Insidious - Poster analysis

From the makers of Paranormal Activity and Saw, the makers created Insidious. From looking at the poster, the poster looks to draw the target audience as there is a lot of detail to it, meaning that the audience would think that it would be a good film, this could be because of the people who made this film, previously created two successful horror films.

As we can see from the poster, the audience automatically can see the title; this is because it stands out from the poster, with the conventional white writing with the “SI” in the title being in red. These colours are used, not only that it stands out from the dark background, but to go back to the stereotypical horror conventions, with red meaning blood and gore and white meaning light and safety, the audience can automatically think that because of these two colours, that there might be some gore/blood. It can also suggest to its target audience that there is a dark and dangerous side to the film. From my research into this film, the title “Insidious” has a meaning, the meaning of the word is “Intended to Entrap”, giving the suggestion what the film may or may not be about, but it gives the audience suspicion.

The sinister looking boy standing in front of the old, run down house is the main image in the poster. In a conventional horror, an old, run down house is stereotypical, and this raises awareness in the audience as it gives the feeling of the house being haunted or dangerous. Going against the average codes of the horror genre, the sinister young boy are normally perceived as being good, as it normally is the young girls in horror films that get possessed. We can see that the child looks sinister and possessed by his eyes, as they look like there is someone inside, controlling him and it gives the audience an eerie feeling. Linking this to Claude’s theory of oppositions, we can say that the young boy in the poster is opposite to the average young boy. Giving the impression on the audience that he is different, this wants to make the target audience watch the film and find out what happens to the young boy, who from the poster, may have the most prevalence in the film.

There is more of a focus on the young boy and less focus on the old house in the background, meaning that the images are short in depth. This only gives out short ideas and clue about what the film is about. From the impressions I get from the poster is that the film is set in an old, run down house and the main character is a possessed, sinister looking young boy. With this poster, would bring in a wider range of audiences as they would feel like it is different to the other conventional horror films in the past.

Colours of the images in the poster look drained; this is to give the poster an older look to it, and also an eerie and dark feeling.  The red of the young boys pyjamas, give the impression that he is dangerous and unpredictable, which draws us in more, as we have the thought of wanting to know more about the film. This would raise questions also to the audience, making them ask themselves “Why is he in pyjamas?”, “What happens to him?”, “Is there something wrong with this boy?” Having a dull image, make the audience raise questions and want them to find out more.

The word “Insidious” is written in the young boys left eye, going back to the boy being possessed, this can have the impression on the audience that he is, as well as the young boy can be the protagonist, he is the antagonist as well. Personally, I think that this would bring in an audience as children being possessed are scary and dangerous, and this is the opposite to what the young boy is perceived to be.

From the teaser trailer, the quote “It’s not the house that’s haunted” encourages the target audience to find out more about why the film is haunted or scary, as it goes against the conventional horror films having the house being possessed or haunted. Linking this to Barthes Enigma Theory, making the audience to solve the mystery on what is haunted and the mystery of the film, forcing them to watch it and find the answers.

On the film poster, there has the actors and actresses names, this is to promote the film and widen the range of audience and attract them to the film, this is because if there is a recognisable/well known actor or actress in the film, the audience who like them would more than likely go and see the film, increasing the net profit of the film. At the bottom of the poster, we see a billing block, which is a block of writing that will contain the companies, directors and other members of the cast and crew that are included in the film. The billing block may attract an audience, this is because at they might read the block and recognise their favourite director or actor that is included in the film and this encourages them to go and watch the movie, due to their interest in their work.

Also, at the bottom, there is also the film institutions, as these are the company’s logos that have helped provide the budget and create Insidious. The film industries can also help us recognise what type of genre the film would be as most of the companies stick to one specific genre, an example of this would be Warner Bro’s create a whole range of films from Action to Cartoons and also Horrors.

AS Coursework Reflection - Digital Technology

Django Unchained - Western film trailer analysis

Django Unchained is an American Western film which was released Christmas Day (25th December) 2012, this film was directed by one of the most well known directers in the world, Quentin Tarantino, who has directed many other successful films such as; Kill Bill: Volume 1 + 2, Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Bastards, etc. This film also has many huge 'film stars' such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz (who has starred in many Western Styled films and has worked with Tarantino in other films such as; Inglorious Basterds), Samuel L Jackson, Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington.

USP - Unique Selling Points
There are many unique selling points that are portrayed in this film, they are;

• Firstly, the use of highly rated actors, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Walts, Samuel L Jackson. This brings in a huge target audience, this is because they're all very good actors and mostly every film they've been in have been successful. Another reason of using highly rated actors for the film is that it would have a huge impact on the audience, making them feel the tension in the film and the effect the film has.
• Secondly, the use of a highly well known directer, Quentin Tarantino, who has produced many great films that have been successful and also that hes well known for his violent films and powerful visual and dramatic sequences in his films. Such as in the start of Kill Bill: Volume 1 which is the shooting scene, this uses the dramatic, visual effects that Tarantino uses in many of his films.

This Is The End Trailer analysis

This Is the End is a 2013 American horror comedy film written and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and starring Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson as fictional versions of themselves in the aftermath of a global apocalypse. The film was released on June 12, 2013 and received positive reviews from film critics.

Unique Selling Points

• One of the unique selling points of this film is the collaborations in previous film such as Seth Rogan and James Franco being in the successful Comedy: Pineapple Express. Also Seth Rogan has Co-writen other films that have starred actors such a Jonah Hill. Those two have worked together in the film Superbad which is another successful comedy. Seth Rogan is a unique selling point himself as he is a well known directer/actor/comedy writer and is known worldwide as he has written and directed other films such as; Pineapple Express and Superbad.
• There is also other collaborations from other actors, such as bringing cameo's from other actors/actress's such as Emma Watson (who is very famous for being Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series), a collaboration of Channing Tatum being in the film with Jonah Hill who both have been in films together, the most well known is being in 21 Jump Street which was another successful comedy. Also stars the world famous singer/actress Rihanna, which will bring in a huge target audience as her fans would like to see Rihanna in action in a film.
• So the use of highly rated comedy actors/actress's will bring in a huge target audience as they would've seen their past films and would want to go see this one.

The Plot

• This plot centres around a party that every high rated actor/actress, singers etc. and is set around the party round James Franco's house in the Hollywood Hills, suddenly, out of no where, the apocalyspe strikes.
• The characters barricade themselves inside the house, where they're hoping for survival. Outside we see there is everything there would be for an apocalyspe, with rivers of fire, Jurassic monsters, also a 20ft (6m) Devil waiting outside to devour them.
• Inside the Hollywood mansion, on top of cabin fever, Emma Watson is roaming around with an Axe in her hand, trying to find them, whilst McBride starts eating all their supplies which they need for them to survive the apocalypse.
• McBride then tries to kill everyone as he is sent outside to try and get to the cellar where there is more food and water being kept, as Emma Watson runs off with the water in need of survival. McBride then gets lost and the others evict him. McBride then tries to kill everyone with a gun, but his plan failed as the gun was just a prop. Emma Watson adds a comic value when she appears in the film with an axe, this reverses her stereotype in the media, from her being in Harry Potter and being a genuis and a middle class english girl, to a girl who is fighting to save her life, threatening people with an axe, showing she is dangerous.
• The rapture then happens, which this is when rays of light from 'Heaven' comes and takes the good people up to heaven.

Narratives linking to the Genre

The subgenre of this film is it being a Horror/Comedy/Fantasy.

• In this film, all the actors and actress's act as themselves, mocking their recent films, their lives and each other, demonstrating that they all have sins. This links with genre of being a comedy as they're mocking their previous films that were unsucessful and then joking around with it. But also that this film is also a horror as it links with the apocalpyse, as people being killed, monsters coming out of no where and paranormal activities are happening. Everyone is playing as a warped version of themselves, as what you would see themin public or in a completely different image.
• You see the group of actors arguing over who eats the Milky way, which is promoting the snack, this is also mocking the celebrities demands whilst filming. This is also mocking the celebrities as they're just arguing over the simplest of things, about who has the Milky way. This adds comical humour when they're fighting over the Milky way, as this engages the audience into the film.

Narrative + Mise-en-Scene

• The Mise-en-Scene of the film is set in the Hollywood Hills, where all the big stars and actors live, this is to show wealth. The Hollywood Hills show a symbolic code of welath and that it relates to the target audience when it appears in the movie, this is because it is an iconic image of America and people instantly know where it is.

James Bond 007 - Skyfall poster analysis

We first see a few iconic images in this poster, firstly, James Bond (Daniel Craig, who is a very successful actor and has been in many other top rated films) holding a gun, whilst in a tuxedo, this shows that he's sophisticated, but mysterious and dangerous. We also see the Aston Martin, this portrays about being British, as in every Bond film, the agent's car is always an Aston Martin, but it does protray being British as this car is made in Britian. We also see in the background one of London's iconic buildings which is 'Big Ben' on the Houses of Parliment, this also portrays being British, this iconic landmark also portrays the films background of being British.
The shot type being used is a long shot, this gives the effect of getting all of the background and not just the character. This means that with this shot, we can not only just see the main character which is James Bond but it shows thst the background has more of role in the film as it shows that its the landmark of which the film is set.
 The colour of the poster is in a silvery/ Black and white setting to it. This could portray the past of James Bond, meaning that all the other posters of James Bond are in colour. The colour of the poster could also link in with the Aston Martin car, meaning that the number plate and the car is also old fashioned, this means that this could be Bond's first mission being James Bond. The only part of the poster that has colour is the 007 with the gun, which is in gold. The 007 with the gun is a selling point as it is the only part of the poster in a different colour, this could be that it wasnts to attract the audience as they want the audience to know that it is a bond film. The gold shows higher class as gold is a wealthy colour. The 007 with the gun blended into the 7 portrays that it is an action film bringing out the reason of being dangerous.
 The font of the title is very bland but unique, meaning that it is just a basic font but it stands out like all the rest of the poster, as it being in a silvery colour, it blends in well with the poster.

The Unique selling points of this film as it uses a few iconic images and uses a high rated actor, being Daniel Craig, who has starred in other films such as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and other James Bond films. Bringing in a British actor portays that this is a British film. Another selling point is the 007 sign, this being showing the link between James Bond, if other people dont know who he is, also it is his agent sign, that everybody knows who 007 is. We also see that Daniel Craig (James Bond) is holding a gun, but not pointing it at anything. This means that without thinking, we see that this film is going to be an action film, meaning that there will be faced paced action and danger. Also the Aston Martin links in as in every bond film, he has an Aston Martin, linking in with the Bond Fanchise, bringing in a bigger target audience. Another point is the iconic London landmark Big Ben this being that it is well known around Britian and the world, as loads of people want to see this landmark.

The Vow Trailer Analysis

From the start of the trailer we see a couple getting married, Leo (Channing Tatum) and Paige (Rachael McAdams), this stereotypically represents that this is a romance, meaning that it would attract a wide range of people of different ages, not just attracting their target audience. We see that at the start, just from the facial expressions of both Leo and Paige that they're happy and deeply in love. But a tragic accident happens where Paige undoes her seatbelt and leans over to kiss Leo, but then the car gets struck by a lorry. This is the equilibrium of the film, where we see all the happiness at the start of the film, where nothing can go wrong, then a tragedy strikes. this is the disequilibrium of the film, these two are commonly found in many romance films. The disequilibrium of this film/trailer is that once the lorry struck the car, Paige (Rachael McAdams) she went through the windscreen of the car and both of them are rushed to the hospital, where Leo (Channing Tatum) suffers not major injury, Paige is left with bring trauma where she doesnt remember her relationship with Leo. This changes the mood quickly on the audience as its comes out of no where, when theyre prepared for a happy story about two people, half way through, the mood all changes and turns to a heart filled tradgic romance.

The Vow is based on the actual relationship of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, who wrote a book about their marriage, also known as The Vow. Ten weeks after their wedding on 18 September 1993, the couple was in an automobile accident in which Krickitt suffered brain trauma, which erased memories of her romance with Kim as well as their marriage. Kim is still deeply in love with his wife, although she views him as a stranger after the accident. According to the couple, their faith in Jesus and their wedding vows before God kept them together.

The unique selling points of this film is that they use two highly rated actors/actresses, Channing Tatum and Rachael McAdams. They've both been in highly successful films in the past and they've both also been in the biggest romance films that came out, Dear John (where Channing Tatum starred in) and The Notebook (Where Rachael McAdams starred in). This would bring in the target audience as they would see both their names and then realise that the past films they've been in have been a huge success, so this makes this film a success already. Another unique selling point would be the directer Michael Sucsy who is a Golden Globe and Emmy award winning directer and is highly known for the hit film Grey Gardens, this would've brought the target audience in, if they've seen this film, because of how much awards the film was nominated for and on how success the film was.
 This film had a budget of $30Million and made in the box office over $196 million, making this film be a huge success.

The use of non diagetic sound in the trailer would make the audience feel the emotion from the actor/actress as this is a narritive, when Channing Tatum reads his lines and just certain quotes are taken and used as a narrative, this makes the audience emotional and heartfelt, as they might've felt the emotion from the actor/actress. This would also be non-diagetic sound and these are quotes from the film, meaning the actors/actresses would've heard them and it is their lines.

Mirrors - Film Poster Analysis

Firstly from this poster we see the stereotypical red movie title, but this is with a twist, this is because one of the 'R's that is in Mirrors is the wrong way. This shows the reflection thatb a mirror will convey. Simple but effective technique used for the title. The title is in red, this is stereotypical for a horror film, this is because the colour red represents, blood, death, etc. and also, it is a totally different colour to the rest of the poster, the background of the poster is mostly a bluey colour, where as the title of the film is red, this makes the title tostand out and make it also eye catching. In my own opinion, personally I think that the title is to bland, boring and simple, this could have an effect on the audience and once you see a boring poster, you wouldn't want to see the movie.

The genre is conveyed as revealing the viewers hidden fears, we see from the poster that the floor is flooded with water and the reflection of the actors/actress in the water. The hidded fear in this poster is the relection of themselves. From the movie the reflections from the actors and actress' have a mind of its own, like it is its own person and conscience, and thats where the danger comes from, making people go crazy and causing them to do hurtful acts and maybe suicide, which happens in one part of the film.
 The use of a attractive young female actress would attract a male audience, meaning it would attract different males from all ages, as stereotypically, men are attracted to young attractive females, so this would bring a range of different males from the ages 15+ as they would bring girlfriends, friends etc. meaning this would bring in more money for the film

The background colour behind the title is bland, but is a sort of bluey/blacky colour, this would represent darkness, meaning that the spirits/supernatural beings, would be coming from, and the mirror would be a sort of gateway or the reflections are a gateaway for them to enter the natural world.

We see the words 'There is Evil. On the Other side' this makes the film poster have an eeray feel to it, and this also drags the target audience in, this is because they dont have a clue what is on the other side. But this also links in with the title, the evil being on the other side, is the reflection of the 'real' people, the reflection is the one that is possessed. The USP of the poster conveys that we see an attractive young women, attracting the male target audience, but also there is a well known actor, Keifer Sutherland, who is successful and people know him from the multi-award winning TV Series on FOX which is 24. This would bring in the target audience as this could portray they film as being successful, due to the fact there is a successful, well known actor.

We see that the water has the relection of the 'family' in it, this shows that it is just not the mirrors that kill, its the reflection of the 'real' people. We also see that the facial expressions of the male and female that their scared and worried, but the facial expressions of the child is different, it shows that he doesnt know whats happening around him and that his reflection is just a 'friend' making him unaware of the dangers.