Mirrors - Poster

Mirrors - Poster

How can we tell that this film is a horror?

There are different things within this image that allow us to understand that the film is of horror genre, one of which being that fact that at the bottom of the poster, left hand side, the text reads 'THERE IS EVIL' this is a big hint to the audience that the film is horror. Another key element that informs the audience of the genre would be the worried look upon the woman's face, she looks scared and worried. This lets the audience know that this film is going to have an effect on this family. Another aspect that adds to the horror feel of the film would be from using all the characters on the poster looking at the same position leading the audiences eye away from the majority of the poster, this then leaves the audience asking questions, and from assistance from the title of the film they know that what the people fear isn't whats under the water but whats can be seen on it.

USP?
Horror films seem to use the idea of fearing what you can't see, but this film gives the opposite idea, the use of mirrors intends for the audience to fear what they can see for some things are never what they seem. Something as harmless as a reflection could be the cause of a persons demise.
When you look at film posters they normally list all of the actors that you can see on the poster, but this one does not, it simply focuses you attention to the main character Kiefer Sutherland. This allows the viewer to understand that this film is going to have a huge impact and influence upon this character. But why would they include the other two in the poster if they wanted your attention to be focused on Kiefer? Because they want you to be able to know that what ever happens in the film is going to effect him but we now get the idea that it is going to be in the indirect way of threw his family. This is making people start to relate to the character already for the targeted audience are going to understand what it is like to have a family that they love and care about. This manes that when the family on screen becomes threatened they emphasise for the character because they begin to put themselves into that situation.
The poster uses the motto of 'THERE IS EVIL ON THE OTHER SIDE' when we this of 'the other side' the most common idea would be death, heaven, after life or anything of that general idea. But this film poster pushes you to think beyond that because there are many different kinds of other sides that are in our every day lives that could still be just as fearful and deadly as the dead.

Colour?
This poster uses a Low Key light to give the poster a more ominous look to it. Making the audience feel venerable, for nothing makes a person feel more venerable than knowing that something is there, but not being able to see it. Horror film play off the idea of being afraid of the dark, but they use the logical understanding that people aren't afraid of the dark, they are afraid of whats in the dark (Afraid of the unknown). Horrors remind us of the things that can happen when we're not looking and that is what makes people scared, the idea that what they see on the screen could be happening, they just wouldn't know it. When watching a horror film the scenes which seem to have the most tension is when the main character is facing away from the danger that is approaching them, because we can see this figure walking up behind them, we know what is going to happen, but the character does not. This is all played with when posters use Low Key lighting, films that use Low Key want to induce either fear, mystery, suspense, danger, ect.
The mirrors poster uses both High and Low Key lighting, the High Key is where the family are together adding the idea that they are safe, but the Low Key is used under their feet and around them, making the audience get the idea that there is no escape, they are surrounded. Allowing the audience to feel even more danger.

Convection of Posters?
Poster are just another way of advertising a film or product. They want to be able to catch the eye of people in the street and begin to set up questions. The main drive that is going to make people want to watch a film is to answer the question that they have begun to ask in their head. Even if it is simply a question like 'I like that actor, I wonder how they are going to effect the film' even a question as simple as that will begin to make this observer want to watch the film.