ANCILLARY TEXT IDEAS & RESEARCH (1)

MOVIE POSTER

For the first Ancillary Text we will create a movie poster for our film. We will most likely get the base picture for the poster while we are filming and then edit it on photoshop to a suitable quality. The movie poster is different to the teaser poster as the teaser poster creates an image that makes the audience interested about the film and want to watch it, hence 'Teaser' and the movie poster tells the audience what the movie is about as well as making the audience want to see the film.

Our initial idea for the Movie Poster is a shot of the campsite showing the tents and objects scattered  around with blood on them. Alex thinks it would be a good idea for the poster to show an arm hanging out of a tent to signify that a death has occured here and not to show the main character in the poster to create a feel of mystery. I agree with the arm idea but im not to sure about not showing the main character at least a little bit. Maybe a shot with just the characters feet in the shot and then through them a shot of the tents etc. We would have to make sure we use the right shoes and clothing to signify the age of the character and stuff.

I've done some research into recent horror movie posters to see what makes a great movie poster and so i can transfer the techniques from these posters across to our own so we too can make a great movie poster.

Dead Snow(Død snø)

• The Blood, Head and Chainsaw signify Violence and death which are in turn associated with Horror movies and could signify what is to come in the movie.
• The snow and mountains in the background signify the setting of the film.
• A slight blue tint around the edges of the poster enhance the picture in the middle and to the sides making them easier to see but also your eye is drawn to them more.
• The main characters are pictured inside the lettering of the title which introduces the viewer of the poster to them even if they dont know the characters actual names. This is quite a unique way of doing it which i havent really seen before.
• The movie is a Binary opposite as most films with Nazis in them are Serious period Dramas or Thrillers out of respect to the people lost in the Second World War but this film is a Comedy and makes fun of the Nazis by casting them as Zombies.
• The fact that the decapitated head still has its eyes open and they are in focus watching the audience of the poster signifies that is a fiction movie as a decapitated head does not do this in real life. It also signifes that the Movie could be a Horror/Fantasy too.
 

Grace 

• The red liquid that i presume is blood in the bottle and the fly on the tip of the bottle signifiy death and violence could occur in the film.
• The babies bottle signifys that babies could be involved in the movie or the main protagonist is a baby.
• The word undying could suggest the film is about the undead which also means that the movie would be a Horror movie as Zombies/The Undead fit into the Horror genre.
• The Grey wash around the edges of the poster highlights the bottle in the middle of the poster and it makes it easier to see the detail on the bottle.
• The way the bottle is half empty could show the mindset of the film, so focusing on the negative rather than the positive but it could also signify that someone has drunk half of the 'blood' inside the bottle which would also mean that the movie is a Horror movie as no one normally drinks blood accept vampires and other monsters.

The Collector

• As the person is the main figure you can see in the middle of the poster this could signify that he is the main Protagonist of the movie.
  
• The leather gloves hes wearing and the mask he is tying to his face signify that the person wishes to remain anonymous as these kind of clothing are normally used when burglaring a house as the leather gloves ensure that you leave no fingerprints and the mask makes sure that no-one sees your face.
• The way the house is shown in the background could mean that this is the setting for the movie so a surburban housing area.
  

The Haunting In Connecticut

• The phrase based on true events makes the movie seem even scarier to the Audience as it takes away the barrier that people have which gives them the mindset 'oh its not real so nothing like this can happen to me' but if its true it means it has happened so it could happen to them.
• The seance occuring in the middle of the poster signifys that the movie is of the Horror Genre as this practice is used to communicate with spirits by Psychics and has been used in quite a lot of famous Horror movies.
• The way the man is held to the ceiling in the position of Jesus Christ on the cross give a feeling of uneasiness to the audience as this postion and the fact that he is on the ceiling is very unnatural and defies the laws of gravity but it also gives a sense of curiosity. 'Why is he on the Ceiling?, How is he doing that?
• The way the man is held to the Ceiling signifies he is possesed as this was used in such movies as The Exorcist to signify possesion.
• The position he is in (the cross shape) may signify that the man is an innocent like Jesus Christ but the fact that he is on the ceiling shows that he is being held against his will by forces unknown, most likely supernatural forces.
• The clothing on the man on the ceiling and the way the poster is sort of brown and faded could signify that the movie is set in the past.
  

Orphan

• The way that the girls face is so symmetrical and perfect gives off an uneasy feeling as it looks unnatural like a waxwork piece or a doll.
• The red scarf wrapped around her neck and the red lettering signify blood and violence may occur in the movie.
• The way that her eyes are totally black and her sockets are in shadow gives her an evil look like a shark or some sort of predator.
• As she is the only person on the poster this might signify that she is the main protagonist. 

Pandorum

•  A gentle grey tint around the edges of the poster highlight the hand and wires in the center.
• The hand could be that of the central protagonist as its the only thing in the picture.
• The way the wires travel into the veins and arteries of the persons arm make it look painful which could signify that violence is included in the film.
• The wires going into the arm show that this movie could be of the Sci-fi/Horror Genre as these kind of wires arent used in hospital practices and look more like wires of industrial machinery.
• The way Pandorum is written down the front of the persons forearm like a tattoo signifys that Pandorum could be part of the person or something important to the person so maybe a sickness/illness?

  

Friday the 13th 

•  The red writing and the machete signify that there will be horror and violence contained in the movie.
• The way the man is wearing a mask means we cannot connect with him as he has annonymity and we cannot see his face or his emotions so we cannot empathise with him, therefore he makes the audience have an uneasy feeling as he remains a mysterious and foreboding figure.
• The blue tint used on the poster connects with Horror movies as blue tints are normally used in them to signify the supernatural.
• The woods in the background signify the setting of the film and also the words camp crystal lake so the audience knows the name of where the film is set. The woodland setting also fits in with the codes and conventions of Horror films as its an isolated setting.
• As the man with the mask and machete is the only person on the poster this could signify that he is the central protagonist.
  

 The Amityville Horror

• The Red writing in the title music, the way the writing drips down, the shotgun in the mans hand and the message 'katch em & Kill em' signify that violence will occur in the movie.
• The man in the picture may be the central protagonist as he is the only character portrayed on the poster and there are no other people on the poster.
• The way that the man is highlighted shows that he is important to the film and this brings him to the attention of the audiences eyes.
• The house is showed in the background of the poster to show the setting of the film but its also placed at an angle thats almost like you are looking up at the house which could signify that its more important than just a house and could be key to the plot of the movie. Also in filming a low angle shot is used to signify that something is powerful.
• A technique is used on the poster like looking through a dirty window but someone has smeared a big section away so that we can see through it. This could signify that someone is watching the main character through the window and writing messages/instructions to the character to follow.
  

The Fourth Kind

 

• The poster shows one person in the middle. As he is the only person on the poster this could signify that he is the main protagonist but he remains anonymous as his face is cut off the poster meaning that the designer of the poster wants us to focus on the action of the mans body rather than his face.
• The way that the mans body is totally tensed up shows that he is not relaxed and happy but scared and panicking signifying that this movie is not a family movie or a comedy but a Horror/Sci-Fi/Thriller Movie.
• I think that the letters are put over the window to tell the audience what is happening as the light coming through the window at night is commonly used in Sci-Fi films like 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' to signify that aliens are visiting 
• The letters in the title of the film 'The Fourth Kind' are slightly stretched at the bottom linking in with the theme of being abducted, so basically they are being lifted slightly into the air like the man.
• As well as signifying an alien encounter the light coming through the window also highlights the body of the man being abducted bringing it to the attention of the audience.
• Putting the words 'Based on the Actual Case studies' peaks the interest of the audience. 'What case studies are these?'. It also does the same as 'The Haunting in Connecticut' film, implying that the film is based on true events which invokes a fear in the audience as they are not sure whether its true or not. Here is a review that emphasizes this:

A Few Minor Niggles, 2 November 2009

Author: yakuzaplacemat1215 from Shibuya

I had the opportunity of seeing this film at an early screening, and though my reaction to this film's technical devices was quite mixed, the constant uncertainty as to whether or not the sometimes downright disturbing patient interviews are real is... well... frankly, I'm having a little trouble sleeping right now, which is why I'm up early in the AM writing this review. At points, things occur on the camera that would careen terribly close to cheesy if that niggling doubt weren't present... did this happen? Was this real? Suddenly, it's not funny alien movie shtick. It is horrifying. Point blank horrifying. Early research into the film's viral campaigns hasn't produced anything absolutely definitive of the like that illuminated The Blair Witch Project as true, YET, and so long as that doubt remains, the film can be incredibly effective. There are a few technical hiccups, as I mentioned at the beginning, like chaotic amounts of split-screening between action, and merry-go-round shots that are a bit nauseating (when you see the opening, you will know what I mean here.) The film is also not above pandering to several alien-abduction, TV-special clichés, such as a brief "simulation" of an "alien experimenting forceps," and, of course, the wrap-up text (overlaid across mountain vistas) announcing where the characters are now and how insanely unsolvable the mystery is. The story is also a bit slow in building its setting before introducing the reason people are there: ALIENS. But, despite those obstacles, The Fourth Kind really can pull off creepy-as-hell when it counts, all without once indulging in CGI space monsters or artistic renditions of such - and that alone I give it kudos for. I would recommend going in expecting more of a Ridley Scott's Alien production and not Spielberg's E.T., to be clear.

• A Blue Wash is used over the top of the whole poster to signify the Supernatural which is the theme of the movie as its a Movie about Alien Abduction. 

Summary of Film Posters Codes & Conventions

• The Poster normally has one character as the main focus who is quite often the central protagonist of the movie and his face is not displayed (e.g covered by a mask or in conveniently placed shadow) or cut off to give the piece an air of mystery. The only film poster ive analysed thats an exception to this is Orphan but the way that her face is so perfect and flawless is kind of like a mask in itself as no-ones face is that symmetrical but its like its innocence is covering something darker deep inside shown by the black pupils and the slightly shadowed eyes.
• The piece often is covered by a coloured wash to create a darkened effect across the whole piece. These washes are often a blue, brown or dark tint but the objectives are to make the audience look more closely at the poster and to create a mood to fit in with the film (e.g a Horror film is a Dark Browny tint as normally Horror movies are quite dark and disturbing).
• Quite often the setting of the film is shown in the background which tells the audience a bit more information about the movie subliminally like where its set and what kind of a place it is.
• The character in the poster is often slightly highlighted by the lighting used or ambient light to emphasize that he/she/they are important and the highlighting also brings them to the attention of the audiences eye.
• In nearly all of the posters (except The Fourth Kind) Red is used in the title to signify that violence will occur in the movie at some point. This is probably the most common technique used out of all of the techniques listed as its also used in the actual motion picture to signify violence too.
• The Phrase 'Based on True Events'(or something loosely based on this) is used on most posters to create a sense of curiosity for the audience but also instills a litlle bit of discomfort and fear too as they are unsure what to believe.

Some other things i have noticed about film posters but have not obtained from the analysis of theses posters are:

• One film may have several versions of the film poster with variations in size, content and the country of production of the poster.
• A film poster usually contains an image with text but this has evolved to be a picture with limited text but the image must be highly visual.
• Films which have more posters everywhere help to catch the attention of a larger/wider audience.