This document summarizes several horror film posters. For Friday the 13th, the lighting creates tension and fear, the title is in red suggesting danger, and the villain wears a mask and holds a machete. For Scream, the black and white color scheme makes it seem dark and scary, and the close-up of a terrified girl's eyes uses light and color contrast. Insidious advertises its producers of popular horror films and features a drained image of a boy in pajamas with "insidious" in his eye. Paranormal Activity emphasizes its basis on a true story by showing footage from a home camera. The Woman in Black only mentions actor Daniel Radcliffe to attract fans and uses a dark

1. FILM POSTERS

2. FRIDAY THE 13TH
 The use of the lighting is key for this background. This has been used for audiences to recognise the
isolated locations. For example, the woods and forest with a blurry mist. The use of lighting
conforms to creating a feeling of tension and fear.
 The text Friday the 13th is written in red, this suggests something dangerous
and death could be round the corner. The title of the film creates a mystery
this makes the audience question what is going to happen in ‘Friday the 13th’,
this leads the audience to watch the film and to find out what happens.
 The tagline can be seen as playing with the audience as in relation to the image
and the title, it is apparent that it is a joke which would normally be in reality
seen as welcoming. However in the horror context it conveys that it is welcoming
the end of a person’s life.
 The villain is wearing a mask which is a typical convention of horror films as it
hides someone's identity and makes the person unknown.
 The weapon that he is holding is a machete which is symbolic al of being
associated
with death and murder.
 Behind the villain there is a glimmer of light that shines directly behind him. This symbolises that there is
hope from escaping the area and the villain. As it is only a glimmer this suggests that the likelihood of
the majority dying most certain.

3. SCREAM
 T h e c o l o u r s c h e me o f t h e p o s t e r i s m a i n l y b l a c k a n d wh i t e , t h i s i s ve r y
c o m m o n wi t h h o r r o r p o s t e r s a s i t m a k e s i t s e e m ve r y d a r k a n d s c a r y.
T h e c o l o u r s c o u l d r e p r e s e n t t h e d a r k n e s s o f d e a t h , o r t h e d a r k n e ss o f a
m u r d e r. T h i s m i r r o r s s h o t s wh i c h a r e u s e d i n m a n y h o r r o r f i l m s a n d
i s a ve r y c o m m o n c o n ve n t i o n wh i c h i s u s e d i n h o r r o r f i l m p o s t e r s . T h e r e i s n o t a l o t o f
l i g h t i n t h e p o s t e r, t h e o n l y l i g h t s e e m s t o b e c o m i n g f r o m t h e e ye s o n t h e p h o t o o f t h e
g i r l . F o r h e r e ye s , t h e r e i s a b i t o f b l u e u s e d wh i c h i s c o n t r a s t i n g f r o m t h e r e s t o f t h e
p o s t e r wh i c h i s i n b l a c k a n d wh i t e . T h i s i s u s e d t o g i ve t h e p o s t er s o m e e d g e t o i t , a n d
s h o w t h e a u d i e n c e t h a t t h e c h a r a c t e r we a r e s e e i n g i s h u m a n .
 T h i s g i r l t a k e s u s t h e wh o l e o f t h e p o s t e r a n d i s t h e b a c k g r o u n d o f a l l t h e wr i t i n g . T h e
p h o t o g r a p h i s a n e xt r e m e c l o s e - u p o f a g i r l , t h e g i r l ’s e ye s a r e ve r y wi d e a n d s h e
l o o k s p e t r i f i e d . T h i s i s ve r y c o m m o n l y u s e d f o r h o r r o r f i l m p o s t e r s
 T h e m a i n t i t l e , S c r e a m, i s i n wh i t e , wh i c h c o n t r a s ts a g a i n s t t h e b l a c k b a c k g r o u n d o f
t h e b o t t o m o f t h e p i c t u r e . T h i s c o l o u r i s u s e d t o g i ve a g h o s t l y p r e s e n c e wh i c h i s
a n o t h e r c o m m o n l y u s e d c o n ve n t i o n o f h o r r o r f i l m p o s t e r s . A s i t i s b i g , b o l d a n d
s t r e t ch e d a c r o s s t h e p a g e , t h e a u d i e n c e n o t i c e s i t . T h e l e t t e r ' M ' h a s a l s o b e e n e d i t e d
a n d t h e m i d d l e h a s b e e n s t r e t c h e d d o wn s o t h a t t h e m i d d l e h a s a s h a r p p o i n t , t h i s
c o u l d b e s ym b o l i s m f o r a k n i f e .
 T h e r e i s a l s o wr i t i n g a t t h e t o p o f t h e p o s t e r o n t h e wo m a n ' s h e a d . T h i s n a r r a t i ve
r e a d s ' S o m e o n e h a s t a k e n t h e i r l o ve o f s c a r y m o vi e s t o o f a r. S o l vi n g t h i s m ys t e r y i s
g o i n g t o b e m u r d e r.' T h i s t e xt s g i ve s t h e a u d i e n c e m o r e i n f o r ma t i o n o n wh a t t h e f i l m i s
a b o u t a n d g i ve s a c l e a r er u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f i t .

4. INSIDIOUS
 A t t h e t o p o f t h i s f i l m p o s t e r i t s a ys t h a t I n s i d i o u s h a s b e e n m a d e
b y t h e p r o d u c e r s o f S a w a n d P a r a n o r ma l A c t i vi t y. T h i s s t r a i g h t
a wa y d r a ws i n t h e r e a d e r s a t t e n t i o n a s t h e y wi l l a l r e a d y k n o w i t
wi l l b e a g o o d f i l m .
 T h e t i t l e o f t h e f i l m s t a n d s o u t c l e a r l y a s i t i s a wh i t e t i t l e a g a i n s t a d a r k
b a c k g r o u n d . T h e s t yl e o f t h e t i t l e i s a l s o u n i q u e a s p a r t o f t h e t i t l e i s r e d . T h e
connotations of red are danger and blood. This suggests to the audience that the
f i l m h a s a d a n g e r o u s d a r k s i d e t o i t . T h e wo r d I n s i d i o u s m e a n s 'I n t e n d e d t o
e n t r a p' wh i c h g i ve s a c l u e t o wh a t t h e f i l m i s a b o u t .
 T h e m a i n i m a g e d i s p l a ys a p i c t u r e o f a yo u n g b o y o u t s i d e a b i g h o u s e . T h e b i g
h o u s e i n t h e b a c k gr ound i s a t yp i c a l h o r r o r f i l m c o n ve n t i o n . T h e m a i n i m a g e i s
a l s o s h o wi n g t h e m a i n f o c u s i s o n t h e b o y a n d t h a t t h e h o u s e i s o u t o f f o c u s . T h i s
i m a g e l o o k s d r a i n e d o u t c a u s i n g a e e r i e a t m o s p h e r e . T h e yo u n g b o y’s p yj a m a s
a r e r e d s u g g e s t i n g d a n g e r t o wa r d s h i m .
 I n s i d e t h e b o ys e ye , t h e wo r d i n s i d i o u s i s wr i t t e n t h e r e . T h i s c o u l d s u g g e s t t o t h e
a u d i e n c e t h a t s o m e t h i n g s u p e r n a t u r a l i s wr o n g wi t h t h e b o y.
 T h e t a g l i n e ‘ I t ’s n o t t h e h o u s e t h a t ’s h a u n t e d ’ i s s a i d i n t h e t e a s e r t r a i l e r. T h i s
t a g l i n e e n c o u r a g e s t h e a u d i e n c e t o s e e t h e f i l m a s t h e y wa n t t o k n o w wh a t ' s
haunted if the house isn't.

5. PARANORMAL ACTIVIT Y
 T h i s f i l m i s b a s e d o n a t r u e s t o r y. T h e m a i n i m a g e s h o ws i s t h a t i t i s i n a h o u s e
a n d f i l m e d b y a h o m e c a m e r a . I n t h i s i m a g e yo u c a n s e e t h a t t h e wo m e n i s
p o i n t i n g t o s o m e t hi ng t h a t t h e a u d i e n c e c a n n o t s e e . T h i s wi l l a t t r ac t a n a u d i e nc e
b e c a u s e t h e p a r a n o r m a l a c t i vi t y h a p p e n i n g i n t h e h o u s e wi l l s e e m m o r e r e a l i s t i c
a s i t i s f i l m e d wi t h a n o r d i n a r y c a m e r a wh e r e t h e r e c a n b e n o m a j o r e d i t i n g
i n vo l ve d .
 T h e t i t l e o f t h e f i l m s t a n d s o u t we l l a s i t r e d t e xt o n a b l a c k
background. Within the horror genre black and red are used
quite a lot.
 O n t h i s f i l m p o s t e r t h e y h a ve a we b a d d r e s s , h o we ve r t h i s
p o s t e r d o e s n ’ t h a ve a b i l l i n g b l o c k t h i s s u g g e s t s t h a t t h e
p r o d u c e r s o f t h i s f i l m h a ve d o n e t h i s p u r p o s e l y. I t h i n k
this is because the film is suppose to be a true story like a
h o m e vi d e o s o i t s u n n e c e s sa r y i n c l u d i n g t h e p r o d u c e r s
names.

6. THE WOMAN IN BLACK
 T h e r e fo r e t h e o n l y a c t o r m e n t i o n e d i s ' D a n i e l R a d c l i ff e ' t o
a t t r a c t a wi d e a u d i e n c e , e s p e c i a l l y H a r r y P o t t e r f a n s .
 A d a r k t h e m e h a s b e e n u s e d t h r o u g h o u t t h i s p r o m o t i o n a l p o s t e r.
T h i s e m p h a s i s e s h o w i t ' s a t h r i l l e r / h o r r o r g e n r e , wi t h t h e b l a c k
c r e a t i n g a m ys t e r i o u s m o o d .
 T h e g r e ys c a l e r e p r e s e n t s t h e e a r l y 1 9 0 0 ' s , i n wh i c h t h i s f i l m i s
meant to be set.
 T h e q u e s t i o n i n g t a g l i n e ' wh a t d i d t h e y s e e ? ' s u p p o r t s t h e t h r i l l e r / h o r r o r g e n r e , a s
it intrigues the audience. It also implies that the dark silhouette is a ghost.
 T h e l a c k o f m i s e e n s c e n e wi t h i n t h i s p o s t e r r e i n f o r c e s t h e m ys t e r i o u s t o n e , a s
we a r e n o t t o l d t o o m u c h , i n t e r e s t i n g t h e a u d i e n c e .
 T h e p o s t e r h o l d s a s u p e r n a tu r a l m o o d , t h a t i s e xp r e s s e d t h r o u g h t h e s m o k y
b a c k g r o u n d a s s o c i a t e d wi t h g h o s t s .
 T h e l i g h t i n g s h a d e s s o m e o f D a n i e l R a d c l i ff e ’s f a c e , e m p h a s i s i n g h i s s t r i c t f a c i a l
e xp r e s s i o n . T h i s h i g h l i g h ts t h e t h r i l l e r / h o r r o r g e n r e , a s h e l o o k s f e a r f u l .
 A n o t h e r f o c u s p o i n t wi t h i n t h e p o s t e r i f t h e d a r k s i l h o u e t t e o f a m a l e wa l k i n g
t o wa r d s a r u n d o wn l o o k i n g h o u s e . T h i s h i g h l i g h t s t h e t h r i l l e r a n d h o r r o r g e n r e , a s
h e i s u n k n own .
 N o t a l o t o f t e xt h a s b e e n u s e d o n t h e p o s t e r. H o we ve r t h e f o n t t yp e c r e a t e s a
i n t i mi d a t i n g p o r t r a ya l o f t h e f i l m , a s i t r e s e mb l e s s c r a t c h e s i n wo o d .