Film Poster analysis: Sinister

                                                         (screen shot from sinister)

This is the official film poster for ‘Sinister’ a supernatural horror directed by Scott Derickson the storyline follows a crime journalist as he finds a box of home videos which damages his and his families lives for the worst as he unveils how the family who previously lived in his home had died and why, the revelation causes him and his family to become in danger with the supernatural entity. The film uses both ‘found footage’ and traditional cinematography. I have chosen to analyse this poster as I believe it has features in common with the film I want to create such as the narrative in regards to the found footage and evidence acting as proof for the supernatural my narrative also surrounds characters searching for the truth and uncovering a supernatural entity. The poster is appealing as the image is bold making a big statement about the film that it is horrific overall encouraging the audience to watch ‘Sinister’.

The posters fulfil the general layout conventions with the image being the largest and most predominate item on the page, and the title of the film being the largest item. However the image is slightly unconventional as the face of the character featured on the poster is hidden moreover the tagline is the smallest piece of text on the poster conventionally the tagline would be the second largest and most important piece of text however the designers of this film poster may have decided to keep it small so the audience search out the answer to what the graphic imagery used within the poster is about creating a greater sense of mystery.

The setting of this poster seems to be white room within a house, white it can represent an absence of colour reflecting the mood of the poster as soulless. The location of the poster is unknown but if the audience have seen the film trailer of ‘Sinister’ they would know the primary location in which the narrative is set is within a house where a family were mysteriously murdered. The use of a setting with white walls and white floors also conjures a clinical image the setting of the image could be perhaps some kind of mental institute this is a common setting for horrors as they are usually dark places and often the victims within horrors are labelled as crazy. This setting helps build up the audiences expectations of the narrative as it’s unveiled that the majority of the film is based on the disturbances occurring within the house.

The character within the frame is dressed in white pyjamas this could indicate that they are at home or perhaps they are in a mental institute as white pyjamas are often a form of uniform given to patients so that they easily identifiable. Furthermore the fact the character is dragging blood against the wall in their pyjamas creates an image that they are sleep walking and not truly engaging in what they are doing linking to the idea that they are possessed. Their face is turned away and facing the wall creating a wonder in the audience as to what is this faceless evil moreover the fact that the audience cannot see the person’s face but can see the monster like face painted in blood across the walls can indicate that they are no longer human and have been taken over by this evil entity.

Furthermore the use of the image painted in blood across the wall of the skull like face is relevant as the film trailer unveils that there is a clear correlation between the face and the supernatural occurrences which are experienced by the family.

The title of the film is ‘Sinister’, it is defined as threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments giving the overall impression that narrative will surround a harmful or evil event. The title of the film is typical of the genre it is effective as it defines what the film is about. The font is in a serif style font this very typical of all the supernatural horror posters I have analysed. The title is the largest most predominate piece of text on the poster it stands out this is emphasised through the bold shadowing effect used; the use of grey could indicate the dark shadowy nature of the film. The layout is typical as the title is placed in the centre just above the main image.

The tagline used is ‘Once you see him, nothing can save you.’ The tagline relates to the narrative of the film suggesting that once you see the supernatural being he will pursue you. The tagline helps to anchor the concept of the main image as the girl has witnessed the supernatural spirit and is now being pursued by this; the idea is demonstrated to the audience through her drawing the spirit/demons face in blood acting as a metaphor that he is the face of evil that has caused the bloodshed. The same typography has been used for the tagline as in the title of the film to maintain the overall consistency of the film poster. The placement of the tagline is slightly unconventional although its placement under the film title is conventional it is smallest item of text on the poster perhaps this has been used to reinforce a sense of mystery as the audience search the poster for an explanation to why the girl is drawing across the walls in blood.

Other text featured in the includes ‘From the producer of Paranormal Activity and Insidious’ which suggest that Sinister will be a film which fans of Paranormal Activity and Insidious will enjoy as it is too part of the supernatural sub-genre this may lure in fans. Institutional information is displayed at the bottom of the poster in extra small font so not to take away from the main image within the poster. Instead of a specific release date the poster simply states that Sinister is ‘Coming Soon’ this leaves audiences in suspense curious to find out when it is going to be released there is also a link to the official film website which can relieve the audiences curiosity ‘Haveyouseenhim.com’ which reveals the synopsis with production notes, cast and filmmakers details to added I expect this information has not yet been added to keep the film a mystery, there is also an interactive motion poster which is the copy of the orginal poster format I have analysed except the audience can view the girl drawing the face in blood this can be shared via facebook and twitter, the website also contains iconic screen shots in motion from the movie, there is also the film trailer which can be shared via facebook and twitter. Further advertising the film.

The overall colour scheme consists of the red, white and grey. The white suggests a clinical type of feel to the poster perhaps suggesting the location of a mental institute. Grey has suggestions of darkness, uncertainty and acts a as a foreshadowing that dark events are close grey is often associated with grey clouds or grey weather which is usually a indicator that a storm is about to occur this is relevant to the film title and narrative of ‘Sinister’ as the meaning of the title forshadows that dark and evil events are going to happen. Furthermore Red can represent blood, passion and gore a common colour used within horror film posters. Red and grey are conventionally colours within the horror genre however white isn’t as conventional and is usually reserved for use as text which contrasts with black backgrounds.

Overall I think the poster for ‘Sinister’ is effective as it demonstrates the genre and the sub-genre effectively informing the audience that film narrative revolves around a evil supernatural activity however it does not give away too much of the film narrative. The tag line will intrigue the audience without revealing the full synopsis of the film.