As I analysed this film trailer, I thought that it would be a good decision to analyse the poster too, as I have an understanding of the plot and the meaning behind the composition and design.
There were multiple posters produced to promote this film, however I found this one to be the most interesting and complex in terms of hinting at the story. The title of the film, "Silent Hill: Revelation 3D," is featured in the centre of the poster, which is positioned so that the reader knows that it is the title of the film, but also because it is unmissable. The font that is used resembles the franchise, as it is a film based on the popular series of video games. It is also used in the first film, and therefore continues the series.
The main image is what interested me the most about the poster. The shot is portrayed as an unknown corridor with multiple arm reaching out, suggesting a prison-like environment. There is a young (about 18) girl crawling on the floor with a torch, and an unknown character behind her whom wears a pyramid sculpture on his head, and drags a large sword in tow. The girl that is crawling on the ground is evidently the main character in the film, and being on the floor emphasises her vulnerability. The fact that she has a torch presents the idea that she is exploring the location/looking for something or someone, and her distressed, fearful facial expression allows the audience to assume that she is the target in the film, and is presented with horrific events and must survive.
The character following behind with the pyramid on his head, whom is actually named, "Pyramid Head," is portrayed as the potential villain in the film, as he suits the environment, as is posed in a very threatening manner, especially with the sword that he drags behind. The dark, barely lit lighting in the shot emphasises the idea of danger and horror, with most things being blurred and not quite clear (in terms of the characters' perspectives). The poster provides the code of enigma through the photo, as it leaves the viewer with questions such as:
-What is Silent Hill?
-What is the girl looking for and why is she here?
-Will she escape/survive?
-Will she be the victim of Pyramid Head?
The poster features a tagline, "Prepare for a 3D ride through Hell," which not only reflects the story, but also a unique selling point - that the film will be available to watch in 3D. This is becoming increasingly popular in films, and more recently in horrors, and is very successful. In this poster, the tagline has replaced the billing block, however I am definitely going to include one in my own poster, as they are obviously conventional. The release date of October 26th is featured underneath the tagline, and it is interesting to see how they timed the release of the film to be near Halloween, as they will most likely make as much profit as possible in this season. There isn't much more to analyse here; the fonts are different to the main title of the film, perhaps because they are easier to read, and the colours are conventional (white and red are common in horror film posters) and stand out from the main image.
Despite there being no billing block, the bottom of the poster does feature things such as the film company logo, as well as the age rating, which is presented the American way with a table, featuring 'R' for Restricted Viewing. It also features a Facebook link and a Twitter '#,' which are much more conventional nowadays and I think are important features that I should include in my own. They also allow one to play around with intruiging links, such as the one featured on this poster. "Welcome to Silent Hill." This perhaps makes it more memorable but also follows the iconic sign in the movie that reads the same.
Analysing this poster has definitely helped me to understand what is needed to create my own poster, however I think I must analyse another, maybe one a little more conventional (includes a billing block) before I begin to draw up my own ideas.
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