TITLE: Friday The 13th RELEASE: February 13th 2009 Director: Marcus Nispel Film Information: Remake of original Friday the 13th Movie Synopsis: Against the advice of locals and police, Clay scours the eerie woods surrounding Crystal Lake for his missing sister. But the rotting cabins of an abandoned summer camp are not the only things he finds. Hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees lies in wait for a chance to use his razor-sharp machete on Clay and the group of college students who have come to the forest to party. Production/Financing Company: Platinum Dunes Main Cast: Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker and Aaron Yoo Sub-Genre: Slasher
Camera: The low camera angle in this shot is used as a central focus in this poster to emphasize this characters superiority and dominance, this also being the antagonist, the low camera angle is used to connote anger and intimidation as well as fright, this making the protagonist feel even smaller and weaker in this situation. Also the fact that the antagonist is highlighted at the centre of the poster projects to the audience that it’s not the dark surrounding the antagonist that they should be worried about but the antagonist within it all. Mise-en-scene: The lighting used shows that the antagonist is a harmful and dangerous person as his surroundings is dark and very dim. Also the imagery could suggest that he darkens his companions’ lives as he kills more people. Moreover the use of the colour red in the film title could signify blood and connote to death and murder as the antagonist leaves his victims helpless on the ground this probably being why the title is at the bottom. Typography: The font is a standard Georgia style coloured in red like blood, with very minimal editing. It looks as if the words have been scratched which could be significant to the character Jason Mood and styling: The dark colouring and thick smoke surrounding the antagonist gives off a very intense and negative atmosphere. Also the towering trees above the antagonist helps give off feeling that the antagonist will find you no matter what, even in the woods which is such a big and broad place.
Title: A Nightmare On Elm Street Release: 30th April 2010 Director: Samuel Bayer Film Information: Re-Make of the original A Nightmare on elm street released in 1984. Synopsis: In Wes Craven's classic Slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late? Production/Financing Company: New line Cinema Main Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara and Kyle Gallner Sub-Genre: Slasher/ Splatter
Camera: A mid-shot of the protagonist is shown on the front of the poster, although its dark and the lighting is dimmed the red lining on the jumper is highlighted this making the antagonist seem mysterious and also show his identity is maybe unknown. Mise-en-scene: As identified the lighting creates a sense of mystery and make it seem as if the characters identity is unknown also it could connote to sense of fear i.e not knowing who the actual killer is, also the red lining could resemble blood which could mean he’s murdered a lot of people. This character is also iconic for having a knife as finger this could give the audience an insight into how his murders take place. Also the characters NVC shows him smirking which could say he enjoys murdering people and gets a thrill out of it also the dark background could contributes to how his murders take place. Typography: The text is written as if blood has smudged the writing, it is red and placed at the bottom of the poster so that the main image isn’t covered. Bellow the credits are written to the director, cast, crew and companies that helped produce the film. However these are written in a grey colour as the main issue to present the title and date both written in bright red. Mood and styling: The poster has a grim and unsettling atmosphere because of the dull and dark colours used. Also the aggressor looks burnt this giving the audience an insight into his past. Specific convention: The tagline “Welcome to your new nightmare” almost motivates the reader to see the movie more as it invites you to see something new and immensely scare you. The grey writing above the title connotes that it isn’t as important the title however it makes you want to see the move even more.
Title: Scream 4 Release: 15 April 2011 Director: Wes Craven Film Information: Scream 4 is a 2011 American Slasher film and the fourth and most recent Instalment in the Scream series Synopsis: It has been many years since the Ghostface Killer cut a deadly path through the town of Woodsboro. In order to get over the trauma of those horrific events, Sidney Prescott has written a self-help book. She returns to Woodsboro for her book tour, and reconnects with old friends Gale Weathers and Sheriff Dewey. However, Sidney's arrival also sparks the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney and everyone she loves in danger. Production/Financing Company: Main Cast: Neve Campbell, Emma Roberts, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Sub-Genre: Slasher
MIse-en-scene: Located in the centre of the page the image contrasts clearly against the dark background as the bright image in the centre has a shadow as well which emphasises the picture allowing for it to stand out. We can also see the image has a mask in which may be used by the antagonist in this film. We can also see the image gradually from top to bottom turns into a knife, this could signify that this is his weapon that he uses to deal harm to others, this emphasising the fact that he’s the antagonist. Also the fact that the background is black connotes to death and mystery which can help draw in an audience as it also symbolises the unknown. Typography: The font is written in a bold and spaced, the”4” is written in red as well as the date which is written in smaller font which may signify blood which in turn means a lot of murder. Mood and styling: The dark background creates mystery and entices the reader to come and watch the film scream 4. The mood is very dim and the highlighted image helps emphasise the importance of the antagonist. Specific Convention: The sub-text “New decade. New rules.” Helps the audience gain insight into what to expect, moreover it gives us insight into how this movie will go. Also by saying this it implies that the movie will be ruthless and more.
Title: The Omen Release: 2006 Director: John Moore Film Information: Originally made in 1976 by British/American Synopsis: American diplomat Robert adopts Damien when his wife, Katherine, delivers a stillborn child. After Damien's first nanny hangs herself, Father Brennan warns Robert that Damien will kill Katherine's unborn child. Shortly thereafter, Brennan dies and Katherine miscarries when Damien pushes her off a balcony. As more people around Damien die, Robert investigates Damien's background and realizes his adopted son may be the Antichrist.
Camera: The camera angle as at eye level even though the character in the poster is on a swing making him seem on a higher level. This could connote to his dominance and superiority due to the super powers he has. The shot used though is a long shot as it includes the setting and the full body of the character. This giving the audience an insight into Damien’s personality.
Mise-en-scene: A mixture of dark and bright lighting has been used in this poster to possibly represent the good and evil in the film. However the lighting around Damien is obscure making him seem evil. The Rottweiler behind him is brightly lit this could suggest that even evil like this doesn’t compare to Damien and the dangers of the forest in this setting cannot be compared to his wrath. When looking at Damien’s facial expression he isn’t showing any emotion, this could also suggest that he’s not normal and the fact that he has no emotion could make him seem inhumane and evil. Also when looking at the Rottweiler it’s sitting down. This could illustrate to the audience that an animal as wild as this follows the orders of this child this demonstrating Damien’s authority and dominance. When looking at Damien’s attire as well he’s wearing a black coat, blue gloves and boots. This makes the character seem even more unsettling as you realise he’s a child and he things associated with kids is innocents which makes him even more dangerous to people. Also the swing he’s sitting on is in motion making it seem like he’s playing, this illustrating that he’s able to conceal his sinister intentions and act normal.
Typography: The font is in serif, this is old fashioned, gothic style font, could be associated with the ancient times or even biblical meanings. Also the title is in bold upper case writing making it eye-catching. The word “Omen” is slowing fading into the crucifix on the poster making it this seem religious.
Conventions: The writing is quite distorted, dark lighting and bold text is used and the tagline is quite mysterious the audience want to watch it.
magazine
Horror hound is a monthly horror magazine. They promote the TV show The Walking Dead.
Mise-en-scene: The low lighting and the mist surrounding the front page character contributes to the horror theme of the magazine. However there are some elements of high key lighting which highlights the main zombie in this magazine. The main image of the zombie character consists of direct address, it gives of a feeling of a life-less human this making the reader feel unsettled as the mist of zombies behind the main character makes it feel like there is an apocalypse coming. Also the NVC suggests this character is dead inside, and the imagery behind suggest that the virus is quickly spreading amongst the population, acting as a huge problem. The make-up used in this magazine for the main cover character makes it seem like the zombies flash is peeling off and that he’s slowly disintegrating this connoting to this character being a dead being living amongst the living. There are no props but on the right hand corner of the page, next the cover line shows a man holding a gun, this could represent his vulnerability amongst the zombies.
Camera Shots: This magazine consists of mid shots for all pictures here, this is effective in portraying NVC and costume to the audience. An example of this is the zombie showing lifelessness in the front cover which could be unsettling for some audiences. Also the make-up around the main cover character is effective as well.
Typography: Majority of the font is sans serif and is displayed throughout this page. This connoting to a modern feel to all audiences, keeping up to all current events.
Colour: The limited colours red, black and white represents death and follows the scheme of this magazine.
Masthead: The masthead is located at the top of the magazine on the front page. The colours consist of red and black which connotes to death and murder so by the audience reading seeing this they’ll be able to figure out that this will be a horror magazine. By the masthead being at the top it doesn’t interrupt with the zombie on the front page.
Cover lines: The main cover line is “The Walking Dead” it is situated near the bottom of the front page so that it doesn’t disturb the main image at the top. It’s in the colour red in sans serif this connoting to blood relating to the horror theme of the magazine. Also by the font being in sans serif suggests that this show is modern and that the audience should go watch it.
Selling Line: “The horror fan’s magazine.” The use of the apostrophe on the word “fan’s” suggests that all lovers of horror films and magazines should get it. The sell line is located under the masthead; this so that the masthead and sell line can be seen.
Fangoria is US film fan magazine that is distributed worldwide; it specializes in the horror genre and looks at sub-genre’s like Slasher, Splatter, Exploitation films and more. It’s been in publication since 1979.
Mise-en-scene: Low key lighting is used in this magazine but overall the main parts this magazine is dark and quite shadowy. This connotes to fear and evil things also the NVC of this character on the main page is not noticeable however she gives off a sense of terror and makes the audience feel frightened also the use of props (candle) adds to that and the mood of the front page. Also the candle highlights the features of the characters face.
Camera: This is a medium close up taken at eye-level angle, it show us a picture from the top of her head to bottom oh her shoulders. This encouraging the reader to buy the magazine as it’s face to face.
Typography: The font used is quite old style looking and the colour scheme of the fonts and texts is red and white. This does appeal to the reader though as the font is all different bringing in a range of audiences.
Mood and Styling: This magazine is filled with pictures and fonts that’ll cause the reader to feel unsettled and panic. The styling and mood connotes to the genre of horror as quite scary and terrifying with each picture telling a different narrative.
Colour: The main colours on this front page used are black, red and white. These are colours that represent death and evil and such so it’s quite common to use these colours. Especially for a horror genre red all of the time signifies blood.
Specific Convention: The masthead is the main thing that stands out from this magazine as it’s big and different from the rest of the fonts. It’s the main convention as it brings in the audience and attracts various people and the cover lines beside it make it look more appealing as the colour scheme red and white helps the font and text stand out against the black background.
Horror Hound is a monthly horror magazine. In this edition Scream 4 is being promoted and the cover of the front page.
MIS-EN-SCENE: On the front page of this magazine, Ghostface the cover star is pointing a knife at the audience. This makes the reader feel more involved and at the same time it’s threatening causing the reader to feel unsettled. Ghostface is also seen too be wearing a dark purple cloak, this making him seem even more intimidating. Also, the fire and red background behind him almost resembles hell, this making him seem more menacing and evil which in turn will engage the audience even more as they’d like to find out more about his character. This image also has more of a comic effect as the colours stands out more and contrast against the red background with the dark purple cloak.
COVER LINES: “The return of Ghostface” This gives the reader insight into what to expect and encourages the audience to read on to find out more, also the cover line is in reference to the film Scream 4 so language like this and things like “Beware of..” and so on makes the reader feel cautious of things to come.
OTHER SPECIFIC CONVENTIONS: There are 3 horror movies on the left 3rd that consists of a different comic effect which adds to the allure of this magazine. Also at the top left-hand of this magazine it says “HORROR” which makes it easy to identify in the shops and it also tells you what type of genre it is. Also the colours are kept the same which helps keep the theme the same.
Scream is the world's number 1 magazine in print and digital that covers films, celebrity interviews and more.
Typography/Denotation: A close-up of the antagonist in a movie is presented to be the main image, it gives the reader a feeling of fear and uncertainty, this encourages the reader to go and see the movie as it's well presented in this magazine. Also when looking at the masthead it's written in blood red and it's dripping, this connoting to murder and it acts as a normal convention for a horror magazine as it relates to something gory, this showing how important it is. And the main cover below written in bold white stands out and the fact that it's in white could signify innocence and purity. Also there is a sharp diagonal line along the cover line "Evil Dead," could be there to signify a knife which may be a weapon of choice in this movie or just a suggestion of alot violence and murder.
Mise-en-scene: The lighting around the main cover star (the antagonist) is very dark, and it seems like she's hiding in the shadows making her seem devious and someone evil who lurks in the dark and the way she's looking at the camera (audience), it makes her look menacing and intimidating. Also when your looking at these dark colours used like black it connotes to being unaware and danger, this could emphasises to the audience that they're stepping into the unknown and that they should expect to feel fear. Also the chain behind her suggests that she's to be controlled and restrained this showing again that she's dangerous and lethal.
trailer
TITLE: The Purge 2: Anarchy RELEASE DATE: 25th July 2014 DIRECTOR: James: James DeMonaco SYNOPSIS: One night per year, the government sanctions a 12-hour period in which citizens can commit any crime they wish -- including murder -- without fear of punishment or imprisonment. Leo, a sergeant who lost his son, plans a vigilante mission of revenge during the mayhem. However, instead of a death-dealing avenger, he becomes the unexpected protector of four innocent strangers who desperately need his help if they are to survive the night. PRODUCTION/FINANCING COMPANY: Blumhouse Productions, Platinum Dunes, Universal Pictures MAIN CAST: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez and Michael K. Williams SUB-GENRE: Thriller/ Action
MISE-EN-SCENE: The Purge 2: Anarchy is set in Los Angeles where the annual purge takes place. The protagonists have no way to protect themselves where as the antagonists are seen throughout the trailer with weapons (props) such as guns, baseball bats, knifes and more. The antagonists are also seen in cars and motorcycles in this trailer. Also, when focusing on the antagonists, they wear a lot of dark clothing and they also hide their identity by wearing masks of varying colours and shapes, this signifying that there will be a lot of drama and death in the film. Also from the beginning to the end of the trailer there is a variation in light. At the beginning of the trailer there is a lot of light but as the trailer comes the ending the lighting starts to dim. These showing the light areas are safe where as the darkened areas are more dangerous.
CAMERA & EDITING: AS the establishing shot of Los Angeles begins the trailer it then cuts to wide and then medium shot to allow the audience to get a more direct look of the protagonist. But as soon as the trailer meets the disequilibrium the cuts get shorter and faster, this creating a more climatic and intense atmosphere. There are then cross cuts to show how the lives of the antagonists and protagonists contrast in a short time. Then there is a transition from day to night. At the end we then see tracking shots of both the antagonist and protagonist running.
CHARACTERS: At the beginning we’re introduced to the main protagonist who are seen moving the trailer from a equilibrium to a disequilibrium when their car doesn’t’ to move. Continuously during the trailer they are running away from danger trying to survive. As a result of struggling to remain together it could be possible that they become separated which would add to the film. MUSIC/VOICEOVERS: At the start a pop song starts playing alongside a conversation between to characters. However this ends abruptly with a car staring to screech, after the main protagonist tries restarting the car we hear a voiceover of an emergency broadcast, this staring the annual purge. We then hear (non-diegetic) sirens, alarms… This connoting to negative things like rebellion and youth distress. The score then fades to a soft harmony, this contrasting with the earlier sounds, acting as a contradiction.
Title: REC Release date: November 2007 Director: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza Synopsis: A reporter (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman record the horrifying outbreak of a disease that turns humans into vicious cannibals. Production/Financing Company: Filmax International, Castelao Productions Main Cast: Manuela Velasco, Ferrán Terraza, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Pablo Rosso, David Vert, Vicente Gil, Martha Carbonell, Carlos Vicente Sub- Genre: Zombie
Mise-en-scene: This trailer is set in an apartment block building, it’s centred around the outbreak of a d disease and throughout the trailer the lighting is very dim, which in turn could be used to conceal the identity of the antagonist. Also the fact that the reporters are alone in the building suggests a feeling of isolation and highlights that these people inside the building are locked off from the outside world. Also the limited use of props could suggest that the victims are powerless to the outbreak and no amount of weapons will solve their problems. Moreover as there is a mixture of clothing it connotes to various different things. Like when looking at fireman it connotes to authority and the duty they have of protecting the people in the building as well. Also the clean clothing seen at the beginning could suggest that they haven’t been infected yet but during the ending of the trailer it contrasts as their shirts become bloody and dirty, this showing that they’re in danger and have been infected by the zombies, causing others to stay away.
Camera and Editing: The hand held camera movement throughout the trailer makes it seem more realistic as the camera often shakes which also makes this event seem true. Moreover the use close ups help capture the emotion of these characters as they look frightened and terrified this creating an intense atmosphere. Also by doing this you’re evoking more emotions from the audience making this film event better. Plus, the continuity editing and steady-cam editing used allows the audience to carefully follow and observe what is going, which helps build up suspense to follow the story. Also towards the ending of the trailer there are a lot of quick and short cuts, this gives the audience an idea of how the film will go and when it could take a turn for the worst which creates interest as well as suspense.
Sound: Diegetic sound is used throughout this trailer making it seem like a real event but in some instances non-diegetic sound is used, for example when the phone dialling sound came up, this connoting to sense of emergency and hurriedness. And, around the middle of the trailer, as the editing pace increased music played in the background which creates suspense.
Typography: The sans serif font connotes to modern times, and as they’re used as short and simple captions throughout the trailer it creates a sense of tension and helps thicken the atmosphere making it seem scarier.
Location: Spanish apartment building, where virus is contained to prevent an outbreak.
Narrative: The use of captions in between scenes gives the reader and idea of what is going on and what will happen in the film, the conversations are quite vague but their is a use of different camera techniques which shows the audience what is going on in real-time of the film (trailer).
Title: A nightmare on Elm Street Release Date: 30th April 2010 Director: Samuel Bayer Synopsis: In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late? Production/Financing Company: New line cinema Main Cast: Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara and Kyle Gallner Sub-genre: Slasher/Splatter
Mise-en-scene: Throughout the trailer the lighting is very dark and dim, this probably signifying death but when there’s light it probably signifies fire showing there is bad things to come which may trigger the antagonist. Also the light, signifying fire, could give the audience an insight into the antagonist’s character and who he is.
Camera and Editing: There are a lot of wide-shots used to show how the victims have reacted to the antagonist and the people affected, also clos-ups are used to illustrate how the victims are feeling and to emphasise the expression on their face. Moreover, there are a lot of transition shots to help speed up the pace of the trailer and gain the attention of the audience, this making the audience to grow even more curious as to what will happen in the film.
Characters: The antagonist appears to cause a lot of pain to his victims before killing them, he comes across an inhumane person with sinister intentions and the fact that his identity remains quite concealed throughout the trailer adds to the mystery of his character. This following a stereotypical horror film as he causes his victims a lot of harm and the fact that his identity is unknown in this trailer.
Typography: As the captions are mostly red this could connote to death, blood and terror.
Sound: The lack music in the beginning creates tension as the audience can only see what’s going on and not hear. But due to the problem caused by the antagonist you could hear screeches and groans of agony.
Title: Insidious Release: 2010 Director: James Wan Synopsis: Parents (Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne) take drastic measures when it seems their new home is haunted and their comatose son (Ty Simpkins) is possessed by a malevolent entity. Production/Financing Company: IM Global, Alliance Films Main Cast: Patrick Wilson, Barbara Hershey, Rose Byrne
Mise-en-scene: The start of the trailer begins with a shot of a boy, the facial expression he illustrates shows that he’s dazed and frightened and as the trailer continues, as the boys eyes closes the women shown seems to look concerned due to her son’s condition. Then a man is shown and his face connotes fear then the camera returns to the women and as her hands are folded she looks to be shocked and in a state of distress. Her eyes and mouth then widen and she drops her phone in fear. Suddenly an extreme close up to old women appears briefly and her facial features appear to be very intimidating and unsettling, this NVC continues the theme of fear and horror, which evokes strong emotions from the audience. Throughout the trailer as the lighting is very dim with a blue tint to it, it re-enforces the horror theme and it also communicates a theme of depression which is seen all throughout the trailer. This all taking place in a haunted house which acts as a common convention in horror films. All the characters are in modern everyday clothing, making the characters seem relatable but the props utilized like the teddy bear next to the kid makes him seem innocent when in fact he’s the complete opposite. Camera/Editing: The close up at the beginning highlights the expression on the boys face at the beginning, then the shot is stretched to a long shot to show the boy lying in his bed. An extreme close up is then used to emphasise the facial expression on the women’s face to show the effect this situation had on her. An establishing shot is used to show the 2-story house and the setting. Also the birds-eye view could suggest that they’re inferior to what is going on and surrounding them in that shot.
Sound: pleonastic, non-diegetic and diegetic sound is used as well as short dialogue and silence, this all helping to build suspense and tension throughout the trailer.
Typography: The font used in this trailer does follow the typical conventions of a horror film; this may be done to draw attention to the content.