This poster analysis summarizes key elements of 3 horror film posters: 1) The Woman in Black poster uses blue and black tones with surreal lighting to suggest supernatural themes. Composition draws the eye to the cloaked figure. 2) The House at the End of the Street hints at something hidden inside the isolated house through covered windows and silhouettes. Unusual purple and yellow coloring may suggest a plot twist. 3) Nightmare on Elm Street prominently features the villain's burned face under a hat to create mystery. Blood-like red lettering and a tagline welcome the audience to their nightmare.

1. HORROR FILM POSTER ANALYSIS

2. THE WOMAN IN BLACK

3. BACKGROUND LIGHTING
Clouds and fog look stormy The lighting is unusual and
and unnatural, telling us we know it is created
something is not right and artificially to suggest a more
the blue and black tones supernatural environment
suggest supernatural things. and create atmosphere. It is
The area behind looks like a not only the ghost/figure or
forest/moor with the large the house that looks strange,
but the whole place looks
tree and others behind, and
haunted or cursed.
land that stretches a far
way with a large COLOUR – the blue and white RULE OF THIRDS
manor/house in the left tones show the supernatural is The middle sector is the main
probably a theme in the film, character - film is focused on
side. This shows the setting
especially the glowing white him and the fate of the movie
is very isolated and is a tones that look surreal, especially
stock setting for a horror is in his hands. The left third
with the black tones. The dark had dark and overhangs into
film. There is also a single shadows are more on the right, the middle third over the
cross gravestone and a and on the character, pulling our character. The left third
cloaked figure to the left focus to the left and the face of contains the light, and the
which reinforces the fact it the man, the most important. supernatural imagery.
is a supernatural theme.
LANGUAGE/TYPOGRAPHY
The title of the film is a glowing white text with slight distortion and there are glares coming of
the top and bottom of the letters. This shows us the genre of the film is thriller and has themes
of supernatural, because the lettering is surreal and has no hint of blood or gore. The
“Woman” and “Black” of the name of the film are the largest words on the page, because it is
meant to draw the audience in. The tag line of the film is “Fear her curse” making the audience
want to know who “her” is and what her curse is.

4. THE HOUSE AT THE END OF THE
STREET

5. BACKGROUND TYPOGRAPHY AND
The main focus in the LANGUAGE – the main
background is the house, title looks scratched and
as this is a main factor in broken up, which could
the film as we can tell by suggest that someone may
the title. The house is be trapped, trying to
isolated as it surrounded by scratch and break to get
dark trees, and it is out. The pull quote gives
detached like most houses us an idea of what the film
in horror films. The windows will be like and the “twist”
in the house are mostly COLOUR – the purple and yellow makes people want to see
covered with curtains, colour scheme is unusual and not the film for themselves.
showing there could be a common horror poster theme. It
something to hide inside, could convey a strange theme in COMPOSITION – the girl
and the window with the the film and something unusual takes us a large proportion
light on has a silhouette, happening, maybe hinting there is on the left, showing she
further suggesting there is a twist in the plot. has a key part in the film.
something wrong with the The house is further back,
house. The yellow in this CHARACTER – the girl is on the showing its something she
window links to the yellow in left of the poster shown next to the may go into and is what
the background and text, house showing she is a key part she has to fear as there is
similar to the purple blind in of the plot. Her eye contact looks a glow around the house.
the other window, also as if it's direct but not strongly, as The dark vignette around
linking with the background if she is looking at something else the poster creates a focus
colour. The trees are bare behind, hinting there is a into the middle and could
and surround the sides of character which will be a twist in hint there is no way back
the poster, creating a the film. as other views are blocked
creepy atmosphere. out creating a single view

6. NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

7. MAIN IMAGE – the main focus of the TYPOGRAPHY AND
poster is the character (obviously the LANGUAGE – The main title
villain) as he takes up most of the shows the “nightmare” as the
poster and is centred. His head is biggest word on the poster, as
looking down, with the hat tilted over it is the most important, as a
most of his face, being only able to main theme of the film. The
see his smirk and deformed face, by next largest are “elm street” as
burning. This shows he is a this is the setting and also a
mysterious character. His hands are main part of the film. The
also visible, and he is holding them lettering is splattered, linking
up in a position which looks slightly to murder and blood as they
menacing, showing he is planning his look like smudged blood.
killings. The blade, coming from
behind one of his hands show his The tag line “welcome to
murder weapon, and the glisten in COLOUR – the
colours in the poster your nightmare” links to the
the metal adds a fear to the weapon theme in the film, and is
and makes it catch our eye. The are mainly red, brown
and black, with a talking directly to the
main things shown by the poster lets audience. This makes you
us recognise the character, as the bright red text and
dull, gloomy, dark, wonder what the nightmare
hat, jumper and blade hand are his is and draws the audience
character motifs. tones which suggest
darkness, nightmares in.
and hell, as well as The poster creates an
LIGHTING – the lighting is mainly
the red for blood and enigma because of the
coming from behind, around his face
creating a backlit low key lighting danger showing gore lighting and the
effect. The general light is gloomy and and people's deaths. iconography, and these
only highlights his main features. The The small glints of factors make the poster as
other light is coming from the top, light create a we can automatically
highlighting blade/face mysterious feel. recognise Freddy Krueger