1) The document discusses how horror is depicted through film posters, analyzing conventions like simplistic imagery, pale complexions, and implied threats. 2) Key elements that convey horror include isolated or domestic settings at night, psychologically damaged characters, and narratives focusing on themes of good vs. evil. 3) Horror posters also employ techniques like distorted images, implied true stories, and ominous quotes to attract and unnerve audiences.

1. How is Horror depicted through
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Deconstructing elements of horror from film posters
Conventions: The expected ingredients in a particular type of media text
usually associated with genre.

2. •White, Red or Black text
•Simplistic Imagery
•Quite thin/slim writing not too
bold or harsh
•Pale Complexion
•Hidden messages
•Off colouring/Dark e.g. Black,
green or blue
•Usually gormless expression of
the main photo
•Close up of main subject of film
•Distorted affects on the poster
•Some posters have a rim bleed
effect around images, focusing
on the main photo
•Some unreadable expressions
•An abnormal creature

3. Mise-en-scene
•Isolated or domestic setting generally at night
•Dark surroundings expressionistic lighting
giving more shadow’s
•Items with a historical horror significance
Camera and editing
•Dramatic crosscutting for suspense
•Fast cuts mainly for violent action
•Handheld shots for chase scenes
•Point of view shots e.g. Chase scenes
Characters
•Psychologically damaged adults
•Hedonistic Teenagers
•Victims becoming heroes
•Monsters
•Innocent girl/boy
Narratives based on issues /themes emerging
•Good over evil
•Avenging unfinished business
•Conflict acted out as a battle
•Confusion with identity
•Unsolved and unexplained events such as death
Narrative structure
•Victims use skills to solve the crime, overthrow the evil
•Background information always given to audience
•Edits contributes to confusion
•Conforms to Todrov’s equilibrium , disruption ,restoration of equilibrium
•Related oppositions e.g. Life and death, Good and evil, that lead to resolution of conflict
, however change of events could change the ending
Music & Sound
•Suspense music
•Loud noises e.g. Bangs and crashes
•Creaking of doors floorboards ,
•Screams
•Heartbeats
•Diegetic vs Non-Diegetic
Main Icons
•Blood
•Shadows
•Deformities
•Death
•Supernatural world

4. •Off colour, the brown tinge suggests the Horror is historical, along
with the image effects with , some parts of the poster look worn out
•The face is daunting, capturing the audience to look at the poster
•The old photos of people , that make up the ghoul suggests that the
film could be of domestic settings, and could be based on a family.
•“The Most terrifying images are the ones that are real” The caption
brings a chill and thought to the audience, also implying that the
horror may be based on a true story, meaning that the elements of
horror within the film may have more of an impact on the audience
individually
•The title of the film is “Shutter” and the effect that has been put on
the image, suggesting that the horror storyline , could be some what
hidden but in plain site , also meaning that there could be characters
that discover or uncover the horror story
•The title is put near the bottom right hand corner , making the
audience pay more attention to the image
•The font used for the title is not too bold , but has very sharp edges,
suggesting the danger within the film
•The ‘S’ and ‘R’ in the title shutter are significantly bigger, and have a
slight effect which makes the title slightly glow, the two letters could
possibly relate to what is in the film
•There is also an image faintly behind the title, directly underneath
the U and T which is a small circle with half of it white and the other
half black, it could indicate a shutter of a camera , which could be a
key prop to do with a film
•The distorted face of the ghoul , suggests that it was once human and
may be a supernatural horror

5. •The whole image is in a dark filter, making the image look gloomy and dull,
indicating the darkness of the film
•There is a plain font across the top of the poster , that is showing simplicity,
but indicating danger at the same time stating “There is something wrong
with Esther.” This also suggests that on the outside things may be clean and
pristine but on the inside there is a deeper problem, this may be a
characteristic the main character is portraying
•The little girl is obviously the main character as it is if she has a spotlight
shining down on her , also the plain and dark background, it could look as if
she is in interrogation
•She has been made to look sinister, her eyes are darkened, as well as the
space around it, along with parts of her face, making her look not so innocent
•The expression the little girl carries is unreadable suggesting there may be a
psychological problem with the girl
•Even though she is young, certain parts of her face for example her cheek
bones are sharpened, to those of an adults , she could have an adult mind
•She is dressed in uniform like clothing , accessories like bows, and a velvet
choker, however the dull colours are unusual for a small girl, the black
ribbons in her hair, could represent death and darkness she is associated with
and the red chocker could represent the danger she may carry in the horror
film
•The way her hair is styled , can suggest her age and how young she actually
is
•The child like font in the title “Orphan "shows some of the innocence
carried by the child, perhaps some of the vulnerability, she could possibly be
the orphan
•The caption at the bottom “Can you keep a secret?” links to child like
behaviour such as sharing secrets amongst friends , especially young children
that like to play games like Chinese whispers, this again implies her innocence

6. •The image is an off colour like a blue/grey, suggesting it may an
indoor setting for the film, especially with background which is a wall
•The main image is a human body, which gives an idea of the
narrative of the film of humans, and that it is to do with murderous
activities
•The body is pale , and the eyes have been removed, the body is of
what seems a young girl , as the facial structure is still soft and not a
sharp structure , the eyes have been completely removed and are just
dark holes , this gives a sense of no mercy to the victims as the girl is
quite young, and also vulnerability as she seems to be naked
•The body is covered completely in wax, which is quite harmless, but
in this way there is a new danger about it, as it as almost as she has
been drowned by it , This also suggests the possible murder weapon
in the film , especially as wax has to be heated before poured, the
death may have been painful
•The words underneath the image say “Prey, Slay, Display”, this
pushes forwards the ideas that there is something ghastly or a
psychologically disturbed human committing murderous acts in the
image
•The title of the film is “House of wax” this suggest the kind of horror
film it will be , the horror will be discovered, possibly by humans or
even hedonistic teenagers , as the victim is quite young
•The font of the title is quite plain and bold , however is glows
against the dark background , it is one of the things that stand out on
this poster, “The house of wax” could be a place that stands out in
the dark , but holds a lot of danger, it could be where the murders
have been committed

7. • The masthead “Halloween” , suggests the
time of year this film has been set and also
the theme this film may carry
•The main image has a slight glow on the
background, with a colour scheme of black
which connotes darkness and death, white,
red and orange suggests danger and fire,
which could be what is included within the
film
•The actual pumpkin is a symbol for
Halloween , within the pumpkin there is a face
with a hand holding a knife Connoting the
danger within the film and the poster
•“The night he came home !” The home is
known as a place of safety, the ‘He’ tells us
that the beast or psychologically disturbed
person is male, and perhaps holds a
domination of the people in the film

8. • There is clearly a “damsel in distress, who is
in agony and is the victim
•The masthead “Who will survive and what will
be left of them” denotes the pain and agony of
the victims face, especially as the masthead
suggests the suffering, at the end of it “What
will be left of them”
•The mise-en-scene of the wooden frame
looks like it is found behind somewhere, this
suggests where the deed is taking place is
isolated
•The man in the photo is wearing a blood
stained apron, which could be the blood of a
previous victim along with the blood on the
chainsaw
• “America’s most bizarre and brutal crimes”
convincing audience that these act could be
real, in a way warning what will be shown in
the film

9. • There is a dark and off colouring of the whole
image of a grey
•The mise-en-scene of the image is almost like a
dungeon, indicating that the horror may be in a
dark and hidden place,
•The angle of gaze of the doll, is disturbing as it is
turning around without the help of the woman
sitting on the chair
•The state of the woman does not look clean and
sharpen , almost looks decaying and old,
suggesting the historical factor of the film
•The woman facing the wall in the rocking chair,
suggest that something is not psychologically right
•“Based on the true case files of the warrens” this
quote is convincing the audience that the horror
recorded in this film is true, enhancing the fear
factor within this film

10. • The decaying teeth hanging from the
rotten thread suggest the amount of victims
over a length of time
•The teeth also act as a memorabilia of the
victims that the villain has caught and killed
as they are hanging on a thread
•The human teeth also suggest that it may
be a human and human villain body
mutilation , especially since there is a blade
across the top of the image
•“This Halloween, he’s pulling out al the
stops” this quote is an anchor to the
imagery on the film poster
• The ‘W’ on the image is like a pitchfork
which is linked with the conventional
costume of the devil with his pitchfork,
suggesting dark and demonic themes within
the film

11. •The poster has a red glow around the main image, red
suggesting danger
•“Check In. Relax. Take a shower” , this quote suggests
the mise-en-scene of where the “danger” lurks in the film
, especially since the image is of an trapped individual,
making the quote very sinister
•The stance that the person has been trapped looks like a
plead for help and they are trying to escape , they are also
naked increasing the vulnerability of the individual
•The Black frame suggest the tightness of the space in the
shower , which connotes that the attack may be harder
to escape from
•The filter on the main image makes the image partially
clear , and indicates the steam of the shower especially
on the victim’s face, it is almost as no one can save them,
like they are hidden
•The title of the film “Psycho” has an uneven cut through
it, suggesting the style of horror and the cause of death to
the victim possibly with a knife
•The term Psycho comes from the word Psychopath, this
could be a person with split personality , which anchors
the split text