Magazine Front Cover Analysis

Throughout this project, when looking at film magazines, I have been concentrating on ‘EMPIRE’ magazine, more than any other, as this magazine appeals to those in an ABC1 bracket, which is the same as the target audience I am aiming my horror film towards. I have chosen one, among many of this magazines magazine front cover’s to analyse to gain a clearer understanding of the common codes and conventions you would see when reading a film magazine front cover. Although my magazine is aimed at females, I will still be able to gain a lot from analysis Empire due to the fact that it is such a successfull and effective magazine. It acts as a guideline as to what should be included and the codes and conventions to follow, and to challenge.

I have decided to look at the magazine front cover for The Twilight Saga ‘Eclipse’ because even though it is not a psychological/ supernatural horror, this front cover would appeal to a female target audience as this film is mainly aimed at women, as will my film, so using a media text aimed at the same target audience, may help me to understand what it is that they are looking for, or what grabs their attention. This front cover will attract a wider audience as it is a male aimed magazine, yet a tribute is being played to a girl-friendly film. Thus, not only will males pick up their monthly read, it will also catch the attention of a female audience.

Let us begin my looking at the image used on this front cover. It is a close up of one of the main characters in ‘Twilight’, Edward (Robert Pattinson). You can automatically tell that this film is a Gothic, Fantasy by the character positioned on the front. As this magazine is promoting a film that has been made into a sequel, fans of ‘Twilight’ will automatically be able to relate to the cover, and recognise the film straight away due to the main character being placed on the front cover, thus already knowing the genre of the film. If there was a person looking at this magazine, who has never heard of ‘Twilight’ before, they could tell the genre by the colours that have been used: Edwards pale face and strangely yellow coloured eyes suggest some sort of inhumanity, where when watching the film, you would be able to understand that he is in fact, a vampire. This therefore reflects the Gothic, Fantasy genre that ‘Twilight’ is. The same point suggests the narrative of the film, but also, due to the two additional images, on the bottom of the page, of the other two main Characters, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Jacob (Taylor Lautner), also suggests the feud going between the characters, and the fight for Bella, which is the what the narrative of the film is based around. The main sell line on this front cover reads “TWILIGHT: NEW MOON. Edward, Bella and Jacob Interviewed!” which relates to all three images shown on the front cover and allows the audience to be able to know that the cover story is about this new film, which the magazine is promoting.

When looking at the film poster for the same film and then looking back at this magazine front cover, there are some links between the two. Twilight is a film known for releasing a number of different teaser posters and official posters so looking at all of them, we are able to see a symbiotic link back to the magazine as on all of these posters, Edward is featured. The colours used are similar, for example, the use of dark colours such as black, and dark grey are continually used throughout all the film posters, as are they used on this magazine front cover.

Due to the fact that a close up has been used, we are able to clearly see the expression that is on Edward’s face. He looks serious and powerful, which is two of his main traits as his character; he is a serious and cold person, and is very powerful physically and mentally. He looks like he is determined to do something, as his expression is stern and cold. This could reflect his goal to keep Bella free from harm and a broken heart. His face is pale and his eyes are yellow, reflecting the fact that he is a vampire as in the first film, Bella finds out that he is a vampire by piecing together a number of facts, two of them being this. The background is black, simply allowing the Masthead, image and sell lines to stand out, but also, to represent the idea that vampire’s aren’t allowed into the light.

The masthead, ‘EMPIRE’, is big and bold at the top of the page. This is one of the first places we look when looking at a magazine front cover, so the need for it to be big and bold is completely necessary.  It is in a serif font, making it look powerful and this also allows it to appear more clearly to the audience who are looking out for their favourite film magazine. The masthead is also in capital letters, adding to the idea that the masthead must stand out above all other aspects, and also makes it look powerful and strong, reflecting the magazines position in the magazine industry; being the best selling film magazine in the UK. The colour of the masthead is a bright, vibrant red. This could suggest a number of things relating to the film that it is promoting; one being the passion between the two main characters, Edward and Bella, reflecting the fact that they are romantically involved due to the fact that the colour red is normally associated with love. It could also reflect the hate and violence between the two families, and the deaths of some people who have been attacked by the enemies. On the other hand, just simply looking at the colour, red could suggest power and confidence, again reflecting the popularity and success of this particular magazine company. The actual name of the magazine, ‘EMPIRE’, suggests power. It almost seems as if this magazine is claiming power over the films that it is promoting, and that the film industry is their domain, or ‘Empire’. The target audience of this film magazine is; typically male, early 20’s to late 40’s they are confident individuals, strong minded and love to watch a good film. The masthead reflects their passion for film, and the fact they too are successful and confident individuals. The style, size and colour of the masthead hasn’t changed since 1989, which creates brand identity, allowing the target audience of the magazine, to be able to recognise the magazine each month, and making it their signature style.

Moving onto the layout; it is a typically conventional layout for a film magazine front cover. The main image dominates the page, due to the fact that the human eye immediately looks here first when first catching a glimpse of any magazine. The image therefore must be large and clear, so that it can be easily seen from a distance. The masthead is conventionally placed at the top of the page, followed by the sell- lines being placed either side of the image. The main sell- line is spread across the bottom of the page, acting more like a banner. This isn’t a conventional part of a film magazine front cover, but this does allow some originality to shine through, and I also feel that it allows the main sell-line to stand out more than the others. The barcode is conventionally places in the bottom left hand corner, with the date placed just above the masthead. This magazine front cover is image heavy, meaning that there is much more image, than text on the page. This is due to the fact that film magazines, such as this one, are primarily aimed more towards the male gender, who finds magazines with less text more appealing, and easier to digest. Compared to a women’s interest magazine, such as ‘Cosmopolitan’ or ‘Gratzia’, film magazines barely have any text on the front cover which wouldn’t be as appealing to women, as it is to men.

Looking now at the sell-lines on this front cover, they are all relating to newly released films, or films that have already been released to the cinema. One of the sell-lines, placed on the right of the page, is about the different types of alien films that have been released over the past 30 years. The sell-line reads “23 PAGE SPECIAL! 30 YEARS OF ALIEN, NEW INTERVIEWS, RARE PHOTO’S”. It is large, and in a lime green colour, which reflects that fact that the subject matter of this sell line is Aliens, which the colour green is associated with. The fact that it uses the words such as ‘new’ and ‘rare’ makes the target audience intrigued, and wanting to find out more. They also suggest that they are getting the first sneak peak of these ‘rare and new’ photos, like the audience are being let in on a secret. This also allows the audience to be able to relate to the magazine, and view it as a friend. “FREE POSTERS”, placed above the mast head, in capital letters will stand out to the avid film watcher, who collects both films and iconic film posters. This will appeal to anyone looking at the front cover because when seeing the word FREE you automatically feel that you are getting value for money. The sell-lines on the left hand third are blunt and to the point. They basically state the names of some films; “Where the Wild Things Are” and “A Christmas Carol”. This is simple and clear, letting the target audience know that there will be something to do with these films inside, but cleverly not revealing as to what, making the audience want to buy the magazine to read on. As film is a main interest of the audience, this particular sell-line reflects their interests and would lure them in to wanting to buy the magazine. The main sell-line, reaching from one side of the page, to the other reads “FANGtastic Exclusive! Twilight: New Moon. Edward, Bella and Jacob Interviewed!” This sell-line relates to the main film that this promotional tool (magazine front cover) is promoting. The play on words “FANGtastic” is a clever device, reflecting the fact that Edward is of course, a vampire. The audience will be able to get the pun and will find it amusing. Any film fan, whether it be Twilight to Harry Potter would enjoy reading an interview with the main characters, so the fact that it says on the front cover that there are three exclusive interviews inside would appeal to the twilight loving fan that would buy this magazine. This sell-line is coloured yellow, relating back to the colour of Edwards eyes, and also, reflecting the name of the film ‘New Moon’, where yellow is the colour of the moon. Apart from the sell-line about the aliens, and “Twilight New Moon”, all of them are white. This is because of the dark background, and the white is able to clearly stand out. The whole of this front cover is in capital letters, again reflecting the success and confidence of the magazine, the film, and the target audience. Capital letters also stand out more and are therefore clearer to the audience’s eye.

This magazine is promoting the film ‘Jennifer’s Body’, a slasher horror about a newly possessed cheerleader who kills off her male classmates. Total film is the 2^nd best selling magazine in the UK, following EMPIRE. I am going to be analysing this particular magazine front cover, looking at how the cover lures in its target audience and how it is being used to promote to help encourage people to go and watch the films that are featured on the front.

Starting with the main image; like any conventional magazine front cover, the image dominates the whole page, due to the fact that this is the first thing the audience see when looking at the cover. It therefore needs to be the biggest, boldest image, that when the audience see it, will draw them in straight in. Against the crisp white background, Megan Fox stands tall, in an electric blue and yellow cheerleading outfit. This automatically catches the target audience’s eye as the majority of film magazine readers tend to be male, and Megan Fox is voted by them as one of the sexiest women alive. The male target audience would instantly be lured in, wanting to take a closer look. As she stands with one foot against the wall, we can see a remaining bloody footprint on the floor, where her foot once was. Her laces are undone which suggests some kind of rebellion, and the idea that if she slips, say with a knife, she might accidently hurt somebody. Similarly, her hands are pressed against the background, like she is scratching it, with blood dripping down. As blood is one of the main sights that you conventionally see in every typical slasher horror, this suggests the narrative of the film, letting the audience know that it is a horror film. Also, the stern, evil look upon her face could also add to the fact that the audience are led to believe that it is a horror.

The two film posters that were released to also promote this film are as follows:

The two film posters that were released to also promote this film are as follows:

Both of these posters have a symbiotic link with the magazine front cover which allows the audience to recognise that they are promoting the same film, and to also help give away a bit more of the narrative. First of all, Megan Fox is the main focus of the image, again straight away attracting a male’s attention.  In all three pieces of media text, the words ‘Jennifer’s Body’ are coloured red, symbolising blood and murder, typical slasher film. One the film poster where Megan is sitting on a chair, at a desk, her rucksack placed behind her has marks of blood underneath it, where it has been moved. This is the same as in the film magazine poster with her foot and her hand. Also the use of typical school girl props, e.g. the cheerleading uniform, the blackboard and the desk, are all apparent throughout all three of these, linking them together through imagery. On the magazine front cover, Megan’s hand is covered in blood, and then when looking at both film posters, appearing somewhere within, there is hand appearing out of somewhere. In the first film poster, on the left, Megan is sitting upon a school desk, where we can see appearing out of the desk lid, a hand. Again, looking at the second poster, this time on the right, we see a hand popping out of her bag. This reflects the fact that this character is the antagonist, killer. The image is a long shot, showing Megan’s whole body, and allowing us to appreciate the bloody foot print. We are able, even with it being a long shot, able to also see clearly her facial expression, which is important seeing as we need this to figure out the films genre. Her head is covering part of the masthead, suggesting her power she has over these people’s lives.

If we look at the masthead, it is large and bold, and would stand out amongst a range of different magazines. The masthead is always placed at the top of any magazine front cover as it allows the audience to recognise their favourite brand. The fact that this magazine is called total film, automatically tells readers that this is a magazine about films. So a fanatic film fan would be lured in, wanting to find out more about their favourite films, adding to their geek obsession. The name itself suggests to the audience that whatever they want to know and find out about films will be in this magazine due to the use of the word ‘total’. It implies that it has total control over the film industry and you will find the best and more up to date information when reading this magazine. The masthead has the words FILM in capital letters big and bold across the top of the page. On the letter ‘F’ in smaller characters, the word TOTAL. This is a quirky and clever way of incorporating the two words together, so they can both fit on the page, and still be clear and visible. It is crucial for any magazine front cover that the mast head is the largest and most bold piece of text, separating it from the sell-lines and making it clear that this is the name of the magazine. The mast head is red and white, both colours that stand out and make a statement. The colour red suggests confidence and success, reflecting the magazine brand. The word ‘total’ is in white, allowing it to stand out against the word ‘film’ that is in red. I also feel that these two colours represent the English identity of the magazine brand and the target audience as these are two of the main colours seen on the England flag. This would again allow the magazine to appeal to the typically British male who may be reading the magazine. Similar to EMPIRE magazine, TOTAL FILM’s masthead never changes. It stays in the same position, the same font is used, and the same colours, each month. This creates brand identity and enables the audience to be able to recognise it each time they see it on the shelf. It also suggests that the masthead was successfully put together, and that there is no need to change it, as it already appeals to the correct target audience. 

Total Film has a conventional magazine layout. It is image heavy, carrying little text, appealing to the male target audience who find image more attractive than words. The masthead is conventionally placed at the top of the page, with the image dominating the rest. It is essential that the image dominates the page as this is the first thing the human eye will see when looking at a film magazine as it is where the eye will look first. By making the masthead and main image dominant of the whole magazine, they stand out among the rest which is important due to the way we look at a media text. We begin by looking in the middle, so whatever is there, and in this case the image, must be large and necessary to the target audience whom it is aimed at. Then our eyes move upwards, which makes it crucial that the mast head is short and sweet and large enough to lure the audience in. The sell-lines are then places either side of the image, with the barcode at the bottom. By following simple codes and conventions such as these, you are guaranteed a professional look, allowing the audience to be aware that this is a magazine.

Moving on to look at the colours in more detail; the only colours that have been used are: red, blue, white and black. These are all simple colours, allowing no attention to be drawn away from the main image. They are also simple masculine colours, appealing to the likes of the male target audience that film magazines are largely aimed at. As I mentioned before, the used of blue, red and white reflect both the magazine brand and the target audience’s British identity. These three colours are those that make up to English flag, therefore appealing to those typical, proud British men who are out there. These primary colours are also able to stand out against the white background, making the magazine clear and easy to read. As this magazine cover is mainly promoting ‘Jennifer’s Body’, wherever this film is being mentioned, the font is red, for example ‘The deadly Megan Fox’ and ‘Jennifer’s Body’. This creates a link with the image as the blood is also red. The audience will therefore be aware that these sell lines are linking to the image they are looking at, allowing them to know what the film is called. The use of the colour red being used throughout the front cover also suggests the narrative of the film, and the genre. Red is a colour mainly associated with blood, guts and gore. It is also seen as the colour of evil and hell. By using this colour, it reflects the fact that this is a horror film and that this character is the killer. The other sell-lines, not relating to the main image are coloured in black. This still makes them able to stand out against the background, but they are not too overpowering for that the main attraction is taken away from the featured film.

The sell-lines on this magazine are placed either side of the main image. The majority of the sell-lines are in capital letters and are black. This allows them to look simple and bold, standing out and also appealing to a simpler target audience of males. On the right hand side of the cover you will see a group of 6 sentences. These are all referring to different films, for example ‘#59 The Final Harry Potters” and “#6 The Deadly Megan Fox”. The fact that the target audience buy film magazines to read about films means that this sell-line would appeal to the audience as they will believe that they are going to be able to read about these different films. The fact that all of the film title/phrases has a ‘#’ and a number beside them suggests that they have been ranked, or voted for, so the audience will also want to read on to see who came where, and why. They will also look and may feel the same way as to where they have been placed in the vote, feeling a connection with the magazine and the other members of the target audience who voted. Another sell-line states “A ton of exclusives!” which shouts out to the audience as the word ‘exclusive’ suggests that they are about to see something that no one has yet seen, making them excited and feel like they are being let in on a secret with the magazine. This contributes to the idea of magazines acting as a friend/ companion to their target audience where they can share jokes, information and pictures. The same sell line then goes onto say “and 94 more movers, shakers, movies & makers!” the mode of address is quirky and fun, making it more of an enjoyable read, and appealing to a happy, confident and fun individual. The fact that it uses numbers suggests to the audience that there is so much more to see, encouraging them to buy the magazine. Another sell line, towards the bottom of the page reads “PLUS, 128 films reviewed!, 31 in cinemas, 62 on DVD, 15 on Blu-Ray, 20 hidden elsewhere!” again the use of numbers addresses the idea that there is so much information in this magazine just waiting to be read! The use of the word PLUS, and the fact that it is larger than the rest, and in a different colour gives off the impression that just when you thought you couldn’t fit anymore information into this magazine, there is more. Where it says ’20 Hidden Elsewhere’, the audience are unsure of what this means and will therefore want to read on, to try and find what they are talking about. This sell-line is about DVD’s and the cinema, two of any film magazine’s main topics, and two of the target audience’s main interests. This sell line would therefore appeal to a DVD collecting reader or a regular attendee of the cinema.

The Orphan Poster Analysis

To enable me to identify some forms of continuity between film promotion packages, I decided to analyse the same film for one of the film trailer analyses and a film poster analysis.

When looking at this film poster, you almost immediately would be able to identify the fact that it was a horror film. This is due to the demonic looking child featuring as the main image, which dominates the page.  It is a common convention of film posters to have the image in the centre, dominating the whole page as this is what they use to lure in the target audience when they first catch a glimpse of the poster. The image is of Esther, the ‘Orphan’ who has been adopted by a married couple, who already have two other children. It is a medium shot which enables us to be able to see her facial expressions clearly, but also allowing us to see some costume, and this provides space for institutional information, date, website, tag line and so on.
She is staring harshly at the camera suggesting primarily to the audience that she is evil and that she has set out on mission to ruin and torment this family’s life. Behind the image, there is a dark green background. The colour green usually symbolises and represents envy and jealousy. This could therefore reflect ‘Esther’s’ envy of young children’s youth and happy childhoods as we learn that she did not experience this as a child. Lighting in this film poster has cleverly been used to make it look as if this child has secrets. For example, because of the fact that low key lighting has been used, shadows appear on her eyes, hiding them slightly, which could suggest to the audience that she has something to hide.

Esther is wearing a blue, checked, collared dress. It looks old fashioned, which contrasts with the way the family dress in the film as this film is set in the modern day and they dress up to date and contemporary. It also looks ‘school girl’ like, possible to reflect her young age by, for instance, dressing her in a sort of ‘uniform’ and having her hair in pig tails is a very typical school girl hair style. She looks neat and proper, suggesting her high level of maturity that the audience are soon to find out when they watch the film. She is pale faced which could represent innocence, because she is a child, but then we see her thick, black, hair; which could reflect an evil persona too as black is the colour most associated with evil/darkness.

Thinking about the general codes and conventions of film posters, the title of the film is usually placed at the top, in the centre, above the tag line, but in this film poster, the title is nearer towards the bottom. The reason for this could be because the film makers want this to be the last piece of information that they take away with them, therefore, would place it near the bottom, as this is where our eyes go last.  Conventionally, the tag line is placed at the top of the page, in the centre. This is commonly used in film posters because this is one of the first places we look when we first catch a glimpse of a film poster. This therefore has to be short and sweet, and also should give away some part of the narrative. Institutional information is placed at the bottom of the poster, which is where you will find it every time, unless it is a teaser, and will therefore not feature this information. The website is then printed directly underneath the institution information, alongside the release date of the film. As this is the last place we look when peering at a film poster, it will therefore be one of the last pieces of information taken away, so by placing the release date in this position, is a clever way of allowing the audience to remember this date, so that they won’t miss it, or forget about it.

The title of the film is written in a script font, and looks handwritten, or carved into the picture as if it was by a child. This suggests the fact that she is a troubled child, where instead of drawing on the walls of her bedroom (like a normal little girl would) she would carve her mark into the people who were trying to help her, both physically and mentally. The title in itself is self explanatory due to the film being about a couple who adopt a girl from an orphanage. The style of font could also reflect that of a child’s scribble, and the carving gives the audience the impression that it has been forcefully, yet carefully constructed, reflecting the destructive and logical thinking of the child.

The tag line reads ‘THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ESTHER’ which suggests part of the narrative to the audience straight away. The fact that it is in capital letters makes it seem harsh and powerful, like ‘Esther’ is in the film. It is in a serif font making it easy to read and against the green background; the tag line is in white which again helps it to stand out to the readers who are looking at it. There is then an additional tag line, placed at the bottom of the poster that reads; ‘CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?’ this time in a red, serif font. This suggests to the audience that there is mystery and something that needs to be found out which would appeal to the target audience of this film as it is a psychological horror film and the target audience of this sub genre thrive on enigma and mystery. This tag line, again, stands out against the dark background and can be easily read from a distance. The red suggests evil, as this colour is the colour associated with hell, blood, evil etc. I think that ‘There’s something wrong with Esther’ is a brilliant tag line as it suggests the genre of the film and also, lets the audience looking at this poster know that this is no ordinary orphan. Also, when the audience are lured in by this poster, they might then want to go and watch the film trailer, to gain a greater perspective of the film. They will then realise that the same tag line is used in the film trailer, this time as a strap. This therefore creates continuity between the two media texts and makes us understand that there is definitely something wrong with Esther.  

I feel that this particular film poster is successful in itself at promoting this film. Is suggests some of the narrative, but does not give too much information away. It allows the audience looking to be able to tell the genre straight away, so those not that huge horror fans can turn away, and so that the horror geeks can take a closer look. It is also a memorable film poster that will stick in the minds of those who have seen in, making them not rest until they have gone and viewed the film itself.



The Uninvited Poster Analysis

‘The Uninvited’ film poster swayed away from the codes and conventions I have previously talked about in my other two film poster analyses. When a poster does not follow codes and conventions, it adds an original and fresh touch to the film, and would stand out from the rest. It is impotant that codes and conventions are not completely ruled out as the poster will not be effective and the audience may not recognise this style of promotion.

The layout is as follows; the image dominates the page, which is conventional of all film posters as this is where the human eye will look to first. It is therefore crucial that the image is effective and that it will stand out from a distance.  All text seems to have been pushed to one side, the right side, towards the bottom. In other cases, text will be spread around the page allowing the audience to thouroughly look around, taking in all there is to see. Because of the fact that all the text is placed together could suggest the importance of the image in the poster, and could also reflect the narrative of the film, and how the daugher, Anna, has been pushed aside when her father’s new girlfriend enters their lives. If we stick to the rules of the way that the audience’s eye looks when looking at a media text, then the fact that all the text is towards to the right hand side, at the bottom, will allow the audience to take this information away with them, fresh in their minds. This is due to the fact that in western society, we read from left to right, from top to bottom, therefore, this is the last thing the audience will see, allowing this information to be the newest in their minds. This is effective as it allows them to remember the name and tag line, also the release date, encouraging them to go and watch the film when it hits the cinema.

From looking at this film poster for the first time, I became immediately aware of the genre of film that it was promoting. The image itself is eerie and scary, with the blacked out face, dark colours, and the fact that there is a person peering in through a window. Text on the page, such as ‘from the producers of “the ring” and “disturbia”’ also suggests the genre as these are two well known films that are also under the horror genre, therefore you would associate the producers of these films with creating horror films. Again looking at text, the name of the film and the tag line are also signals of the horror genre. ‘Fear moves in’ features the words fear, something you will feel when watching a horror film. The audience would therefore be able to associate the words with the genre and become aware that it is a horror film that is being advertised. The name itself suggests that this film is a horror as ‘the uninvited’ sounds eerie and creepy, like someone is haunting someone for example. It is important for the film poster to clearly signal the genre as it will draw in the correct target audience as they will notice the common codes and conventions associated with their favourite genre of film.

The image is of a woman/ female looking in through a window. Her face is shadowed and you can only really see the outline of her body, with her hands pressed against the window, looking in. She looks as if she is trying to get in, which reflects the name of the film, ‘The Uninvited’ but it also could reflect her trying to get out, reflecting Anna, the daughter and main character in the film, and how she is hypothetically trapped in this nightmare that she cannot get out of. Due to the fact that her face isn’t visible to the audience, suggests some sort of evil and hidden identity. This suggests the genre of the film as well as making the audience feel on edge and scared. The audience will want to know who this woman is, and why she is looking in to someone’s home, therefore encouraging them to go and view the film. The fact that we can see tree’s in the background suggest to the audience that this is set in a secluded woodland area, which is a common code and convention used in all horror films.

The lighting is a mix between low key lighting, where there is a strong contrast between light and deep, dark areas, and back lighting, where a silhouette is able to be formed, as the light comes from behind the individual. The fact that her face isn’t lit and we can see dark shadows suggests secrets and hidden identities. This reflects the film and the twist that the audience find out towards the end. In the background the light is bright, but fog shrouded. This symbolises mystery and makes the poster/film feel more eerie and scary.

The way in which the character is positioned show the audience that this is a person trying to get into this house. She is peering in through the window, cupping her hands, as if it is dark and she is finding it difficult to see. She could represent the character Rachel, the new girlfriend of the character playing the father, and how she hasn’t been invited into this family’s life. As the audience will become aware when watching the film, this is who appears to be the antagonist throughout the film. I also think that this image reflects Anna, one of the daughter’s in the film, like she is trying to get out, suggesting that she has been trapped in some kind of nightmare or life.  

The title of the film is ‘The Uninvited’. It has been written in a white font, allowing it to stand out from the dark colours that have been used. The colour white is often used to create the sense/ meaning of purity and innocence, which is then contradicted with the black colours used elsewhere in the film poster as we find out at the end that Anna was the antagonist all along. This could reflect Anna, the daughter in the film as she is seen as the victim, very vulnerable and sweet. But also, when watching the film, the audience soon find out that the character they thought was the antagonist is in fact a protagonist. This therefore makes Rachel, the father’s new girlfriend in the film; seem innocent which can be reflected in the colouring of the font.  The font is in lower case, making it look childlike and informal. This could symbolise the real antagonist, Anna, as she is young, suggesting that she wrote this, and that is the uninvited. Adding to the idea that it looks childlike, the fact that it hasn’t been written in a straight line, but is slanted and some letters are smaller case than the other reflects young age.

The tag line “fear moves in” reflects the narrative of the film. It symbolises one of three characters, who are made out to be the antagonist at some point through the film. Rachel is seen to be the antagonist from the beginning, when she moves in to their home to be with their father. This therefore backs up the idea that fear has moved in. Alex, the sister in the film is seen to be the antagonist towards the middle of the film, reflecting the tag line. When the audience find out the real antagonist, and that it is in fact Anna, they are then able to relate this tag line to her, giving this tag line many meanings and outcomes, which I think is very effective as it creates mystery. The tag line is also written in a white font, and in low case, again reflecting innocence as it creates a child like persona.

There is a strong contrast between white and dark colours on this film poster. Dark colours, such as a mixture of grey and black have been used for the main image making this person seem eerie and evil. Then for text, and in the background, light bright white colours have been used, possibly to suggest the contrast in persona’s in the film itself. By this I am referring to the fact that we are presented with a range of characters, which throughout the film are seen in different lights (negative and positive) and colours.

I think that this film poster is effective in promoting this horror film. It successfully suggests the genre from an early stage, as well as setting some of the narrative. It allows the audience to experience some fear and to feel frightened, but also creates tension and excitement, encouraging the audience to go and watch the film. I think that this poster allows the audience to want to know more, for example because the face is blacked out, the tag line is unexplained and so on, creating a sense of wonder and mystery, which will also encourage audiences to go and view the film.

The Strangers Poster Analysis

Having already analysed the film trailer for ‘The Strangers’, I think that it is a good idea to also look at the poster, allowing me to pin point forms of continuity and also to be able to recognise the codes and conventions, and how they lure in their target audience, as this is a main aim of mine.  I am going to be looking at mise en scene elements, such as lighting, image and text, and how that they are used to lure in the audience. I will also be talking about the title of the film and the tag line and how they both suggest the genre of the film. Let us begin with the layout;

The poster for ‘The Strangers’ follows the codes and conventions of a film poster; the image dominates the whole page, drawing the audiences eye straight in. it is conventional to do this as when looking at a poster, the audience’s eye automatically moves to the centre of the page straight away, so having the image positioned there will not only attract their attention, but keep their focus once they look at the poster. The tag line is placed at the top of the page where the audience look next. By having it placed here, the audience will be drawn in, and will want to know what it is that they should fear! Again this will keep their attention and encourage them to go and see the film to find out more.  At the foot of the page you will find institutional information and the website of the film. This is placed here as it is the last thing you will see, therefore taking it away with you. This will allow the audience to remember the website address and therefore they are able to go home and find the trailer, release date and so on. By following the codes and conventions of a film poster, it allows the film poster to be recognised as a poster, and also meets the needs and desires of the audience. For example, a code and convention of a magazine poster is to feature the name of the film. Without this, the audience may not remember the poster, they won’t know how to search for it without knowing the name and also they wouldn’t be lured in by the name, which is one of the first places that they will look when glancing over at the poster.  

When first looking at this film poster, I was automatically aware of the genre of the film. I could tell this by looking at the following things; the image itself would suggest the horror genre as we can see a lone woman standing in a room, where behind her there is a masked man lurking in the shadows. Just from the way they are positioned is a signal of the genre so audiences will be able to identify this straight away. Also, a common convention used in horror films is to feature masked killers, hiding their true identity, and making them seem inhuman and eerie. The name of the film again suggests the genre as the name ‘The Strangers’ suggests an unwelcomed guest, and linking it to the picture, the audience will become aware that there are some strange people tormenting this woman.

I am now going to move on to the mise en scene elements that make up this poster which include; the image, the text i.e. title, tagline and any other information found on the poster, lighting, camera and character positioning and hair, costume and make-up. I am going to start by looking at the image and how it has been put together to draw in the audience;

The image is set in the kitchen of a home, where in the film; the home is the main setting. It is a long shot of a female character standing in the middle of the room, where behind her we can see a masked man lurking in the shadows of the room.  As we see the long shot of the kitchen, this enables us to understand the normality of her home, as it is set in a normal kitchen and the catastrophe that is taking place, invading their privacy, as we see a killer enter the room, in the background.   

The fact that the antagonist in the background is masked is a typical convention of a horror film. This will therefore allow the audience to understand that this is a horror film, and also help them to understand who the antagonists are. Masks are seen as creepy and eerie and also make the audience feel on edge as they are unaware of the individual’s true identity.                                                                    

Lighting in this film trailer has been used to create a sense of eeriness and mystery. Low key lighting has been used in the background as this allows dark shadows to be formed, with a contrast between light and deep, dark areas. The masked character in the background can therefore hide in the shadows, signalising that he is a killer and he is dangerous. Also, available lighting has been used, which is where lighting has not been provided from a lighting specialist team, but light that is already available in the scene. For example, light is being given off from the lamp in the corner of the room. This is a good use of lighting as it creates realism, not over dramatic. Also, the fact that there is a lamp on, sets the mood of a normal household, creating realism and also lets us know that this is a woman just relaxing in her home, not doing anything wrong, making her torment seem more cruel and harsh.

 The way in which the characters have been positioned makes the audience feel unnerved and on edge, feeling for the safety of this woman. As the masked character is standing coldly behind her, it makes him look like he has control over what happens next. He looks powerful and domineering, where the next move is his. it also makes the female character look vulnerable as she looks child like, standing bluntly and awkwardly, looking around, with no shoes on, hair in a ‘pony tail’ and so on. 

The title of the film ‘The Strangers’ suggests an unwelcomed guest, and linking it to the image, the audience will become aware that there are some strange people tormenting this woman. It is in a white font, lower case serif font, standing out against the dark background of the poster. The title itself looks like it has been lit with a candle flame, flickering. Like in a horror film, when the protagonist looks around a dark room, they use a candle. Therefore, this suggests that the female character has to light a candle to look around a room, where she will find the stranger lurking in the darkness.   

The tag line for this film poster is ‘WE TELL OURSELVES THERE’S NOTHING TO FEAR, BUT SOMETIMES WE’RE WRONG’. It is in a white font, standing out against the darkness of the shadows, and is also in capital letters, suggesting that this is a powerful statement, and very important to keep aware of when watching this film. There is continuity between both the fonts on the poster itself, them being the same colour and the same style, but also, with the film trailer the tag line is also the same. Also, the statement that parents tell their children when they are young is not to talk to strangers. The fact that the tag line says ‘but sometimes we’re wrong’, backs up the idea that strangers are dangerous.   

Other parts of text that you see on the poster are the words ‘inspired by true events’. In any horror film, if you see that it has been inspired by true events, it adds additional fear and tension. After watching a horror film, people tell themselves that its ok, its not real, its only a film, but when presented with these four words, it allows the audience to be able to put themselves in the victims postions, which will scare them even more. Also, the fact that it happened before, makes the audience think that it can happen again, which will terrify the after actually viewing the film.

Conventionally, the actors/ actresses names are placed above the title of the film. This draws in audiences that are fond of previous films that these actors were in and also makes the audience think that if their previous films were good, this one should be too. Liv Tyler is famous for films such as ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Armageddon’, two very successful and well known films in the filming industry. Therefore by featuring her name on the front cover, insures the audience a equally exceptional film.

I feel that this film poster successfully promotes the film ‘The Strangers’ as when first looking at it, I was straight away drawn in, wanting to watch the film as it created fear, but at the same time excitement. I feel that all mise en scene elements have been carefully planned before hand, and that is why it is so effective. For example, the lighting, this makes the audience feel scared for the female character’s life as we see a masked man lurking in the shadows of her home. Another exmaple is the image itself; having a image such as this creates fear and tension as we don’t know what he is planning to do to this female. 

Examples of Film Posters

Below, are a series of film poster examples that have inspired my planning and creations. I love the simplicity of them all, but how creative and effective they are. These film posters are also favourites of mine, which fims have helped me with my research and planning.

The Uninvited Film Trailer Analysis

The film trailer for ‘The Uninvited’ has been conventionally structured.
It begins slowly, giving us a basic outline of the narrative, for example, only seconds into the film trailer, we are already aware that this girl’s mother had died tragically in a fire. As the trailer moves on, we gain a stronger knowledge of the narrative and become familiar with the characters, and the roles in which they play. For example, we are led to believe that the father’s new girlfriend, Rachel, is the antagonist. Like any conventional horror trailer, speed builds up towards the end, and we are presented with a climax of short and scary shots, signalising some of the scary goings on that occur throughout the film. As the trailer comes to a close, the trailer shows the audience one final burst of action, to terrify the audience.

At the beginning of this film trailer, I became automatically aware of the genre. This is due to the fact that we immediately find out that there was a fire, and a death.  These are two main conventions associated with the horror genre which leads the audience to believe that this is the genre. In the middle of the trailer we are shown creepy footage of scary and evil things happening to Anna, the main character. This again suggests the genre of the film as no other genre would feature footage such as this e.g. a bloody hand reaching out and grabbing her wrist and so on. Just in case the audience do not figure out the genre throughout the trailer, they are certain that it is a horror film due to the sting at the end. This consists of Anna standing still, breathing heavily, covered in blood, with ripped clothing, when suddenly a hand grabs her shoulder, and we are then presented with two or three shots of her screaming. This is followed by some kind of black thick liquid running out of the key whole of someone’s room. The trailer then ends, but due to this final burst of action, the audience are made aware that this is a horror film.

When looking at this film trailer, I am going to be discussing how and why it is being used to promote a film and looking into the ways that it lures in and excites its target audience, and of course, how it scares them. For instance, I am going to be analysing the use of sound, and how it builds tension and suspense, mise en scene elements e.g. lighting, camera and costume and editing.

I am going to begin by looking at the sound devices that have been used in this film trailer, and how they have created feelings such as fear and excitement, and also, looking at how they build tension and suspense.

Like any other, conventional film trailer, the basic narrative is being laid out. We can hear a gentle melody being played in the background over the main female character talking. She says “why can’t I remember what happened that night?” allowing the audience to know that something bad has happened and this also helps set the narrative. We then, as the trailer cuts to a glass lantern falling, we hear the glass smash as the light goes out. This reflects on the idea that this family’s home has come crashing down, as we see in the next part, where the house is on fire. As the action then cuts to the house on fire, we hear an explosive sound, which complements the action happening on screen. A man than says “you lost your mother in a fire, maybe it isn’t such a bad thing to forget, go home, you’ll figure it out” suggesting more about the narrative. The audience now know that this is a person who has lost her mother, in a traumatic experience. So from the very beginning of the film trailer, we feel sorry for this young girl and see her in a vulnerable, confused state, suggesting her innocence.

The melody we heard at the start begins to play again as the action cuts to a bird’s eye shot of a car driving along a road. We then see the girl running up to hug another girl, excitedly shouting “Alex, I missed you so much”. The action has now cut to the two girls holding hands, about to jump into a river, laughing and screaming happily. The audience now think that these are two girls, just having fun, maybe best friends who haven’t seen each other in a while. When the other girl says “I assume you have met dad’s new girlfriend”, the audience are now aware that these are two close sisters. As soon as ‘the girlfriend’ is mentioned, the mood darkens and the light melody previously playing changes into an eerie, quiet hum. This automatically suggests some sort of evil persona that this woman carries. The girlfriend then says to the daughter “I hope it works out so you can stay” at this point, the audience are un sure of what she is talking about, making them curious and want to carry on watching.

The scene now cuts to the daughter sitting on some grass where the father comes over to talk to her. He says “Anna I’m sorry, I meant to tell you about Rachael” suggesting that Anna disapproves of the fact that the father has already replaced her now dead mother. Now Anna is talking to her sister and asks “when did she move in?” with emphasis on the she; making it sound like they find this woman repulsive, and have no respect for her, not even to call her by her name. Her sister then follows on to say “A month ago, she is helping him cope, three times a night”. This part of the trailer is important in the respect that it allows us to see that Rachel is now a fixture within the family life. Because she is providing the father with ongoing physical gratification it makes us think that he will be unlikely to tell her to leave any time soon. More importantly, it is vital in setting Rachel up as a character who we, the audience, think we are not going to like. We are firmly on Anna and Alex's side and see her as an intruder, who is using her sexuality to force her way into the father's life.

There is then a cut to the bedroom door, behind which they are clearly having sex, which reinforces our notion of her as sexual predator and anchors the meaning of Alex's words. Just after this cut, we see a glass ball smash on the floor, accompanied by a dramatic, loud crash. This is similar to the lantern smashing earlier on in the film trailer, again reflecting the idea that Anna’s world is coming crashing down. There is now a quiet, eerie hum drifting through the background whilst we cut to a shot of Anna and Rachel in a cafe/ restaurant. Rachael says “Listen Anna, I know you are supposed to hate your dad’s new girlfriend, but I’m really hoping that we can make this work”.

We now cut to a shot of a funeral service, with Rachel laying down a rose on a coffin. As she leans over, there is a sharp noise and then we see a little girl walking behind her, saying “You’re too late”. The previous dialogue of Rachel saying that she wants to work things out is then contradicted by what this little girl is saying, even though we don’t know who it is or who’s funeral they are attending and we now, even when the audience had a slight change of thought, to think Rachel wasn’t in fact bad, believe to think that she is evil, and something is going to happen to Anna and her family.

A loud, high pitched noise is then played as we cut to a shot of Anna waking up where the audience will now think that this was all a dream. As the first strap appears on screen, a melody is being played, which sounds like one you would hear in a drama, such as ‘The Bill’ suggesting to the audience that something dramatic is about to happen. As the melody becomes quieter, we hear Anna saying to her sister, “Alex, something has happened” with Alex replying to say “Yeah?” Anna then goes on to say “I had a dream, there were children, I think they were trying to warn us”. This suggests to the audience that these children are relevant to the narrative and there ghostly appearance reflects the idea Anna has, that Rachel has killed them. As a dead black out appears on screen, the sound of symbols crashing against one another can be heard. Tension is being built up with this melody still playing, as it is fast and loud. The audience feel as if they are being led up to something that is going to happen, so they become unnerved and on edge. We then see another character enter the scene who says to the father “your daughter has got it into her mind somehow that your fiancé killed the family she worked for”, which backs up the audience’s previous suggestion when seeing these children.

 As we cut to a shot of Anna and her sister sitting at a computer, we hear Anna say “look at this”. A trio of loud stab sounds can be heard as the action cuts from a newspaper article, to a knife, to the little girl. The melody previously playing comes to a stop and so does the action on screen. So for a split second, there is a black screen with no sound. Silence is one of many sounds that film makers use to create suspense and to build up tension. The fact that they have used silence here makes the audience feel that something has happened, and they are now just waiting to become very frightened.

We are then presented with a shot of Rachel standing on high ground, we hear Alex say “we need to find out who Rachel Summers really is”. The audience are now aware that there is some kind of secret that is going to be revealed and that these two girls are going to find it, no matter what. The father says to Anna “I want you to think about whether you are ready to be part of this family” which makes us feel that he has been brainwashed and we now feel even more sorry for Anna as she is being made out to be the bad one. As Rachael tightens a pearl necklace around Anna’s neck, we fear for her as Rachel says “you know what Anna? I don’t think this is going to work out” followed by a loud crashing stab sound. At this point we are scared for Anna’s life and despise Rachel even more.

A shot of Anna in the kitchen follows, when she hears rustling coming from behind her. She turns around to see a bin bag moving, and goes over to see what is inside. As she goes over, we hear nothing and then a range of shots are shown of Anna looking for something. As she looks under a bed, silence is still intact and tension and suspense is building. A loud stab sounds breaks the silence, already making the audience scream and jump, but is then followed by a bloody, dirty hand grabbing Anna’s wrist from under the bed, and then a scary, evil voice saying “you’re next”. We hear Anna breathing heavily, and then hear her say, I thought that I was dreaming, but I wasn’t, look” as she puts out her hands to her sister to show red marks around her wrists. As the action flashes and we hear a sound of lightening, we hear Alex say “ok, now I’m afraid’”. This makes the audience more afraid now as well because Alex has been the calm, level headed one throughout the trailer, and now that she is afraid, there is definitely something to worry about. We see someone pulling a kitchen knife out of its holster, which makes the noise as it would, followed by the sound of it being swung through the air. This symbolises the fact that this knife is going to be used as murder weapon, but who’s?

As we enter the climax of the trailer, a beating of drums is being played, as action cuts from shot to shot, building up tension and suspense. As we see a creature rising we hear “pretty little Anna” and then a scream, again adding to the fear and making the audience feel unnerved and on edge. Rachel then says “you’re not going to ruin this for me” creating confusion as to what she is talking about. The beating stops and we are presented with a loud eerie sound that seems to be leading up to something. As we cut to the little girl, she drops a glass of milk, like the lantern smashed, and the glass ball, it crashes to the ground. All sounds stop, and all we can hear is Anna breathing. The audience are now afraid and are waiting for that final burst of action. Suddenly someone grabs Anna’s shoulder, where we can hear a skin crawling scream and then a ghostly hum. This sting of action makes the audience jump, and the previous sounds building up tension and suspense, has been leading them up to that piece of action. Audiences are now excited and adrenalin is pumping around their body making them feel the urge to go and see this film in the cinema to experience more of these feelings, and to find out what happens.

Throughout this film trailer we the audience are presented with a vast range of editing. Editing is used to create tension and excitement as it shows us the footage in a range of different ways and styles. It can also create suspense if we look at speed, and as speed increases or decreases, different feelings will be created. I am not going to start looking at the editing used in this film trailer to describe and explain why it is so effective at luring the audience in. the speed of editing is very conventional in this film trailer. It begins slowly, setting the narrative, allowing the audience to appreciate the fact that Anna has lost her mother in a fire. As we enter the middle of the trailer, speed begins to increase and we gain a fuller understanding of the narrative, allowing us to know that Anna has gone back home to figure out what happened that night. Then as the climax begins; a montage of eerie and scary shots, speed picks up and moves fast making the audience feel on edge and excited. Before the sting, conventionally the audience are shown a still shot of Anna standing in room, with torn and bloody clothes, this on its own creates fear and due to the rapid pace in speed just moments before, and then the pace suddenly reducing, this will also make the audience feel on edge, and make them expect something. The sting then will begin where the audience are shocked with the footage of Anna being grabbed by an eerie, bloody hand. This makes the audience jump and ends the trailer with the audience yearning to know what happens next.      

If we now move onto Mise en scene elements that we can see used throughout the trailer, we are able to gain a fuller understanding of the narrative, and devices such as lighting, entice and excite the audience, adding to fear and luring the target audience in, encouraging them to go and watch the film. The aspects I am going to be looking at are; lighting, character positioning, camera, setting and body language/ facial expressions. All of these devices are used in all media productions as they create effect and audience understanding.

Let us begin by looking at the different lighting devices used in this film trailer. Lighting in general is used to create different views of characters/ settings. For example, an evil and mysterious look can be achieved by using profile lighting and under lighting. A god like, heroic effect can be created by using top lighting, where the light will shine down on the character/ object making them look angelic and ‘god sent’. Again, lighting can create shadows and silhouettes, making settings look eerie and frightening when using back lighting for instance.

Throughout this film trailer, available lighting is used a lot, and creates a sense of realism. Also, by using such familiar lighting devices, that are used in day to day life, it allows us, as the audience, to reflect and relate to the characters and the ordeal that they are going through, allowing us to put ourselves in their shoes and therefore, experiencing the fear that the characters and experiencing. This type of lighting can be found in shots such as when Anna and her doctor/ psychiatrist are sitting in a room, talking, again when Anna and her sister are jumping into the lake, in the café with Rachel and so on. Another lighting device that is commonly used throughout the whole film trailer is low key lighting, which allows a dark contrast of light and dark areas to be created, creating shadows, and it makes the situation seem much more eerie and mysterious. For example, towards the beginning of the film trailer, where Anna is looking through the key hole of her father’s bedroom, we are shown her eye in contrasted way, where her eye is lit, and all other areas are dark, or shadowed.  

Props; the use of a prop(s) is conventional for a horror film trailer, yet also, adds fear and aids audience understanding of what character plays what part. For example, in this film trailer, one of the first things that we see is fire. Fire is a piece of iconography that reflects the horror genre, so straight away, the audience are made aware, or at least, suggested the genre of film. Moving onto the middle of the film now, just before we enter the climax, a shot of a kitchen knife that is being pulled from its holder is shown. Again, like fire, knifes are one of those props that are related to the horror genre, so therefore by including props such as these, alongside creating fear and making the audience feel unnerved and on edge, they help aid audience understanding of the genre that the film trailer is promoting. A knife is again shown dropping to the floor during the climax before we see the shot of Anna, covered in blood. This suggests to the audience that whoever’s knife that was, was who done this to the character, and all along, not knowing who it was. This will urge the audience to want to see the film once in cinemas.

  All that I have discussed above are the staples needed in order to create both an effective, conventional and successful film trailer. The trailer succeeds in its aim to promote this film as I feel that it is a careful and creative piece of media that has been selectively pieced together in a way that creates suspense, tension and fear; the three feelings a true horror fan wishes to feel. The film trailer aims to suggest that Rachel is the antagonist, which makes the twist more forceful and effective for those who go on to see the film. This trailer helps us to see Rachel in a negative rather than positive light, for example when putting a necklace of pearls around Anna’s neck etc, which is good as the film makers would have intended that it had this effect as they would not want to reveal any areas of the twist that will be unveiled in the film itself. This film trailer has inspired me into creating a similar narrative structure. I love the idea of having a twist at the end that is completely un expected and I feel that with the target audience that I have chosen, they will too.