2. To ensure that all three of our products were successful
we needed to make sure that they were promoted in
an effective manner, in which applying various digital
strategies to the production. The ancillary text
consisted of; Magazine front cover, poster and horror
trailer that had themes and conventions of horror. My
group decided that in order to make our ancillary text
consistent using one of the main characters from the
trailer on the magazine front cover would allow the
audience to relate
3. Film Poster
This gives
information to the
audience knowing
what character was
who and
This helps to build
our audience of
explorers and
aspirers as people
will want to watch
our movie knowing
that ‘Hunt’ was
good
We decided to use
the red ribbon for the
scroll to show that
there is a negative
outcome with a
good beginning. Thus
being the graduation
linked in with slasher.
The colour red is
repetitive throughout
our trailer as it’s a
symbol of horror and
danger.
Gives the audience
a hint of what the
trailer has to offer in
which telling the
story.
The main image of
the scroll is an icon
for graduation. I
thought of having
the killers hand and
the final girl holding
both ends of the
scroll to represent a
battle
The background of
this poster is black
to emphasise on
the theme of out
production being
Graduation.
‘Ledlight’ was the
font used because
it has a distorted
effect
4. Magazine
FrontCover
We wanted the
masthead to look
simple to have a
contrast with the
name as
nightmares are
always over the top
and exaggerated.
Allows the
audience to
interact and get
involved by visiting
the website.
The main image
shows a character
looking terrified and
scared. This suggest
that the killer may
be in front of her.
Release date of
magazine is
released in the
same month as the
trailer. This is to keep
the audiences
talking in which
continuing to build
a wider audience
Leaves the
audience clueless
as in to why they
would want to
watch the film in
theaters.
Barcode and price
are placed next to
each other to
indicate how much
it cost
This should grab the
audiences
attention to know
about the killings
and why they were
done you must buy
a copy of the
magazine
The words chosen in
the tagline
corresponds with
the title of the
magazine
5. Colour
Throughout our production work my group and I stuck to the
codes and conventions of a horror trailer. This is because we used
the same colours that became repetitive so that the audience will
familiarise them with upcoming events. The colours used were;
Black, Grey, Red, White and Yellow. However one could say using
yellow is going against the codes and conventions or horror.
I used the colour yellow for the release date of our trailer because
the scroll is yellow and they both sit on the same level of
importance. The colour Yellow is an attention getter in which it
immediately grabs the viewers eye. It is associated with joy and
happiness, it happens to intellect energy indicating honor and
loyalty in which this relates to graduation. Grey creates forced
shadows and gloomy effects. The colour Red was used to relate to
the genre of horror as well as to break out from the dominant
black background. However this also implies danger violence and
abuse as the blood connotes death. The colour Black entails a
journey of the untold with neglected ridicules.
6. Iconography
We haven't given much away from our ancillary text, thus being
the poster and magazine cover. We used a scroll because this is
a poplar theme of graduation that many people are familiar
with. The two hands grabbing onto both ends of the scroll
suggest that there may be a battle between the two
characters. However, the viewer will understand this when the
trailer has been watched. Also the fact that neither of their
faces are shown suggest that they may fear of being seen this
automatically creates a build up of excitement as the audience
may be intrigued to find out who these characters are.
Reinforcing conventions of horror posters gathered from my
research, we incorporated blood. This suggests and symbolises
that danger and violence may be involved at the same time
creating mystery. The strong block of back for the background
implies a journey of mystery of the untold and fear in which the
unknown of death. The background of the magazine cover
creates a sense of confusion as it is unsymmetrical.
7. In terms of the poster we have kept it consistent due to the fact
that these colours are represented in the trailer constantly with
the continuous use of red and black (to show danger and fear).
I would say the reason why our magazine cover doesn’t have
the killer on it like most horror magazines, is because through out
our trailer the killer is hidden, by this meant the killers face is not
shown, only the feet in which the shoes he or she walks in and a
black silhouette. Mystery itself is the mask of the killer.
8. Uses of
Gratification
When looking at our other ancillary text we have assimilated
cover lines and prize draws to allow audience members to build
relationships and social groups within the target audience. For
example ‘Win a chance to meet the cast of Graduhate’ and
‘Exclusive interview with Blessing Baneful’. The fact that
consumers get a chance to participate in such an opportunity
this influences them to spread word of mouth. Being that it is an
exclusive interview consumers may wonder who this character is
as her name as a person is not established fully in the trailer. This is
to persuade them to buy the magazine and watch the movie
The masthead would also influence consumers to buy the
magazine as ‘Nightmare’ satisfies information about our movie,
which would persuade them to clutch onto it and never let go.
9. Camera shots
andAngles
In our production trailer we used various shots to create
numerous amount of affects for the viewers. We used close ups
to show confinement locked behind bars to create an
atmosphere and emphatic feeling with the audience. Evidence
for this was the red scene, this was when the teacher happened
to get locked in the class office.
10. In what ways
are all my
products
similar?
All three products contain a theme of horror, using the same
colours for the audience to connect and familiarise themselves
with the messages behind them. On all three text the main focus
is on the final girl and not the killer because in the trailer the killers
face is not shown.
