R: The Silence of The Lambs poster analysis

- The tile and the female’s eyes are red along with parts of the butterfly. This connotes danger, death, violence and blood which are conventions of a horror film genre. This helps give the audience an idea of what is in the film, and also helps create a mysterious, sinister atmosphere which also signifies horror, thriller genre.

-There’s a contrast between light and dark; the woman’s face is almost white, and the area around her is black. This may connote the occurrence of good and evil in the film and of her being good, and what’s happening around her being evil and dark. The chiaroscuro lighting, and symbolism of good and evil which highlights the horror genre.

- The main image on the poster is the female; This shows how this film has challenged the classic horror, thriller conventions by not having a male protagonist shown in the poster. This will catch lots of female audience attention as there is a female protagonist. the female’s face looks almost emotionless and gives a ‘cold’ feel to the poster, this may suggest the atmosphere of the film. 

-There is a butterfly over her mouth (the butterfly is silencing her). The butterfly being in dark colours and also red, suggests it represents the evil in the film, which is silencing the ‘lambs’. Also, there seems to be a skull on the back of the butterfly which adds to the connotation of it being evil; skulls can represent death and helps contribute to the mysterious and sinister atmosphere of the poster. Butterflies also connotes rebirth and death which creates an enigma code.

- The institutional information and the title is at the bottom of the poster, which is conventional for a horror poster as it would be the last thing you see so it sticks to your memory (hypodermic need theory). The actor, actresses name is on top of the title, in white text, which contrasts the dark background. The cast names on the poster attracts fans of those actors/actresses.

R: Jeepers Creepers poster analysis

There is use of dull colours which is convention in a horror genre, the colours are dark and neutral. the texture of the fabric stitched looks like skin as it has skin like details and the tone. This automatically makes the audience think what it is, is it really skin?, what is the movie about?  why is there stitches? etc.

The eye peaking through the skin  looks unhuman which could suggest it's a creature/monster, again questioning the audience what it this creature. You cant see nothing but the eye, so the identity of the antagonist is hidden which also supports the dark figure convention of the antagonist not showing it full identity which creates enigma as the audience does not know what it should be afraid of as they have no idea of how it looks. Which makes the antagonist more scarier and a mystery. The stitched skin gives off a clue of the narrative of the film. The image takes up the whole poster, supporting the convention.

The tagline of "what's eating you" is directed to the view, which draws their attention as the use of word 'you' and the rhetorical question. It also gives away that the fabric around is actually skin, making the audience very suspicious. The stitching suggest 'human tapestry' but can be turned around give away that the antagonist is some thing gory who likes stitching up people skin. It makes the audience think of many plots and the only way for them to actually find out is to watch it. The tagline relates to the plot as the 'creeper' (antagonist) actually eats parts of it's victim and the stitched skin are its victims. This supports the horror genre as the antagonists are usually doing unhuman things and gory and unimaginable stuff which makes them a true horror villain.

The title is in white capital text which contrasts with the background making it stand out and representing the stitches.The text is distorted, proving the horror genre convention. this gives off an eerie and disruptive feeling and links with them image of the stitches all messed up and distorted. It's placed at the bottom so it's the last thing the view sees which will stick to their memory. It is a stereotypical poster as it has all the credits, details, institutional information at the bottom. The title 'Jeepers Creeper' is actually a love song about two people falling in love, however the director turned it around making it a based on a song. Horror films are usually known to take rhymes, songs that are not seen in a sinister light into a scary sound, leaving the audience stuck on that specific version so that they will later then remember the movie.  

Another convention supporting the horror genre is that it is a extreme close up of an eye, which is very, very common for horror film posters, again creating an unnatural look, and showing the emotions through the eye, which doesn't look friendly, manipulating the views emotions.

R: Anabelle Poster analysis

The text for this poster is simple and plain yet the colours and conventions portrays a strong message. The use of black, red and neutral colours connotes darkness. pain, danger, death, sorrow etc creating an enigma code; falling into the horror genre. the Title is in red, capital letters which stands out from the rest of the text. The title is also at bottom of the poster which is a horror poster convention as it would be the last thing the audience see which would stick to their memory highlighting the hypodermic needle theory.

There is a dark shadow falling on the doll, the doll is looking up which highlights enigma as we don't know who or what it is looking at. The dolls has a smiley expression but the tear in the dolls eye is red, acting as blood. blood is a stereotype of a horror genre, the doll crying blood makes the image more sinister and worrying as a doll is unable to do human things is crying blood, which is something that makes the audience think. Furthermore, it may also suggest that the doll had a bad past.

Dolls are children toys, something that is loved, innocent however, although the doll has red rosy cheeks painted, making it sweet it till reflects on child horror, as a lot of horror films tend to be based on human fear, dolls are seen to be scary childhood toys in horror. idea of possessed toys and objects. In addition, the smile displays evilness also making it disturbing. The doll is positioned on the right with half of its face revealed which generates fear and suspicion as we don't know its full identity, as it is rule of thirds, its established that it is the main subject of the poster which highlights that the film it is based around the doll.

Poster background is dark and black, connoting that there is only darkness and evil energy with the doll as the subject. highlighting that the genre of the film is horror which will involve a lot of dark evil, sinister plot. the poster is also at eye-level , the doll is old fashioned so it gives an idea that the film is set back then. in addition, it's also an convention of having history in a horror film so it could suggest it is an prequel as it also says across the poster "Before Conjuring there was Annabelle" with mentioning the institution after. This gives the audience background knowledge and may already know about the institution and what other films they production company made so they would be familiar and have a expectation.

There is no credit or age certificate on the poster which most poster may not have but the age certificate is like to appear on trailers, it could of attracted the audience familiar with the cast. The last thing you see is the '#Annabelle' which gives the audience to access and find out more about the film, people will be talking and generating hype about the film, so the audience is likely to given in and watch it as it may be all around social media. The release date is shown on big bold white text which contrasts with the extremely dark background. By having the release date on the poster it tells the audience when the film is viewable, which could also generate hype.

R: Codes and Conventions of the Horror poster

R: The Ringu short analysis

The film is about Reiko Asakawa who is a journalist investigating the death of her niece who was found dead along with three friends after viewing supposedly cursed videotape. She hears stories about videotape that kills everyone one week after they have watched it. Reiko finds out that Tomoko’s friend died on the same day, due to watching the videotape too. Reiko then goes to the cabin where a group of teens had seen this videotape and ends up watching it herself.

Reiko’s son also manages to watch the videotape saying that Tomoko told him to. Reiko realises that she only has a week to find a way to get rid of the curse otherwise she will die and so will her son. With the help of ex-husband Ryuji, they both try to break the curse by discovering the true story behind the cursed videotape, and the connection it has to a psychic who dies 30 years ago and her child Sadako.

The film starts off with an equilibrium, a state of normalness and slowly introducing hints of the supernatural.

The beginning scene is of two friends having a sleepover. They are discussing about the cursed tape, which gives the audience knowledge of the tape and the narrative. Tomoko admits having seen the videotape and the innocent and safety of the girls sleepover is suddenly filled with suspense and danger as they hit realisation it has been exactly a week since she has seen it. However, they laugh, it off as if she was joking, Causing the audience to feel a sense of safety again, until the phone rings, manipulating the audience and characters feelings. The girls suddenly stop and silenced is filled suspense as it is silent apart from the ringing phone. They both run down and answer the phone reluctantly, to find out it was just another friend, and they both laugh hysterically at the absurdity of their fears. The purpose of this is to arrest enigma however, it is a fake scare. This again gives the audience a feel of safety and protection however, it will soon be disrupted.

As Tomoko is alone, the camera angle faces Tomoko so she is in the foreground and in the background the audience can see the TV glass screen behind her. The TV suddenly turns on, creating enigma as this is the first sign of their safety being taken away. Tomoko switches it off straight off.

Leading to Tomoko’s fateful death, which is not shown apart from the facial expression of her face which is stuck in a position of screaming and fear. Leaving the audience in a state of fear and unsettlement as the last thing stuck on their mind is her fearful expression.

This is deliberate done, director Nakata is in complete control of the mental and psychological repercussions of the scene. The opening scene has a level on mundanity to it, creating verisimilitude therefore making it more frightening for the audience.

As this film was released in 1998 the use of technology in this film had a big effect, as there were no mobile phones around then only landlines/ house phones. This already creates tension, as you are not able to immediately call someone for help unless you are home or at a pay phone. The film also plays on the audience’s feelings as horror films are created to play out on human fear and their safety. Having Sadako come out of a TV screen also plays a huge part in the psychological horror of the film, that in your own home, something unfamiliar can attack you in a place where you feel the safest. Creating the upmost tension and terror as the audience will feel some sense of fear and may stick with them when alone in the house as they may hear something and this may cause them to think back to the film.

The cursed video is seen a few times in the film. Not only is it creepy to watch, it is also confusing, with things that no one understand till later on in the film. Which Japanese horror is popular for creating, the audience not entirely knowing what is going on create tension and fear.

One of the films centerpieces is the final death scene of Ryuji, when Sadako crawls out of the TV screen crawling on the floor. Sadakos appearance is stereotypical, he is intensely pale connoting she is a ghost/monster, she has long black hair that covers her face and she kills her victims by her eye of fear, which makes their hearts stop. This is only seen at the end of the film, when she kills Ryuji. Her nails are broken and bloody which is representative of her trying to scratch and climb her way out of the well she was trapped in. This is not necessarily gory or bloody, but it is pain and is disgusting which makes an audience feel scared and almost hurt at how painful that must have been.

R: ABE Textual Analysis

The film title shot of the black background and white text dissolving after one another connotes darkness and sinister atmosphere, which represents a horror film intro. The silence in the opening makes the atmosphere intense as the non-diegetic sinister music builds up. The third rule shot of chains and curtains setting supports the representation of horror genre film, as it is intertextual to Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock, with the curtains. The black pitch background and the high key lighting that draws behind the curtains connotes a menacing presence as the handheld camera is focused where the light is coming from.

The jump cut to the soft focus close up of the chains dangling with dark red blood dripping from it and blood splattered in the curtain connotes danger and a gruesome feeling which represents a slash horror.

The fast paste pan of the camera where the hand held camera shakes when focusing on female behind the curtain unconscious and has a duck tape around her mouth suggest that she is kidnapped and is in danger as she is isolated. This represents a horror film genre, as the setting is like a small little isolated workspace for a killer. The shakiness of the camera may suggest that it will soon become more frightening as the sound increases. The fast cut to the butterfly on a UV light represents horror as it a reference from a classic horror film, Silence of The Lambs. Also the butterfly has dark colours only which connotes rebirth and death which creates an enigma code.

The extreme close up to the females fluttering her eyes open also links to the butterfly which flutters away which may connote that she is a representation of the butterfly and death is near representing the horror genre. The tilt shot of her struggling as she realises she is tied up connotes danger as she can’t escape so someone or something wants to do something to her against her will. The diagetic sound of her screaming behind the tape connotes fear as she suddenly wakes up in an unusual place tied up, her facial expressions show that she is scared. This represents a horror film, as there is stereotypically someone tied up struggling to escape.

The females point of view shot, focused on the curtain in front of her tracks a robotic figure walking in. the non- diagetic sound of a robot walking helps the audience identify that the antagonist is not human. Which again represents the horror genre, as the villain is not always a human but animalistic, alien etc.

As the camera tracks the figure walking down and the lighting becomes darker. The jump cuts to the robot and the close up to the female’s eyes connotes that is coming for her which builds tension.

The close up shot of the antagonist by the dark curtains revealing itself connotes his is dark and powerful as everything around it is dark. this represents a horror film as the Villain stereotypically is seen in a dark setting. The diagetic sound of the antagonist voice is very mono toned, emotionless and the language is smooth. Another close up shot of the antagonist where there is light coming from the left connotes that the antagonist isn’t completely evil. The antagonist talks about love and affection which fits the horror genre how villains may be abandoned or have lack of love and affection from others so they turn on people which fits revenge horror. Furthermore, the music changes in between romantic violin music to a sinister feeling which could connote the antagonist feelings of love and betrayal.

The female is wearing a pink lace dress which connotes that she is fragile and soft which also links to Laura Mulvey male gaze theory. Her hair is not messed and she doesn’t have a single scratch on her face and her legs are revealed in a longshot. She is a countertype to the damsel in distress as in horror films the females are the ones who are screaming and scared however though she is scared she is still quietly listening to the antagonists speaking.

The mid-shot of the antagonist holding a knife creates tension as he is talking about how human life is pointless and says “it all can end in a blink of the eye” the music is daunting but as soon as the high angle shot of the antagonist saying those words and kills the butterfly the music stops. Creating an enigma code as he looks at her when killing the butterfly which may connote that she is the butterfly and she is going to be next. This fits into the horror genre as there is multiples of knifes, butterfly and the antagonist is putting fear in his victim and it’s emotional state of mind is the reason to why it’s doing this also fits in the psychological horror. Furthermore, horror films tend to have lots of long takes and short takes with simple editing as they want the audience to look at the characters and take in the emotions.

The close up long take of the antagonist holding up the knife and putting it closer to the female, the female is then not shown but the music build up and the music increases creating more tension and it cuts to the curtains with blood splattering on it and a loud scream from the female connoting that it’s her blood. As this is scene is shown behind the curtains and not actually seen this fits into the horror genre as many do not show the violence. If they do so it will be rated as an 18+ film. A little chuckle comes from behind the curtain which may be the antagonist which connotes that it is getting pleasure out of killing which fits the horror genre that the villains find pleasure or comfort in killing.

R: Audience survey analysis

R: BBFC talk based on Horror

Certificates issued by the BBFC

R: Audience survey questions

R: Focus group analysis and conversation