Film Poster Analysis
Film posters are a form of advertising which are used to entice the public to view their film. They are intended to create a sense of what the film is about without revealing too much information. Effective film posters often leave the audience feeling intrigued so that they are more likely to view the film. Film posters should also grab peoples attention and stand out to them as a film which is worth watching.
Paranormal Activity
Title
The title 'Paranormal Activity' on this poster is written in red writing, this could be for a few reasons, first of all, red has connotations of danger and is also a warning sign, therefore it would be used for the title so that the viewer immediately interprets the film as being a horror and it is warning them of the nature of the film. To people who are interested in horror films this would attract them and draw them in; if the title was in a colour such as bright pink it wouldn't look as scary. Also, the title could be red as red has connotations of blood and blood is often associated with death. Furthermore, red is often associated with demons, which is fitting for this film as it is about a couple who move into a new house and are increasingly disturbed by a demonic presence, therefore it is relative to the film and gives us a sense of what the film is about.
Background Colour
The background colour of this poster is black, and there is a lot of it. Dark tones are often used in horror films and it is also common on horror film posters as it reflects the nature of the film. The black tone on this poster signifies darkness and possibly even loneliness which gives it a more horrific feel. Also, the dark colours could have been used because in the film the demon is present at night, and black can be associated with night time.
White Writing
White writing is often used on horror film posters, probably because horror film posters are usually very dark therefore the white colour of the writing contrasts and has more of a dramatic effect. On this poster there are some reviews at the top which are in white and a slogan at the bottom.
Slogan
This poster has a slogan saying 'What happens when you sleep?' which is used to get the viewers interest and makes the plot seem intriguing. This slogan is also fitting to the main image in the poster as it is an image from one of the scenes captured by the night vision camera when the two main characters are sat up in their bed looking over to the other side of the room as though there is something there. In my opinion this slogan is quite effective in drawing appeal from the viewer as it is gives the film a more real life feel which the audience can relate to as it can get them thinking about the possibility that what happens in the film may actually happen to them in real life.
Main Image
Most film posters have one main image, this is usually what first captures the audiences attention. The main image can be considered to be the most important thing on a poster. In this poster it is large and placed central and this is often what people will look at first. If first impressions from the image aren't positive it is unlikely for them to look at the rest of the poster which means it is also unlikely to watch the film, meaning the poster has not served its purpose of advertising the film to encourage people to view it. As mentioned earlier, the main image on this poster is from one of the scenes captured by the night vision camera when the two main characters are sat up in their bed looking over to the other side of the room as though there is something there. In my opinion this is an effective picture to have on the poster as it leaves the audience with questions such as what is happening in the shot? What are the two characters looking at? Is there something there that they can see but we can't? Or can the they feel an unwanted presence? All of these unanswered questions leave the viewer guessing, this may lead to them watching the film as they are intrigued as to what is happening in the image.
Reviews
Critics reviews and ratings are often featured on film posters as preview screenings of films are often shown to a small number of people before the film is released for general viewing, therefore people who go to watch the preview screenings may leave reviews and ratings and these can put these on the film posters so that the general public can see what other people have thought of the film before it is released. This can be a very effective way of getting more people wanting to watch the film because if they see that it has received a good review from someone who has already been to see it, it may persuade them to watch it as well (it can have more of an effect if the review comes from someone such as an experienced film critic as it makes the review more trustworthy as the audience will feel like the review has come from someone who knows what they are talking about, or from someone such as from a well known newspaper who they have heard of). The reviews can also give an insight into what the film is about, and whether it is something they will want to see. On paranormal activity, the review says "Paranormal Activity is one of the scariest movies of all time. You will be affected as it's hard to ignore the imprint it leaves on your psyche. Nightmares are guaranteed". This is a really positive review of the film and people interested in horror films may be persuaded to see it as it says it is (in their opinion) 'one of the scariest movies of all time'. This is also backed up by saying the audience will be affected due to the 'imprint it leaves on your psyche' which is 'hard to ignore'. Furthermore, this review may attract 'daring' people as it says 'Nightmares are guaranteed'.
Film reviews on posters can be the tipping point of the individual deciding whether they go to see the film or not. If at first they see the poster and are attracted to it however not sure if it is definitely something worth watching, they may read the reviews, see that it has really positive feedback and it sounds like a film for them which may lead them to deciding they definitely want to view the film.
