Conventions of film posters.

After analysing and deconstructing several different horror posters I have noticed several conventions. I think it is important that I include these conventions as they are expected. By using these conventions within my poster it will help represent the genre of my trailer. It is important that my poster has a tangible link with my trailer and magazine. I am creating a promotional pack, therefore a clear link must be seen and all three texts much represent the same genre. Some of the conventions that I noticed on horror film posters are:

• An effective but simple picture. Usually featuring the main character, in the case of horror, the murderer or “bad guy” is normally the image used. This is so that it represents the horror genre, scaring audiences and making them want to go and watch it. The image is always large and covers the majority of the page; this is because it is the main focal point of the poster.

• Two or three main colours are used. The colours used for horror are usually dark colours to represent the genre. Colours such as black and greys are used as backgrounds to represent darkness. The font is usually in red or white so that it stands out against the darker background. The colour used depends on what the narrative of the film is about, for example if a film featured a lot of blood and gore the colour red would be used to represent the blood and danger. If a film was about ghosts or the unknown, the colour white might be used to represent this.

• Simple font. I have noticed that the fonts used on all horror posters I have looked at have been simple and clear to read, it has never been fancy or over the top. This is so that the font and text does not take the attention away from the main focal point, which is the image.

• Large title. The name of the film is always the largest text on the page so that it stands out the most. It is very important the title stands out because the poster is advertising this film and trying to persuade audiences to go and watch it. Therefore the title must be in large font so that it is easily seen by audiences. It is usually placed towards the bottom or the top of the poster, it is rare for the title to be placed in the middle because then it would cover the image. I must make sure that my title is in the same font that I used for my trailer so that there is a link. The title will become the logo for my film therefore making it essential it remains the same throughout.

• A tagline. It is difficult to give audiences an idea about the narrative of the film through a poster. A simple image and title does not always give much information, therefore a tagline is used. They are normally short and catchy, and are used to promote the film and give the audience a clue about the narrative. Taglines normally become an icon of the film because if it is catchy the audience will remember it and associate it with the film.

• Credits. These are usually placed at the very bottom of the poster underneath the title of the film. They include the names of people that have worked on the film such as directors, producers, etc. Names of the actors will be in larger text if they are well known as this will help promote the film. Sometimes logos of the production companies that have released the film are also included with these credits. The credits are always in a faint font so they do not stand out as much as the rest of the font on the page.