Archetype characters- this is a character which is typical to the genre of film, in a horror film the characters would be expected to be scary or a brave individual taking on the bad guy or bad guys .
The Helper- As the name states this character helps the protagonist with advice and aid in situations.
Antagonist- this is the bad guy in the film, he can be of either a supernatural entity which is spirit like etc. or psychopathic which means they have a mental disease.
Weaponry- What type of weapon is used e.g. a knife or gun, the antagonist however may not require a weapon when attacking the victims and attack them in another way, this method of attacking is commonly used by the supernatural as they have powers, psychopathic characters however can also attack their victims physically.
Themes- The themes of a horror film are often portrayed through binary oppositions such as good vs. evil, normal vs. abnormal, male vs. female and light vs. dark, this is to show messages and values of the film.
Costume and Make Up- What the antagonist wears shows characteristics of the antagonists personality e.g. if they wear a mask they are insecure of themselves and want to hide behind a mask.
Traits- Traits of the horror genre are that a killer or monster (antagonist) is set loose in a town or city and attacks many of the citizens, however there is always one victim (protagonist) who survives for most of the film trying to escape from the antagonist.
Monster Fodder- these are the victims in the film that are attacked and killed by the antagonist, they are usually killed early in the film to build a sense of fear in the audience for the rest of the film, these characters are known as stock characters and their characters aren't developed much as they are not featured in the film for very long.
Suburban Environment- If the film is set in the city then the antagonist usually attacks more people as there are more people exposed to being attacked.
Isolated Environment- The location in where the film is set may be isolated form other cities so that when the antagonist attacks the victims are unable to escape easily, they have to be rescued.
Protagonist- This is the good character in the film who is often female, the protagonist is often a female so that the final girl theory can be used.
Production and Distribution Companies:
There are several production and distribution companies in the film industry, the major film distributors are:
Sony Pictures Entertainment, this was previously know as Columbia Pictures Entertainment which included Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures etc., however in 1989 Sony bought it for $3.4 billion from the Coca Cola Company. The next day Sony also purchased Guber-Peters Entertainment Company for $200 million.
- 20th Century Fox was founded in 1935 and are based in Los Angeles California, some of their biggest releases include Die Hard, Star Wars, X-Men and many more.
Other production and distribution companies in the horror genre include:
Dimension Films are another distributor and they released Scream, they are owned by The Walt Disney Company and Weinstein Company and based in New York.
Fox Searchlight Productions are another distributor of horror films and released 28 Days Later. It is a division of 20th Century Fox and was established in 1994, other releases from them include Slumdog Millionaire.
Lionsgate who distributed Saw II, they are an American company that originated from Vancouver, British Columbia, now however they are located in Santa Monica, California. They are also the most successful film and television company in North America. Famous releases by Lionsgate include Captivity
Sub Genres Within the Horror Genre
There are three different sub genres that are used within the horror genre which set more of a storyline.
Apocalypse
In this sub genre, mankind is threatened by other inhuman creates or monsters which as trying to achieve the extinction of the human race. The antagonist in the apocalypse sub genre may consist of creatures that have come from out of space or a threat of a plague or virus of which is threatening to become bigger and completely wipe out any humans and mankind. A film with this sub genre typically end with mankind dying out and the disturbing creatures dominating. An example of a film with this sub genre is Resident Evil
In this sub genre, mankind is threatened by other inhuman creates or monsters which as trying to achieve the extinction of the human race. The antagonist in the apocalypse sub genre may consist of creatures that have come from out of space or a threat of a plague or virus of which is threatening to become bigger and completely wipe out any humans and mankind. A film with this sub genre typically end with mankind dying out and the disturbing creatures dominating. An example of a film with this sub genre is Resident Evil
Haunting and Demonic PossessionsFilms that follow this sub genre play on the audiences fear of the unknown and makes the audience believe that superstitions do exist and that there are evil forces such as spirits and ghosts in the world. These evil forces are usually exemplified through the use of spirits, ghosts of demon. Often in this sub genre, religion is a very important theme as many plots include a fight between good and evil. Many films that follow this sub genre also use the audiences superstitions such as using a Ouija Board to attract the audience. An example of a horror film that follows this sub genre is The Exorcism Of Emily Rose and also The Exorcist. In these films we also witness the Catholic priest trying to fight the devil out of the victim.
The Human Monster
This sub genre deals with the horror of the personality such as physcopathology and murder of psychosis and insanity. This sub genre shows the audience the mind of a killer who automatically the audience believes is insane. This kind of sub genre exemplifies that some people may be born with no sense of morality and therefore this may lead them to become a killer. An example a film that uses this sub genre is Silence of the Lambs
Analysis / Research of Film Trailers:
The overall time of the trailer is 57 seconds which is fairly short; I believe it is short and quick so that too much of the story isn't revealed in the trailer and also to represent the fear in the 'participants' as their heartbeat would increase the more scared they were.
Editing / Lighting
• The trailer begins with warnings of the suitable age for the film to warn audience members of the content before they watch it. This trailer is unsuitable for children as it is Rated R.
• The producers and distributors are then shown, these being Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures.
• The story of previous the Saw’s is told with comments such as “Every Master Craftsman” of which the man responsible for the traps etc. could be perceived as; these comments make the audience aware that it is a sequel. It also attracts new audience members as those who have not seen any of the Saw franchise can gather a brief understanding of what the film is about which could lead to them wanting to go and see the film.
• The trailer is edited at a quick pace; this is so not too much of the film is revealed leaving the viewer wanting to see more. It could also be portrayed to create a fast paced ‘heartbeat’ representative of what the audience are supposed to feel whilst watching the film helping to identify the genre of the film.
• The writing shown has shadows cast over and around it suggesting that the film will be ‘dark’ and again identifying that the genre is horror.
• The flashing lights of which flicker before the clips of the ‘participants’ are shown in the traps could be to show their blindness going into the situation as they are unaware of how they got into the situation at the beginning of the film.
• The first shots of the writing which are not overcast by shadows reveal the traps beneath them; this is to promote the unique selling point (USP) of the film which is that it is in 3D as the spikes are shown in 3D. It also reveals more about the film as if the viewer could not gather that the film was about traps and punishment etc. due to the quick cuts they get a longer glimpse at the shot allowing them more time to register what is on screen.
• As the title Saw 3D is revealed it zooms out from a machine; this foreshadows the film as the majority of things in the film ‘work like clockwork’ from the machines / traps harming the ‘participants’ to how the man who conducts the plans thinks as he is aware of everything that is going to happen as if he were a machine.
• Near the end of the trailer blood bursts from beneath one of the traps again showing that the film will be gory and of the horror genre.
• The trailer ends with the release date, however because it is a teaser trailer it does not reveal the exact date only the month. It also displays the distribution and production companies again as well as a website where more information on the film can be found.
Camera
• At the beginning of the trailer there are close ups; this could be to give a brief introduction to the audience as to who the main characters are going to be. This is supported by there being a blonde girl as one of these characters who would be typical for the ‘final girl’ role of which many horror films use.
• There is also a crane shot over one of the ‘participants’ heads this shows the audience that there is going to be one person who has more power and controls people within the film of which applies to Saw.
• The camera shot then changes to a long shot, this covers the general public of whom are carrying on with everyday life this could be to show that anyone can become the target as it does now focus on any one person. This point can also be supported by the next shot which is a close up of a target. If these are combined if could be perceived that any member of the public can be targeted.
• There are close ups focusing on the participants being tied up and contained again revealing part of the storyline and what is to come in the film.
• A crane shot is again used when sowing the man within the cage; this again foreshadows someone controlling others who feature in the film.
• The close up of the spikes can make the audience ‘feel on edge’ as the man nearly falls out of the cage onto them.
• There are also medium and long shots towards the end of the trailer focusing on the traps / machines, this can be to attract viewers of the prequels to this Saw as it shows that new ‘equipment’ features and it will not be the same as the other prequels.
Mise En Scene
• There are a lot of sharp objects shown in the trailer such as broken glass and barbed wire, this can foreshadow blood in the film as sharp objects often create cuts resulting in blood being spilt.
• A target board is shown which can be representative of members of the public being targeted in the film.
• Participants are shown to be withheld in the traps and tied up, this again foreshadows that the film is about torture and punishment which also reveals the genre again as these are two common features of the horror genre.
• All of the traps which are used all ‘break through the screen’ whilst the text is shown, this is again to advertise the unique selling point that the film will be in 3D.
Sound
• The opening of the film has a ‘clashing’ of metal sound which can be perceived to be the machines of which are punishing the ‘participants’ in the film. There is also an faint screaming, eerie noise which can be seen as representing the lost and limited hope of those who feature in the film and are being targeted or that there is someone acting as a supernatural like force upon the characters as they are unaware of his presence.
• Every time the text appears on the screen it is parallel with a strong ‘thud’ noise which helps to build up tension as it is unclear what it actually is.
• The voiceover speaks slowly and calmly also increasing tension within the audience making them more nervous.
• He explains new things in the film such as “A new design”
• The only diagetic sound which can be heard is the screams of those in the film making it clear what the film will be about.
• “You haven’t seen anything yet” – This can make previous viewers of the Saw franchise intrigued as they want to know what is new in the film.
• The pace of the music increases towards the end of the trailer when the activity within the shot also increases such as the saw which is heading towards the man; this represents the quickening of his heartbeat as he would be more scared as he is possibly facing death.
Sam also completed an analysis of the 'Paranormal Activity 2' trailer which is shown on his blog; click here for the link. As well as Sam completing a trailer analysis Michelle also analysed the trailers for 'Jennifer's Body' and 'Scream 4' of which are shown on Michelle's product research section.
Jennifer's Body Official Trailer
Jennifer's Body Trailer
Time Length: 1:47
Content Analysis: The Jennifer's Body trailer is made non-chronologically, this is an effective way of doing it as it doesn't reveal too much of the film and therefore the audience will still be surprised with what may happen. In the trailer the film makes introduce the main plot and the sub plots that flow around it, they also introduce the main characters and relationships between the characters. The trailer includes clips from the film with supporting credits, however edited inbetween the clips from the film are narrative titles.
Camera:
The first shot after the distribution companies logo has appeared is an establishing shot of a large open lake, in the middle of the lake we are able to see movement from a person swimming. The fact that the person appears very small in the opening shot exemplifies that there is going to be a lot of isolation in the film and also that she is going to one of the main characters in the film. Following this shot is then a close up of an attractive female character, staring directly at the camera, in many horror films, effects and shots on eyes are often used to portray possession and the antagonist. 
Following the shots from the sea, the clip immediately changes to a narrative title quoting 'in every school' there is then a variety of long shots, medium shots and close-ups of the same female, these shots introduce the character properly, allowing the audience to view every aspect of her. Between these shots there are also other narrative titles added in to continue adding emphasis on what the character is like. The close up shots are essential in this trailer as they are all of a unique selling point of the film, a popular American actress Megan Fox. The actress will not only attract the female gender as young girls may look up to her as a role model, but also the male gender as she is also seen as being very attractive to many boys.
In the trailer, an over the shoulder shot is used capturing Megan Fox's reflection in a mirror, not only does this represent vanity in the character of which is a stereotypical view of popular girls, but also may foreshadow that there are two sides to this character and that there is going to be a change in this characters appearance. 
Handheld cameras are used in the trailer to represent unsteadiness, action and to allow the audience to see what it is like from the characters perspectives.
There are also other establishing shots used to introduce settings.
In the trailer, other then when there are establishing shots, no other high or low angle shots are used, I think that this is because as it is only a trailer, the director wouldn't want to give to much away about who is going to be the more dominant character in the film, as it would ruin the surprise for the audience.
Editing:An editing transition that has been used a lot in the trailer is fading. On many occasions the clips change by fading to black and then back out. They speed of the fades are slow to build up suspense.
There are many narrative titles in the teaser fading in and out between the clips, a black background is used, as it is a very dark colour and represents fear. Superimposition is also used as the titles are sometimes put over a clip from the trailer, this is to show a relationship between the narrative titles and the clips that have been taken from the film. The credits and titles are all on a black background with white bold writing, this is used to represent the strong characters in the film, however as they are not in a colour like red it does not represent blood or fear, but the colour white represents purity in some of the characters. As the trailer goes on, the length of the clips get shorter and the pace of the cuts get quicker, this represents how there is a lot of action towards the end of the film and it also builds up a lot of suspense.
Sound/Lighting:
In this clip there is both diagetic and non diagetic sound. The diagetic sound is the dialogue between the characters. There is only limited dialogue in the trailer so that it does not give to much of the narrative away.
There is also non-diagetic music being played over the top of some of the clips and the titles, the music beats in time with the titles as they appear. The music is also parallel to the action of the trailer as it is hard and fast beats. At the start of the clip the sound of the female swimming is very quiet, however when the clip changes it appears to get louder. The same piece of the music is played throughout the clip to show continuity.
In many of the clips, only half of the main characters face seems to have light on it, this may be done to show that there is a hidden side to this character. The shots that are being took at indoor locations such as the school are very well lit, however all of the outdoor ones have limited light, this may have been done to represent limited hope for the characters.
Mise-en-Scene
Costume: Throughout most of the trailer, all of the cast are just wearing normal tradition teenager clothes, however at the end of the trailer, we see Megan Fox wearing a white prom-style dress with dirt on it. The fact that she is wearing a white dress and it had got dirty, shows the contrast between the two sides of her, and also reflects how at the beginning of the trailer she was pure and innocent and how things then change.
Macro Analysis:
Macro Analysis:
Characters: At the beginning of the trailer, the main character is introduced. The main character is being played by popular well known American actress Megan Fox. The trailer shows many shots of her; long shots, medium shots, and close-ups. Medium shots are also used when capturing Megan Fox from the waist and above, showing low-cut tops. Shots like this automatically appeal to the male gender.
Narrative:The narrative is told in the form of narrative titles that appear between clips of the film to help support each other and show a relationship between both.
The narrative is also introduced in the trailer in the form of diegetic dialogue between the characters.
Other settings that are shown in the trailer are outside, and all very dark, this supports the conventions of the horror genre.
Scream 4 Official Teaser Trailer
Scream 4 Trailer
Time Length: 1:24
Content Analysis: Scream 4 teaser trailer is made non-chronologically. This is a good form of creating a trailer as it allows the audience to still be surprised about what is going to happen in the film and also continues to build up suspense for the audience when they are watching it. The trailer introduces the antagonist, protagonist and the final girl. As well as including clips from the film, the trailer also includes added titles to show who is in the film, this is essential as some people may choose to watch the film if somebody that they like is in it.
Micro Analysis
Camera:
The medium shot is convenient as it also pictures the female character on the phone, this is important as it is part of iconography for a horror film, and especially in all of the prequels to this film. If this was the first time the audience had seen one of the Scream films, because this is the first shot they see, they will still understand that the phone call has a large importance in the film.
Following the first shot there is then a variety of medium shots and also close ups. The shots are all at an eye line match. This is to show a connection and similarity between the characters. One of the close-ups if of a a new character opening curtains and looking out of the window, the way that the camera pictures her opening the curtains is as if she is introducing herself to the audience as a new character. As well as this, the close up is important as it is of a attractive American actress Hayden Panettiere, because she is very well known and attractive, this may also be seen as a unique selling point of the film.
There are many other close ups in the trailer, these are important in the trailer to allow the audience to see the emotions of the different characters.
There is also another important medium shot in the trailer, of which may have a big impact on the audience of the film and also tells the audience a lot about the characters. This medium shot is important as from the trailer we are able to see that the film is targeted at an older audience and also that the female character is going to be a very open character in the film. The image would also make you assume that there is going to be sexual scenes within the film.
The first shot after the distribution company is a medium shot of Neve Campbell, this shot introduces the main character that has starred in the previous three Scream films. This may be seen as a unique selling point, as people may been impressed with her and therefore wants to watch the sequel. Analysis / Research of Magazine Covers
In the trailer there is also an over the shoulder shot, from the female characters point of view, whilst looking at the antagonist, as this shot is from over the shoulder, it puts the audience into the characters perspective and allows them to feel as if they are looking at the person in the mask. This creates fear and fright in the audience. 
Different angles are used in the trailer to show dominance and the hierarchy between the characters. Although the angles are used in the trailer, they are not aimed at any character specifically, as well as this, you are unable to see from who's point of view the shot is coming from, this is so that the dominant characters in the film are not revealed and therefore there is still a surprise for the audience.
In the teaser trailer there is also a long shot, long shots are important in the trailer to fully introduce a character. The long shot allows the audience to get a view of what the character is wearing from head to toe. This is important as the clothing represents what the character is like. This image shows a character in a full black costume, this colour represents that it is a dark and evil character. As well as this, the audience is able to see that the character is wearing a mask that has been worn in the prequels and also allows the audience to identify the antagonist before watching the film.
Editing:
Within the trailer, many different editing techniques are used. One of the first techniques that we see is non-diegetic sound being put over the top of the distribution company logo. The sound being put over has a big importance as it is a phone ringing, this is something often matched to the horror genre and especially the film Scream.
Many quick jump cuts are used to show the fast paced action in the film, as well as this there are many eye line matches to show a relationship between the characters.In the trailer there are many quick fades to black and then back out, as they fade at a very fast beat and then show different characters each time, it appears as if it is a fast heartbeat switching between the characters to show how they are all feeling.
In the teaser trailer there is also a long shot, long shots are important in the trailer to fully introduce a character. The long shot allows the audience to get a view of what the character is wearing from head to toe. This is important as the clothing represents what the character is like. This image shows a character in a full black costume, this colour represents that it is a dark and evil character. As well as this, the audience is able to see that the character is wearing a mask that has been worn in the prequels and also allows the audience to identify the antagonist before watching the film. Editing:
Within the trailer, many different editing techniques are used. One of the first techniques that we see is non-diegetic sound being put over the top of the distribution company logo. The sound being put over has a big importance as it is a phone ringing, this is something often matched to the horror genre and especially the film Scream.
Many quick jump cuts are used to show the fast paced action in the film, as well as this there are many eye line matches to show a relationship between the characters.In the trailer there are many quick fades to black and then back out, as they fade at a very fast beat and then show different characters each time, it appears as if it is a fast heartbeat switching between the characters to show how they are all feeling. As well as clips from the movie, inbetween these are titles to support the film and showing quotes that have been made about the film, as well as this the titles and credits also show who the director is and also introduces the title of the film. The titles and credits are all white and red on a black background. The White on Black foreshadows what the mask is like worn by the antagonist. The red font is used as it represents blood, anger, fear and danger, all themes and emotions that are typical in a horror film.
Sound:In the trailer there is both diegetic and non diegetic sound. The first bit of sound we hear is a non diegetic sound clip of a phone ringing, this is common in all of the Scream films and it is following the tradition that the audience will expect if they have seen the prequels. This is then followed by dialogue over a phone, one of the first things that we hear is 'Welcome home Sidney'. This is said in the traditional Scream voice, this is important to have in the Trailer so that the audience will know that the storyline is being carried on and that it is the same antagonist. Over the top of the clips and titles there is a non-diegetic piece of music of hard beats, this represents heart beats of which portray the fear of the characters. The non-diegetic voice of the antagonist continues playing over a variety of clips from the film, this may be used to show a connection between the antagonist and the characters that are on screen. In the trailer there are also repetitive sharp noises that sounds like somebody being stabbed, this shows that there is going to be stabbing in the film. All of the dialogue in the trailer helps to tell the narrative of the story without giving too much of the storyline away. There are also many loud screams in the trailer, however these aren't diegetic and we are unable to see who the screaming is coming from, this is so that the audience don't know too much about who the victims are going to be.
Mise-en-scene:
Costume and Make Up: In the trailer the costumes used represent a lot about the characters which allows the audience to gain some knowledge about them before watching the film. For example, many of the female actresses in the character are typical girls, wearing make-up, looking very attractive and wearing low cut tops. This shows that the characters are going to be very feminine and that they may also be very open characters.
In the trailer, there are also clips of the antagonist. The antagonist is wearing an all black costume, as the costume is black, this is a dark colour which represents fear. As well as this, the antagonist is also wearing a mask in the trailer, the mask is black and white, this matches the titles and credits and also may be used to show that their is a contrast between the 'antagonist' and the person who is under the costume, just like the contrast between the two colours. Another costume worn is by the Police Officers who are all in uniform. This shows that there is definitely going to be crimes in the film that the police get involved with. 
Props: Many clips in the trailer also show many different props that have been used in the film. These are all used as iconography in a horror film, for example, in many of the shots, a knife is visible being used by the antagonist. This shows that there may be gory deaths in the film and that many people may get killed by this weapon. Other props that are used in the film, include a telephone, a telephone is used in many horror films as they traditionally get scary threatening phone calls, as well as this, a scary phone call at the start is also very common in the prequels of the Scream films.
Facial Expressions and Body Language: Many of the shots in the trailer are close ups of the characters faces. The close ups are used to capture the emotion being shown by the characters. Many of the characters faces in this trailer of the horror film are portraying; horror, shock and fear. In the trailer we also see people with very uncomfortable body language as they are very closed and boxed in. This shows that they are scared of what is about to happen.
Macro Analysis
Characters: The trailer shows that the film also follows traditions with the characters that they have such as a protagonist, antagonist, final girl and a monster fodder.The trailer introduces many characters to the audience. The purpose of introducing some of the characters is because they may be a unique selling point of the film. For example, Neve Campbell has starred in all of the Scream films and therefore people may be fond of her acting, as well as this, by re-introducing her character 'Sidney Prescott' this shows that the film is going to be carrying on with the same storyline. The trailer also introduces new characters such as Hayden Panettiere who is a very well known and popular American actress. Narrative: The narrative of the film is shown through the use of clips from the film. There are no addition narrative titles to support the clips. Through the trailer we do not see any definite attacks being made on any of the characters, this is so that not too much of the storyline is being given away. We can see from the trailer that the narrative includes an antagonist and protagonist and also that there is going to be crimes and deaths in the film.
Setting: There are many different settings shown in the trailer. One setting that we see on many occasions is in the corridor or classroom of a school, this shows that the narrative is based around younger characters, this may be used to attract a younger targeted audience. Other settings that are shown in the trailer are different houses, this shows the variety of characters in the film and also that there is going to be a lot of action in the different homes.Film Trailer Analysis: Paranormal Activity 2
Micro Analysis
Camera Work: The first shot in the teaser trailer, we see a human body flying towards and finally into the camera. This creates a canted angle, this is not a normal angle to use within a trailer or a film. This suggests that the film is not going to run in a 'normal' way. We know this because of the genre of the film being a supernatural horror, with sub genres of demonic possession. 
The next thing we see in the trailer is a cutaway to the audience watching the film very tensely. This suggests that the content of the film is not only going to be frightening but is in fact a good quality of footage. This shot is followed by a cut back to the canted angle of the door continuing the slow zoom into it. However, the mood is quickly changed when a girl jumps at the camera. [pic] As you can see the girl appears to be possessed. This runs parallel with the way the teaser trailer is turning out and also parallel with the previous film with the genre of Psychological Horror.
A sense of Equilibrium is the restored within the trailer showing establishing shots of the house and its surroundings. However the sense of 'paranormal activity' then starts picking up again with a breeze blowing through the house causing pans to swing in the kitchen thus causing dog to bark. We sense at this point that we are going to get another shock.
The shock is bought to us by what appears to be the same possessed girl who jumped out at the camera earlier in the teaser trailer, standing in the door way with hair over her face, hiding her identity. This shot also shows that the baby and the dog who were shown in the previous shot have disappeared. This would encourage the audience to watch the film to see what happens within this scene.
This shot of the girl in the doorway is the last shot we see of the actual content of the film, and this is followed up by the title of the film. Firstly it shows the weird placing of the '2' which is just off centre representing again the abnormal narrative of the film. We then see the title of the film but with 'Activity' spelt backwards which again connotes the paranormal theme within the film.
Analysis / Research of Magazine Covers
Masthead: The masthead of the magazine is the largest of the titles which are displayed on the cover of the magazine; this could be due to the successful reputation which Empire magazine have so they therefore want to make sure readers see their name above the product to increase the possibility of them buying the magazine. The masthead is also shown in the primary colour red, this means that it will stand out to the audience more and again make them more likely to see the title and buy the magazine. The title of the magazine may also be referring to the Empire State Building which is one of the tallest buildings in New York suggesting that the magazine is also one of the 'top' film magazines in the industry.
Cover lines: There are several cover lines shown on the magazine cover such as "Sweeney Todd", "Review Of 2007" and "I Am Legend"; these coverlines will also attract a wider audience as they are successful films of different genres and will therefore appeal to audience members with different interests. As well as attracting a wider audience it is also informing for the readers as it has a "Review Of 2007" so people looking for the 'top' films of 2007 will be able to read the magazine as a guide for which films to watch; this is beneficial for both Empire as they sell their magazine but also the film industry as by promoting films in a positive manor it will increase the likelihood that people will go out and buy the film or watch it at the cinema.
Skyline: "The Dark Knight World Exclusive" is displayed at the top of the magazine; this is particularly attracting for fans of the Batman series as they will want to get exclusives on the film and what to expect; also the publicity of Heath Ledger's death will attract readers as they will want to read about his views on the film prior to his death.
Central Image: Heath Ledger is the main focus of the cover occupying the centre of the magazine; this is done so that it is clear to the readers what the magazine is going to be about. Another reason for Heath Ledger occupying the cover of the magazine is because he received a lot of praise for his role within 'Batman The Dark Knight' and was expected to win awards for his performance of which he did winning a Golden Globe amongst many other honours, therefore Empire magazine would want to relate their magazine with success which they did by making Heath Ledger's 'The Joker' the central image.
Colour / Font: The main colour and font shown on the magazine are linked to 'The Joker' being green and purple and also shown as 'playing cards' and 'cut-outs' which are methods used by 'The Joker' to communicate with others in the film. As well as the main text of the cover being 'twisted' the quote beneath is also wrote in a 'evil' way as it is crooked and uneven which can foreshadow 'The Jokers' disruption of the equilibrium within the film. Aside from the anchorage text the text is bold, large and in capital letters; this could be to make the text stand out to the audience and bring their attention to alternate stories which may possibly attract them to buy the magazine.
Price: The price is displayed near the top of the magazine in a small font; this could be so the public do not see the price of the magazine until the pay, as they may possibly be put off as they do not want to pay a certain price. Barcode: The barcode is at the bottom of the magazine and fairly small; this is so not too much space is taken up by the barcode and therefore more information can be shown on the cover of which can increase sales if it is an interesting story.
Puff: A puff (The green circle on the cover) is used to advertise 'The Complete Coens'; a puff is used to make this exclusive stand out which can again attract members of the public to buy the magazine.
Plug: 'The Complete Coens' is also a plug as it is an exclusive used to attract more sales.
The Masthead of the magazine has used bold capital letters to make it stand out to the reader. Also the way it is layered on top of each other makes it look futuristic which goes along with the plot of the film with a futuristic robot. The colour of the masthead is mainly red which runs parallel with the Plug of the magazine.
The Plug of the magazine is the thing that makes it stand out the most, in this case it is the 'Amazing Flashing Cover'. This is a very catchy plug and very noticeable, which encourages readers to purchase it.
The central image of the cover is the face of 'The Terminator'. This is the trend with most magazines that they either use a still from the film or they use a character from the film they are advertising.
They have used Anchorage Text at the bottom to fit it in with the film. This certain cover feels that this film is a huge selling point so they do not need to advertise anything else apart from this film. They have also made words such as 'PLUS' stand out as it makes the reader feel as thought they are getting more for their money. They do this by using effects such as bold and highlight.
This particular magazine does not have a price on the front of it. This suggest that it is rather more expensive than the average magazine. They have not displayed it because they do not want the reader to worry about the price and concentrate on the content of the magazine.
The Skyline of the magazine is the information at the top which tells the reader about the amazing flashing cover. This flashing cover is also part of the Puff of the magazine because as well as the content of the magazine it gives the reader the gift of the flashing cover, suggest that they are getting more for their money and within the current climate, that's what everybody wants.
Cover lines: There are several cover lines shown on the magazine cover such as "Sweeney Todd", "Review Of 2007" and "I Am Legend"; these coverlines will also attract a wider audience as they are successful films of different genres and will therefore appeal to audience members with different interests. As well as attracting a wider audience it is also informing for the readers as it has a "Review Of 2007" so people looking for the 'top' films of 2007 will be able to read the magazine as a guide for which films to watch; this is beneficial for both Empire as they sell their magazine but also the film industry as by promoting films in a positive manor it will increase the likelihood that people will go out and buy the film or watch it at the cinema.
Skyline: "The Dark Knight World Exclusive" is displayed at the top of the magazine; this is particularly attracting for fans of the Batman series as they will want to get exclusives on the film and what to expect; also the publicity of Heath Ledger's death will attract readers as they will want to read about his views on the film prior to his death.
Central Image: Heath Ledger is the main focus of the cover occupying the centre of the magazine; this is done so that it is clear to the readers what the magazine is going to be about. Another reason for Heath Ledger occupying the cover of the magazine is because he received a lot of praise for his role within 'Batman The Dark Knight' and was expected to win awards for his performance of which he did winning a Golden Globe amongst many other honours, therefore Empire magazine would want to relate their magazine with success which they did by making Heath Ledger's 'The Joker' the central image.
Colour / Font: The main colour and font shown on the magazine are linked to 'The Joker' being green and purple and also shown as 'playing cards' and 'cut-outs' which are methods used by 'The Joker' to communicate with others in the film. As well as the main text of the cover being 'twisted' the quote beneath is also wrote in a 'evil' way as it is crooked and uneven which can foreshadow 'The Jokers' disruption of the equilibrium within the film. Aside from the anchorage text the text is bold, large and in capital letters; this could be to make the text stand out to the audience and bring their attention to alternate stories which may possibly attract them to buy the magazine.
Price: The price is displayed near the top of the magazine in a small font; this could be so the public do not see the price of the magazine until the pay, as they may possibly be put off as they do not want to pay a certain price. Barcode: The barcode is at the bottom of the magazine and fairly small; this is so not too much space is taken up by the barcode and therefore more information can be shown on the cover of which can increase sales if it is an interesting story.
Puff: A puff (The green circle on the cover) is used to advertise 'The Complete Coens'; a puff is used to make this exclusive stand out which can again attract members of the public to buy the magazine.
Plug: 'The Complete Coens' is also a plug as it is an exclusive used to attract more sales.
The Masthead of the magazine has used bold capital letters to make it stand out to the reader. Also the way it is layered on top of each other makes it look futuristic which goes along with the plot of the film with a futuristic robot. The colour of the masthead is mainly red which runs parallel with the Plug of the magazine.The Plug of the magazine is the thing that makes it stand out the most, in this case it is the 'Amazing Flashing Cover'. This is a very catchy plug and very noticeable, which encourages readers to purchase it.
The central image of the cover is the face of 'The Terminator'. This is the trend with most magazines that they either use a still from the film or they use a character from the film they are advertising.
They have used Anchorage Text at the bottom to fit it in with the film. This certain cover feels that this film is a huge selling point so they do not need to advertise anything else apart from this film. They have also made words such as 'PLUS' stand out as it makes the reader feel as thought they are getting more for their money. They do this by using effects such as bold and highlight.
This particular magazine does not have a price on the front of it. This suggest that it is rather more expensive than the average magazine. They have not displayed it because they do not want the reader to worry about the price and concentrate on the content of the magazine.
The Skyline of the magazine is the information at the top which tells the reader about the amazing flashing cover. This flashing cover is also part of the Puff of the magazine because as well as the content of the magazine it gives the reader the gift of the flashing cover, suggest that they are getting more for their money and within the current climate, that's what everybody wants.
Fangoria
- Coverlines: The magazine cover shows many other articles that are in the magazine. One of the main articles that we see is going to be in the magazine is about the film Hostel Part II. We can see that this is going to be the main article in the magazine as it is the second biggest word on the cover and in big bold letters. It is also advertising other films such as Halloween, and 1108 and films that are going to attract the targeted audience to buy the magazine.
- Skyline: The skyline of this magazine is a question addressed to the audience of something that is going to be in the magazine. As it is a question, this makes the audience want to read the article to find out the answer.
- Central Image: The central image of the magazine cover is an image from the featured film Hostel Part II. This is used to support what is gong to be in the article, it always makes the reader more aware of the genre of the film, iconography such as blood and a cut up body will attract the targeted audience who are interested in gory horror films. The Anchorage Text to support this image is the title of the film. - Colour and Font: The colour and font that is used on the magazine cover is essential when considering the target audience and how it will attract the audience. The title of the magazine is in red, this is because red represents danger, fear and also blood. Other coverlines are also in green, this is because it can be seen as a gory colour and is also the colour of many monsters such as the monster in Frankenstein and also the Hulk. Other titles are white however with red faded onto it, this also foreshadows that there is going to be blood in the film.
- Price: The price of the magazine has been printed very small and next to the barcode. This may be because it is quite and expensive and therefore if it was easily available to see it may put the audience off buying it. On the other hand, it may also be because the magazine has always been the same price and therefore it does not need to be displayed fully and take up to much room on the magazine.
- Left Side Third: All of the important information on the magazine has been displayed down the left side third. On this side is the title of many films and articles that are going to be featured in the magazine. This is because this is the side that will be easiest to see when the magazines are being displayed in the shop.
- Language: The magazine makes very direct statements aimed at the audience, for example 'Bring Out Your Dead'. The editors have used a direct mode of address to attract the audience. Total Film
- Masthead: The title of this magazine cover is Total Film, the word 'Film' on the cover is the biggest and most clearest. This is so that the audience will immediately know what the magazine is about. The colour of the word is red, this is significant as the colour red represents many things such as blood, fear, danger, love and emergency. Therefore this shows that the magazine 'Total Film' will cover articles on films of different genres, this allows the magazine to widen the targeted audience and not only aim it at specific people who are interested in a specific genre of films.
- Coverlines: The magazine cover presents many articles that are going to be featured in the magazine. The main focus on the coverlines is drew in by a big bold arrow pointing towards the rightside third of the cover, then listing a variety of films or slogans to match the film. To attract the audience the editor of the magazine has used different fonts and colours. ''The Deadly Megan Fox' has been put in a red font to make it stand out, this is the picture of
- Skyline: The skyline of the magazine cover is important as it is something that may be seen first if magazines are stacked in stores above and behind each other. Therefore the magazine cover has a very eye catching and persuasive skyline to make the audience want to read the magazine, this is 'Our Biggest Preview Ever'. The word biggest has also been put in a different font to make it stand out more and to exaggerate the word. In the skyline there are also images of three films. These three films may be what the editor felt were going to be popular films that would attract an audience. To make the decision of publishing these images and films as the skyline the editor may have done his/her own audience research by creating a questionnaire to see what genres/actors/actresses/directors people like.
- Central Image: The central image on this magazine cover is popular actress
- Colour and Font: The magazine cover doesn't use specific colours or style of font, this shows that the magazine covers a variety of articles and different genre of films and therefore can attract a wider audience. As well as this, on the magazine cover there are no specific fonts or colours to attract specific genders. The most important things on the page have all been put at a bigger font and in capital letters to make sure that they stand out to the audience.
- Price: The price of the magazine had been printed smaller than anything else on the page, the price of the magazine is £3.99. The price of the magazine has been printed next to the magazines website http://www.totalfilm.com/magazine, this is so that whilst the viewer may be looking for the price the magazine is able to advertise their website. Megan Fox, the central image is big and very eye catching, not only is it an attractive female showing a lot of flesh, but as it is a very simple picture and one of biggest on the page it is the most noticeable. The picture has also been edited and the actress has blood on her hands and next to her feet, this shows that the actress is from a film of the horror genre. Megan Fox is the main focus on the cover. As well as this, when putting a word before the film, the editors have also used a black font to grab the audiences attention to make them aware of what is going to be said about the film and to make it stand out, for example 'The Stormy Twilight'.
Analysis / Research of Film Posters
I Am Legend
Colours: The colours on the poster are focused around Will Smith and get darker further away from the focus of the poster. This suggests to the audience that Will Smith is the protagonist and saviour within the film; however this can be perceived differently according to Stuart Hall's theory of peoples preferred reading and oppositional reading etc. As the colours get darker the further away from Will Smith it suggests that he is surrounded by 'evil' of which he is as he is outnumbered by the 'zombies'.
Layout:
The main image in the poster is Will Smith as he is in the centre of the poster showing the audience who the main character is; as well as this he is accompanied by a dog of whom is his only friend, this reinforces the saying "A dog is a mans best friend." as the dog is the only one left to support him; this suggests possibly why the creators of film decided to purse this idea. Despite this however it also shows loneliness as the dog cannot communicate to him the same way a human can, this can cause many to go insane and at several points within the film he does show small glimpses e.g. resiting the words to a scene in Shrek.
As well as Will Smith being the main focus the bridge in the background is also of great importance as it shows there is no escape for Will Smith as the roads are destroyed, therefore he is trapped in New York by the 'zombies'.
Written Text:
"The last man on earth is not alone." is the slogan shown on the poster; this foreshadows the existence 'zombies' of whom also occupy New York. As well as the 'zombies' there are other humans who have not been affected by the disease meaning that the slogan also applies to them.
Will Smiths name also features at the top of the poster in large capital letters, this is because a successful name such as his acts as a unique selling point (USP) and can attract many viewers and therefore increasing their profits.
There is also writing at the bottom of the poster stating those who were involved in the creation of the film e.g. actors, producers and distributors. This can also attract an audience as people may like other films produced and distributed by those companies, or they may have enjoyed films the actors featured in prior to "I Am Legend".
Jennifer's Body
- Colours: The colours that have been used in the poster are relevant to the genre of the film. The background of the posters are all dark colours which help to represent the dark side of the character. These colours are also very dull, and create a dark moody atmosphere, this shows that the the film is not going to be a very happy film. Another colour that has been used in the poster, is the colour red. The actress on the poster is the antagonist, and therefore she is wearing this colour to represent blood, fear and danger. These are all common things that are often portrayed in a horror film. Some of the font on the poster has been written in white and on a black background, this is to show the contrast between good and bad in her character and how white is a minority colour. The main star is wearing red as it is also scene as a 'sexy' colour and therefore it will help to attract the male gender. As well as this, as red is a primary colour it will help to attract the audience.
- Layout: The main image on this poster has been placed in the centre, there is only one person on this poster, this shows that the character is very dominant and powerful and also a main character, however it also shows isolation and loneliness in the character. The poster has been printed as a portrait format, this makes the main character featured on the poster seem taller which represents dominance. As well as this, as it is portrait layout it also attracts all of the attention to the centre of the poster.
- Written Text: On the poster we can see that 'Hell Yes' has been written on the chalkboard. This is quite catchy, as well as this, the word hell also represents the genre of the film, and also relates to death and demons. Other text on the poster which helps suggest some of the genre and narrative is 'She's Evil.. And Not Just High School Evil' this not only tells us where some of the film is going to be set, it also tells us the age of the characters. On the poster, these is other information such as 'From the Academy Award Winning Writer of 'Juno'.This is relevant and important as it will help to attract a wider audience if people had seen Juno and liked it.
- Images: The key image on the poster is of the star of the movie
- Narrative: The poster shows a few clues to the narrative, it shows that parts of the film are going to be set in a school and based on teenagers and also that Megan Fox is going to be the main character, it also shows that she is going to be quite a sexual character as she is wearing the colour red. The word hell that has been written on the board exemplifies that there is going to be deaths in the film. The character also has quite an evil look, this suggests that she is going to be the antagonist in the film. As well as this, the body language also shows that she is going to be a very open character. There is an enigma in this poster, as the audience can't fully understand whether or not Megan Fox is going to be the antagonist or protagonist.
- Unique Selling Point: In this poster, the unique selling point is the star of the movie, Megan Fox, who is a very well known popular American Actress. As well as this, she also has a low cut top on with a lot of cleavage showing and therefore will attract a wider audience. Megan Fox, this shows that she is the main character, the image is also set in a school to show that she is a teenager and also that a lot of the film may be based in a school. The character that Megan Fox is playing is wearing the colour red, this may be a connotation of her turning into a vampire later on in the film. This image has been chosen to represent the film as Megan Fox is a unique selling point of the film. The most important colours used in the poster is the colour red. The target audience of the film would be teenagers from above the age of 15 and of both genders. The character on the poster has very open body language which portrays her confidence. The two main stars of the movie have had their name printed across the top of the poster, these two names are important as they will attract an audience as they are well known American actresses.
Scream 4
- Layout: The poster has been printed in a portrait layout, this is because no settings are being shown on the poster and therefore a landscape layout would not be needed for the film. This may be to tell us that there is not a main setting in the film. One of the characters faces have been made bigger, paler and faded into the background, this may have been done to show that she may be a main character, and the colour of her may be so light to represent ghostly features and death. All of the other characters have been positioned underneath the bigger character, this may be to make them seem vulnerable and not so powerful. The characters on the poster are not looking at each other and do not seem as they are connected, this could mean that they are not going to be related in the film or that they all must stand alone to survive.
- Written Text: The written text on this poster shows that it is a theatrical poster to advertise the film, on the film poster, the release date has been put in a red front to make it stand out and attract the audience. There is also a catch on this poster, 'New Decade, New Rules', this shows that there is going to be a change from the prequels. This catches the audiences attention and will make them eager to find out what is going to be different from the previous films. This also means that the target audience may be people who have watched the prequels. A website has also been displayed on the poster so that anybody who sees it would be able to go on the website to find out more information about the film. The stars names have also been put on the theatrical poster to make the audience aware of who is going to be in the film. Their names have all been put together and none stand out more than others, this may have been done so that the audience will not know who the main character is going to be.
- Images: The characters on the poster are all wearing black, this may have been done so that not much of the characters personality is given away. The characters all have different expressions on their face, this shows a difference between who the serious characters are and also shows fear in some of the faces to show that they may be worried or scared of something.
- Narrative: The theatrical poster only tells us small parts to the narrative, for example the colours tell us the genre and suggest that there is going to be a lot of blood in the film. As well as this, the colour of the main image suggests that there is going to be deaths in the movie. In addition to this, the fact that the characters are all wearing black also show that there may be a dark side to some of the characters that is not given away to the audience. The poster gives us the impression that there are going to be different types of characters that are all hidden and very mysterious.
- Unique Selling Point: A unique selling point of this poster is the big bold tagline ''New Decade, New Rules'' this is because the audience will want to see what has changed since the prequels. As well as this, putting new characters being played by stars such as Hayden Panettiere are also a unique selling point as she is a well known famous American actress and people will also want to know how she has come into the storyline.
Paranormal Activity
Colours - Within the poster, it is represented as a CCTV viewing and therefore the colour has a night vision concept. This gives the still image from the movie a blue scale effect. The image has a two sided border where the title and quotes are situated. The red colour of the font represents blood and we can expect blood and gore within the film running parallel with the plot of the first film.
Layout - The main image of the poster is a still image from the film and also a shot that is used in the trailer. This is situated in between two borders which makes the titles stand out more. This is a very different way to layout a film poster and not many films have used this layout for their poster, this again signifies the paranormal nature of the film and its brand.
Written text - As this is a teaser poster it does not have much written text on it. This makes room for the weird placing of the quotes and title. The text that states "The most anticipated horror event of the year" by 'Dread Central' is suggesting that all audiences can not wait for the film to be released. The second quote by 'Dread Central' states "Steady your nerves, your sleepless nights are about to return" suggests that the film is going to not only shock but frighten the audience. This statement is also represented within the image because the colour gives it a night time effect and the baby and the dog are awake suggesting 'sleepless nights'.
Images - The key and only image within the poster is the still from the film showing a baby standing up in his cot and a dark appearing to be barking at something in the other room. This image is a key point within the film because just after this it shows a possessed woman standing in the doorway. As this image is used, when people see this in the film they will recognise it and therefore be able to relate the two. This image also suggests where the film is set, in a house which has 'paranormal activity'.
Narrative - I feel that the poster suggests narratives of the film such as that it is going to be a horror genre. The weird placing of the quotations suggest that the film is not going to run in a straight forward manner. However, the poster does not suggest things like who the main character is and who the protagonists or antagonists are.
Unique Selling Point - The poster does not really show a clear unique selling point, only that the film is going to be thrilling such as the quote that states "Steady your nerves, your sleepless nights are about to return", this will attract a very distinct target audience.
