Analysing Posters- Halloween

Content Code

The background of the poster is black which could connote death or mystery, leaving the audience feeling anxious or scared. The image shows a pumpkin the style of what looks like a claw/hand. The pumpkin represents Halloween and so connotes frightfulness, and the clawed hands also could leave the audience feeling anxious. The hand is clearly a man’s hand, due to the size and shape of it. This tells the audience that the killer is probably male. The hand is holding a knife, which instantly informs the audience of the genre of the film; Horror. The knife has a shiny twinkle at the bottom to connote sharpness, showing that it is a deadly weapon. The tagline ‘The Night He Came Home’ leaves the audience intrigued. Who is it that came home? This in turn could frighten them into going to see the movie, therefore making the company more profit.

Technical Code

Unlike the other two posters which I analysed, the image has been drawn/created rather than using a photograph. Because of this, it is difficult to discuss the shot distance and angle, although the drawing has been drawn from a low angle, which could be to make the knife look bigger and therefore scarier.

Typography- The title ‘Halloween’ is in bold white across the top of the page, making it stand out from the black background. It has an orange border, which keeps the theme of Halloween and Pumpkins. The tagline has the same house style, making the poster look more realistic and professional.