Codes and Conventions

THE RING 2 POSTER

LAYOUT AND TYPOGRAPHY

Most horror posters follow the same layout
We can expect to see a central image The font is usually sans serif and will look almost gothic Red writing can be expected as it connotes blood Silhouette images are common in horror posters

MISE EN SCENE
A common setting for a horror movie can be in a forest Another common setting is in a large house, or even an abandoned house. The reason for this is it makes the audience share the characters fear of isolation.

Lighting and colour is important in a horror poster. Most posters use a dark colour scheme. The colour black connotes death and loneliness. This is useful in a horror poster as it gives the audience insight into what the film will be like.
Horror posters use such props as weaponry-usually a knife or blunt object Facial expressions in some posters help scare the audience as commonly, an image of a scared girl will be used. Also the protagonist facial expressions will usually be shown in the poster. This adds elements of fear. Costumes are an important part of the poster, the costume will usually signal the protagonists or the victims profession, if relevant to the film. Otherwise the costumes will usually be of a dark colour scheme. Body language often tells the audience the intentions of the character on the poster.

TAGLINES
Most horror posters use Taglines Taglines are usually short sentences written on the poster in order to instil fear into the audience. Also to make the audience curious about the film, persuading them to watch it.