Final Draft -Film Poster

Since my first draft I have made some changes by adding more text, to make it look more realistic, and changed the font, as the original one was to faint to see. I also included my own photography, by using a photo of my own and editing it.

I took a range of head-on photographs of my dad, which I then edited in Photoshop and paint. I took a lot of inspiration from other Horror Film movie posters, and looked at how they would display and advertise their film within a poster. The majority of Horror Film posters had one person/figure or face in the centre, then with the title above. The were kept very simple, but contained an eerie atmosphere. I cut out and faded the majority of my picture, to keep the audience guessing, and to not give to much away about the character. The red tint again is to emphasise the mood of the poster, and i also thought it went well with the red title, which resembles blood and danger.

I think the photo works very well, as it represents a horror film, and captures peoples attention. The eyes especially are quite bold, yet still fade out, which draws people in, and lets them want to see more. The red contrast with the Black background also makes the poster stand out, as they are two contrasting colours, and both represent death, danger and blood, which all play main parts of a typical horror film genre.

I included a line from the song 'Silent Night', which is also the title of my short film. The song and the theme plays a huge part in my short film, as not only is it set at Christmas, but I have an instrumental version of 'Silent Night' playing throughout the film. The song is a Christmas carol which is meant to represent peace and unity, which i play against, as the shocking fatality of my short film is anything but peaceful. I took the line, "all is calm, all is bright" because I think it resembled the message well, and again draws in the audience, as they get a tiny hint and glimmer of the film.

Overall I am very happy with my finished poster, considering I only used limited resources, such as paint, as my Photoshop skills are rather amateur. I believe it gives off the right mood and atmosphere to represent a horror, and captures people's attention through the contrasting, bold colours and fonts.

Audience Feedback

Film Poster: Average mark 8/10
Good postitive feedback for use of colour and image, fits well with genre. However the text is not very clear, which makes it difficult to read, so that is something that I will look into re-doing. I also need to inlcude a production company within in my poster.

Film Review: Average mark 7/10
Review needs slighly more work to improve it, inlcuding the colours and making it more engaging and eye catching, this could be done by including some pictures. The layout got good credit, especially using the coloums and ratings etc.

Main Character Profile

Sex: Male
Age: 50's
Occupation: Retired (does work in his own time- meat supplier)
Marital Status: Widower

My main character plays the mysterious, eerie old man, who throughout the short film appears suspicious and a suspect. I wanted this character to represent an alone, older person, who obviously has some sort of troubles. He needed to be a good actor, with quite a strong looking build. I think Mark was perfect for this role, as although he isn’t necessarily the everyday conventional horror suspect, he has the right ‘look’ to create that spooky atmosphere. His dark hair, skin and eyes all resemble the darkness and shadows, which go well with the dim setting, and his big build also helps create the sense that he is quite strong and overpowering.

My Short Film Review

This is the Film Review for my Short Film, 'Silent Night'. I created it on Microsoft Publisher, which is a programme I feel more confident in using. Firstly I refreshed my memory by looking at film review websites such as, 'Empire' and 'Total Film'. Due to my film review research that I did earlier on, I felt quite confident in the layouts, designs and creative writing technique. I choose to use really bold, contrasting colours, like black, yellow, white and grey. This was purely for boldness and catching the eye. It also sets my review apart from the rest by using unique, different shades of colour, and also using the name 'Flix' to make the review look more professional. I wanted to keep the review short and sweet, so it wont bore the readers. Using snappy, creative language I wanted to engage the readers, and want to make them go and watch the film. I included the conventional 'star rating' method and key information’s, such as Director and Actors. This again allows people to get a really quick insight and understanding of the short film, and how successful it is, without having to read pages of writing.

If I could improve my Review, I would like to of used more pictures, maybe screen shots from the short film itself, and I would spend more time on the layout and review itself, just by trying to make it even more interesting and detailed.

If I could improve my Review, I would like to of used more pictures, maybe screen shots from the short film itself, and I would spend more time on the layout and review itself, just by trying to make it even more interseting and detailed.

First Draft - Poster

This is my first draft for my Film Poster. Sticking with my horror genre, I obviously wanted to represent my film as something rather frightening, and which will capture people's attention, especially those who are fans of this genre.

The choice of colours used are rather stereotypical for the horror genre (Blacks/reds) again creating a chilling tone and atmosphere. The dark colours immediately make it obvious to viewers that the film is dark and mysterious, with the red colour almost representing blood.

The font used for the title, was something I found on an independent website, which I believed suited my genre very well. It stands out to the audience, and the dripping blood just emphasises the gore and sheer terror. The short reviews and other comments on the poster are in a more subtle font and colour, this is so it doesn't distract anything away from the main image and title, however the red colour still draws in enough attention for it to be noticed.

The images I have chosen to use, were ones that i had found on the internet, which I then went on to edit, this is just to give me a taste of what I will need to do in my second draft, and the kind of images I want to use. In my Final Poster, I am going to be using my own photographs, which I will then go on to edit on Photoshop. The photograph I will use will be rather similar to the ones already in this poster, which I will fade so it blends in with the dark background colour, this again emphasises the mysterious tone of the poster, and how something is lurking in the shadows almost.

The problems I have foreseen in this draft, is the font of the further text containing important information, such as the website, and featuring actors is not bold enough, and makes it visually barely able to see. Obviously this is a problem that needs to be fixed, and thanks to my audience feedback I am able to do so.

Main Props Checklist

These are the MAIN props needed in my own Short Film, 'Silent Night'. I would like to find something simular that resemble what is in the pictures.


Candles- To light up the kitchen, and create a spooky atmosphere.

Jars of Meat- These will be props used which will cover the kitchen work surfaces. Again this is to just add to the mood, and give the audience an insight into what the character does.

Apron/Bloody Apron- This is the characters main outfit, as most scenes are placed in the kitchen, where he is cutting up meat. The stained blood resembles the fact that he may have been doing this for a long time, by the amount of stains and wear it has had.

 A childs toy watch- These small props are just used in a quick scene, which however play a huge part in the film, as it is the first sign of what the main character is capable of.

A faded photogrph of his wife - Again adds more to the main characters profile, as we learn more about him as a person, and suspect this is somebody he was once close to, and questions whether he is still a family man or not?

Kitchen Utensils/Cutting Tools -  These props are merely used to frighten and scare the audience, and again add to the characters strange behaviour and fetish for weapons.

Black Cat- This is the only other living thing we see in the same scenes as the main character , suggesting this could be his only companion?