Research of film posters

Chloe King

GENERIC CONVENTIONS OF FILM POSTERS

Typical mise-en-scene of horror film posters

Either the antagonist or protagonist (or both) is shown to help sell the film with well-known characters or actors.

Blood – Symbolises danger and

mortal threat, so is used to

imply that such violence or gore will be

present.

Direct mode of address to

draw the viewer in and

make them feel as though they could be

the next victim.

Protagonist’s face is shown to depict emotions such as shock or fear to invoke the same response from the viewer.

Antagonist’s face can be covered by a mask or difficult to see – Triggers a fear of the unknown.

Weapons are shown to trigger fear of harm to the characters or even the viewer themselves – In many film franchises the weapon is used in each film (e.g. Chainsaw, knife, etc.)

Straight jackets often associated with insanity and confinement. This hints at the plot of the film enough to spark interest whilst still being subtle.

A dirty, deranged character can make the viewer afraid and still morbidly curious about them. The keys here also suggest that the film contains secrets which the characters must

‘unlock’, piquing their interest in the film.

Strange, cryptic messages suggest supernatural and possibly demonic ties to the film. They are used to give a sense of mystery as they are unreadable.

Text size and font

Red is often used as it symbolises blood and danger to make the title stand out more and seem more dramatic.

Release date/’Coming soon’ – Font is small but in a different style and/or colour to the rest of the text so it is easily noticed .

Title text coloured and styled to fit the tone of the film (Deliver Us From Evil positioned to look like it reads ‘DEVIL’).

Tag-line is often in the same or a very similar font to the title, smaller and sometimes in another colour so it doesn’t take up too much attention.

Credits text is very small so barely noticed at all. Font is simple and white generally.

Shot typesHigh angle shot – Looking down on the characters as if observing them (fear of being watched unknowingly).

Close-up – Shows character’s facial

expressions. Seems more like the character is staring at the viewer

(direct mode of address) which makes them feel

uneasy.

Low angle shot – Character is towering above the viewer, looks more intimidating and powerful which induces fear.

Medium long shot – See most of character’s body and that they are wielding a weapon, gives the viewer a more justified reason to feel fear.

Long-shot – See character’s whole body and what is

happening to them, induces fear of this being done to the

viewer.

Information and credits• Intro of one or two sentences – lays

out a rough setting or informs reader that it is based on actual events.

• Producer/Director/Actors – Relates the film to the person’s other successes.

• Title – The name of the film, will be related to the plot of the film in some way.

• Tag-line – A more obvious hint at the plot and the threat facing the protagonists.

• Cinema dates and presentation options – When/how it can be seen.

• Credits – Actors, literary references, linked organisations and film studios, etc., production logos.

• Social media pages/tags – How to find out more online.

Layout/structure• Short intro to the film and the producer at the top

in small font.• Main actors names above title.• Title in the largest text, often stylised to fit the

theme of the film• Main image of the poster in the very middle of the

page, often surrounded by/fading out to black. One or two main characters are shown and rarely any surroundings (in this case the ground is shown because of the Latin phrase scrawled down).

• Tag-line positioned somewhere below the title in smaller text.

• Credits at the very bottom, followed with production logos and sometimes social media pages and tags.

• Release date close to the bottom of the page near the credits, sometimes in a different colour to the other main texts.