Research Ancillary - Horror Thriller Film Poster Conventions

Horror film ancillary products such as promotional posters contain the typical conventions found in film posters, such as the use of a billing block, a main focal image and the film's release date. Other prominent features found in promotional film posters can be found here.
However, it is important to relate the content of the film poster to the genre of the film. This allows the audience to be aware of what type of film the poster is advertising in order for them to be able to make an informed decision about whether or not they want to watch the film. The poster will clearly define the film's genre based on the careful use of colour, focal image and typography; the poster will feature common conventions of the films genre to convey this. Therefore, although I will need to include the stereotypical aspects of film posters, I will need to be aware of typical horror thriller conventions in order to be able to apply them to my own ancillary film poster.

I chose a range of existing horror thriller posters which stood out to me and placed them onto a powerpoint document; this acted as a mood board I can use as inspiration when producing my own ancillary product. However, from looking at this mood board, I can see a clear range of similarities between these examples that are exclusive to promotional horror film posters.

Focal Image:

This convention is typical of film promotional posters in general, although there are prominent types of images used to promote horror films. The majority of (horror) focal images are edited to look unnatural and disturbing, reflecting the nature of the genre of film. This creates enigma and may draw audiences into watching the film in order to find out further.

• Close Up/Extreme Close Up - Extreme close up of the protagonist character (victim). If the character looks directly into the camera, this creates a feeling of direct address. Close up shots are often used to portray the characters emotions. This expresses the fear of the victim or the power of their opposition. Enigma can be successfully created through the use of a close up image. Only seeing a snippet of the characters face enables the audience to question who they are/their emotions.
• Location - The location where the film is set can be used to determine the genre of the film. If an image of the location is used, the protagonist is often showed at the location or edited into the poster also. The location is often photographed using a low angled shot. This shot gives the location power and shows the audience what to be scared of within the film. The weather contributes to the horror genre; the use of pathetic fallacy is used particularly in horror genre/posters. The dark and fogginess creates an unpleasant atmosphere around the location. The use of a house can unsettle viewers at the idea of an unsafe home. Finally, the use of location can create enigma and as an audience we are unsure of whether the disequilibrium is caused by the house itself or by the people within. 

Effects/Colour scheme/Text:

Within horror thriller posters, the colour scheme usually consists of red and black, which are key conventions of the horror genre. The contrast between the two colours are symbolic to blood. 

Smoke/mist is often used in horror posters in order to signify the idea of death and decay; common themes in horror films. Alongside this, it can also portray the idea of something being hidden. Creating enigma when making a film poster is an important aspect which draws audiences in. Therefore, some horror posters may include blurred images of the victim's face or misty atmospheres in order to create enigma. Shadows, and similar imagery are also often used to create enigma.
Some horror posters are made to look like you are viewing the image from a CCTV camera lens, although this effect is most commonly used in posters promoting films where the 'found footage' aspect is key to the narrative, such as in the 'Paranormal Activity' franchise, or in the Spanish 'REC' horror films which were made using a "shaky camera" technique. This creates a 'fly on the wall' atmosphere, causing the audience to feel like they are looking into something they aren't supposed to. This also causes the audience to want to engage more with the film as if they aren't supposed to be there.
Sepia effects are commonly used in horror film poster images. This is often used to convey the setting and time period of the films narrative, and therefore often creates a sinister looking atmosphere.

• Title - This is an important feature of a film poster which, other than the main focal image, should draw the audience's attention. The type of font used can often determine the film's genre. Distorted fonts are often used in horror posters. Key aspects of the film poster also include taglines, creating strong brand identity as this tagline is often likely to be used in the film's trailer. Release dates are key to signifying to the audience when the film will be available to watch, and social networking sites are featured to inform the audience of where to find more information about the film.