This document analyzes the poster for the horror film "The Devil Inside". It notes that the title stands out in white text against a red backdrop, suggesting religious and sinister themes. The poster features a nun whose corrupted soul is meant to terrify viewers. Red, black, and white are used conventionally to represent blood, death, and innocence. Scuffed visual effects and a red glow enhance the dark and scary tone. The tagline "No soul is safe" relates to the theme of possession and corruption. Mention of the film being based on true events adds realism to attract audiences. The analysis will inspire the design of the responder's own horror film poster and trailer.

1. Poster Analysis
“The Devil Inside”
The poster above promotes a horror filmthat belongs to the supernatural/possession sub-
genre. We consider this poster an inspiration as our horror trailer will also be part of this sub-
genre and it is based on a true story. Therefore, I believe it is appropriate for me to analyse this
poster.
The title of the filmclearly stands out and appeals to the audience. The word “inside” suggests
that this filmwill be about a possession and the fact that the letter “d” is revered can be
considered a symbol for the fact that there will be something out of place. The fact that the
word “the” is smaller than the rest of the title makes it seeminsignificant and lets the audience
focus on the words “devil inside”. The font used makes it look worn out and old, giving the title
a creepy and scary feeling. This might also suggest that the spirit who disrupts peace is old and
“worn out”. The colour white is a symbol for purity and innocence, there is a contrast made by
the word “devil”, as we do not usually expect to see the two together.

2. The colours used are red, black and white; this is conventional for horror films as these colours
are used in most horror posters because of their connotations. Red is a symbol for blood, black
is a symbol for death and white symbolises purity and innocence, contrasting the other two.
There is a scratched effect layered on top of the image, making it look damaged and perhaps
reflecting the soul that has been possessed. There is a red glow on the right side of the page
that reinforces the idea of hell and the devil, giving a scary and dark feel to the poster. The use
of a nun adds religious elements to the poster that will scare the audience, as nuns (similar to
children) are meant to be pure and innocent, therefore the corruption of her soul will be
terrifying. She is placed in the middle of the frame and making direct eye-contact with the
audience. The fact that her eyes look like that can be related to the phrase “the eyes are the
window to the soul”, meaning that her soul was taken away by the devil.
The tagline “No soul is safe” is specific and also relates to this theme of possession. The
reference to safety is addressed to the audience, as they will feel unsafe watching this film,
knowing that no one can be protected. The white font makes the text stand out and it matches
the nun’s habit. The repetitive “s” sound will create a hissing sound that can be linked to
snakes which are often associated with the devil. The fact that the filmcame out on the 6th of
January might have been done on purpose, as the number 6 is also closely linked to the devil.
The fact that the release date is written in red connotes danger and makes it stand out. Also, at
the top of the poster it is specified that the filmis “Inspired by true events”. This adds
credibility and a sense of realismto the film that is likely to attract the audience, as the filmwill
be perceived as scarier than one that is completely fictional.
In conclusion, I will be using this poster as an inspiration, as I aim to use a medium close up shot
of the antagonist as the main focus of the poster. Also, the way the poster is laid out is
inspirational as it is clear and allows the audience to focus on the image without ignoring
relevant text such as the title and the tagline. I will also be following this theme and use the
same colours as they are conventional for horror films and they will appeal to the audience.