The document discusses conventions of film posters for horror movies. Generic conventions include showing the antagonist prominently to emphasize the horror scale and build mystery around them. Color, font, images, and layout are all deliberately designed to unsettle the audience and attract them to the film. Analysis of individual posters shows how visual elements like lighting, composition, and text imply a narrative of terror and isolate the vulnerable protagonist against a mysterious antagonist in a dark setting.

1. Research of film posters
BY PHILIP LYNN

2. Generic conventions of film posters
 The feature of the film often the antagonist is shown
above using most of the room to emphasize the horror
scale in the movie. This makes the audience feel as if they
are in the horror featured in the movie.
 The face of antagonist is majority covered to build
mystery and interest in them. The background is often
dark creating a dark and eerie atmosphere around the
film and its antagonist.
 The colour red is always used in some capacity signifying
blood of which makes the viewer feel unsettled and alerts
them to the fact it is a horror movie.
 The title of the movie is shown below as the centre of the
page is were the audiences attention goes to first,
meaning they see the picture first, and is followed by the
title.
 The caption gives a hint into who and the antagonist is
and how they may kill their victims, peaking the interest
for the audience.

3. Analysis of media language of horror posters
The image takes the largest amount of space
on this poster. This makes the image feature
the main focus of poster, meaning the first
thing that is given attention is the girl, and
this is what will scare and interest the
audience, and makes them want to see the
film.
The use of a low angle shot makes the
antagonist look powerful and makes the
audience feel she is above them, this builds
their fear of her, and encourages them to see
her in the movie.
The font choice makes the text look mangled
and manipulated much like the antagonist.
This incorporates the same creepiness about
the film as it looks like the evil presences and
messed with the title. This means the whole
poster shows the same level of horror.
The setting doesn’t look clean, it has been
darkened and looks damp. This makes the
background unpleasant, much like the
antagonist. And the way it gets worse the
closer to the antagonist suggesting her darker
character.
The position of the antagonist makes her
look supernatural as a human body would
naturally move like this. This gives the poster
an unsettled feeling as to what is wrong with
her. His sparks interest for the audience, and
those that like horror movies will know to
expect something horrifying.
The text size is ordered so the
title is the largest by far and is the
boldest making sure it is the first
piece of text the audience read as
knowing the name of the movie
creates the initial interest with
the movie, and will be most likely
thing they will remember.

4. Analysis of media language of horror posters
 The colour red is largely used in this
poster, signifying the blood and due to
the way the whole page is red when can
expect a large amount of blood.
 The use of an eye line match of the
protagonist connects us to her and makes
us feel her fear. The way that the
antagonist is standing above her and the
fact we have to look up at him gives him
the power in the poster.
The image shows of the antagonist in
order to build the audiences fear of him,
and as the audience are expected to be
scared this make them want to see the
movie
 The image takes up the top ¾ of the
poster meaning it dominates the page,
making it more likely to draw the
audience in, as the feature image is the
more exciting piece of information on the
page.
 The font choice has blood spirting of it.
Suggesting the gory nature of the film
which would make the audience feel
unsettled.
 The text size starting with the title is
large in order grab the most attention
in order to build the interest for the
audience.
 The date is the next largest as the next
question the audience will ask is when
is the movie being released
The slogan directs the audience
implying the he knows where you
sleep to make the image of Freddy stay
in your mind.

5. Analysis of media language of horror posters
 The entire background is blacked out
and the picture has low key lightning
showing a lot of mystery meaning
little is shown about the story. this
sparks the audiences interest in the
film.
 The white mask gives the
impression of a ghost, and as it
mask, the identity of the antagonist
is unknown and suggest they move
like a ghost.
 The red of the four connotes blood
and danger. This directly related to
the masked man, so the audience
can expect to see a lot of violence
and blood when it is around, and
because it is the only feature on the
poster, they can expect that be a
lot.
 The slogan saying new decade new
rules, suggest that they film will apply
to different rules from it’s prequels,
this will interest people who have
scene the prequels, as they will want
to see how it has changed.
 The font size is large and bold making
sure it can be seen. It is placed at the
bottom of the poster so it is the next
thing the audience pay attention to
the date follows below, so they will be
at their highest point of interest when
they want to the release date.
 The font style is white like the mask,
and as the title is scream. The
audience can expect be terrified by
hid presence.

6. Analysis of media language of horror posters
 the low key lighting keeps the
atmosphere of the photo more
mysterious and dark. It makes it
more horrifying for the audience as
they see very little other then the
antagonist staring at them.
 The title addresses the audience
directly. This and eye line match
makes the feel unsettled and involves
them with the horror. This makes it
hard to forget
 The image takes the majority of the
space in the poster from the top
down. This means the antagonist
image is the main feature, this is
down as the image is the most
interesting and exciting piece of the
poster, so making it dominate the
page means it grabs maximum
attention.
 The font style for the title is
appropriate for the movie. it appears
to have been written in blood this
emphasizes the high amount of blood
that will be in the movie, implying
very brutal killings and events will
create the horror.
 This poster uses a medium shot to
show the antagonist holding the
weapon, this suggest a very harsh and
brutal method of killing, implying a
lot of blood and gore
 The layout places the image at the top
meaning that gets the first look. Then
the slogan is placed below to give
hints into content of the film this in
logical order will be the next thing
they read. This is lastly followed by
the title which is the largest piece of
text on the page, making sure it can’t
be missed. It is placed last as that is
when the audience are most
interested in the film after seeing the
rest of the information above.

7. Implied narrative of horror poster
The first thing that is noticed is the person
looking through the glass door. The fact that
her face is blacken out implies they a
mysterious identity to the protagonist, and
we can assume they are unwelcome. This
suggest a narrative based around the
protagonist being haunted or tormented by
this presence. This is supported by the title
“The uninvited”. This with the door prop
suggest she is an unwelcome presence into
the protagonist house where the horror is to
place.
The setting is shown to be in a forest which is
dark and misty. As the photo appears to be
taken from inside a house. We can assume
the setting is a remote forest house, setting
up the typical isolated and valuable
protagonist story.
The slogan saying “fear moves in” suggests
that the protagonist has just moved into this
new house, and something else follows them
in. this makes the house the central setting
for the horror.
The low key lighting over the setting suggest
that the antagonist mainly attacks at night,
this is also implied by the fact the
antagonists face is blacked out as she only
attacks at night so the protagonist doesn't
know who is cause the terror.
The large amount of black connotes evil and
mystery over the identity of the antagonist,
and the house. And the amount of the black
suggest a large scale of the evil.
The title looks as though it was written on
the outside of the door as it fits around the
frame, and the way it isn’t straight and looks
like has dripped down the door. This implies
it is written by the antagonist. Giving a him
ton how the antagonist will haunt the
protagonist.

8. Implied narrative of horror poster
The setting for this movie is clearly a forest.
And the fact this is shown with a extreme
long shot shows the fast scale of the setting of
where the horror will take place. And as the
forest is such a large and unknown place, we
can the antagonist to be to be mysterious.
The way the antagonist is shown to be
unaffected by their surrounding, suggests
that they are at home, and know the area
well. This gives us an idea on not only were
the horror will take place but how they will
use their knowledge of the forest to over
power the valuable protagonist.
The costume of the antagonist is also black
implying his evil and mysterious nature, this
with the fact he appears to carrying a mask
suggest he works on the them of being an
unknown killer. The fact he is also shown
alone in such a large area suggest he works
alone and is the sole antagonist
The river running in front is black. Black
connotes mystery and evil, suggesting the
forest is evil and mysterious and is darker
then meets the eye.
The slogan saying “ wash your sins” this
implies the antagonists victims, and his
religious reasoning for his crimes. The slogan
suggests that religion will play a large part in
the movie at least with the antagonist.
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