Box Office Statistics for Existing Films
Box Office:
INSIDIOUS:
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THE CONJURING:
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OUIJA:
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THE VISIT:
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Inspiration from Existing Posters
- The use of the colour red indicates the genre of horror as it is a common convention usually linked to blood and gore leading to death. The colour red is also linked to danger
- The image of a woman on the poster gives the audience an idea of who to look out for in the film
- The dark lighting and black background links to the darkness there will be in the film and gives the audience pre-fear
- the grey pale colours gives off a cold feeling towards the audience
- we cannot see the faces of anything in the poster, this is the sense of unknown which is unnerving and mysterious
- the single house in the centre shows isolation, linking to fear of being alone
- blurred sections of the poster and fog creates an eerie atmosphere with a sense of mystery
- the black and white leaves you feeling empty and unsure due to blankness and once again mystery
- scary prop of the boarded up windows could be based around the story line of isolation and unknown
- comments on the movie and a 5 star rating will make audiences eager to go and see the film
- picture in the poster and the title link together giving the audience a clear idea of the film
- the off black and white colours gives the poster an eerie feel as it looks old and unwanted
- close up of the actors face tells the audience who to look for- the emotion on the face is also portrayed onto the audience from the beginning
- the title of the film takes over a significant amount of the poster allowing it to stand out
- the mist in the poster adds tense atmosphere and mystery
Conventions of Horror Film Posters
LIGHTING:
If there is a character on the poster, the lighting would be very dark. This is a convention of the genre because it adds mystery and uncertainty.
FONT:
Posters usually have bold script or serif font because they are announcing information about something. Script and serif font are both quite formal and the bold effect makes it stand out. For horror film posters, it has become common for font to be almost child-like. This type of font may not be in a straight line and it would be very informal in comparison to the serif or script font just like how a young child would write.
DULL COLOURS:
Associated with fear and loneliness. Colours like black, red, brown, grey and maybe white are colours that feature in horror film posters. Colours like these are very dull and don't 'call out' for attention. This is a characteristic of a person who is lonely- maybe a character in the film. A predator (the antagonist) wouldn't want much attention from people except maybe their victims because they would get caught rather easily. Also the final girl is someone who doesn't long for the attention from the opposite sex and would rather just carry on doing what she is doing. Where as the victims long for the attention of everyone which is how they would get the attention from the antagonist.
CHARACTERS:
Characters that would feature on a horror poster are usually a woman e.g. the final girl or the antagonist. Audience's wouldn't want to know too much information about the film, so horror posters are not very detailed in terms of characters. This adds mystery and indicates the image of the person on the front may be in danger or a danger to the rest. Also stars that haven't made it 'big' in films, star in horrors to make it look as though this could happen to anyone. Where as if a globally known celebrity starred in a horror audiences may find it hard to believe and may not even get scared because they have seen the actor/actress before.
BACKGROUND:
THE EYE:
There is often a manipulation to the eye to create an unnatural and eerie look, drawing the audience to
it because it is un-usual. The crop of the eye filling the frame also creates impact and expresses the emotional fear, as the eyes are often widened with fear. This makes it relatable to the viewer and creates enigma due to the fact nothing else can be seen other than the emotion and what ever manipulations have been applied. The editing can enhance the effectiveness of the image, for example with the 'Candyman' poster, in which the iris is a deep red and the pupil has been replaced with the silhouette of a dark figure, creating further enigma as we know the eye is seeing something we cant but we don't know who or why. There are also parts where additional things have been added onto the eye, for example the hand coming out from underneath the bottom eyelid in "The Eye"'s poster. This makes the audience look at it in a different way, due to the unnatural and disturbing nature of the image, therefore making them drawn to the poster and the film. The eye is often that of the victims, as they are the character that feels fear along with the audience, as we almost see what they see. The close up crop and close up zoom means the viewer only gets a small sense of the themes and storyline of the film, making it a teaser poster, leading the audience to want to find out more and see the film.SETTING OF A HOUSE:
Many horror films use a house as a setting, so there are a number of horror film posters with an eerie
photograph of the house, either with the protagonist in the foreground or the house on its own. The main genre which uses houses are psychological and supernatural horrors, like 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Insidious', however there are also slashers which take place in a house. The background around the house used is often dark and the sky is foggy or manipulated in order to look strange and unnatural. They are often traditional looking houses that are large and have the potential to be haunted and creepy looking. The house as a setting also unsettles the viewer because of the feeling of safety linked with a home. Posters in which a house is used often creates enigma because we do not know whether it is the people who live in the house of the house itself that is causing the disequilibrium.DARK FIGURE:
Another effective convention used in horror posters is a dark figure with their back turned to the viewer and their head slightly turned to be able to see part of their profile. This pose is particularly effective at creating enigma, and is mostly used to depict the villain. The lighting is usually quite dark and is sometimes back lit in order to highlight certain parts of the silhouette, often in unnatural ways to make it seem more eerie. The fact the identity of the villain is concealed and there is only a hint at what they are wearing, doing and what they look like creates enigma around the character and can be considered a teaser poster through this technique, as it makes the audience want to see the film due to the enigmatic nature. This convention is often used for slasher films, as the villain is the key to the plot and is usually a serial killer a weapon, opposed to psychological horror where they may be no actual villain and no psychical weapons. When this convention is used for a slasher film, there is often a hand raised to the figures back with the weapon in their hand, which tells the audience there will be violence and danger and will appeal to a target audience. Additionally, there is low lighting and red text paired with the dark silhouette to carry on the mysterious atmosphere that this convention creates.History of Film Posters
Originally, film posters were produced for the exclusive use by the theaters exhibiting the film poster was created for and the copies of the posters were required to be returned to the distributor after the film left the theater. In the United States, film posters were usually returned to a nationwide operation called the National Screen Service (NSS) which printed and distributed most of the film posters for the studios between 1940 and 1984. As an economy measure, the NSS regularly recycled posters that were returned, sending them back out to be used again at another theater. During this time, a film could stay in circulation for several years and so many old film posters were badly worn before being retired into storage at an NSS warehouse. Those posters which were not returned were often thrown away by the theater owner, but some found their way into the hands of collectors.
Beginning in the 1980's the American film studios began taking over direct production and distribution of their posters from the NSS and the process of making and distributing film posters became decentralized in that country.
Beginning in the 1980's the American film studios began taking over direct production and distribution of their posters from the NSS and the process of making and distributing film posters became decentralized in that country.
Magazine Conventions
Magazine Conventions:
- Masthead- features on all magazine covers, usually at the top of the page and indicates which magazine it is e.g. total film, empire. This should be the largest text on the page and it can reflect the audience it caters for
- Image- this image should reflect the audience and also the style of the magazine. The main image is usually a mid shot and should reflect on what the film is featured about. This usually involves the main actor from the film being featured
- 'Buzz words'- these involve 'free' and 'exclusive' which capture the readers attention and makes them want to buy the magazine
- Anchorage text- the text that often overlaps the image to tell what the story inside will involve. This could be a quote taken from the interview inside or something as simple as the title of the film that is being featured
- Banner- gives overall information about the magazine and what will be found inside
- Barcode, date, issue number- something that every magazine has and is needed
Empire
Empire Magazine:
Empire magazine is a British magazine published monthly and has been doing so since it was first published in July 1989. It is the best selling film magazine in the United Kingdom and is also published in the United States, Australia, Russia, Turkey and Portugal.
As well as film news, previews and reviews Empire has some other regular features. Each issue features a classic scene, a transcript from a notable film scene. The regular Top 10 feature lists Empire's choice of the top ten examples of something film-related. The re.view section covers Blu-ray and DVD news and releases. Pink of Milk presents celebrities' answers to silly or unusual questions. Each magazine includes a "Spine Quote", in which a relatively challenging quote is printed on the spine of the magazine. Celebrity mastermind is another regular in which a celebrity is given questions about the films they were in or they directed.
Here are a few examples of Empire Magazine film covers:
Here are a few examples of Empire Magazine film covers:
Total Film
Total Film Magazine:
Total Film is a UK-based film magazine published 13 times a year (published monthly and a summer issue is added between July and August) by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers cinema, DVD and Blu-ray news. reviews and features.
Each month, Total Film provides a range of features, from spotlight interviews with actors and directors, to making of and on-set pieces for new and future releases. Each issue always includes the Total Film Interview, which is a six-page in-depth chat with an actor or director, along with a critique of their body work.
Here are a few examples of Total Film Magazine front covers:
Sight and Sound
Sight and Sound Magazine:
Sight and Sound is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute. The magazine reviews all film releases each month, including those with a limited release, as opposed to most film magazines which concentrate on those films with a general release. Sight and Sound features a full cast and crew credit list fir each reviewed film.
Every decade, Sight and Sound asks and international group of film professionals to vote for their greatest film of all time. Critics are asked to provide a top ten list.
Here are a few examples of Sight and Sound magazine front covers:
Every decade, Sight and Sound asks and international group of film professionals to vote for their greatest film of all time. Critics are asked to provide a top ten list.
Here are a few examples of Sight and Sound magazine front covers:
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