Horror Trailer

Trailers that have had an influence on our ideas

The Ward (2010)

The Ward trailer inspired our ideas as the story is set in a mental asylum and involves someone or something trying to kill some of the characters. We based other parts of our trailer on the ward for example the intertitles are similar to the ones we have created, simple and short to grab people’s attention.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

The way The Blair Witch Project is filmed is different from most horror films as it is filmed on a handheld camera. This is where we got the inspiration to film our horror story handheld. It is a different way of filming and we thought it would coincide with the narrative we have created.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

After we had decided on a narrative for our horror film we chose to have base our characters on similar characters in The Cabin in the Woods. As our storyline was similar to The Cabin in the Woods where teenagers stay at abandoned cabin. Our storyline is based on teenagers who go to an abandoned mental hospital.

Shot List

Our group's individual ideas of a new horror movie

An individual idea that I came up with for a new horror movie was a slasher movie. The killer goes around picking off individual victims and in the end just leaves one person left. I suggest my idea to the group and we then voted out of the ideas that had been suggested. Also an idea was to record the film handheld, as a group we all agreed this was a good idea. Another idea suggested in our group was to do a zomcom which is a zombie comedy. However, we all decided that in order to make the film/trailer really good and funny would be difficult. We all voted on the suggested ideas and ended up with the idea of a group of teenagers investigating an old mental hospital, where a ‘villain’ takes the teenagers one by one.

Evalution Question 2: How effective is the combination of my main product and ancillary texts?

The role of a film distributor is that either a group of people or an individual who are responsible for the marketing of a film. The film distributor has to advertise the film, make it more appealing to the public and to make it more successful. The film distributor also sets a release date for the film and decides how the film will be available to the public via DVD, tv, download etc. They will create a campaign to advertise and promote the film. The film distributor will either specifically advertise to the target audience or advertise to all audiences to try and entice the public to see the film, which would create overall success for the film.

There are various different advertising and promotional techniques and platforms film distributors can advertise on. These are outdoor adverts; billboards and banners on buses, tv and cinema adverts, web adverts etc. In order to attract the target audience film distributors, need to choose the right platforms to advertise on so they can reach their target audience. The marketing differs depending on the potential audience of the film for example, if the target audience is teenagers it would make sense to advertise mainly on social media Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc. and perhaps advertising on the side of buses as teenagers tend to get buses to school/college, choosing to advertise on the tv during day time would be wasted as most teenagers are at school and college so this would be wasted advertising. By advertising on a variety of platforms it would be more likely that the advertisement would reach the target audience.

Audience research is therefore important because the film distributor(s) need to know about and understand their audiences as the marketing will differ depending on the demographic and size of the audience. For our horror trailer we would advertise it at the cinema for films age restricted 15 as our horror film is a 15. We would also not advertise on tv before 9 as most children will be watching tv and our horror trailer would not be appropriate for them.

Depending on the target audience and the research that the film distributor has have found out depends on how the film will be presented. For example, the two film posters Zootopia and Kung fu panda 3 are designed to target children. Both film posters are bright and colourful with the main characters at the front of the poster with a happy or odd expression on their face. The characters are on the front of the poster because children can usually recognise them and can relate to the main characters. However, the horror film posters are both dark and fearful for the target audience. The main characters are not given away as there is only one character on the front of the film poster as to not give too much away. Not a lot of action is happening compare to the films aimed at children in order to not give the narrative away.

Film distributors create a marketing plan that can begin up to a year before the film is actually released. This is so they can ‘tease’ and ‘temp’ the audience by releasing short 10 second trailers and poster to make the audience excited for the trailer release and then make them excited for the actually release of the film. On the run up to the release date for the film the more advertisement there is. This is to make sure the audience know when it is and to get them to go see it. If the release day is further away the audience are more likely to forget and the same is if there isn’t enough advertisement closer to the release date, then the audience won’t know enough or anything about the film to go and see it.

A recent advertising campaign that was effective was Batman vs Superman. The film is based on the comic book series so it attracts comic book fans as its main audience. As many actors have played batman and superman over the years there was a lot of talk about who was going to play them. Batman vs Superman is the starting film for releasing sequels and spin offs so DC, who produced batman vs Superman had to choose actors who would be able to film future releases. The promotion for the run up to the film was the teaser trailers, cast release, the full length trailer and the soundtrack. The posters and the trailers all unified and formed a theme throughout so that the audience knew what poster or trailer were advertising as they related to the comic books and film. These promotions showed both super heroes against each other so the big question that left the audience wanting more was why were they against each other? The films budget was $250 million and on the first weekend of its release its gross domestic product (GDP) was just over $170.1 million alone. Batman vs Supermen was sponsored by Turkish Airlines they advertised the film on their own adverts. This was another key part of the advertising campaign and has helped the film become such a success so quickly even though the critics views we very negative the film was and still continues to be a success.

There has to be a unified identity for the film which carries on throughout all of the advertising products. For us that means the horror trailer has to consist of the same colour theme and images as the magazine cover and poster. This is so that all of the products together create a recognisable identity straight away. Throughout my poster, magazine cover and trailer I have tried to carry on using the same colour theme, texts and similar images so the audience can relate to the identity of the film whilst still making them appear fearful, scary and enticing.

What is a trailer?

What is a trailer from chloeabel9

Evaluation Question 4: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Risk Assessment for the film shoot

Sketch for magazine covr

Sketch fo my film poster

Evalution Question 3: What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

Evalution Question 1: In what ways does my media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Poster

Magazine Cover

Synopsis - Our group chosen idea for our horror movie

The chosen synopsis for our horror trailer was the same idea we had from the beginning, paranormal activity as our genre for the trailer. We then decided that our trailer would be based around a group of teenagers, who decide to go and check out an abandoned mental hospital. After being at the hospital for a while the they begin to notice paranormal activity there within the hospital; such as slamming doors, objects being thrown and shadows moving behind them etc. We have decided to include the actual 'antagonist' within the trailer to show the audience some insight into our horror film. The antagonist begins to interfere with the group of teenagers until it seizes all of the them. As we have chosen a mental hospital as our filming location we decided that the antagonist would have been a former patient of the hospital hence the name 'Patient 16'. Overall as a group we decided to go with the idea as the feedback from our questionnaire was fairly positive of our idea.

Recces

After deciding what type of horror trailer we wanted to make, as a group we needed to pick suitable locations to film our trailer. One of the group members already knew of a location, Little Plumstead Mental Hospital so we decided to check out the location. We looked at the location on Google Maps and researched the location and found a lot of blogs and photos of the place. After assessing the location we decided that Little Plumstead Mental Hospital was the best location for our horror trailer. However if we eventually decided that the location was unsuitable for any reason we had other locations that could be used instead.

Storyboards

Storyboard

Questionnaire Results

Questionnaire results from chloeabel9

Representation of Women in relation to ‘House of Wax’ (2005) and ‘Halloween’ (1978)

Props and Costume List

Here is a list of props that we will need when we go and film our trailer. These props will help create a horrifying horror trailer that will scary, thrill and make the audience want more. When we go and film we need to be wearing typical teenager clothing i.e. hats, coats, scarfs, jumpers, boots etc. This will help our trailer appear more professional if we are wearing the appropriate clothing.

• Black cloak
• Anonymous mask (if possible)
• x2 Cameras
• x7 Torches
• x4 Rucksacks
• Fish wire
• Lighter
• Candles
• Tripod
• Duck Tape

Shaun of the Dead Analysis

Trailers are advertisements that are insights into future films that are going to be released. They are designed to promote and entice the audience to want to go and see the film. The trailer I’m analysing is Shaun of the Dead and because this film is one of the first of it’s sub genre (a zomcom, which is a zombie comedy) the audience will not know what to expect.

The trailer starts off with the first inter-title of the trailer of the Universal logo appearing this informs the audience what company produced the film. The first few short clips are of Shaun’s typical daily routine however the shots are quick and zoom in to everything he does from spreading jam on toast to brushing his teeth. Half way through these shots a voice over talks to the audience saying “Do you ever feel like modern life is not for you?” The voice over continues throughout the first half of the trailer. This makes the audience think about their own daily routine and how standard and boring it is. The trailer then shows some short shots of a supermarket and Shaun’s typical day at work. With the voice over saying “Do you do the same dead end job everyday?” This question is allowing the audience to respond and relate to the main character. By the audience being able to relate to the main character it is more likely that they will go and see the film. Establishing a bond between the audience and character means that they will begin to root for the character and want them to succeed. This will create a bases fan base that will entice them to see the film and even buy it on DVD.  Some shots are shown of the main character having flowers and then a female character holding those flowers. We would assume that the female is the main character’s girlfriend who would play a big part in the film. The voice over continues to say “Is your love life dying on it’s feet?” the dialogue it relating to the audience and fitting with the clips in the trailer.

The trailer shows how much of a bore the main character’s life is, an equilibrium which is leading up to an event that causes problems that need to be solved in order to create a new equilibrium. The voice over then asks the audience “Have you ever felt that you are turning into a zombie?”. These questions all appeal to the audience as they entice them on want is going to possibly happen in this boring life. The voice over also gives away the villain/virus when asking the audience if they feel like a zombie. Where a clips shows someone banging on the door who appears to be a zombie by the way they are behaving.

The first inter-title appears with ‘In a time’ with lots of clips of a new reporter and the zombies roaming around. The next inter-title appears with ‘of crisis’ the trailer is trying to give information across in short snappy phrases to make the audience want more. The trailer then continues to show short bursts of more action packed, dangerous clips.

Another inter-title appears with ‘A hero must rise’ followed by lots of different angled clips of zombies in the road and up against windows etc. Voice over is featured which is the news reporter warning people to avoid all physical contact from the zombies and the news reporter is shown throughout the short bursts of clips. This will make the audience aware that it is a dangerous situation and that the main characters could die and therefore need to be careful. The next shot is of the main character and his friend who again we assume would feature in the film sitting on the sofa. Then the inter-title appears says ‘From his sofa’ again the sentences are being continued throughout the trailer and are short and snappy so the audience will remember them. By using ‘From his sofa’ it is appealing to the main character whose life is a bore and is making a comical joke out of it.

The next clips after is a close up shot of the two characters sitting on the sofa and they look up to see a zombie in their lounge which they then get up of the sofa ironically and away from the sofa. The main character then starts to voice over the few clips saying “So what’s the plan?” then a few clips of the two main characters facing zombies whilst then saying to “bash them in the head.” This gives away to the audience the solution to killing the zombies again another feature which is not conventional in a horror trailer. However, this trailer does not follow conventional horror trailers or films as they then reveal what they are going to be doing by “going to Liz’s” and the reason behind it. Various jokes are made such as they take a picture together with a zombie the rest of the sequence is then filled with action packed shots so this will appeal to an audience who also like action films.

The next inter-title ‘This year’ telling the audience when the film will be out and make sure they know so they can go and see the film. It is then followed by some more shots of Shaun seeing a naked zombie which he is clearly embarrassed about, another comical part within the trailer to appeal to the audience. Another inter-title appears with ‘Fear’ and followed by more short action shots of jumping running and driving in a car. Yet another inter-title appears with ‘Has a new enemy’ which again flashes up quickly to make the audience more enticed and grab their attention. A couple more inter-titles appear with ‘And courage’ shortly followed by ‘Has a new name’ In between these inter-title are fast short shots of the main character and his friends battling for their lives, with rock music to show the dramatic scenes. Comically after the inter-title ‘Has a new name’ the main character’s name, Shaun is shouted very loudly through a door machine to a flat. When he looks around at the zombies you can see the adrenaline which is making him determined to make sure him and his friends live. The title of a film then appears ‘Shaun of the dead’ which is made up of the main character and the fact that mostly everyone around them is dead.  

Unlike horror trailers this trailer does not finish with a jump scare at the end of it. It actually finished with a comical scene between the two main characters and a zombie, who singing back to them. Then the last inter-title appears saying ‘Coming soon’ the music at this point is rather friendly, light compared to other horror films, putting the audience at easy. Ending the trailer with a comical clip rather than a jump scare reminds the audience that it isn’t just an action/horror movie but is also a comedy. This will then appeal to a wider audience who may not like horrors but would see a zombie comedy.

The film has to appear scary, action packed and comical which will appeal to a wider audience then if the film was just aimed at horror fans. Therefore, this film is a hybrid genre which involves zombies and comedy, making the audience want the character to survive and make them laugh along the way. Shaun of the Dead was one of the first hybrid genres to appeal to a mass audience which is why the film was such a success. Other films have been created from being inspired by Shaun of the Dead such as Hot Fuzz, World’s End, Zombieland. As well as recently Warm Bodies which is a zombie film and a romantic film as well combining genres is becoming more and more popular which is why they are such a success.

Scream 4 Trailer Analysis

Trailers are made to entice and intrigue the audience into wanting to go and see the film. They are made up for shots and scenes from the film to portray the film in a different order so the full narrative is not revealed but leaves the audience wanting more. Scream 4 is a part of the scream franchise and typically follows the structure that all the other scream films use, beginning with a phone call, a starting murder, lots of other death action shots and end with a jump scare.

The trailer first begins with an inter-title which opens the trailer with ‘In The Beginning’ referring either to the other Scream films implying that this film will somehow relate in someway or another to the previous scream films. The opening inter-title begins with the phone ringing just like it did in the first scream trailer the phone continues ringing and the music then starts playing. A clip appears zoomed in on what looks like the original phone that is ringing, another inter-title appears with ‘One Call Started It All’ referring to the original scream film that was released in 1996. Then dialogue begins with a voice over of the man who calls the victim and asks them “What’s your favourite scary movie?”. Having these first couple of clips and the voice over quickly reminds the audience of the original films and that this film will somehow relate to the other scream films. This also targets not only new people who may not have seen any of the scream franchise but also the original fan base who followed and watched the scream films. A short clips shows the killer in the scream mask running at the camera then the screen goes black and another inter-title comes up with ‘Dimension Films’.

The trailer then begins with an equilibrium where a guy with a camera is asking people their favourite scary movie and talks about it being the anniversary. There is music playing and dialogue within the scene another shot appears with the main girls in their bedrooms on the phone saying “What’s your favourite scary movie?” in creepy voices whilst laughing. This is implying they are taking the micky out of the original man who said it. Another inter-title appears with ‘Now A New Generation’ the music begins to get louder with the sheriff of the town saying “One generations tragedy is the next one’s joke.” Implying that this generation at present is making jokes out of the killings that happened previously. The guy with the camera continues to appear throughout the trailer which must also mean he is a main character in the film.  When asking students “What’s your favourite scary movie?” they all take it as a joke and reply with a stupid response. Proving that they don’t take the anniversary serious enough and do not seem to care.

The music dramatically changes and becomes creepy, the equilibrium is about to change due to the arrival of one o the original victim comes back to her home town. Another inter-title appears with ‘Is About To Meet implying that the new generation is going to suffer because of this. This gets the audience more focused and entices them to want to see what is going t happen within the film. The trailer shows a new report reporting in the story of one of the original victim coming back on the anniversary week of the killings. An inter-title appears with ‘A Ghost From The Past’ the camera shows a couple of shots of Sidney on the phone talking to the original voice basically stating that now she is back she has to watch the events unfold before her. The trailer then goes on to show two of the girls who are main characters answering the phone which they both think it’s a joke but eventually the killer comes to get them. It shows various short shots and clips of the girls, the killer and the girls being corned by the killer.

The next inter-title ‘From Master Of Suspense Wes Craven’ tells the audience who is directing the film. Wes Craven also directed A Nightmare on Elm Street and the original Scream movie. This implies that the film will be just as good as the first because the directed knowns how to capture and portray the killer from the first film. By having Wes Craven direct Scream 4 this also will attract the fan base of his to go and see the film as well as the fan base for the Scream franchise as well. The next clip is of the sheriff being made aware that everything that has happened is available online so there is nothing that the public don’t know. Then there is another scene where the killer is show with the mask on and is about to kill another victim who we have not seen before meaning that she could most likely to be another main character in the film. There is a brief shot of “What’s your favourite scary movie?” painted on a door what looks like is blood from a victim.

The original survivor then discovers that the killer is killing people after the original movie ‘Stab’ which is then shown a shot of the film ‘Stab’ in the cinema. The music then stops and the girl in the middle of the clips says “It’s time for someone new to die” this could be meant literally or as in the social way ‘die a social death’ either way the line leaves the audience hanging with the phrase question why she said that. The music then changes and becomes more darkening and a quick shot of someone screaming whilst the killer is in front of her.

Another inter-title appears with ‘Someone Is Re-Inventing The Game’ implying the killer is changing ‘the game’ this will make the audience want to see the film because they want to know what and how the killer is changing the game from last time. The next few clips are of the people who were asking “What’s your favourite scary movie?” at the beginning of the trailer explaining that the rules have changed such as innocent virgins can die just as well as the not so innocent girls who have had sex. One of the guys also says ‘the unexpected is the new cliché’ meaning that everybody could be killed and no one survives which is not a convention in horror narratives as someone always survives and is normally the innocent virgin girl. The next clip is of the main blonde girl making a point that comes across as a joke, this could be seen as dark humour which may attract other people how have that sense of humour.

The next inter-title appears with ‘Someone Is Re-Creating The Terror’ this is to tell the audience that the killer is re-creating the terror that happened all those years ago. The voice over then goes on to explain the ‘new rules of the game’ that the killer films the deaths from a video camera somewhere in the room. The clip then shows on of the women finding the camera and the killer appearing behind her. These clips are left on a cliff hanger making the audience wonder is the woman was murdered or not. The camera changes to the two guys at the beginning on the trailer then explaining that not to involve the guy who has been filming people answering the question “What’s your favourite scary movie?”.

The last inter-title comes up with ‘Someone Is Re-Writing The Rules’ this is then followed by more up-beat music and fast shots and clips. The guys appear again saying they can’t kill Sidney, who was the survivor in the original scream movie but then the girl states that they can because she is ‘expendable’ this means that not only is there a different killer but they can kill anyone. So the audience who would of rooted for Sidney to not be killed in the first one would be rooting for her again and therefore this would attract more people to go and see the film. Also if Sidney is the ideal person to kill they guy says she’ll be ‘third act main cast blood bath’ a lot of clips of Sidney on the phone and running from the killer.

The clips begin to get faster and shorter with the police trying to catch the killer and the victims on the phone to the killer having to answer questions which is also different from the other screams as they are being tested on their knowledge of horror films. If answered wrong they supposedly die. These clips are implying lots of action within the film and lots of violence with the music getting louder and quicker as well. This will make the audience want to see the film because the trailer shows that it will be an action packed film.

The music then stop and the scene slows down with two police officers in the police car where one says “Be right back” then “I know you’re not suppose to say that”. The music starts again louder and the scene changes to crowd of people screaming, then a body dropping from a roof onto a car and then all the girl main characters appear individually screaming in very quick shots. Then ‘Scream 4’ appears in white bold text on a black background. This will entice the audience and possibly put fear into the audience and make them want to see the film.

The last part of a horror trailer tends to be a jump scare and in this trailer particularly is a dark humour jump scare. The one of the police men is pretending to be dead and makes the other police man jump. Ironically the killer then jumps out from the shrubbery and goes to stab the police man who jumped then the scene cuts to the release date of the film appearing ‘4.15.11’.

The Ward Trailer Analysis

Trailers are designed and created to advertise and promote new and up coming films. Trailers are made up of clips from the film to entice the target audience and leave them wanting more.
The trailer starts with the main character running through the woods to a builds which she then set on fire, this is an event that will grab the viewers from the beginning. The opening scene has a mixture of dialogue which introduces the central character. The voice over is of a man asking “What’s the first thing you remember?” and a girl’s voice (who we assume is the one who is running through the woods) replying “fire”. This dialogue talks about the ‘enigma’ an event which occurred that created the path the main character is on. The dialogue leaves us wanting to find out about the event such where, why, how etc. The soundtrack begins when the inter-titles appear at the beginning of the trailer. Most horror trailers follow convention and use short shots to catch the audiences attention rather than just continuous film footage which would become boring after a period.

After the inter-titles the trailer begins with more short shots but are more slow paced then the ones at the beginning, along with the music that started playing when the inter-titles began. These scenes show what roughly the narrative is going to be about without giving too much of it away. The clips show the location of the story where the majority, if not all of the film will be based in a mental institute. The trailer continues with more calm clips from the mental institute with dialogue within the scenes. The scenes then slow down onto the shower scene with a voice over warning the main character. Having a shower scene implies that the film is following the typical conventions of a horror film with the main character in the shower appearing vulnerable and powerless. Another inter-title appears displaying the direct, John Carpenter who has directed the Halloween franchise as well as lots of other horror films. After the single inter-title the music begins to speed up as well as the clips becoming more shorter then before, which will entice the audience to keep watching. The trailer reveals that there is a ‘ghost’ within the mental institute. Another inter-title cuts up the clips stating ‘Director of Halloween’ this is so that the audience can associate the director to another film he directed. This will widen the target audience from not just John Carpenter followers but also Halloween follows.

The trailer continues to pick up pace with the music becoming louder and more fast paced as well as the clips from the film becoming short and fast showing the character trying to escape the ‘ghost’ as well as the staff who are trying to control the patients. Various inter-titles appear with the phrases ‘This January’, ‘Experience Terror’ and ‘From The Master’ meaning John Carpenter who clearly has a big influence within the film. The clips continue with lots of running, screaming, violence and fast moving shots showing the audience the torture and terror that features in the film.
The final inter-title appears after all the short dramatic clips have finished slowing the trailer down with ‘John Carpenter’s The Ward’. This appears towards the end of the trailer to make sure the audience remember the name of the film and can associate it with the director of the film. The last clip of the film after the inter-title is from the shower scene again where the main character is grabbed round her neck by the ‘ghost’. Having this short scene as the last part of the trailer leaves the audience wanting more and as a last jump scare. At the end the of the trailer the billing block appears leaving the audience wanting more and want to see the film in the cinema.

What I have learnt

Location Report - Little Plumbstead Hospital

Mood Board - Advertising and Promotion

The main target audience for our horror trailer is between the ages of 15-24 who would enjoy watching paranormal films such as The Conjuring and Paranormal Activity. As the fan base for paranormal horror is increasingly growing since the release of the paranormal franchise. The majority of the target audience would be horror fans who like and enjoy watching horror films. Social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter would be ideal sites to influence and persuade people to go and watch the trailer and then hopefully the film in the cinema. As social networking is one of the most influential revenue streams for advertising which is why it would help us entice our target audience.

Mood Board - Influences

We have had many influences for our horror trailer many that are shown in the pictures below. Films such as The Blair Witch Project and The Visit which both use handheld shots throughout the whole film capturing their experience from their point of view. These films are where we got the idea of filming our film most from handheld shots. Our idea is based on a patient who was in a mental asylum and is now haunting it, the idea is also similar to John Carpenters The Ward which takes place in an mental institute. The paranormal idea of the film was taken from Paranormal Activity and The Conjuring which both feature on the mood board below.

Record Sheets

Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black

Audiences and Institutions: The Woman in Black from chloeabel9

Film distribution and marketing

Film distribution and marketing from chloeabel9

The Crazies Analysis

Halloween Film Analysis

History of Horror

Film Poster Analysis - Smiley

This is the film poster for Smiley (2012). Smiley is a new film and therefore the audience do not know the story of the film or any of the characters. As this is the first film of this story it allows the director and writer to create a sense of mystery drama and suspense. When advertising the film they need to be eye catching to the audience to make them want to watch the film.

They layout of the film poster is with the villain wearing the smiley mask is in the background at the top of the poster. There are also some other people who are at the fore front of the film poster but below the villain. With these people below the villain it implies that they are his victims and by the villain being above his victims he is more powerful and in control of his victim’s fate. The title of the film ‘Smiley’ and all the small print that features on a film poster are all at the bottom of the poster beneath the villain and victim’s.

The angle of the camera is positioned looking at the villain and victims. Even though the camera is not tilted or at an angle with the villain being at the top on the poster it still feels as if he is looking down on us and has more control over the events that will happen in the film.

The main colour of the poster is blue which is the colour of the background and the villains and some of the victim’s tops. Another main colour on the poster is red the film title ‘Smiley’ is in red and there is a faded splattered red on the shirt and face of the villain. By using the colour red it represents danger, power and blood which will all feature in the film.

The film title ‘Smiley’ it relates to the villains mask being a stitched up smiley face, which would be the last thing his victims see. Even the text that is in the lightest colour is a dull grey giving an overall dangerous and dark look for the film. 

Film Poster Analysis - Carrie

This film poster is for ‘Carrie’ (2013) which was originally a novel before it was made a film in 1976 and then remake in 2009, which is the film poster below. As this film has already been made into a film and was originally a novel, the audience already knew the story and therefore knew what to expect. As the story of the film is already known, the directors had to make this version of the film eye catching, interesting and better then the first film to make the audience want to watch the film.

The layout of the poster is consumed by Carrie herself making her the main feature in the film. As Carrie is in the centre of the image with blood dripping down her head and face as the audience we would assume that she either gets injured or she has committed a crime and has the blood of her victims on her. The film title ‘Carrie’ has the splattered effect of blood relating to her blood on her head and certain events in the film. The other small print text is in white writing as the background of the image is a dark colour. The overall image appears to be hind glass as there is a crack where the glass has broken around and near her face this could imply that Carrie herself is in a sense ‘broken’.  By being over protected by her mother and an outcaste by her peers, Carrie seems to be alone and almost lost in a way.

The angle of the camera is positioned sideways on Carrie and is a medium close up shot of her. With Carrie’s head turned towards the camera it makes the audience feel like she has chosen them as her next victim. By her head turned towards the camera it gives a more terrifying look she is looking at the audience which subconsciously involves them.

The main colour on the film poster is black which represents a sense of mystery and evil which relates to horror. The colour red also features a lot on the poster Carries eye are red and her head is covered in blood as well as the film title being splattered in blood. 

Film Poster Analysis - Friday 13th

This is the film poster for the first ‘Friday The 13^th’ (2009). This is a new film and therefore the audience do not know what it will contain or who the characters are or what happens in the story. By it being the first film it allows the directors and writers to create mystery, drama and suspense when advertising the film to be eye catching to the audience.

The layout of the poster with the villain in the centre makes them the main feature of the poster. By having one main feature, the villain it emphasises there importance to the film. The background of the image is the woods which would be unoccupied making it the perfect setting for a horror.

The angle of the camera positioned looking up at the villain making him seem taller and more intimidating. The light in the back ground appears to be the moon shining through the trees creating a silhouette effect of the villain. The villain is wearing a mask which adds mystery to the characters identity which could also play on the audience’s mind not knowing who it is and/or who you can trust.

The main colour of the poster is black which is a typical colour used in horror films. The colour black represents a sense of mystery and evil which conforms with the genre of horror. The colour black also creates a sense of being isolated and afraid. The villains own shadow covers his face making it unable to see any features/mask.

‘Friday the 13^th ’ is known to be unlucky where something terrible happens therefore in this film something bad is going to happen. The title is in the colour red which represents blood, danger and power which are all things that will most likely feature in the film.

Horror Magazine Analysis - Empire

This is the front cover of Empire film magazine which covers all the big Hollywood movies. Horror and thriller films are included in this as the magazine has a wide audience and cater for all there demands. The magazine uses the colours white, green and purple. This colour theme has been adopted from the Joker, who is one villain in Batman. The main image is of Heath Ledger (who plays the Joker) sitting on what appears to be a bench in a prison cell. The reason why the joker is the only enemy on the front cover is because he is batman’s arch enemy. As the Joker is the arch enemy of batman this would grab the audience’s attention making them want to read the article about the new film ‘The Dark Knight’.  This means that the USP (unique selling point) of the magazine will be the figure of the joker in the middle.

The masthead ‘Empire’ is the same style font every issue and is the company’s brand identity. With the masthead the same front every issue when they see the masthead they will associate it with the magazine. With the masthead in capital letters it appears more eye catching to the audience. The masthead is positioned at the top of the cover which follows convention.

The main shot of Heath Ledger who plays the Joker, focuses on him by having a blacked out boarder around the left and right side of the image. This therefore draws the attention of the reader’s eyes towards Joker, where he is staring directly into the camera which subconsciously involves the audience. Where the joker is staring into the camera it also gives off intimidating and almost scary look, which is also shown through his open body language (his legs and feet turned out). The image is a full body image of the Joker sitting down with his has on his legs and his finger pointing towards the camera.

The main cover line ‘Meet The Joker’ is in the colours of the Joker purple and green. The font of the cover line is a different font on the cover to any other font. It almost in a way looks like playing cards; this could also represent the character the Joker because in certain games of card the ‘joker’ is the miscellaneous card and can cause trouble or mischief in the card game. The main cover line is also positioned on the left hand side of the magazine which is more noticeable when on the shelf and follows convention. It also appears to be a splatter effect which can relate to the Jokers makeup being messy and uneven.

There is just one puff on the front cover below the masthead. A puff is used to draw attention to the reader by highlighting the cover line. The colours of the puff are green (background) and white and black text. By using these colours it continues using the theme of the Joker and allows the text to stand out on the dark image.

Overall the magazine cover has been created around the Joker to promote the new batman film. The magazine follows conventions and creates an air of mystery and intimidating look. The magazine had the typical conventions most magazines consist of.

Horror Magazine Analysis - Scream

This is the front cover of Scream magazine issue 19. The magazine uses three main colours black, white and red. The majority of the text such as the cover lines and small print are the colour white. With the text being the colour white this works well as the background is a dark colour so the texts stands out and is eye catching for the audience. The colour scheme appeals to the target audience because the audience are fans of horror and would be interested in the magazine and by using these colours the audience would be more likely to buy the magazine.

The masthead ‘Scream’ is in the same style and font for every issue and therefore is the company’s brand identity. By the masthead being in the same font every time customers will then associate it with the magazine.  With the masthead being red and dripping it associates it with blood and the unpleasantness of horror. This has a terrifying affect and is eye catching so therefore appeals to the targeted audience. With the masthead being one of only two phrases in red it is more outstanding then the other text and draws your eyes to danger, blood and love. The masthead is also in capital letters and follows most horror conventions of being eye-catching. The strap line ‘Blood, Gut, Gore and More!’ conforms the top of the cover. The colour red is also associated with to the genre of horror as it states what is to be expected inside the magazine.

There are two puffs on the front cover; both are white with black writing in them. Puffs are designed to be eye-catching to the reader to make the want to buy the magazine and read the articles. Puffs feature on most magazines and are a convention. However puffs on magazines tend to be bright colours but these puffs are both white. With the background being dark colours the white puffs stand out amongst the magazine.

The main cover line is in white however ‘Adam Green’ is in red and outlined in white. This is to show contrast and draw your eye to the magazine as the only other writing in red is the masthead. The main cover line is also the biggest and in the centre of the magazine cover in line with the axe. This differs from convention as most magazines main cover line is in the bottom left third of the magazine.

The main shot is of the Adam Green who plays the character Buddy in the film Hatchet. The image is a close up of Adam holding an axe, which as the audience we would assume that he uses in the film. The axe covers Adams mouth this could therefore relate to the film involving terror and torture. His eyes are also another feature that is eye-catching to the audience. They are a cloudy white colour and he appears to be possessed, this will create a frightening appearance and appeal to the audience.

The magazine does not follow conventions as it doesn’t just have one picture on the cover. The magazine cover consists of other images on the front this differs from convention but the magazine still has a sense of terror and horror. Overall this magazine meets the standards of a typical magazine by following conventions which makes it a more traditional horror magazine. 

Horror Magazine Analysis - Fangoria

This is a front cover of Fangoria magazine which is aimed at audiences who like and are interested in horror. The main colours used on this cover are black, red, white and yellow. The colour yellow is used for the main parts of the text for cover lines and articles within the issue. The text in yellow stands out more on the front cover of the magazine because of the black background. The colour white is also used for small print text such as the date, issue number and price etc. The colour white also outlines the masthead, which defines the masthead more and helps create a brand identity.

The layout of the magazine is simple. The masthead is positioned at the top of the magazine where it will be easily seen, this also follows convention. The masthead is outlined in white to make the masthead stand out and appear eye catching. The colour red of the masthead allows it to be the main focus on the fr

ont cover of the magazine. The colour red is only used in the masthead ‘Fangoria’ making it a part of the brand identity as the colour is the same every issue. The cover lines are positioned in the film strip, this portrays a new look and convention to the magazine as they have put all the cover lines on the left side of the magazine. The film strip used on the magazine front cover has become part of Fangoria’s brand identity and is used on the majority if not all the front covers of the magazine that they produce. This is different from convention and therefore portrays variety down the left hand side. However the magazine does follow convention by putting all the cover lines in the bottom left third of the magazine the part that will be most seen on the self. The main cover line ‘Ghost Story’ is written in the original title font of the film. This therefore implies that the issue will be about the film.

The background picture uses the colours of red and brown that portrays a dark element to the image. The women’s face is disintegrating to we you can see her muscles turning black. This image is the USP (unique selling point) of the magazine the image therefore has to be eye catching and enticing making the intended audience want to buy the magazine. The image is of the woman is a close up shot allowing us to see what has happened to her face. The woman is gazing into the camera meaning that the shot is subjective, that she is making eye contact with the reader. All you can see of the woman is the bottom of her neck and her hair which covers her shoulders. The image is of her at an angle which could suggest she is laying down. This differs from convention as most main images on the front of a magazine are of the said person standing up and posing for the camera.

There is a banner in the top left hand corner of the magazine, saying ‘Hidden Content’. This is to advertise and promote the magazine to increase sales. To make the banner eye catching it is a bright colour, yellow this will help grab the attention of the audience.