Final Choice in Poster

We are pleased with the effects we created on this version and decided that it would be our final poster.

-Emily

Poster Further Editing and Feedback

We edited the initial edited image further in order to experiment with the appearance of the poster, using the same editing software or Adobe Photoshop and Picnik.com. We then used social networking site Facebook to gain feedback from other people of our target audience so that we could see which posters would be most effective.

This is the first possible poster that we created, using the initial edit of the selected image. It was popular with our audience, with many people saying that the make up looks very effective and scary. Some issues raised with it were the fact that it is perhaps too clear, such as the plain neck and shoulders.

This has been edited further using Picnik.com to create a dark and slightly blurred effect. We thought that it looked quite effective in terms of the black and slightly green colouring, as this is often linked with the supernatural, and also made it more mysterious by hiding even more about the girl and surroundings than the previous poster. This poster was also popular with our target audience, and it was reported that the colour scheme added to the scary effect. However,it was commonly reported that they would prefer it if it were slightly brighter and less blurry, so that the image of the girl and the text was easier to see to create more intense fear.

Combining the two feedbacks of the previous posters, we decided to use the same effect of 'Ghostify' on Picnik.com to create a monochromatic and slightly blurred effect on the image and text, but we lessened the blurriness and increased the contrast so that the image was much sharper. The blurred effect was enough to make the face seem somewhat distorted, adding to the unnatural theme of the image and relating to the corruption of humanity that occurs when the spirit takes over. We were happy with this effect as it made the face really stand out from the black background, with her decayed flesh and unnatural eyes becoming the most prominent feature of the image so that the supernatural theme is very clear. The black and white face also referred back to our interest in the 'The Number 23' poster in which monochromes were used. We experimented with the font, using the same font that we used for our teaser trailer of 'Sell Your Soul', as it is decorative and gothic in shape. We used a mottled red and pale yellow for the text in order to make it stand out against the background, and also to connote the ideas of blood and violence that are often represented in horror film posters. We have tried adhere to to the conventions of posters through this, and felt that the product looked very effective through the soft colouring. As the only colour on the poster, the red stands out and shows the connoted violence and threat to be a major part of the film. The slightly smudged effect of the text could suggest smudged blood, or an unnatural tone to the text as it is not conventional in appearance. The layout places the three pieces of information about the film of the tagline, the title and the production information in one third each of the right hand side of the image, following the rule of thirds to make the poster well balanced.

We experimented with a textured and coloured background instead of a plain black one, to see whether this aided the effect of the poster. We used Picnik.com to add the texture, fading it so that it was slightly visible but not the main focus of the image. The fading of the face against the textured background was effective, and the red colour being used across the background made it obviously a strong theme throughout the narrative. It also makes it appear more supernatural due to the aged and smudged look that is unconventional in normal film posters. In order to make the text stand out against the poster background, the title is very pale so that it appears white. The poster used the same layout as the previous poster in terms of positioning of the girl and the text. There was some concern that the added background detracted somewhat from the impact of the girl and the make up, and so lessened the blunt aim of the poster that was better achieved with a black background. 

-Emily (post)
-First poster edit by Meg
-Further poster edit trials by Emily

Poster Initial Editing of Selected Image

This is the initial editing of the selected image. We have mainly used the editing software of Adobe Photoshop. The image has been editing in a similar way to the test edit in terms of making the eyes appear unnaturally coloured and textured. More edits have been included by making the hair appear greasy and heightening the contrast so that the colours and flaky quality of the skin are harsher. This makes the face appear very decayed and unnatural, casting a very clear idea of the supernatural. It could be said to be similar to some zombie images, but this still links to the decayed impression that we want to create. The editing around the eyes has also heightened the shadows around them created by the make up and pose, making the girl appear very ominous and abnormal. We are pleased with this initial edit and will use similar techniques to create texture wording next to the image for the poster. This image could be improved through editing by making the shoulders more shadowed so that it is not as obvious that they are still normal in colour, as it looks somewhat strange currently.


-Emily (post)
-Meg (photograph and edits)

Poster Test Shots Edited

This is the selected shot with test edits and the initial layout plan. We have used photo editing software Adobe Photoshop and Picnik.com in order to create the effects of the strange eyes. The texture of the skin was also used behind the wording in order to produce a continued theme of colour and decay while also standing out due to the light colour. The face is close to the camera as it leans forward, making it appear more threatening to the audience, and this is emphasised through its stare straight out of the poster. According to the rule of thirds, the main features of the girl and the title and date of release are in the middle of the image. The tagline and other information is below in the bottom right hand corner. The background is black so that nothing except the title and face are shown, revealing very little about the narrative and portraying the darkness of the threat as it comes forward.
We were pleased with this test poster as it appeared effective in the positioning and make up of the girl. The placement of the title also looks good next to the face, showing it to be significant equally with the face of the girl. We liked the basic nature of the poster as it was not too cluttered with information that could lessen the impact of the image or the title of the film. The tagline plays into the title as it refers to the idea of paying for sins while undergoing penance, showing a definite religious or spiritual theme to the film. The repetitive nature of the date also looks appealing. The poster could be improved through the use of more editing on the face to make it appear even more unnatural, and perhaps by incorporating a different font that appears more striking and gothic.


-Emily (post)
-Meg (photograph and editing)

Effects

Linking with our post about the iconography of the genre , we examined some trailers that use flashes of negative to emphasise unnatural themes and events.

This can be seen in the trailer for 'Thir13en Ghosts', a film that is heavily based on haunting and the supernatural.

Although it is not a horror film, the teaser trailer for 'Twilight' also incorporates flashes of negative in order to portray the supernatural element of the narrative.


These effects are especially effective because they are so brief that it is somewhat disorientating for the audience to watch. This could be applied to the uneasiness and fear that may be involved in the film. We have therefore decided to include some brief flashes of negative in order to make the most of this effect and fully support the genre that we are aiming for.




-Emily