The poster promotes the horror movie "The Conjuring" by depicting a lonely, decrepit house in a rural setting under dark clouds. A noose hangs ominously from a dead tree above the house, and the shadow of a body can be seen hanging below it. The poster uses conventions of the horror genre like a dark, ominous atmosphere and subtle hints at the film's supernatural themes. It also stands out by claiming the film is based on real case files and naming the family the events happened to, adding an element of realism to intrigue audiences.

1. Poster Analysis One
The poster above is promoting the movie ‘The Conjuring’, which comes under the horror
sub-genre of supernatural. When we create our horror movie we want to reflect how small
and subtle noises and movements at night could be a lot darker than what you imagine,
which is why the Conjuring is a relevant poster to analyse as it also emphasises this factor. In
addition to this, it boldly states that it is based upon true case files, which is something else
which we wish to factor into our movie.
The content of this poster includes many of the main conventions which supernatural
horrors display. The image is eerie, dark and gives an indication of what themes will be
shown in the movie. None of the actual characters within the movie are shown which is not
as typical, but underneath the hanging noose there is a shadow of a body hanging from it on
the ground, which subtly gives away a theme within the plot. Seeing strange shadows and
figures on paranormal horror posters is a familiar convention. Along with this, text based
conventions are also displayed through the tagline (saying it is based on true events),
institutional information and even through the film title. Not all film posters feature
information of who the directors were and can only do this if they are highly well known, so
the fact that this is written on the poster indicates that it will be just as successful as the

2. other movies the directors have made. One way this poster breaks typical films conventions
is through the placement of the institutional information, as usually this is placed at the
bottom, centre of the poster, whereas here it is placed on the left hand side, drawing more
attention to the shadow on the ground.
The mise-en-scene for this poster is showing a very rural setting, with mist surrounding the
area. The setting is highly significant for the movie as it is where all the supernatural events
occur. The most significant part of the image is the noose hanging from the dead tree and
shows immediately how this house has death hanging over it, and how perhaps nothing can
thrive here as the area is so contaminated with an evil presence. There is an obvious link
between the placement of the house and the noose as it has been made to look like it is
hanging over the house itself, reminding the audience that whatever terrible event occurred
has left its mark on the house. The house is surrounded by trees and mist, indicating how
there is no escape of the natural forces taking place here. Structurally, the house has many
deep windows sunken into the walls creating dark dips all over it. This not only removes any
connotations of cosiness or comfort which usually go with the idea of home, but also makes
it look hollow and menacing, as though anyone who enters would be highly unwelcome. The
dark clouds hanging overhead add to the grey, dying atmosphere and show how there is no
light or happiness to be found there. Nature plays a strong role in this poster as the fact that
nothing is growing and there are rotting leaves on the ground highlights how the
destruction which occurred here is unchangeable.
The lighting used in this frame is natural, muted and dark. This is done to create the idea of
lost hope and terror within, as light can be used as a symbol of hope so without it there is an
idea of being lost with no positive outcome. By using natural lighting, it continues the idea
of nature being a powerful force within the movie so by the lighting being dark and gloomy
it is reflecting how nature acts in the movie, clearly signalling to the audience the themes
which will appear. The lightest part of the image is from an off white, mysterious cloud
hovering over the house, which is what is shining on the tree to create the shadow of the
body hanging on the ground. The fact that the shining light is over the house and making
something visible which would usually not be seen is a highly effective yet subtle way of
indicating how things are perhaps not quite right in this area, and the paranormal sightings
are reflective of the sub-genre. There is a slight contrast between the foreground and the
background, as the front part of the frame appears to have the darkest and largest shadows
whereas behind it there is a slightly lighter patch hanging over the house. The whole image
is slightly off focus due to the use of fog, showing how the terrors inside are not completely
obvious and you have to pay attention for them to be revealed.
Composition wise, the tree with a noose hanging from it, along with the house are the two
focal points of the frame. The audience is presented with an extreme long shot of the
house, with the tree standing closer to the camera. The noose hanging from the dead
branches is particularly bold within the frame as the shadows make them appear black in
colour. The connotations which come with the colour black are of power, death and evil so
the fact that these are the colours dominating these particular props shows how much
power they will hold over the plot and how they are the central theme in the movie, and are

3. most likely going to have some greater significance. The positioning of the shadowed body
on the ground below the noose also serves great importance. The fact we can’t actually see
the person hanging from the tree, only a shadowed figure on the ground indicates how the
victim of this death was weaker and more vulnerable than whatever killed them, and gives
an idea of the power behind the forces at work. We also cannot see the victim’s face which
is significant too as it creates the idea of them being a ‘faceless’, ‘nameless’ void of identity.
This could be used as an idea that they had no meaning to whatever was behind the death
and was potentially just a sacrifice or a result of being haunted, and there is no recognition
of what exactly made that person get into that position which furthers the mystery behind
the plot. Because of this, the audience is forced to use their own imagination to fill the gaps
in the cover image’s story.
Despite the body of the victim being invisible in the frame, the costume of the shadow on
the ground gives some indication as to who the victim was. From examining the shadow, it
appears that the victim is wearing a long nightgown, which is typically a very old fashioned
type of nightwear, indicating that this person is most likely a young girl. Using children as a
victim of evil is a typical convention of supernatural horrors, and by using a child as a victim
of this makes it even more distressing and emotionally provoking for the audience to watch.
In addition to this, the due to the prehistoric cut of the costume, it seems more than likely
that the death happened a long time ago, though the composition of the land makes it seem
like nothing has changed since this event- almost as though time has frozen around this
event, preserving the evil forces. By using old fashioned houses, props and costume in
movies is a typical theme that runs in supernatural films which is why it is more than likely
that this is a long old fashioned night dress. By the victim wearing a dress which is very long
gives her a bit of a ghostly look, but also adds to her child like innocence and femininity. We
can see through the shadow that the victim is barefoot, which provokes more questions for
the audience as we want to know why a young girl was wandering around the garden at
night barefoot, and also adds a sense of chills and coldness as it presents her as being in a
completely natural state, when in reality it is something quite the opposite.
The title of the film being ‘The Conjuring’ goes well with the image of the deserted, lonely
house as it indicates to the audience clearly that there is more to this strange house than
meets the eye, and that it is going to be revealed in the movie what made it look so
desolate. The word ‘conjure’ means to see a spirit or ghost through a ritual, which is a
common theme in supernatural films so this would appeal to fans of this genre. The word
also links to the shadow of the body on the ground and hints that this process of revealing
the invisible has already begun. The title itself is presented in black upper case serif font. By
using capital letters it makes the title seembolder and more eye catching, and by placing
the word ‘the’ above ‘conjuring’ almost makes it look like the title of a children’s story book,
adding to the idea of corrupt innocence. The black contrasts with the grey clouds it sits on
adding to the bleak, dead look.
A tagline features directly below the title, almost becoming part of it, so it is easily noticed
by the audience. The font is slightly smaller than the title, but still upper case, making it
clear that it is not part of the title but is strongly linked with it. There is a real significance to

4. the tagline as a whole, as it is advertising the fact that everything being shown in this movie
is based on a real case file, and even gives the name of the family who the events happened
to, therefore making it appear more realistic and personal. Saying that the movie is based
on true events is a good way of frightening the audience and is fairly common within the
horror genre, but something which isn’t usually done is giving the name of who it happened
to. This gives the idea that it is a unique movie unlike any other within the supernatural
genre, therefore encouraging more people to watch it.