Poster Preparation - Analysis of Horror Film Posters

I have researched different film posters to try and determine which type of poster I can create for my film. I did all of my research on the internet; I went to a website called allposters.com which had an extensive range of posters from all different types of films. However I needed the horror section and in it I found lots of different horror movie posters; some were old, others new. Below there are 5 different posters from horror movies that I think would be most suited to my film. I also chose these posters because they stood out the most to me when I was browsing through all the different images. Therefore I can take some of the ideas from all of these posters to formulate my own.

1. 28 days later


This poster really stood out as I thought that the eyes were very effective as they were the first thing I was drawn to. I think that ‘eyes’ would be a good idea for my poster as one of my main protagonists has a virus. (28 days has the same concept; an infectious virus is spreading all over the world causing people to become sub human). I also like the idea of the biohazard sign as the virus in my film is highly contagious, so it would be relevant if I were to include this. I have also thought about the idea of having a biochemist dressed in a biohazard kit holding a syringe; this could add to the mystery as the person would be unidentified and is not featured in the trailer. I think the idea of two different images that merge into one another is a good one because it tells the audience a little more about the film; from this poster I can see that there is a biohazard theme and a deserted city. The red saturation and the ‘cracked’ effect on the poster give the theme of blood, slaughter and decay which is relevant to this film and my own. The red is also very eye catching, so I will definitely consider using the red saturation for my own poster.

2. The Devil's Rejects


The Devil's Rejects is a very violent film with lots of slaughtering which is similar to my film; I also think that this type of theme; where no characters can be seen would work well for my poster as it mystifies the film.
I may add in a quote from a film magazine or website like this poster as it may encourage potential audiences to take more interest in the film or it may increase their expectations. The yellow saturation and the ‘cracked’ effect used on this poster give the theme of decay and death; so a red saturation may not be necessary on my poster to convey this. The use of a caption at the bottom ‘They must be stopped’ tells the audience more about the film and makes the poster more sinister. This would be ideal for my poster as it is relevant to my film.
The arm lying in the doorway is very graphic, but it lets the audience know that the film is about death and murder. The graphic nature of this poster may also encourage horror fans to watch the film.

3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre


I like this poster because of the extreme close up shot of ‘Leatherface’ from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The fact that his face is partially shadowed makes it more scary and sinister. I think this type of picture would be ideal for my poster; it could be a partial extreme close up of ‘Tom’ with blood smeared around his mouth or just a side profile of his forehead and red eye with the rest of his face in shadow. The textured, grained finish on this poster is very effective because it makes Leatherface look even more scary and hideous; I will consider using some sort off effect on my poster when I begin.
The title of the film at the bottom of the page is better as opposed to the top because then the audience are automatically drawn to the image first, which is my main aim in making this poster.

4. Halloween II


The picture on this poster is very effective because it looks like a snapshot from the film but it is definitely a posed photo that is violent and graphic. I could have the same type of shot for my own poster with Tom wielding an axe or something similar, however this may be difficult to do and may require a lot of editing to prevent it from looking comical.
I like the caption at the top because it could encourage the audience to see the film, yet it is still mystifying as it is only one line; for example on my poster I could put ‘It’s spreading’.
I also like the contrasting colours between the background and the title as it can be seen in ones peripheral vision and may attract potential viewer’s attention because of this. I may also add a release date onto my poster to make it look more professional.

5. The Crazies


This poster caught my attention because of the large sign and the fact that there are no characters in it. I could do something similar for my poster like a bloody handprint smeared on a window; this would be ideal as the ‘handprint shot’ features in my teaser trailer. Also by having no characters in the poster it mystifies the film and sends out a message ‘Help Us’. This message also looks like it has been drawn in blood which indicates violence.
The title on this poster is slightly unconventional as it is small and in the bottom right hand corner. However the word ‘Crazies’ is most noticeable and the title is in red which is a good contrast to the landscape background and will draw the audience’s attention to it.

Analysing these posters has given me an insight into the conventions of a horror movie poster. Costume, mise en scene, camera position and lighting will all be key in making a successful poster that will attract my target audience. I now have a better idea of what my poster is going to look like.