Film Posters

Film Posters

Alice Sophie Turrell

Carrie

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme for this image is relatively simple, with clear emphasis on the blood. This emphasis is created by the desaturated, dull colours on her face, compared to the brighter, bolder red used for the blood.

This colour scheme of quite dull colours and red reflect and show clearly that the film is a horror and gives the audience an idea of what to expect.

The white colour that is used for the writing stands out well against the dark colours of the image making the text more visible and memorable.

Layout/Composition

This poster has a very tight composition, with the image of Carries face filling it. The poster also conforms to the idea of the rule of thirds, with her eyes being level with where the audiences eyes would be. The fact that the poster is literally just her face shows her importance in the film and how the film is about her.

Also conforming to the rule of thirds is the writing, going straight down the middle with one word per line.

Image

The image is what fills up the entire composition for this poster. The image is clearly important and showing what to expect from the film. What catches your eye at first about the image is the blood. The first thing this would then lead you to think about is horror. The way it is splattered across her face and her strong, in control expression leads you to think the blood isn’t hers, but instead that she has caused the blood to be there some how.

Although she looks powerful, she also seems quite innocent in this image, which contrasts the previous ideas I have mentioned. This could mean that the movie is about her changing and becoming a more powerful, slightly evil person.

Font and Text

The text for this is really simple, not mentioning the title of the film, instead, just saying “YOU WILL KNOW HER NAME”. This creates more of an impact and then you do think her name, or ask what her name is, and seeing as her name – Carrie – is the title of the film, this creates a lasting impact on the audience seeing as it is very dramatic and quite sinister.

The font is harsh, but quite simple which makes it clear and lets it stand out, while not taking the emphasis away from the image. The font also is quite typical of horror films, which adds to the overall way the poster is showing it is based on horror ideas.

Hostel

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme for this shows a lot of dark, dirty colours and bright reds. These connote dark ideas of horror, blood and violence. The very dark colour scheme enhances the dark, horror feel, as red can also be interpreted as a more romantic colour.

This colour scheme reflects the movie well, seeing as it is very bloody, and the setting is quite dark and dirty.

Layout/Composition

The layout of this is quite open and spread out, with the title of the movie being central, and an image below it. This also uses the rule of thirds as the poster shows the main parts – blood splatter, title and image – in three separate sections, top, middle and bottom.

Although there is a lot of empty space in the poster, the slightly textured background fills it slightly and the emptiness works well with promoting the poster and it links to ideas of isolation which are evident in the film.

Image

The image used in this is at the bottom, effectively looking like it is on the floor. The image relates strongly to the film as it shows a person chained to a fallen chair. The image looks quite bloody as well which links to the plot of the film. By the feet just off the edge of the composition there seems to be a head. The fact the audience is left wondering if it is a head and if it has a body encourages them to watch the film.

Font and Text

There is quite a lot of text shown on this poster such as producer, director and other information such as the production company and actors. This gives the poster a more informative feel. Although this seems quite informative, the writing helps to sell, and uses auteur criticism by name dropping Eli Roth and Quentin Tarantino.

The font is quite smeary, and almost like it has been stamped or sprayed on. The text for the title HOSTEL also merges well with the blood pattern above it.

The Devils Rejects

Colour Scheme

The colour scheme is very bright compared to the previous two posters I have looked at. This bright light looks like sunlight and is lighting the top in the poster, emphasising the hands. This brightness makes the red which dominates the poster very vivid.

The red gets darker towards the bottom of the poster, but still fills the poster majorly and clearly looks red. The other less dominating, barely there colours are quite light, and sandy which could give indications of where the film is set.

Layout/Composition

The layout of this is quite good, giving the indication that that someone bleeding has been dragged backwards, playing on the idea of perspective. The title is clear and central to the layout, with it filling up the centre space. Everything is evenly spaced out, using the rule of thirds similarly to the Hostel poster, with the image at the top, title in the middle and the review at the bottom.

Image

The image is what makes the entire poster, instead of there being a background and image added. This image is quite powerful and shows action, possibly something that happens in the movie. The image shows a lot of blood and someone’s hands which immediately give the indication that the film is a horror. The fact you can only see the blood trail and the persons hands leaves some mystery about what is happening and the setting. This mystery and action shown in the poster will encourage people to want to see the film.

Font and Text

The title is bold and takes up the centre of the composition, and then with the review underneath it helping it sell and enhancing the fact it is a horror film by using words such as “NASTIEST” “SAVAGE” and “BRUTAL” to give the audience an idea of what to expect.

The font for the title is similar to the neat font used on the Carrie poster, looking quite sharp and neat. However, it looks scratched which gives it a older, worn feel. This also works well with the fact that the hands are dragging behind, also giving the effect that the text has been clawed.

The text for the review is simple and bold, to make it stand out, but also so the focus is still on the title.