The document discusses analysis of two movie posters. The first poster is for the film "The Birds" and depicts a frightened woman surrounded by attacking birds. The second poster is for the film "Argo" and shows Ben Affleck in the background while people flee in the foreground. Conventions for thriller movie posters are also outlined, such as the prominent use of red, black, and white colors.

1. MEDIA COURSEWORK AS
LAUREN EDENSOR

2. In the poster I can see a woman trying to protect her head
in the centre of the poster, suggesting she is the main
character and we are following her storyline. The poster
designer has made the woman look frightened to show
that the birds are a threat to her, and that she is vulnerable
to them.
The woman is surrounded by birds, and there is a shadow
of a bird falling across her, showing that those birds are
the ones causing her to scream – that they are the threat
to the protagonist.
The woman in the centre is wearing makeup and her hair is
curled in a classic style, suggesting that the film is set
during the time it was made.
The background of the film is white, suggesting that the
birds are attacking innocent people and causing them
harm, which adds to the thriller aspects of the film as it
shows these birds aren’t normal birds, but have become
animalistic and predatory.
There is nothing else in the background apart from the
birds, showing viewers that they are the sole threat and
there are no other enemies in the film.
The borders of the poster are yellow, which is interesting
to see as the film is the antithesis of what the colour
represents. Yellow usually represents positivity and
happiness, which when put together with the white
background, leads viewers into thinking that the film will
be a light-hearted one. There is also black along the
borders, suggesting that the film is light to begin with, but
there are darker undertones, which make the film a thriller.

3. From this movie poster, I can see Ben Affleck in the
background staring off the poster, most likely checking his
surroundings as he looks nervous or stressed.
His overlay is blue, suggesting he is being watched via
CCTV. This could mean that he is working with the
government, or against them and they have him as a figure
of note.
Affleck on the poster has an unkempt beard, suggesting he
is hiding from someone and obscuring his identity.
There is a red strip across the poster in the foreground,
which has been designed to look like it’s a roll of film,
supporting the idea they are being watched by some
higher power.
The people in the strip are running away from something,
however they look as though they are trying to do it subtly
– suggesting they are wanted by someone and want to
remain anonymous as they get away.
Two of the people in the strip are holding hands,
suggesting there is a relationship between the two, which
builds the suspense as there is more at stake for them.
The people are wearing dated clothes, suggesting to
viewers that this movie is set a couple of decades in the
past.
The tagline, “The movie was fake. The mission was real”
tells viewers these people are undercover and are trying to
stay under the radar. It also supports the fact that these
people are carrying out a task.

4. Thriller Poster Codes and Conventions
 The main colours on thriller posters are usually red,
black and white. Colour symbolism is important in
thrillers, as red may represent blood, violence and
danger, black may represent dark characters or themes,
whereas white may represent the innocence of the
characters involved or the peace they may feel at the end
of a thriller if its plot is a classic ‘good defeats evil’.
 Low-key lighting or chiaroscuro is common on the
poster, which surrounds the character in mystery
instantly and the chiaroscuro may reference a character
with some moral ambiguity or with a dark side.

5. Thriller Poster Codes and Conventions
 Most thriller posters have the title towards the bottom, and the title is
often in red or a contrasting colour to make it stand out in the viewer’s
minds.
 The fonts are mostly condensed and clean, so they don’t distract away
from the main image or look too childish, which may attract the wrong
type of audience the thriller is trying to reach.
 Any famous actors in the film are usually credited at the top of the
poster, as that’s where the eye of the viewer is drawn to first, meaning
they can instantly see how high-budget the film is, as they would
associate a name with a certain standard of film. For example, viewers
may see Daniel Radcliffe’s name on ‘The Woman in Black’ posters and
understand he would never be in a badly made film as he is a high-profile
actor.
 If the thriller contains a cast of low-profile actors, the title may go at the
top in some cases, as promoting the title rather than the cast means
that viewers would focus on the title rather than the fact they don’t
know any of the cast in the thriller.

6. Thriller Poster Codes and Conventions
 Before being released to the general public, there are often
critic screenings of a film so reviews can be realised and more
advertising can be achieved this way if the thriller is well
received. Promoters often re-release a poster to include any
quotes that present the thriller well. For example, quotes such
as “chilling” or “nerve-wracking” are printed on the trailer,
which instantly attracts the audience to the film, especially if
the quote is from a highly regarded source. This will attract an
audience to a film as they will know this film is what they’re
looking for and will be immersive and will effect their
emotions. Any awards the film may have been awarded will
also be included, to give audiences the information they need
– such as it having good CGI or a great performance by a lead
role or a good screenplay, meaning they will see that the film
is high quality and will want to see it.

7. Thriller Poster Codes and Conventions
 Taglines are usually featured towards the end or the top of the
poster, depending on where the title is – to create effect and become
memorable. For example, in Argo, the tagline in underneath the
title. “The movie was fake. The mission was real.” is written in two
short vague sentences, which make viewers curious about the film
and the shortness of the sentences creates suspense and has a
dramatic effect.
 The tagline on the ‘The Birds’ poster is “...and remember, the next
scream you hear could be your own!” which instantly creates
tension as the film promises to make viewers feel something and
influence their emotions – possibly fear. The tagline also creates a
sense of realism about the film, suggesting that the screams could
come from people finding themselves in similar situations.
 Taglines don’t often appear too large or are designed too
dynamically, as not to take away from the title, the main image or
any credited actors on the poster.

9. Own Poster Analysis
 ‘Wanted’ is the title of the movie, and let’s viewers know
that this is a crime thriller.
 Because the film features no notable actors, the title is at
the top and is written in white to contrast the black and
red. The white may also suggest that innocent people
have been hurt or that the ‘wanted’ person themselves is
innocent.
 The title has spaced lettering, to make it appear as
though it’s an actual police document as well as drawing
the eye to the title. As it’s only one word, it’s more
memorable and leaves more to the imagination, which
increases the intrigue.

10. Own Poster Analysis
 The red and blue effect on the girl’s face reflects the
lights of police sirens, however the lights only touch
certain parts of her face, suggesting she is hiding.
Viewers will be curious as they will wish to know who
she is and why she’s wanted by the police.
 The red over her face may also represent the fact that
she’s a danger to others, or that she herself may be in
danger.
 The blue of the police light represents justice, which
may be an important theme in the film.

11. Own Poster Analysis
 On the right side of her face, the girl in the image is
smiling slightly, and her eyebrows are lowered –
suggesting she is calm, content and the fact that the
blue light is on that side of her face may tell readers
that she is a believer in justice.
 The other half of her face looks more sinister, and
paired with the red lighting, suggests to viewers that
the girl is also dangerous and has violent tendencies,
or that violence surrounds her. It may also show that
she has a dangerous side, or a split personality.