We will be looking at how visual techniques:
- Are pitched at a certain audience
- Achieve their purpose
- Use techniques to create meaning
Let’s start with a DVD cover:
If there was no purpose to a DVD cover then every DVD would be sold as a loose silver disc in a heap in a shop entrance. Imagine the difficulty you would have as a customer choosing a title!
DVD covers not only provide information, they are also designed to persuade, much like a poster for a show or a film.
Some Techniques you will be asked to identify and discuss:
- Colour
- Angles
- Shots
- Text
- Font
- Layout
- Social distance
Look at the following image:
The images on the DVD cover, their placement on the page, the way they have been presented – sharpness, brightness etc -have all been chosen very carefully.
Some points to consider:
- How does the image of the woman screaming inside the wording of the film title, help to suggest that ‘The Ring’ is a horror movie?
- Why do you think the image is contained within the lettering? Does it provide any clues about the film – i.e. claustrophobia, being trapped?
- Why does the front cover show the picture of the well?
- Why does the front cover have horizontal lines going across it? Is this an effective technique?
- Why have the trees on the front cover been shot out of focus?
- Why have the three images on the top of the back cover been selected?
- How effective is the image of Naomi Watts staring into the hazy ring?
- Is the placement of the images on the cover effective?
The Fonts:
- Is there anything distinctive about the way fonts have been used on this cover?
- What do you notice about the size of the font used for ‘Terrifying’ on the front cover?
- Have any interesting effects been created by the change in font size and styles?
- What font has been used for the slogan ‘Before you die, you see the ring’? How noticeable is this slogan?
The Language features:
- What words have been used in the cover and do they help persuade potential purchasers to buy the film?
- What examples of emotive language have been used in the cover?
- What language techniques have been used in the slogan? Is the slogan effective? Is it a good slogan for a horror film?
Now check out the trailer and see if the poster is effective in its purpose:
TASK:
Complete the following worksheet:
