Analysis of a movie poster

Noor Choudry

Purpose: This was designed before the release of the film and came out along side of it’s trailer. It not only leaves a big enigma upon the audience but also creates a ‘hype’ because it is something new and appears to be exciting. With of course the fact that is it a movie poster which is there to persuade people to watch the movie in the cinema, it also allows the audience viewing this become a fan base if they have been drawn in by it that much (online). Key image: With there being a ‘working class adult’ on the poster, people assume that adults do not do a lot of wrong and that it’s perhaps the youth who are most likely to be extremely violent. The key image is positioned directly in the middle however still hides the face of the person, this implies that the person isn't as important but it’s the storyline and their actions. Background: The background of this poster is quite plain, it just highlights the key image by brightening the background, it also mixes well with the colour pallet and may also indicate the location of the film which could be a small isolated town or farm.Colour: The poster is slight muddy colour and so may be located in perhaps a dessert or a place of a farmer (due to the pitchfork). The colours are quite dim and have a negative connotation of perhaps a ‘boring world gone wrong’. The colours also bring in the fact that binary opposites of ‘good vs evil’ and links in well with the actual narrative of the film but the colours are extremely effective because of the fact it matches the genre, horrors are known to have dark dim colours and this poster fits with the typical codes and conventions very well. It allows the audience to be assured that they are watching a focused on the genre horror films. Realism: If the audience viewing this are well aware of news events, they may know that places which this may be set in are quite deserted small town and it is known that ‘strange’ things happen which makes the element of realism to be quite strong. Text colour: The text colour not only reflects the fact that this film may be violent because of the ‘blood’ look of it all, but it also has a contrast to the white allowing the audience to sense that perhaps something ‘pure or innocent’ has now be ‘possessed or tarnished’.

Tag line: The tag line on the poster does not only obviously point out the location of the film but makes a pun calling it the ‘friendliest place on earth’ when it has blood on top of it and the key image is of someone who looks possessed or violent- so clearly it is not so ‘friendly’. Text font: The font on this poster not only fits well with the genre because of it’s colour and small to large ratio but it relates well in with the title of the actual movie because of the gaps and irregular shape of it – it implies a certain level of insanity. It also has a binary opposite with the tag line, it compares as something so ‘normal and safe’ in comparison to the movie title. With it being positioned on the centre of the poster, further down, it says that not only is it ‘evil – it’s near to the indication of hell- but it’s also the last thing you will see and so leaves the effect of you wanting to watch this mysterious scary film. Layout: the actual layout of the poster is in your face and centred in order to keep your attention to the screen and create an impact that will make do more than just glance at the poster, it also leaves you with the thought of the poster in your mind and so does its purpose in making you want to watch the film. With the institutions as the bottom, it wants to bring the attention mainly to the tagline and the actual name of the film almost putting in order what is counted as the most important to be seen on the poster. Target audience: The target audience would most commonly be older youth and young adults because horror is known to appeal to a young yet mature audience who can mentally handle the genre and known that is it ‘just a film’. It would not appeal to anyone younger purely because it would be ‘too scary’ and not suitable for children – or anyone with a weak heart. Reaction: The reaction of this poster would come across as quite strong because of the tag line being so ‘normal’ in comparison to the rest of the poster. It would prove to be shocking because of the dirt and the blood and make sure the film is being wanted to be watched.Narrative: The poster almost tells a story of someone who follows the ‘boring 9-5’ but has either gone insane or has been possessed which you can tell from the ‘dead like look’ on his face or even the dirt and blood on his white shirt. With the props all being shown in a dim light, it brings the element of binary opposites- death vs alive and purity vs evil. As well as this, the key image may even be the main character of the film or perhaps he is a celebrity who they want to keep as a surprise.

How I’ll apply this analysis to my posterUnique Selling Point (USP): In terms of what makes this poster different from other films is the

fact they are not focusing on one specific character or group like most conventional horror films, for this film, it is the actually situation in a certain place that takes sole importance. For this film it is not essential to include the most popular actor/actress because of the fact their plot and setting is unique in terms of it goes against the stereotype of ‘boring suburban area’

and so gives the poster even more of an enigma making the public wanting to watch it.

From what I have found from the poster analysis, I have acknowledged the fact that not only is the key image an extremely important part in giving the correct reaction to the audience so

that their attention is drawn and kept, but the positioning along with the font- and colours- all together if done with great care detail will ensure that the poster does its purpose correctly

and effectively. I have also acknowledged the fact that I will need to ensure that my Photoshop skills are at their very best if I want to create the small effects of details that are so important. I also know that if I do not have a shocking enough key image, this may jeopardise my poster in terms of being ‘scary and amazing’ for the specific target I will be targeting. But most of all, I

need to ensure that my poster is realistic enough to appeal to my audience and that their idea of what the horror film will be like is not ruined because of ‘a silly image that doesn’t even look

real’ or bad Photoshop skills that make my key image stick out in the wrong way.