The document analyzes conventions used in horror film posters and magazine covers. It discusses two examples - The Woman in Black and Sweeney Todd. For both, it notes the use of dark colors, bold fonts, and ominous images to create an unsettling tone that hints at fear and danger without revealing too much of the plot. Key elements like the title, actors' names, and brief taglines aim to attract audiences while maintaining an air of mystery about the scary events to come. Overall, the document examines how visual design techniques establish a film's horror genre and pique viewers' interest through ominous atmospheric cues rather than explicit details.

1. By Sade Williams
THE CONVENTIONS OF
A HORROR FILM
POSTER AND
MAGAZINE COVER

2. THE WOMAN IN BLACK

3. The use of Daniel Radcliffe’s name in large
bold and in this colour, makes the audience
more attracted to the film because he is a well
known actor.
The title has been put in
a bold white colour on top
of the image of Daniel to
make the words stand
out.
Also the type of font used
Is very mysterious and
ghost like to portray that
this is not a
comedy/happy film.
The tag line is very short
and snappy with only
three words ‘fear her
curse’. The words
automatically make the
audience feel on edge as
they can infer that the
quote is a warning about
scary events that occur in
the film. The font used
here is very simple so
that it does not
significantly distract the
audiences attention from
the scary background.
The colour scheme
used is very dark and
dull colours,
consisting of blacks,
greys and ghostly
whites. The use of
these colours add a
supernatural as well
as a ghostly effect
because it is making
the audience confront
their fears.
The whole image
which is also used
as a backgrounds
purpose is to give
the audience a
small taster of what
the film is about. In
this case you can
tell that the story
line is going to be
very frightening
because you can
see the woman in
black standing
behind Daniel
staring directly at
the audience.

4. Again, on this
magazine cover
there is the figure of
the woman in black
standing in the
background staring
directly at the
audience to frighten
them.
The background
colours used are
very dark and
gloomy to signify
that this in fact in
a horror film.
The use of white
and bold font
has been used
again to make
the masthead
stand out and to
link both the
magazine cover
and poster
together.
The clothes
Daniel is
wearing is used
to portray the
century that the
film is set in
and also to
signify the link
between what
he is wearing in
both the poster
and this cover.

5. SWEENEY TODD

6. The main colours
used in this poster
are black, red and
white. These
colours are very
gothic style which
makes the audience
understand that this
is a horror film.
These colours in
particular represent
death, danger, bloo
d, revenge and
threat.
The main figure in the
poster is Johnny Depp
as the main character.
The image of him is
used as a persuasive
technique as he is a
very popular male actor.
He is wear all black and
white to show that his
character is evil.
The title ‘Sweeney Todd’ is
represented in a big font
but is not the main focus
of the poster. The splash
of the colour red sweeping
through the title is used to
portray visual images of
blood and danger.
The poster being
mainly in black
and white could
be representing
the time period
that the film is set
in. e.g not the
modern day.
Also the fact that
the poster
deliberately leaves
the barbers chair
red, signifies that
the chair is where
the murder takes
place. The tag line is very short and snappy and signifies that
Sweeney Todd’s character is not from the good side as
they refer to him as the ‘demon’ barber.
The reference
to big ben
through the
window shows
that this film is
set in
London, and
that the location
must be in an
attic.

7. This magazine
cover shows Johnny
Depp to be wearing
the same old
fashioned clothes
that are worn in the
poster worn again
here. However in
this image, there is
blood on the sleeves
of his shirt. This
confirms the
audiences suspicion
that this is a horror
film and that the
character of
Sweeney Todd is
very dangerous.
The quote ‘Johnny
Bloody Johnny’
refers to how this
film is linked with
blood and death
and how Johnny
Depp’s character
inflicts this.