Insidious Poster Analysis

I will be analysing this poster for the promotion of the film Insidious, a horror/thriller film about a child who is in a coma as his family fight to save him from being trapped in a different realm known as The Further.

Layout

The red line shows the path of the route of the eye, along this line important information or images are placed. The top part of the route of the eye goes through the words “From the makers of SAW and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY” this is to entice fans of these well known horrors to see the film advertised on the poster. By naming well known, popular films on the advertisement it makes people believe that the film will also be as good and will make them want to see it. The use of capital letters for the other films titles gives the idea of importance and that they must be really good to be used in such a bold way. The line then follows through the face of the child (Dalton) this is to draw attention to the fact that the plot is about a child, which, adds a feeling of mystery and added horror as children are normally portrayed as harmless or innocent. The line then finishes by running through the masthead, Insidious, as its last it allows the name of the film to be remembered and it’s bold font makes sure it stands out against the dark background.

The principle of thirds, in purple, shows nothing in the top three thirds as most of the information is lower down. The middle third is filled with the boys face making him the main focus of the poster, this image tells the viewer immediately who the main character is and allows them to guess what the film is about helping them decide if it is something they’d like to see. In the third to the right of the middle third containing the image of the boys face is a quote from a review that says “SO SCARY, I was whimpering in SHEER TERROR” as the quote is positioned here it allows the audience to notice and read it but it doesn’t draw attention away from the main focus. By putting “SO SCARY” and “SHEER TERROR” in capitals it portrays that the film is going to be one of the scariest, thrilling ones you’ve seen, followed by five stars the quote is designed to entice and excite. The primary optical areas and dead areas are left as blank as possible only being filled by the background image, this is so all your attention is focused on the important information. There is also nothing placed in the hotspots, instead they just frame the boys face aiming more attention and focus towards the image.  The bottom three thirds are filled by the Masthead ‘Insidious’ to tell you the name of the film, underneath this however ‘It’s not the house that’s haunted’ is written, this adds mystery to what the film is about and makes you want to watch it and find out what has happened to the boy.

At the very bottom of the poster is information on who the director of the film was (James Wan) and other information to do with the film. This information draws in people who are fans of particular directors or production companies or people who recognise them from other films they’ve enjoyed in the past.

 At the bottom of the poster the age certificate of the film is also shown, in this case a 15. The age certificate not only tells the viewer how old you have to be to watch the film but helps give them an idea on how scary or graphic it will be and whether it’s for them.

Images

The use of images on this poster is very effective. The background picture is of a large house which tells you that this is where most of the film is based. The house is large and old in style which makes you believe that it could be haunted but this idea is questioned by the “It’s not the house that’s haunted” line which leads you onto believe that something ‘spooky’ or ‘evil’ has happened there, raising more questions in the audiences mind that need to be answered.

The use of large trees in the background image encourage the idea of a creepy house as they tower over it creating dark shadows, these shadows add to the darkness of the picture supporting the suggestion of bad things happening. The sky is also filled with dark clouds, rain and clouds are usually associated with bad things whereas a clear sky and the sun are thought of as happy, the use of the clouds is to support the horror/thriller genre.

The main image however is of Dalton, the young boy. Standing in front of the house alone tells us that the story is about him. His emotionless face lets us know that happy things haven’t happened but it also doesn’t give anything away, adding even more mystery. It looks like his eyes have been scratched out or scratched over, possibly by something evil or a spirit. As his eyes have been removed from the image it gives the idea that the boy has been possessed as usually the eyes portray the idea of life and stereotypically in horror films when the eyes are covered or glazed over its because someone else is controlling them.

Colour

The use of colour in the poster is the main factors which contribute to the scary theme. Firstly, there are no bright colours which usually promote happy emotions; instead greys, dark reds and greens make up the images. The border of the poster is faded and darker than the rest of the image this pushes your attention towards the middle whilst giving the feeling of being trapped or enclosed in a small space promoting the idea of fear.

The boy is also dressed in a dark shirt; this makes the audiences attention focus on his face as this is where the attention is most needed as it tells us the most about what happens. His skin is pasty and tired looking, this is to give the impression that he has been through a lot and that he is tired and worn out, making us wonder what has made him like that.

The image together as a whole has been edited to be darker. Like a grey film has been put over the top. This effect darkens the whole poster to give an eerie, questionable feel making the audience want to see the film to find out why it’s so dark and what has happened to the boy and what the house’s connection is to him. 

Font

The use of font in the poster is very basic; it’s mainly white with one line in green. This is because the background image is dark so the colours for the text need to be light to show up. The use of the white is harsh against the dark background but is effective as it draws your attention towards it. The font is Sans Serif in style, this means it’s bold and not fancy this makes it quick and easy to read for people who are only glancing at the poster, the hardness of the font also shows that the film is scary as the curly, fancy style of a Serif font would give the impression of a less frightening film. Different sizes between the texts are also used to add variety and interest to the poster. It also allows for the attention of the person viewing it to be drawn to more important information first and the less important after. The masthead ‘Insidious’ is a different font to the rest of the writing but is still in Sans Serif to follow with the movies genre. It’s slightly distressed in style with breaks and worn out parts to it, this adds a scary feel to the masthead and title of the film.

This is the promotional poster for the ring and although simple and basic it has several elements which make it an effective poster in enticing an audience and creating interest. 


Layout
The audience see's the poster in several sections and firstly scans from the top left to right down to the bottom left corner and along the the right. This 'route of the eye' means that the audience first see's the quote 'Before you die you see' from the film. This immediately creates interest and surrounds the film with mystery fulfilling typical conventions of promotional posters for horror movies.This quote is also reflected just above itself making the poster seem distorted and imperfect. Following the route of the eye the audience next see's the main focus of the poster and the only image used, this gives the name of the film 'The Ring' and the iconic image associated with the film, a ring of light which seems to be appearing from behind an object and is slightly obscured. This again is distorted across the page and almost looks as though it is a consequence of interference, like that on a television. Finally the eye see's any information across the bottom of the poster, in this case it is the credits for the film. The principal of thirds is another rule which the eye follows when looking at pieces such as this poster. The eye is immediately drawn to certain areas, the first being the primary optical area, on this poster, within this area, you can see the beginning of the enticing quote which would lead the reader to read on and in turn creates interest. In the terminal optical area the name of the production company is included, this is Dreamworks Pictures which is a well known name. This would potentially create interest surrounding the film among those who perhaps would have not chosen to watch The Ring at first but have an interest in Dreamworks and there films. In the central optical area we can see the main focus of the poster, the hot spots also cover this section. As the poster is fairly simple the images and words used are placed symmetrically so to cover the largest area and creating fewer dead areas. 


Colour + Image
There are only two colours used within this poster, the background is black which gives the film and poster a dark atmosphere and is a typical colour associated with horror and fear. The writing is white contrasting the background so it is easy to read and stands out, catching the eye. The contrast of black and white also creates the illusion and sense that the ring of white, what could be assumed is light, is appearing from behind an eclipse of some kind or is obscured by an object, again creating mystery as it leaves the audience questioning and wondering what it is. 


Font
The quote used at the top of the poster is in Sans Serif font which adds to the simpleness of the poster putting emphasis on the importance of the words as there is little else included, the fact that this quote is reflected and so can be seen twice adds to there importance. The font used also makes the words easier to read and so they stand out. The font used for 'the ring' is again sans serif however is all lower case and looks as though it has been written by a child. The inclusion of children in horror films is common as it creates a sense of vulnerability and realism which is easily relatable to by the audience, emphasising and instilling fear.  

Layout + Images
Following the route of the eye the audience would first see 'Bruce Willis' from this we can assume that he takes the role of a lead character within the film, this would also entice fans of his to watch the film, immediately creating interest and hype about the film. Secondly the audience would see the two main images included, that of Bruce Willis and one of silhouette against a golden 6, the image of Bruce Willis is in the foreground of the poster and is the larger of the two. This again emphasises his importance in the film, and as he is a well known actor it is important that it is well known he has a part as it opens up another potential audience for the film. The image of the silhouette creates interest and mystery as it is unclear who it is and what their relation and role is within the film. Lastly the audience see the title of the film, credits and the films tagline. The tagline creates an air of mystery around the film as it gives a little information however not enough to completely expose the films story line, therefore creating interest. The title of  the film itself creates interest as in the real world there are 5 known senses and so by creating a sixth it triggers an interest amongst the audience and a want to know what it could be.The principle of thirds does not seem to play a large role in the layout of this poster as the primary and terminal optical areas are dead areas only including the edges of images and the background. Within the central optical area we can see sections of both images used, drawing your eye to them, the hotspots again draw the eye to the same area. 


Colours
The main colour used is black, which, as seen before is common in horror film posters as it gives a feeling of darkness which links with mystery, fear and terror. It seems to cast a shadow over the image of Bruce Willis, and his jacket disappears into the background as if he is sinking into the darkness. The second key colour used is an orange/yellow glow colour which looks like light seeping through a window or cracks in the poster, or it could be seen as fire surrounding the silhouette. This colour surrounds and encapsulates the silhouette which then reflects onto the image of Bruce Willis, as if it has control of the unknown character but influences and comes into contact with Willis' character. The text is in white as this contrasts the dark background and stands out making it easy to read and it also stands out catching the readers eye. 


Font
The font used for 'Bruce Willis' and The Sixth Sense is sans serif meaning it is easy to read and simple, standing out and easily noticeable. It looks as though it has been hand written, a scrawling almost as it is not very neat, giving the sense it may have been rushed or under pressured circumstances. The films tag line is in serif font which gives a slightly more formal feel to it and almost seperates it from the poster. 

The Sixth Sense Trailer

Film Magazine Analysis

Layout
As with most print based media products the route of the eye applies here. Firstly the eye is drawn to the mast head and cover line, 'Empire' is a well known name and is easily recognised by the font used which creates an identity for the magazine so the reader knows exactly what to expect in their first glance. Also the first cover line seen is 'The Dark Knight Returns...' the position of this signifies its importance as it is the first thing seen and also the elliptic dots create a sense of mystery causing a sense of interest in the reader and making them want to read on. Secondly in the route of the eye we see the main article of the magazine which seemingly has distinguished each element for the cover. 'Inception' is the largest item on the cover so to draw attention to it as it is the key feature of this issue, also with this we see the Directors name 'Christopher Nolan' so to attract attention from fans of his and draw a wider audience. Along with this is a smaller gold circle advertising a competition being run by the magazine, 'Dream Access' signifies that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed so again causing the reader to want to read on. Lastly on the route of the eye we see the final article signified by the 'Plus!' the exclamation makes it seem exciting as if 'last but not least'. The rule of thirds has also been taken into account with the creation of this magazine cover. In the top third we can see the mast head and the main focus of the image being the subjects face, immediately the audience can identify with the magazine as it displays a well known actor which quickly attracts attention. In the middle third the main article can be seen along with several other minor articles. The way in which the text seems to be being drawn into the distance fits in with the main article well as Inception is a sci-fi fantasy style film, a genre which, this layout connotes. In the final third again we see the final article and bottom section of the image. The hotpots focus on the articles towards the sides of the image so to also draw attention to them and within the terminal optical area we see a a gun in the actors hand. This connotes ideas about the film (action, violence) and gives the audience an idea of what to expect.

Colour
The main colour used on the cover is red. Red connotes ideas of danger, blood and action, all of which are associated with the main feature film. Also the main image contains little colour, the actor is wearing a black and white suit against a grey/blue background, thus meaning that the red stands out and the stark contrast catches the eye. The masthead and main article have been written in red which signifies they're importance as they are what the eye is draw to first. Majority of the articles have been written in black so to stand out and so that they are easily read. The competition has been included in a golden circle, the colour gold connotes ideas of wealth and luxury both of which it seems the prize includes so attracting attention and making the reader want to find out more.


Font
The fonts used are fairly basic however everything written is in bold so to stand out and so it can be easily read. The masthead is in the classic font used for Empire so to create continuity between the magazines and also give it a brand identity. The names of each of the films featured either side of the main focus of the image are in a larger font so to attract attention, also it gives the audience a brief overview of whats inside at a glance.


Image
There is one main image used on this front cover which is associated with the main film featured. It includes the main actor who is also very well known so appealing to an audience who are fans of or are interested in him. The image is symmetrical so the main focus is central and the articles have been arranged symmetrically either side. It seems as though there is a light being shone from behind the actor as if signifying his importance and almost giving him a softer side. The black suit and gun show him to be an authoritative figure, his dominance on the cover also conveys this.

Research into Similar Products - The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense, released in 1999 tells the story of a boy who communicates with spirits that don't know they're dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. The main focus of this film is a young boy which brings across the idea of innocence and vulnerability and enforces fear into the audience. Also we can see a close relationship between mother and son however they are alone as a family which, again, connotes the feeling of vulnerability but also isolation.

Editing

Fig. 1

The trailer begins with a series of shots before the production transition slides. Each of these are superimposed onto the next creating a feeling of momentum and continuity (Fig. 1). As the last shot closes the trailer fades to black cutting off what seems to be a key element to the film which, in turn, creates interest amongst the audience. The use of this also gives the impression that this is the beginning of events to unravel within the rest of the film. Between each of the next shots there is a fade to white or black which breaks the continuity of the trailer, giving the audience snippets of information and clues as to what the film entails. Each of these shots is relatively short and the pace quickens as it seems the trailer intensifies. A fade to a black and a transition slide is then included which gives us the name of who we can assume, as his name is first to appear above anyones, is the main character. This fades back to the next shot, however the name lingers in white above the shot. The next series of shots are interrupted by incredibly fast fade to blacks which creates an intense atmosphere, instillng fear into the audience and giving the trailer a sense of pace and adrenaline. A final, longer and slower, fade to black is then used to lead into the final shot of the trailer, which is significantly longer than any previous shot used.

Camerawork

Fig. 2

The trailer opens with a close up of a flare held by a police officer, so we can assume an incident of some seriousness has occured. The camera then tracks down the street showing a large traffic jam and reinforcing the seriousness of what we can assume is a traffic accident of some kind. The next shot is a two shot of who we can guess are the two main characters as they are the first to be focused upon. The closeness of these two characters in this shot shows their close relationship, the camera then switches to a close up of only the woman showing the shocked reaction on her face to what the boy has just said. The next series of shots focus on several different parts of the film. The first of which is a low angle shot looking up through a spiral staircase focusing on a red balloon floating away (Fig. 2), this gives a sense of vulnerability and distance as the object is moving away.

Mise en scene


The costumes worn by the key characters within this trailer are typical everyday clothes giving a realistic, more relatable feel to the characters and the story line. The police are in their uniforms giving them the authoritative role, within the school scene the teacher wears typical smart clothing and the children, as expected, are in uniforms. Within the trailer we only see one of the ghosts, she is dressed in, again, normal clothing however her make up is slightly different to that of the other characters. She is made to look very pale and sickly demonstrating her lifeless character. The lighting is kept as high key mainly, although changes to a lower key when it seems that the atmosphere has become more intense and also indicating the darker parts of the movie.

Sound


The trailer begins with the sound of sirens and the spark of the flare lit, we then hear a young boys voice over as he finishes speaking an eery piece of non diegetic music is played above the shots and transition slide, the subsequent shots are crossed over to the next with what sounds like a camera flash sound which is high up in the sound mix creating a more tense aggressive atmosphere. Several seconds later we hear a heartbeat which intensifies as the trailer progressive and also ties in with the transitions of the shots until, what sounds like, the grumble of thunder brings this non diegetic sound to an end. The dialogue within the trailer continues over the shots and above the heart beat sound FX in the mix, it seems to be of a concerned nature, speaking of the supernatural and the un-dead, the dialogue is spoken in a low tone and sometimes a whisper, again bringing across the idea of concern and also a secretive nature. Towards the end of the trailer a more intense, faster piece of music is heard which is in time with the fast, flashing transition of the shots which in turn creates a sense of adrenaline amongst the audience.