Poster analysis

The main image of this poster is the close up shot of a pale human hand lying on a blood splattered, white floor. The paleness of the skin colour and the blood spilling from the wrist suggests that the hand is no longer attached to a human. This image relates to the bold title SAW as a saw is a tool used to dismember or cut up things. The image is also made to be chilling and unsettling by the colours used. The main colour used is white. White suggests purity and goodness, this is a juxtaposition considering there’s a decapitated human hand, suggesting the opposite of goodness and purity. The colour white could also mean emptyness, this feel is also meant to be reflected in this particular poster. The font used for the title of the movie is the same as the font used for all the saw movies. This is so that the audience can instantly recognise the well-known franchise. The layout of the poster is organised so that the audience see the two main features: the title and the image. Both things will grab attention as they both have chilling effects. They take up most of the poster put together and this is so the audience see these things first. Having minimal things on the poster is effective because there’s not too much going on and the audience will only look at the important things. This poster uses this and is effective as it’s not overkill but haunts you just enough to make you want to watch the film. Whose hand is that? Why is it decapitated? Who hurt him? You’ll never know. Watch the film. Peace out.

This poster is a good example of juxtaposition, as a smiley face connotes happiness. This is a haunting technique to use because every other feature of this poster tells you to be afraid. For example, the dark lighting, the tag line, the bright red of the title. This will draw in the viewers because it’s unsettling to see a little girl with no face. Masks are commonly seen in scary movies and often are more detailed. This goes against conventions as the mask is very simple and has a happy face on it. This makes the poster more intriguing and will reel in the horror fans. The title and the image link together as “smiley” is exactly what you’re seeing directly above. This connects the image to the title and makes it fit all together. There is a sense of innocence in the poster due to the little girl. Young girls are stereotypically seen as innocent and harmless, so using one to portray danger is not what you’d expect and therefore makes one feel uneasy. The fact that she doesn’t have a face adds to the creepiness, as you don’t know what’s under the mask. The font is bold and red. This poster has followed the conventions of a typical horror poster as the colour red is seen as dangerous, or could be linked to blood, a common colour used in horror movies. 

The direct eye contact directly addresses the viewers and grabs the audiences’ attention. This is a common technique used in all movie posters or advertisements. The piercing blue eye will be eye-catching from afar and the fact it’s a close up of a well-known, good looking actor will also help to appeal to the audience. The main colours are blue and black. Where black is often used in horror movies, blue is used a lot less. In this poster, the feeling created is a cold one so using an icy blue has helped to make this poster look uninviting and cold. Blue also represents sadness so making this the main colour further intrigues the audience as they may want to learn about the hidden sadness. The foreground image of the actor is in high motivation lighting so you can clearly see all of his features and his facial expression lets the audience know how to feel. The figure in the background is in lower lighting to show she doesn’t reveal her identity and this is an intriguing factor of the poster. The font is surrounded by a misty smudge and this is linking to the idea of it being ghostly as commonly ghosts are transparent and look a bit like the effect used.