Conventions in my Ancillary Products

Emma CollinsCOWAA2

The images below show my two final Ancillary products. On the left is my Theatrical Poster and on the right is my Magazine Cover. Both convey the Horror genre, and follow all conventional forms and connotations. I have used audience response and market research to make and develop these two products, and have shown this on my blog.

Conventions of form: THEATRICAL POSTERIncentive & Tag line: Sans Serif font is used (Neotric) this is conventional for the horror genre, as I found in my existing market research, and the audience response showed that was what they expected to see on a horror poster. It is simple and stands out, not drawing attention away from the title. The incentive is conventionally placed at the top of the poster, drawing in existing audiences, the tag line is conventionally placed within the image, this helps link the two together.Title: ‘MIDNIGHT’ is conventionally placed closer to the bottom of the poster, under the image. This doesn’t draw the attention away from the image, however it uses route-of-eye being placed in the bottom centre, meaning the audience will look at the title after viewing the image.

Blocking bill: The blocking bill is conventionally placed at the bottom of the poster, this keeps the audience more interested in the main image and the title, incentive and tag line. This is conventional for all theatrical posters.

Conventions of form: THEATRICAL POSTER

Main image: The main image is conventionally placed in the centre of the poster, automatically drawing in the audience to that straight away. It also follows the conventional form for horror as it is a close up image of the main character. This is conventional for many horror theatrical posters such as mirrors (left image). This shocks and draws people in, as it creates mystery.

Language: The language is simple and snappy. This is conventional for all posters so audiences are not put off by mass text. “Are you afraid?” is direct address and this is conventional for horror as if you involve the audience it draws them in, and also makes the experience more scary and frightening. The language in the incentive uses titles from other films (convention) to draw in existing audiences.

Logos/website link/date: All of these features are conventionally placed at the bottom of my poster, this is conventional as it is information that the audience would read last, it helps to draw in fans of certain distribution/production companies and allows the audience to search more about the film through online media. The date is conventionally placed for information purposes.

Conventions of form: MAGAZINE COVERSkyline/Masthead/plug/date: All are conventionally placed at the top, (Masthead: Top left ) which is the primary optical area of the page; It is what the audience will see first and what will draw them in. The plug is in the form of text “Horror Special” it is conventionally placed to the right of the masthead as the audience would see that after the masthead.

Sell lines: The sell lines are on the left side of the cover, and relate to the horror genre of the issue. This is conventional as people mainly read from left to right, this follows the conventions of already existing magazines such as empire which I have used as a style model.

Anchorage title/text: Is conventionally placed on top of the main image, this helps it to link to the main image, showing that it is the main feature for the magazine issue. The title follows film magazine conventions as it uses the same font which is shown on the poster and trailer for the film, this helps audiences make the connection and associate the products with each other.

Conventions of form: MAGAZINE COVER

Main image: The main image is placed on the right side of the cover, this is so it doesn’t take the attention away from the sell lines, but however does gain its own attention as it takes up most of the cover. It also follows conventions of horror form as the image is a low angle, mid shot of the antagonist, a convention used in horror magazine such as ‘scream’.

Language: The sell lines are kept short and snappy, they include names of other horror films and actors associated with the genre. This is a conventional form for film magazines, this is used to draw in the audiences who are fans of these films/actors.

Sell line: This is used to show extra information within the magazine. Conventional for all types of magazines, not just film. It sticks to the conventional form to draw audience in.

Barcode: Conventional form for all magazines, showing authenticity.

Conventions of genre: POSTER

Main image: The main image is conventional for horror as it is dark and mysterious. The image is close up and is unnerving; the blood effect used on her face stands out against her pale face. The blood links with the title and it also shocks the audience, and creates a sense of mystery. Why is there blood down her face? The main character is used for the poster, which is conventional for the horror genre, and is seen on other horror posters such as oculus and insidious. It is conventional, and helps the audience link her with the trailer and then eventually the film itself. Her face is conventionally concealed, this is a convention for horror and doesn’t give too much away, drawing the audience in.

Colours: All the colours I have used on my poster are conventional. The three main colours are Red, black and white. The red is the colour which I have used least on the poster, this is because I want it to stand out from the bland white and black. The red is used in the films title, the blood on the characters face and the date of cinema release. The red is a connotation of blood and danger, conventional for horror. The black is used for the background and creates an eerie feeling, the black is a connotation of danger and mystery. I have used white for the text, white is conventionally used for horror as it is often a connotation ghosts and the dead.

Conventions of genre: POSTER

Fonts: I have used a few different fonts on my poster. All follow horror genre conventions. The incentive and tag line use a Serif Sans font, which is conventional for horror, it is simple and effective as it stands out without taking too much attention away from the main title and image. The main title uses a bold typography, it creates the effect of blood dripping with is shocking and conventional for the genre. The blocking bill uses two fonts ‘SF movie poster’ and ‘Universal Accreditation’ these both give the conventional blocking bill look.

Language: “from the makers of the conjuring…” this incentive is conventional for horror, as many people often watch a horror based on who its made by and if its similar to another product, It helps to draw in an existing audience. “Are you afraid?” my tag line uses direct address, and creates mystery for the viewer, this is conventional for the genre as it doesn’t give too much away.

Other conventions of horror used:• Uses low-key lighting to create a sense of

mystery.• The main image is central, so it is the first

thing to shock the viewer.

Conventions of genre : MAGAZINE COVER

Main image: The main image is conventional for the horror genre, it is a mid-shot and shows the antagonist of the film. It uses low key lighting to convey darkness and danger. The Image also shows the characters blank expression and the shocking effects on her face. This is conventional to intrigue the audience and create mystery to how she got like that? The image includes the prop of the knife, which is used in the trailer and is also an iconic prop in many horror films, this is another convention of genre in my main image.

Colours: All colours used on my magazine cover are conventional for the genre. I have used four main colours on my cover. The red is conventional for the horror genre as it is a connotation of blood and danger, I have only used it a few times to ensure it stands out on the cover. The white has been used the most, it is used as a neutral colour and is conventional for film magazines and horror as it is a connotation of death. The black is used as the background and base colour, it is conventional for the horror genre as it conveys darkness and isolation, which creates an unnerving feeling.

Conventions of genre : MAGAZINE COVER

Fonts: I have used a few fonts on the magazine, and I have tried to follow horror and film magazine conventions closely. The masthead uses the font Neoteric (Stretched) which is bold and stand out to the viewer, a convention for film magazines. Another font used is Bebas Neue, it is used for the sell lines and this is conventional again for film magazines, as it stands out and allows the audience to see what is written clearly. The convention for horror is shown with the ‘Midnight’ font (the anchorage title) uses Rainy Day verndal, which is the same font used for the poster and trailer, this conventionally links the products.

Language: The language used on my magazine cover is conventional for the film magazine genre and for horror. The sell lines use references to other horror films and actors known for horror, this helps draw in an existing audience and is conventional for film magazines. The sentences are short and snappy, this is conventional and keeps the audience engaged and intrigued.

Other genre conventions used:• Uses barcode/date and price on the

front cover for authenticity.• Main image/ feature film is the focus

of the cover.