2. Conventions of a poster
Identified Conventions
When looking at the posters, you are immediately aware that they are trying to attract either a large or target
audience, from the amount of work that has gone into the design and making of the final product. This more commonly
put into the perspective of blockbusters (used by major media conglomerates such as: Warner Bros & Universal
Studios).
With all posters they are structured in the same format:
• The Character - Posters are usually focused on the sense of evil of the characters and it mainly shows the
antagonist, with some it shows the protagonist but only showing when they’re scared, in a difficult situation or
venerable.
• Shot Types – usually the shot of the model for the poster is in a medium long shot, this would be to show the
characters appearance and to also show what they look like and with the clothes, usually on the antagonist gives
the sense of evil towards the audience (e.g. rips, red colour, stains and dark colours)
• Fonts – With horror, posters tend to use very strong fonts for the title and the tagline, this would be to show the
theme of the motion picture that is being advertised.
• Mise-en-scene – With the mise-en-scene, horror posters usually show you the setting to show you where the film
takes place, and so you are immediately introduced to the location.
• Lighting and Colour – Most typically with horror posters you have dark colours and low key lighting to show
mystery and presence of evil that is being shrouded among the characters.
• Billing Block – This is the credits at the bottom of the poster, to tell the audience, production team that made the
motion picture (from delegate producer to director of photography). This is usually situated at the bottom of the
poster.
• Actor’s/Actresses name – The names of the actors of the motion picture are shown sometimes at the top of the
poster, but is usually positioned between the title and the billing block.
• Tagline – Used to make a shocking statement, and the use of pronouns is used to attract the audience.
• Conglomerate Idents – Put at the bottom of the poster and are always the smallest elements of the poster and
they are less important, they show the audience (visually) the big media companies that have helped fund and
produce the advertised film
• Release date – On posters you have the release date of when the film is due to debut in cinemas
and is sometimes medium big and in colour.
• Website – At the bottom of the poster you have the website of the film. This would be so the
audience know where to look for the movie, if they want to find out more about it (including
interviews, posters and other content; including downloads).
3. Conventions of a poster – Billing
Block
Within a trailer and poster, it is
always common that at the end,
the credits/detail of the production
are shown to credit the different
people that have been involved in
the making the trailer and the
original movie itself.
Plus also crediting and telling the audience, the big major media companies that
have produced, funded and distributed the film. This is an example of a production
credit for the trailer of “The Impossible”. As you can see the credits for the production
is split into separate parts.
4. The first part of the credits you have is the
names of the production and film
companies that are or have been
responsible for making the trailer the
audience is viewing and the film that the
trailer is advertising for.
5. The second part of the credits you have the name of the main
actors and actresses that are in the movie and also the name
of the film itself. For example in this you have Naomi Watts
who is the main actress (Hollywood star) and also Evan
McGregor who is also a main actor (Hollywood star), then you
have the name of the film underneath their names, which for
this is “The Impossible”.
6. The third part of the credits you have the
editors, designers and casting crew of the
trailer and film. It goes in order of: Director
of casting, music composer, key hair stylist,
the editors of the trailer and film, the
production designer and director of
photography.
7. The fourth part of the credits are the producers that are responsible for the film and the
crew. As the first person to be mentioned is the Delegate producer, this is the main
person who is responsible for the hiring and building of the crew and production team of
the film/ trailer. In other terms he is the production manager and is in charge of the
logistics of the film (including the film's salary and equipment). You also as well have the
other producers that have helped to manage the film and including the director.
8. The fifth part of the credits you have the logos of the film and production
companies, this is so that the audience will read the manes of the companies at
the top that they wont know what is real is and so they have the logos of the
companies put on so that the audience can see visually the logo and they will
remember who the companies are.
10. The actress is
shown in a
medium long
shot, to show
what she looks
like.
Dark colours
and low key
lighting to
show that
evil has
surrounded
the
protagonist
Actors and
actresses
name
The use of
extreme font
to give the
sense of the
horror genre
as horror fonts
tend to stand
out
Billing block – to
give credit to the
production team
and media
companies that
helped produce
and distribute
the film.
Release
date of the
film
Media
companies
idents.
11. Extended Analysis of a film poster #1
This is the poster for the film “House at the End of
the Street”. When looking at the poster, you can
immediately identify that this is a horror poster and
that is clearly displays the typical conventions of that
genre’s poster. First of all you have the font of the
title, which is very extreme and sinister and gives the
impression that it has been interfered with scratches
and with horror posters, the font tends to be very
obscure and not appear normal, this is to match the
element of horror as it is not pretty and perfect. You
then have the picture of the protagonist who appears
to be in a scared situation of her with low key lighting
and the other half in black which has a doorknob on
the end, this would be to show that there is unknown
and fear on the other side and also black for evil
being on the other side and also facing her. You also
have the protagonist showing more skin and less
clothes to show and represent vulnerability and to
appeal to the male audience. You also have the
tagline which matches with the use of the black in
the posters “Fear (which is represented by the black)
reaches out….for the girl next door”. This
immediately implies the audience that the
12. Extended Analysis of a film poster #1
protagonist is in danger and that something is after
her and creates fear of what's on the other side of
the door and with the implied narrative of the house,
suggests that someone is going to be a victim in
their home. Plus with the light on the protagonist,
could represent her fighting spirit and how she is
refusing to let the darkness in. You also have the
poster with two different sides with the text on the left
and the actress on the right, this is so that we can
focus on one or the other without confusing the two
and the colour of the text and the light on the
protagonist are the same.
13. Extended Analysis of a film poster #2
This is the poster for the film “The Conjuring”. When
looking at the poster, the horror genre is clearly
shown through the different elements and mise-en-scene
within the frame. Within the frame the whole
of the background is rotted and dark, this gives the
sense of the spooky aura within the shot. Plus a lot
of the frame is mostly black and it centres mostly on
the woman that is in the middle. This immediately
implies that she is the evil presence as most of the
darkness comes from her shadow and black
represents fear and the unknown, plus with the doll
looking at the camera gives the involving of the
audience, in a way that the doll is looking at them
with magic eyes and is following them as well. The
text is very sinister (mainly the title) and it gives the
sense of supernatural and at the top you have the
pre – introduction of the producers (form saw and
Insidious) they are in bold which gives the sense of it
being a big thing and how they were both really
successful , and it will tell the audience (visually) that
this film will be a successful one too. You also have
the billing block which is again very typical of a film
poster as it is situated at the bottom of the canvas,
14. Extended Analysis of a film poster #2
this credits and cast and crew who work on the film
and helped to promote it (including the big media
conglomerates which have their idents at the bottom
of the page underneath the billing block. With the
woman, you also have her back turned to the
audience and you only see her rugged white dress,
this is to puzzle the audience, so that they don’t
know what she looks like and so they have to picture
in their minds of what she looks like at the front. This
is typical because sometimes you don’t see the
antagonists face or real appearance in the posters of
horror, as it gives the sense of that the audience is
not familiar with them and with the long distance of a
long shot and that it is hidden away behind a shadow
or costume (e.g. mask).
15. What to Consider, Analyse and
Discuss when analysing Media
Language
How the Media Language communicates an implied narrative
What, how and why the Media Language communicates about the
Protagonist and/ or the Antagonist
How the subgenre is communicated to the audience (e.g. supernatural,
zombies etc.)
How the themes are communicated (e.g. good vs evil, religion etc.)
• Layout/ structure
• Font Choices
• Typical Media
Language (Mise-en-
Scene & shot types
• Typical information in
the credits, billing
block and film posters
“generally”
16. Media Language of “House at the
End of the Street”
Black could
indicate
psychological
because the
audience are
indicating what's
on the other side.
The font is
rippled, cut and
serif, which could
indicate slasher
because it looks
like its been cut
by a knife.
We are immediately
aware that this is the
protagonist because
light shines on her,
and we sense that she
is going to be the one
that is traumatised the
most.
Female showing skin
appeals to the male
audience and the less
amount of clothing
shows her
vulnerability and
relates to her being
traumatised.
The actresses
name is bigger,
indicating that
she is the main
star of the film.
The tagline makes us
wonder why fear is after
this character (what has
she done and what will
she do?).
The different elements
indicate that the setting
happens in a house, but it
doesn't give a full
description of what it looks
like and when we think of
home, it’s security and
safety and it also implies
that this could happen to
anyone.
17. Media Language of “House at the
End of the Street”
This film is likely to be about someone that is
being attacked or traumatised by someone
because of the use of the less clothing and
vulnerability which senses that she is the
victim and the one that is being traumatised
and with the black could suggests that we
won’t know who the antagonist is until the
middle of end. I also sense that this will be a
slasher because of the changes and style of
the font in the form of it being rippled and cut.
Plus from the poster I think that the setting
will be based in house, because of the use of
the word “house” in the title and the doorknob
next to the girl. Plus we can tell that
something is not right about the house as on
the other side it is completely covered in
black, this gives me the sense that we will be
surprised and scared by what is inside.
18. Media Language of “The Conjuring”
The rusty
background could
indicate
supernatural
because of the
use of dark
colours and grey
tones and the
fading of the wall.
We immediately indicate that
this is the antagonist,
because her back is towards
us and her whole back is
covered in darkness, this
could signify that she is
sinister
The doll also implies the
spookiness and we sense the
supernatural elements as well
because it is looking at us
which could signify the it is
haunted and also plays an
important part in the film.
The bold and serif font
implies that in is not modern
and the accent “The
Conjuring” suggests that
this is set in a time period.
This immediately
suggest that this
is a true story, that
the film is based
on.
The word “Conjuring”
is an immediate
indicator that this is a
supernatural sub-genre,
because when
we hear the word
“conjuring” we think of
ghosts, spells and
witchcraft.
The titles of Saw and Insidious are in bold which makes
the audience want to watch the film because the two
films were huge successes at the box office and those
who liked the two films will like the advertised one.
19. This film is likely to be about a
supernatural presence because of the
strong use’s of the genre in the
poster. How I can tell this is because
of the fading of the wall, which could
suggest that this is an old spirit and it
gives off a sinister presence. I can
also sense that this is set in a time
period because of the use of the font
and how it is styled in serif and also
the accent of the title. Plus with the
doll, I can tell that it will play an
important part in the trailer, because
the antagonist is holding it, which
could suggest a connection to the
two. Plus the doll could give the
sense of the corruption of innocent
children because dolls also give the
sense of possession.
