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.
