Directors Commentary- Filming Mock Up

Ancillary Task

For my ancillary task I have to create a movie poster. Before creating a movie poster it is important to look at existing media products. The first thing I noticed when looking at existing media products that are within the psychological genre is that their is predominantly a close-up shot of the protagonist. Below are a few examples:

Shutter Island shows how the use of a close-up shot of the main character can successfully promote the films psychological nature. It is clear from the film poster that the character is distressed. It could be argued that the poster could be advertising a horror film, but similar conventions of both the horror and thriller genre are apparent in the creation of film posters.

Psychological thriller posters often contain facial expressions of distress or unrest to connote the genre. Low-key lighting on the subjects and dark colours are used throughout posters of this genre to project the eerie nature of the texts.

Black Swan subverts these conventions but also unsettles viewers through powerful imagery of the main character.

Here is another example of a close-up shot being used effectively.

The manipulation of the red eye creates disequilbrium within the poster. The two-shot also connotes the genre through the close-up shot. Close-ups are used to connect the character with the viewer and help attract the viewers attention.  I want my movie poster to have the protagonist as the dominant aspect of the poster. I also want to connote her vulnerability by photographing behind her with her face turned towards the lens. This could appear to be a POV shot from the stalkers perspective.

Conventions of psychological thriller posters

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