film poster analysis
'THE SHINING' (1980)
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/6/3/13639830/287203.jpg)
COLOURS
The colours in this poster are simple and bold - the red and black text is vivid against the white background which frames the man's face and the jagged wood around his face. Although the colours are simple, they give the poster an intense atmosphere as the main composition has rich colours which therefore attracts the viewers attention.
PICTURES
The main image takes up the majority of the poster, which is common in many posters, but a border has been added around the image, which explores the idea of the man being trapped or held back. The man's face is obviously pressed in between some jagged pieces of wood, judging by the texture and the contours in the material. The man is obviously the main character, as he is the only person on the whole poster. His facial expression shows that he has turned into a 'madman', as his eyes are wide and it seems as though he is searching for someone. The only word I can think of to describe how his mouth is positioned is as a 'snarl' and this relates to my idea that he is looking for someone and is 'snarling' their name.
TEXT
The only text on the poster is the name of the director and an abbreviation of the title of the film - it's full title is 'The Shining' but it's been shortened to 'Shining' which makes it seem as though the artist wanted the majority of the viewers attention to be focused on the main image. The shortened title is also the shortest element of the image - the poster seems to be divided into 3 different areas; the main image being the biggest and longest element, the director's name being the second longest and the title being the shortest. These aspects give the poster a polished, precise layout which could relate to the man's expression - he looks to be out of control and as though he has lost his mind, and this contrasts with the precise layout of the different elements of the poster.
The colours in this poster are simple and bold - the red and black text is vivid against the white background which frames the man's face and the jagged wood around his face. Although the colours are simple, they give the poster an intense atmosphere as the main composition has rich colours which therefore attracts the viewers attention.
PICTURES
The main image takes up the majority of the poster, which is common in many posters, but a border has been added around the image, which explores the idea of the man being trapped or held back. The man's face is obviously pressed in between some jagged pieces of wood, judging by the texture and the contours in the material. The man is obviously the main character, as he is the only person on the whole poster. His facial expression shows that he has turned into a 'madman', as his eyes are wide and it seems as though he is searching for someone. The only word I can think of to describe how his mouth is positioned is as a 'snarl' and this relates to my idea that he is looking for someone and is 'snarling' their name.
TEXT
The only text on the poster is the name of the director and an abbreviation of the title of the film - it's full title is 'The Shining' but it's been shortened to 'Shining' which makes it seem as though the artist wanted the majority of the viewers attention to be focused on the main image. The shortened title is also the shortest element of the image - the poster seems to be divided into 3 different areas; the main image being the biggest and longest element, the director's name being the second longest and the title being the shortest. These aspects give the poster a polished, precise layout which could relate to the man's expression - he looks to be out of control and as though he has lost his mind, and this contrasts with the precise layout of the different elements of the poster.
'THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS' (1991)
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/6/3/13639830/4989486.jpg?258)
COLOURS
There are a variety of contrasting colours in this poster. The most obvious and noticeable is purple, which starts off as white in the top left corner and gradually turns into a lilac, then suddenly turning into a dark shade to the right side of the poster, and then it very quickly turns black. Red is used to contrast with the purple, as it makes the woman's eyes stand out and also makes the title of the film vivid against the dark purple and black. The oranges and yellows of the moth also stand out against the light purple, making it the first thing the viewer notices about the poster.
PICTURES
The main image is of a persons face, and instantly the viewer can tell that it's a woman because of the smooth contours of her face and her thin, almost non-existant eyebrows. Her eyes have been made red, which makes the viewer see her as a 'monster'. However, the moth covering her mouth tells us that she may have something to hide and that she has a gentle personality. But when looked at in more detail, we can see that the top half of the moth's body has a pattern that takes the shape of a skull, which further relates to the idea that the woman is dangerous.
TEXT
The main text on this poster consists of 3 main actors and the title of the film. The actors names are in white, which immediately separates them from the dark purple and black of the main image. The title of the film is in the largest font and it is a lighter red than the woman's eyes, which immediately grasps the viewers attention as it is vivid against the black background. Directors, producers and other people who were included in the making of the movie are in grey, small text at the bottom of the poster, making this piece of text the least important and the least likely to be read by the viewer.
There are a variety of contrasting colours in this poster. The most obvious and noticeable is purple, which starts off as white in the top left corner and gradually turns into a lilac, then suddenly turning into a dark shade to the right side of the poster, and then it very quickly turns black. Red is used to contrast with the purple, as it makes the woman's eyes stand out and also makes the title of the film vivid against the dark purple and black. The oranges and yellows of the moth also stand out against the light purple, making it the first thing the viewer notices about the poster.
PICTURES
The main image is of a persons face, and instantly the viewer can tell that it's a woman because of the smooth contours of her face and her thin, almost non-existant eyebrows. Her eyes have been made red, which makes the viewer see her as a 'monster'. However, the moth covering her mouth tells us that she may have something to hide and that she has a gentle personality. But when looked at in more detail, we can see that the top half of the moth's body has a pattern that takes the shape of a skull, which further relates to the idea that the woman is dangerous.
TEXT
The main text on this poster consists of 3 main actors and the title of the film. The actors names are in white, which immediately separates them from the dark purple and black of the main image. The title of the film is in the largest font and it is a lighter red than the woman's eyes, which immediately grasps the viewers attention as it is vivid against the black background. Directors, producers and other people who were included in the making of the movie are in grey, small text at the bottom of the poster, making this piece of text the least important and the least likely to be read by the viewer.
'DEAD SILENCE' (2007)
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/6/3/13639830/8457262.jpg)
COLOURS
The colours in this poster are rich and vivid which immediately sets them apart from the back background which seems to almost border the image. The colours complement each other because they are all rich and vivid - the green of the puppet's eyes constrast well with the black rings around his eyes, and the precise strokes of black in the eyebrows and the rings around his eyes make the green stand out even more. The white of the film title is so bright against the black that it makes it seem as if the title is pure and unused, which conflicts with the dead skin on the hand directly above it. The tagline 'YOU SCREAM. YOU DIE.' is written in bright red, which has annotations of death and danger, which is what the tagline suggests.
PICTURES
The main image shows the head of a male puppet, and infront of his mouth is a decaying hand which may belong to a lady because of the long nails and fingers. The puppet has a rich skin tone, which immediately relates to the idea that he is indeed a puppet - the tone seems almost too fake to be real and the shine on the cheeks and the bridge of his nose support this. His eyebrows have been painted on with precise, neat black lines, which also look fake. His eyes, however, are the most striking part of the image - there is no other green areas anywhere on the rest of the poster. The puppet is also wearing a red bowtie. Red has annotations of blood, danger and death and the bowtie can be seen as a smart and polite accessory. This makes the puppet seem like a polite little boy, but the decaying finger suggests that there is a darker, more unnerving side.
TEXT
At the top of the poster, there is a tagline that says that 'Dead Silenwas made by the same writers, directors and producers of 'SAW' which is a famous modern horror film series. This draws the viewer in to wanting to watch the movie, because 'SAW' was so popularand really showed the conventions of a horror film. The title of the film is in pure white capitals which draws the viewer in because it is so vivid against the black background. The white text has connotations of being pure and innocent, but the title has denotations of death, fear and abnormality, because nothing is ever dead silent except dead things.
The colours in this poster are rich and vivid which immediately sets them apart from the back background which seems to almost border the image. The colours complement each other because they are all rich and vivid - the green of the puppet's eyes constrast well with the black rings around his eyes, and the precise strokes of black in the eyebrows and the rings around his eyes make the green stand out even more. The white of the film title is so bright against the black that it makes it seem as if the title is pure and unused, which conflicts with the dead skin on the hand directly above it. The tagline 'YOU SCREAM. YOU DIE.' is written in bright red, which has annotations of death and danger, which is what the tagline suggests.
PICTURES
The main image shows the head of a male puppet, and infront of his mouth is a decaying hand which may belong to a lady because of the long nails and fingers. The puppet has a rich skin tone, which immediately relates to the idea that he is indeed a puppet - the tone seems almost too fake to be real and the shine on the cheeks and the bridge of his nose support this. His eyebrows have been painted on with precise, neat black lines, which also look fake. His eyes, however, are the most striking part of the image - there is no other green areas anywhere on the rest of the poster. The puppet is also wearing a red bowtie. Red has annotations of blood, danger and death and the bowtie can be seen as a smart and polite accessory. This makes the puppet seem like a polite little boy, but the decaying finger suggests that there is a darker, more unnerving side.
TEXT
At the top of the poster, there is a tagline that says that 'Dead Silenwas made by the same writers, directors and producers of 'SAW' which is a famous modern horror film series. This draws the viewer in to wanting to watch the movie, because 'SAW' was so popularand really showed the conventions of a horror film. The title of the film is in pure white capitals which draws the viewer in because it is so vivid against the black background. The white text has connotations of being pure and innocent, but the title has denotations of death, fear and abnormality, because nothing is ever dead silent except dead things.
'THE LAST EXORCISM' (2010)
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/6/3/13639830/5962905.jpg?278)
COLOURS
The colours used mainly in this poster are white, black and red, however, the most prominant aspect of the colour scheme is the title which is in block red, drawing the most attention. The tagline at the top right of the poster is written in black Times New Roman, which is familiar to most, if not all, audiences. The tagline itself, 'BELIEVE IN HIM.' is also familiar to the majority of viewers because of signs outside of everyday churches urging people to believe in God and the church. The white wall reminds the viewer of a mental asylum, and the picture to the left of the poster can possibly support this idea.
PICTURES
The main image is of a young girl who has obviously been possessed, which relates to the title of the film. The image itself is quite unnerving as she is bent backward at an inhuman angle, has blood on the front of her clothing and her skin is the colour that reminds me of decaying corpses in other horror films. There is a Christian cross above her chest, which seems as though it is taking control of the girl and overpowering her. The cross is symmetrical to the tagline 'BELIEVE IN HIM.' which reminds the audience once again of everyday churches and the ever-growing 'power' that people believe to be God.
TEXT
There are 4 elements of text on this poster - the first being the tagline, the second mentions Eli Roth, the producer, and Strike, an entertainment studio, the third is the title of the film and the fourth mentions who it was written and directed by. The tagline and the title of the film, however, are the two biggest and most noticeable texts, whereas the mentions of the producer, writers and directors are smaller so as to draw the least amount of attention so the audience focuses on the main image and the title.
The colours used mainly in this poster are white, black and red, however, the most prominant aspect of the colour scheme is the title which is in block red, drawing the most attention. The tagline at the top right of the poster is written in black Times New Roman, which is familiar to most, if not all, audiences. The tagline itself, 'BELIEVE IN HIM.' is also familiar to the majority of viewers because of signs outside of everyday churches urging people to believe in God and the church. The white wall reminds the viewer of a mental asylum, and the picture to the left of the poster can possibly support this idea.
PICTURES
The main image is of a young girl who has obviously been possessed, which relates to the title of the film. The image itself is quite unnerving as she is bent backward at an inhuman angle, has blood on the front of her clothing and her skin is the colour that reminds me of decaying corpses in other horror films. There is a Christian cross above her chest, which seems as though it is taking control of the girl and overpowering her. The cross is symmetrical to the tagline 'BELIEVE IN HIM.' which reminds the audience once again of everyday churches and the ever-growing 'power' that people believe to be God.
TEXT
There are 4 elements of text on this poster - the first being the tagline, the second mentions Eli Roth, the producer, and Strike, an entertainment studio, the third is the title of the film and the fourth mentions who it was written and directed by. The tagline and the title of the film, however, are the two biggest and most noticeable texts, whereas the mentions of the producer, writers and directors are smaller so as to draw the least amount of attention so the audience focuses on the main image and the title.
'SINISTER' (2012)
![Picture](/uploads/1/3/6/3/13639830/8679109.jpg?285)
COLOURS
The main colours in this poster are different shades of red, with white writing. This poster is one of many different designs for this movie, and I particulalry chose to include this design because of the image and the meanings behind it. The dark red has been used to look like a painting, and has outlined the facial features of a 'monster' or the 'boogyman'. A lighter red has been used as the skin tone of the 'monster' which gives the viewer the impression that the 'monster' is covered in blood.
PICTURES
The main image isn't really an image at all - it's more of a rough, close up painting of a 'monster's face. Dark red paint has been used to paint the main features of his face, and this adds as dark, mysterious and sinister element to the poster. The sinister aspect of the painting relates to the title of the film, which makes the viewer realise that the painting is of the 'monster' in the movie. As I stated before, the lighter shade of red acts as the skin tone of the 'monster' and from this, the viewer can imagine that the 'monster' is covered in blood. The picture as a whole is unnerving, because, personally, it reminds me of a nightmare that haunted me for most of my childhood. This image, therefore, brings back fears and nightmares from years ago, and I can image the movie releasing those fears and bringing them to the surface. This poster on it's own, therefore, scares me but at the same time it makes me curious as to what the movie itself is about.
TEXT
The only text on this poster is the tagline, the movie title and the movie's own website. All are in white, which immediately draws the viewers attention, and there are 3 different tiers - the tagline 'Have you seen him?', the movie title and the website. Obviously, the title is the biggest and boldest, which attracts the viewer, but the website is the smallest, meaning it isn't important but the viewer then knows the website if they want. The tagline suggests that the 'monster' is real, as it is asking the viewer whether they have personally seen the 'monster', which adds to the viewers curiosity and makes them want to watch the movie.
The main colours in this poster are different shades of red, with white writing. This poster is one of many different designs for this movie, and I particulalry chose to include this design because of the image and the meanings behind it. The dark red has been used to look like a painting, and has outlined the facial features of a 'monster' or the 'boogyman'. A lighter red has been used as the skin tone of the 'monster' which gives the viewer the impression that the 'monster' is covered in blood.
PICTURES
The main image isn't really an image at all - it's more of a rough, close up painting of a 'monster's face. Dark red paint has been used to paint the main features of his face, and this adds as dark, mysterious and sinister element to the poster. The sinister aspect of the painting relates to the title of the film, which makes the viewer realise that the painting is of the 'monster' in the movie. As I stated before, the lighter shade of red acts as the skin tone of the 'monster' and from this, the viewer can imagine that the 'monster' is covered in blood. The picture as a whole is unnerving, because, personally, it reminds me of a nightmare that haunted me for most of my childhood. This image, therefore, brings back fears and nightmares from years ago, and I can image the movie releasing those fears and bringing them to the surface. This poster on it's own, therefore, scares me but at the same time it makes me curious as to what the movie itself is about.
TEXT
The only text on this poster is the tagline, the movie title and the movie's own website. All are in white, which immediately draws the viewers attention, and there are 3 different tiers - the tagline 'Have you seen him?', the movie title and the website. Obviously, the title is the biggest and boldest, which attracts the viewer, but the website is the smallest, meaning it isn't important but the viewer then knows the website if they want. The tagline suggests that the 'monster' is real, as it is asking the viewer whether they have personally seen the 'monster', which adds to the viewers curiosity and makes them want to watch the movie.