Horror Film Poster Research

I have also researched some famous horror film posters as some inspiration for the creation of my own film poster. This will help me to inform my ideas for my own film poster and branding/marketing for my short film.

The Conjuring (2013)

The Conjuring is a rather well known horror franchise that began with the first film released in 2013. Personally I've only watched the 2021 film, however it follows a similar sort of story everytime; the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover the story of an evil spirit that resides in a family's farmhouse. The title itself is written in a font resembling 'Times New Roman,' which is often the standard for horror films such as this one. The cover itself is very bleak in terms of its colour, mainly shades of grey and brown, and the obscured landscape by the fog in the air near to the farmhouse. The main focus of the film poster is the noose hanging alone yet casting a shadow on the ground in front of the house, which in itself is rather terrifying, and is also linked to the overall plot of the film. The whole image comes together to create something that sends shivers down your spine. The additional text, 'based on the true case files of the Warrens' makes the story even more chilling and mysterious, and also is quite enticing as it makes you want to find out what happens.

It (2017)

The highest-grossing horror movie of all time, and one of the best known horror films, 'It' follows, a group of bullied kids in 1989 who come together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children in Maine. The well known blood-red writing is scribbled across the cover which shows a young child staring into the darkness, facing away and looking to a clown's arm handing them a balloon. The balloon covers the face of the clown hiding in the darkness. The colour of the entire image is dark and grey, except the red and the yellow coat and green boots of the young child which is rather ominous. To me, I think that the cover is rather frightening, and it captures a chilling moment from the film.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

This film is one of my personal favourites. Starring Bruce Willis, a well known American actor, the story follows a traumatised 8 year old boy who 'sees' dead people in his hallucinations. He communicates with them in a way that no other person can, and is referred to a child psychologist. The cover is rather simple; a list of the 5 senses, sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and 6 being the outline of the little boy. It has a tagline beneath the title that reads in capitals and grabs your attention; 'NOT EVERY GIFT IS A BLESSING.'

Reference list Shyamalan, M.N., Shyamalan, M.N., Willis, B., Osment, H.J. and Collette, T. (1999). The Sixth Sense. [online] IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167404/?ref_=tt_mv_close [Accessed 27 Oct. 2021]. Wan, J., Hayes, C., Hayes, C.W., Wilson, P., Farmiga, V., Livingston, R. and Taylor, L. (2013). The Conjuring. [online] IMDb. Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1457767/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2021]. www.imdb.com. (n.d.). It. [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2021].