Codes and Conventions: Horror Posters

Codes and Conventions

Horror Posters

Horror poster tends to use extreme close ups of facial features such as eyes, which is normally edited to create an eerie and unreal look which grabs the audiences attention because it’s unique. The eye fills in majority of the composition and enables audiences have an impact of the emotion the eye expresses e.g. fear, the eye are usually wide open, creating an enigma as nothing else is revealed to the audience. They use the close up shot of eyes because they don’t want to reveal anything to the audience, leading them to wanting more information.  The editing also enhances and changes the colors of eye based on the plot of the film, majority of their eyes are unnatural giving off a creepy and disturbing look.

Some horror poster use the setting such as the house with the protagonist in the foreground giving the audiences insight on the plot. These type of film poster is normally supernatural genre e.g. paranormal activity, it normally uses low key lighting to create a dark setting. The houses are normally haunted and creepy looking giving an unsettling feel because home connotes safety however in this case it’s dangerous.

Normally these is a use of a sinister figure or a dark figure which creates an enigma as their appearance is not revealed. The lighting is always dark which some areas highlighted to create a silhouette making it eerie. They may also have weapons suggesting that violence is included which could appeal to a wider target audience as violence is more entertaining.

The font are bold and unique as it’s different so it can stand out, the colors are usually dark  e.g. black, red, grey however white is used to highlight certain areas also the color scheme are dull emphasizing the eerie look.