o l o u r s c o u l d r e p r e s e n t t h e d a r k n e s s o f d e a t h , o r t h e d a r k n e ss o f a
m u r d e r. T h i s m i r r o r s s h o t s wh i c h a r e u s e d i n m a n y h o r r o r f i l m s a n d
i s a ve r y c o m m o n c o n ve n t i o n wh i c h i s u s e d i n h o r r o r f i l m p o s t e r s . T h e r e i s n o t a l o t o f
l i g h t i n t h e p o s t e r, t h e o n l y l i g h t s e e m s t o b e c o m i n g f r o m t h e e ye s o n t h e p h o t o o f t h e
g i r l . F o r h e r e ye s , t h e r e i s a b i t o f b l u e u s e d wh i c h i s c o n t r a s t i n g f r o m t h e r e s t o f t h e
p o s t e r wh i c h i s i n b l a c k a n d wh i t e . T h i s i s u s e d t o g i ve t h e p o s t er s o m e e d g e t o i t , a n d
s h o w t h e a u d i e n c e t h a t t h e c h a r a c t e r we a r e s e e i n g i s h u m a n .
T h i s g i r l t a k e s u s t h e wh o l e o f t h e p o s t e r a n d i s t h e b a c k g r o u n d o f a l l t h e wr i t i n g . T h e
p h o t o g r a p h i s a n e xt r e m e c l o s e - u p o f a g i r l , t h e g i r l ’s e ye s a r e ve r y wi d e a n d s h e
l o o k s p e t r i f i e d . T h i s i s ve r y c o m m o n l y u s e d f o r h o r r o r f i l m p o s t e r s
T h e m a i n t i t l e , S c r e a m, i s i n wh i t e , wh i c h c o n t r a s ts a g a i n s t t h e b l a c k b a c k g r o u n d o f
t h e b o t t o m o f t h e p i c t u r e . T h i s c o l o u r i s u s e d t o g i ve a g h o s t l y p r e s e n c e wh i c h i s
a n o t h e r c o m m o n l y u s e d c o n ve n t i o n o f h o r r o r f i l m p o s t e r s . A s i t i s b i g , b o l d a n d
s t r e t ch e d a c r o s s t h e p a g e , t h e a u d i e n c e n o t i c e s i t . T h e l e t t e r ' M ' h a s a l s o b e e n e d i t e d
a n d t h e m i d d l e h a s b e e n s t r e t c h e d d o wn s o t h a t t h e m i d d l e h a s a s h a r p p o i n t , t h i s
c o u l d b e s ym b o l i s m f o r a k n i f e .
T h e r e i s a l s o wr i t i n g a t t h e t o p o f t h e p o s t e r o n t h e wo m a n ' s h e a d . T h i s n a r r a t i ve
r e a d s ' S o m e o n e h a s t a k e n t h e i r l o ve o f s c a r y m o vi e s t o o f a r. S o l vi n g t h i s m ys t e r y i s
g o i n g t o b e m u r d e r.' T h i s t e xt s g i ve s t h e a u d i e n c e m o r e i n f o r ma t i o n o n wh a t t h e f i l m i s
a b o u t a n d g i ve s a c l e a r er u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f i t .
4. INSIDIOUS
A t t h e t o p o f t h i s f i l m p o s t e r i t s a ys t h a t I n s i d i o u s h a s b e e n m a d e
b y t h e p r o d u c e r s o f S a w a n d P a r a n o r ma l A c t i vi t y. T h i s s t r a i g h t
a wa y d r a ws i n t h e r e a d e r s a t t e n t i o n a s t h e y wi l l a l r e a d y k n o w i t
wi l l b e a g o o d f i l m .
T h e t i t l e o f t h e f i l m s t a n d s o u t c l e a r l y a s i t i s a wh i t e t i t l e a g a i n s t a d a r k
b a c k g r o u n d . T h e s t yl e o f t h e t i t l e i s a l s o u n i q u e a s p a r t o f t h e t i t l e i s r e d . T h e
connotations of red are danger and blood. This suggests to the audience that the
f i l m h a s a d a n g e r o u s d a r k s i d e t o i t . T h e wo r d I n s i d i o u s m e a n s 'I n t e n d e d t o
e n t r a p' wh i c h g i ve s a c l u e t o wh a t t h e f i l m i s a b o u t .
T h e m a i n i m a g e d i s p l a ys a p i c t u r e o f a yo u n g b o y o u t s i d e a b i g h o u s e . T h e b i g
h o u s e i n t h e b a c k gr ound i s a t yp i c a l h o r r o r f i l m c o n ve n t i o n . T h e m a i n i m a g e i s
a l s o s h o wi n g t h e m a i n f o c u s i s o n t h e b o y a n d t h a t t h e h o u s e i s o u t o f f o c u s . T h i s
i m a g e l o o k s d r a i n e d o u t c a u s i n g a e e r i e a t m o s p h e r e . T h e yo u n g b o y’s p yj a m a s
a r e r e d s u g g e s t i n g d a n g e r t o wa r d s h i m .
I n s i d e t h e b o ys e ye , t h e wo r d i n s i d i o u s i s wr i t t e n t h e r e . T h i s c o u l d s u g g e s t t o t h e
a u d i e n c e t h a t s o m e t h i n g s u p e r n a t u r a l i s wr o n g wi t h t h e b o y.
T h e t a g l i n e ‘ I t ’s n o t t h e h o u s e t h a t ’s h a u n t e d ’ i s s a i d i n t h e t e a s e r t r a i l e r. T h i s
t a g l i n e e n c o u r a g e s t h e a u d i e n c e t o s e e t h e f i l m a s t h e y wa n t t o k n o w wh a t ' s
haunted if the house isn't.
5. PARANORMAL ACTIVIT Y
T h i s f i l m i s b a s e d o n a t r u e s t o r y. T h e m a i n i m a g e s h o ws i s t h a t i t i s i n a h o u s e
a n d f i l m e d b y a h o m e c a m e r a . I n t h i s i m a g e yo u c a n s e e t h a t t h e wo m e n i s
p o i n t i n g t o s o m e t hi ng t h a t t h e a u d i e n c e c a n n o t s e e . T h i s wi l l a t t r ac t a n a u d i e nc e
b e c a u s e t h e p a r a n o r m a l a c t i vi t y h a p p e n i n g i n t h e h o u s e wi l l s e e m m o r e r e a l i s t i c
a s i t i s f i l m e d wi t h a n o r d i n a r y c a m e r a wh e r e t h e r e c a n b e n o m a j o r e d i t i n g
i n vo l ve d .
T h e t i t l e o f t h e f i l m s t a n d s o u t we l l a s i t r e d t e xt o n a b l a c k
background. Within the horror genre black and red are used
quite a lot.
O n t h i s f i l m p o s t e r t h e y h a ve a we b a d d r e s s , h o we ve r t h i s
p o s t e r d o e s n ’ t h a ve a b i l l i n g b l o c k t h i s s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e
p r o d u c e r s o f t h i s f i l m h a ve d o n e t h i s p u r p o s e l y. I t h i n k
this is because the film is suppose to be a true story like a
h o m e vi d e o s o i t s u n n e c e s sa r y i n c l u d i n g t h e p r o d u c e r s
names.
6. THE WOMAN IN BLACK
T h e r e fo r e t h e o n l y a c t o r m e n t i o n e d i s ' D a n i e l R a d c l i ff e ' t o
a t t r a c t a wi d e a u d i e n c e , e s p e c i a l l y H a r r y P o t t e r f a n s .
A d a r k t h e m e h a s b e e n u s e d t h r o u g h o u t t h i s p r o m o t i o n a l p o s t e r.
T h i s e m p h a s i s e s h o w i t ' s a t h r i l l e r / h o r r o r g e n r e , wi t h t h e b l a c k
c r e a t i n g a m ys t e r i o u s m o o d .
T h e g r e ys c a l e r e p r e s e n t s t h e e a r l y 1 9 0 0 ' s , i n wh i c h t h i s f i l m i s
meant to be set.
T h e q u e s t i o n i n g t a g l i n e ' wh a t d i d t h e y s e e ? ' s u p p o r t s t h e t h r i l l e r / h o r r o r g e n r e , a s
it intrigues the audience. It also implies that the dark silhouette is a ghost.
T h e l a c k o f m i s e e n s c e n e wi t h i n t h i s p o s t e r r e i n f o r c e s t h e m ys t e r i o u s t o n e , a s
we a r e n o t t o l d t o o m u c h , i n t e r e s t i n g t h e a u d i e n c e .
T h e p o s t e r h o l d s a s u p e r n a tu r a l m o o d , t h a t i s e xp r e s s e d t h r o u g h t h e s m o k y
b a c k g r o u n d a s s o c i a t e d wi t h g h o s t s .
T h e l i g h t i n g s h a d e s s o m e o f D a n i e l R a d c l i ff e ’s f a c e , e m p h a s i s i n g h i s s t r i c t f a c i a l
e xp r e s s i o n . T h i s h i g h l i g h ts t h e t h r i l l e r / h o r r o r g e n r e , a s h e l o o k s f e a r f u l .
A n o t h e r f o c u s p o i n t wi t h i n t h e p o s t e r i f t h e d a r k s i l h o u e t t e o f a m a l e wa l k i n g
t o wa r d s a r u n d o wn l o o k i n g h o u s e . T h i s h i g h l i g h t s t h e t h r i l l e r a n d h o r r o r g e n r e , a s
h e i s u n k n own .
N o t a l o t o f t e xt h a s b e e n u s e d o n t h e p o s t e r. H o we ve r t h e f o n t t yp e c r e a t e s a
i n t i mi d a t i n g p o r t r a ya l o f t h e f i l m , a s i t r e s e mb l e s s c r a t c h e s i n wo o d .