Film poster analysis

1. Film Poster Analysis
The Conjuring 2
This film poster has been used to effectively promote the film ‘The conjuring 2’. This poster
follows the typical codes and conventions of film posters and fits in the supernatural
subgenre. Due to the first impressions of this poster, it is clear that the poster is trying to
promote a haunting to attract the target audience. As this film is based on true story, it may
promote some psychological fears from the audience due to the unknown.
Key pieces of content from within this film have been used on this poster to effectively
promote the film itself. The main image is specifically used to entice the audience and draw
them in closer. They will notice the female child protagonist positioned at the window with
her back facing towards the camera, arms spread out and she appears to be jumping off the
window ledge. This is used specifically to create an enigma around the character and make
the audience unsure of what their role will be throughout the duration of the film. Due to her
being positioned in the centre of the frame, we can assume she plays a key role throughout
the plot of the film. She has been positioned so that it is clearly visible that she is making the
same pose as the cross next to her, highlighting how religion is a key part of this film as it is
supposed to protect her from spirits. The he cross that is featured behind her also supports
this as alongside the eerie lighting, which defines the characters silhouette and may be
portraying innocence as she is firstly surrounded by a circle of light, which is commonly
featured around the heads of people in religious portraits.
In this film poster, I have noticed that the actors are not featured bold fonts in a noticeable
position. This is because usually in supernatural horror movies, well known actors are not
used in order to maintain a sense of realism for the audience. The film has successfully used
Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as they are relatively well known and this helps to draw in
a wide range of people. The fact they they have not been included on the poster could rely
on the fact that the first ‘conjuring’ film was very successful and this sequel would create
excitement and publicity about the film franchise. The fact that the poster states that it is
‘from the director of ‘Insidious’, which is another successful supernatural film, the audience
may see that there is an association between the two and want to watch the film if they have
not seen the first conjuring.
Horror iconography has been specifically used throughout this poster to try and attract the
target audience to watch the film. The text and type of fonts that are used are vital to how the
film will be perceived by the target audience, for example, the sharp, blade like lettering, the
‘2’ also resembles a hook; this is not uncommon to be featured on the title, for example on
the poster for ‘Scream’ there is emphasis on the ‘M’ simulating the look of two blades
meeting. Other conventional text other than the title is placed around the bottom of the page.
This is because it is less important and so is usually the last thing the audience will see, this
includes the title, tagline and institutional information. Other important information such as
the date of the film for example is also located at the bottom of the page - but in a stand out
font or colour. The font size is larger and the audience will most likely remember the date
due to it being the last thing that they will see on the page.

2. Mise en scene is another vital way a poster is able to attract their target audience. This
poster depicts a setting where the characters partially dominate the frame yet there is room
for the rest of the setting to signify certain key elements of the film. The high key light that is
breaking through the window is used to suggest to the audience that the child who is
possessed is either fighting off the demon or is on her way to heaven - two very different way
the film could end, this attracts them to watch it. Another way this this is identified is the
cross that is being held behind the child. As previously mentioned, the cross is supposedly
meant to ward off spirits, this is rather contradicting as in the image there are still
supernatural occurrences happening.
Conventionally, a sense of vulnerability is seen within the supernatural genre as the spirit
always latches on to a child, who is weak is the weakest character and so is always
possessed first. When looking at this poster, it is clear again that this is the case and we can
see the hand on the left belongs to a protagonist rather than an antagonist, it is also
suggested that she is trying to help the child as she is holding the cross almost like as
weapon and the crucifix is a deterrent to the supernatural demons. Another piece of horror
iconography that is evident within this poster is the use of fog around the bottom of the page.
Its enigmatic association to horror is a reason which may be why it is used throughout the
film to show when something negative happens as fog clouds sight therefore inflicting the
fear of the unknown on to the viewers of the film.
The lighting that has been used throughout this film poster is minimalistic and dark in order
to represent the eerie and supernatural setting. The strong section of light coming through
the windows behind the child is used in order to allow the audience to depict that she is
innocent and pure. This has to be highlighted as she is not wearing the conventional ‘light
clothes’ that innocent characters wear, this also relates to the juxtaposition between good vs
evil as she has been attacked by a demonic spirit. This is completely effective as the high
key light coming from the window is essentially slightly lightening the room from the
darkness, allowing the audience to be able to make out other objects within the frame.
Although this is done, essentially it makes the audience focus on the centre of the page,
where the light is coming from as this is were all of the important props and iconography is.
Following the rule of thirds, the audience is drawn to the main source of horror which in this
example is the silhouette of a little girl with a religious cross behind her - this is the most
important piece of horror iconography on the page, and so has been positioned here. The
left side of the frame has very low key lighting displaying a scary looking hand, this makes
the audience feel uncomfortable they at this point do not know whose hand this belongs to,
the only indication that the person is good, is the fact that they are holding a cross which is
trying to free the child from the demon inside of her.
The type of image that has been used on this poster to promote the film ‘The conjuring 2’ is
conventional as it features a location that is associated with the supernatural sub-genre. The
location is a house which has values of comfort and safety for the family living in it,
contradicting the plot of the film as it is where the child becomes possessed. The lighting
featured in the centre of the frame may also indicate elements of the plot as previously
mentioned, for example it may suggest the new equilibrium which is generally built up
through the duration of the film. On the right hand side of the poster a nun is lurking within
the shadows of the room, low key lighting has been used to originally hide the nun from us,
but when the audience take a glimpse of her, it is extremely chilling and frightening. The nun

3. is a lot closer to the child than the protagonist possibly suggesting that she is controlling the
child and she is the source of the evil within the film.
Friday the 13th - 2009 Remake
This poster is part of the promotional package for the remake of friday the 13th. This poster
has followed conventions in order to attract their target audience and create a synergy

4. between the other items within this media package. As stated, this is the ‘Marcus Nispel’
remake of the ‘Sean S. Cunningham’ classic ‘Friday the 13th’. The film was released on the
13th of February 2009 and saw a total of $43.5 million in its opening weekend box office.
This poster follows conventions through the text as the colour red is commonly seen
throughout posters from within the slasher sub-genre. Red connotes danger and death,
foreshadowing the fact that the film will contain lots of blood, gore and violence to attract the
target audience. Red is also used on this poster as it stands out compared to the dark
background with low key lighting. The title of the film is also used effectively as it creates an
enigma code which makes the audience sceptical and unsure about what could happen on
this stereotypically unlucky date (Friday the 13th). This leads to the audience being attracted
to the film and therefore makes them want to find out what exactly happens throughout the
duration of the film.
This poster for the film friday the 13th demonstrates the themes of the film will be ‘good vs
evil’ and a typical nightmare for a vulnerable group of people, this establishes that the film
has a various use of binary opposites with the link of dark v light and good vs evil. Mise en
scene also plays a huge part in establishing these binary oppositions and who plays what
characters throughout the film. The character on the front of the poster is clearly depicted to
the audience as the villian, this is evident to us as he is wearing a mask and is carrying a
weapon - hinting that this is his iconic weapon that he brutally kills his victims with. Behind
the image of the villain, the background setting is a forest or wooded area as an isolated
woods connotes that nightmares take place because an isolated setting which signifies that
they are trapped by the villain and are venerable.
As previously mentioned, the main image is the villain holding a form of sword in an isolated
area, possibly a first or wooded area. The sword is used as it connotes to the audience that
the film is associated with terror, blood and violence. This is specifically used as it
foreshadows the potential narrative in the film as it will involve outrageous gore and bloody
murders throughout. This also links to conventions of the slasher genre as weapons are a
negative symbol which causes harm and damage to victims, making them perfect to be used
by the villain throughout the narrative of the film.
The villain is positioned in the centre of the poster as he is the most important part of the
image. His body language and position suggests that he is a strong and vicious character,
this connotes that the film has used the stereotypes of a slasher horror film. As he is being
portrayed as intimidating and as a dominant power, this heightens the sensation of fear and
anxiety for audiences. Although there is low key lighting used throughout the majority of the
poster, there is a section of high key that has been used behind the villains head - making
his mask just about visible to the audience. This is also used to slightly lighten up the
background so we can see where the location is - essentially making is scarier for the
audience as we can see it is a remote location at night with lots of fog.
‘Welcome to crystal lake’ has been effectively used on the poster as the tagline. It gives the
audience a hint of where the film is located and so will draw them in and want to see the film.
It is also use to stand out on the poster as the text is written in white - standing out on the
low key lighted dark background.

5. The text and colours used throughout this ‘friday the 13th’ poster connote the stereotypical
codes and conventions of horror iconography as they predominantly feature the colours red,
black and grey, these colours signify a visual picture of horror, darkness and terror,
encouraging the reader to watch the film and be scared.
The background of the poster denotes the stereotypical codes and conventions that are
associated with the film ‘friday the 13th’. In this poster the indication of a forest, woods and
low key lighting signifies that the setting is in a secluded and isolated location - prompting
fear. This establishes that audiences convey a sense of fear and anxiety creating an enigma
code for the audiences with them questioning who is lurking in those woods.
The release date of ‘friday the 13th’ was unsurprisingly friday the 13th of February 2009.
This was used to promote realism throughout the film to make it scarer as it would relate to
the day many people watched it. It is located in the centre at the bottom as it stands out
compared to the other text. The red font is used in a similar way to the title of the film as it
related to blood, danger and gore. It is also effectively used as the audience will see that that
date is related to the gore that will happen, and so scaring them.
The section of writing above this detailing all of the media company's and some actors,
directors and producers is another common convention of slasher film posters. It is used to
give credit to all of the institutions involved within the film - attracting the target audience if a
company is well known and makes good films.
From the producers of ‘the texas chainsaw massacre’ is another attempt to attract the target
audience. This is also another convention however as it is likely to attract more people and
make the film more well know. This is because people who have enjoyed ‘the texas
chainsaw massacre’ and found it scary will be more likely to go and watch ‘friday the 13th’
because they trust that the producer will make it work watching and it will be a good quality
film with lots of jumpscares.