Horror film posters

The Blair Witch Project

• There are many visual codes on the poster such as the effects used in this poster a negative effect has been used to set an atmosphere. There are also written codes such as the title.

The Blair Witch Project• Other information that is expected is actor/actress names and to promote the film,

which is not used, however this seems to not be shown in many horror films, this shows a convention of horror film posters. I would have expected to see release dates as well and many other written codes.

• The film producers are trying to create a sense of danger by using the negative affect on the film poster, which shows the setting as being weary, cold and dark somewhere no one would actually want to go.

Saw III• There are more written codes on this film poster as opposed to the visual codes.

The written codes are the actor names at the bottom of the poster and all the other information about which corporation its from and directors est.

• The poster provides very little information to the audience because this was the third saw film that came out to cinema and audiences were already familiar with the film. Because this is the third film the poster does not need to do much and the name of the film lets it speak for itself as audiences will already know the themes and genre.

Saw III

• This poster creates enigma because it gives nothing away about the film, it only gives the audience a sense that it’s a horror because of the violent way the instrument is pulling on the man mouth and the fact that he has so many teeth missing this could be scene as torture and therefore a gory horror, however the enigma comes in because it gives nothing away about the film or the narrative of the film.

The whole background image creates equilibrium and danger

Devil• Devil uses many of the codes and conventions of film posters as it is a new film

and audiences are not aware of it so it’s a necessity for it to use both visual and written codes such as the title, corporation and other information there is also ratings to promote the film, the film is also promoted by the fact that they have said what other films they have created. This is all done for audiences to know it’s a film coming soon.

• The poster provides simple information about the film with all the correlations on it and all the visuals to correlate with the title. The film is called “Devil” so already the audiences have a sense the film is about a devil and the visual codes such as the colour red which can represent hell and fire, the way the light is coming through the lift creating an upside down cross which represents the anti Christ, finally the number 6 on the lift representing the devils number. All these visual and written conventions give away a slight narrative about the film.

The number 6, the red cross upside down and the colour red all have representations of the devil and hell