Kiss of the Vampire 1963:
Layout and design -
Z line is used: first the audience sees the title of the film, then the main characters (supposedly) and finally the list of actors. This ensures that the audience is informed of most of the information before they go to watch the movie.
The main characters take up the majority of the movie poster, dominating the middle third. But the movie name also encapsulates a lot of the space and it looks like the characters are almost being shoved out of the way by the text.
Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle & focus -
Illustration used to create the main image that is very graphic and detailed. ( E.g. the excessive blood references throughout the poster, on the character and the title) Gives us an idea of the the setting, time of day and era. For example, the poster is all very dark and this tells the audience that the majority of the movie could take place at night, which also connotes the evil surrounding the dark, emphasising the theme of horror.
A medium long shot is used to include all of the characters fully in the poster. This also helps to depict how alone these characters are as you can see clearly their relationship to the bleak surroundings. The audience then feels sympathy for the victims then especially as you can see how clearly helpless characters are in this movie when near a vampire. Foreshadows the idea of being hunted and alone. Also included the castle ( presumably belonging to the vampires ) in the very far background, showing us once again how the victims are out of their territory.
As well as this, most of the poster is in focus (foreground and subjects), however some parts, such as in the background, are slightly less detailed and blurry. This creates the idea that there could be moments in the movie that are sneaky and not so clear as they could be clouded by the actions of other characters.
Colour -
Overall, the poster is has a very sooty and gloomy coloured, as created by the night-time setting which engulfs the advert. However there are the few splashes of colour to attract the audience's attention such as the golds and reds on the women character's dresses and skins. A bright yellow is also used in the poster to make a point and create a real selling point for the movie, as it is described as "in colour" which would have been new and exciting at the time of the creation.
Lighting -
Very dark ( night time ), the moon and the title brighten up the whole poster. The impeding title is almost like rays of light which seem to be harming the male vampire as he shields himself. Adding to the myth of vampires and partially explaining their weaknesses within the poster.
Costume -
The costumes are typical of the era. The women are shown to be wearing these dresses which look very flimsy and with not that much to them. This sexualises women as well as evoking the idea that this movie could be slightly explicit in some way.
The man vampire is wearing very stereotypical vampire costume, matching the dominant ideology that a vampire is tall, of high social status ( well kept and well made looking clothes) and wears red and black clothes ( connotations = blood, romance and death). But, normally we see vampires to be very powerful. However here, he is not shown to be very powerful but rather timid and worried as he has this fearful expression on his face, using his cape as a barrier.
The kneeling man wears a white shirt, and his face is not really shown. The colour white depicts this idea of purity, which explains how he is a victim to these vampires. In addition to this, the fact that his face is hidden, the audience can only identify him as the victim, with no reason as to why he could be in the wrong, as we do not know who he is.
Graphics & logos -
Small universal logo used in the bottom right of the poster, still in the z line, " a universal release ", could possibly be another selling pint of the advert.
Codes and conventions -
Hermeneutic Codes: The moon and the fog help to create mystery as it shadows the truth in a way and hides what is really going on, makes the audience want to watch the movie and figure out what is being covered up.
Proairectic Codes: The red colours in the poster help the audience to connect ideas of romance, passion and blood as vampires are thought to be very seductive but predators to humans. Initial ideas from the title are developed through this proairectic code
Symbolic Codes: The woman being held up by the man vampire is shown to be very weak and submissive and a stark contrast to the other woman, who shows the most power in the whole poster. This juxtaposition challenges popular belief at the time that women need to be taken care of and were the weaker sex.
Composition -
Main characters in the foreground, other important factors in the background (castle)
Language -
"Kiss of the vampire" turns something sweet into something bad and also is a play on words to suggest that the kiss of a vampire is actually a bite. Doesn't sound nice or good.
Font size & type of font -
Sans serif font. The title of the movie is created using a bold, white font with sharp/raw edges to connote the idea of vampire fangs. This idea is added to through the red blood-like drops that drip off the letter "V", emphasising the animalistic nature of the vampire.
Font throughout the poster is bold and the majority of the the letters are capitalised, and slightly stretched out in order to really jump out at the audience and grab their attention.
Analysis of narrative:
The main characters take up the majority of the movie poster, dominating the middle third. But the movie name also encapsulates a lot of the space and it looks like the characters are almost being shoved out of the way by the text.
Images/photographs - camera shot type, angle & focus -
Illustration used to create the main image that is very graphic and detailed. ( E.g. the excessive blood references throughout the poster, on the character and the title) Gives us an idea of the the setting, time of day and era. For example, the poster is all very dark and this tells the audience that the majority of the movie could take place at night, which also connotes the evil surrounding the dark, emphasising the theme of horror.
A medium long shot is used to include all of the characters fully in the poster. This also helps to depict how alone these characters are as you can see clearly their relationship to the bleak surroundings. The audience then feels sympathy for the victims then especially as you can see how clearly helpless characters are in this movie when near a vampire. Foreshadows the idea of being hunted and alone. Also included the castle ( presumably belonging to the vampires ) in the very far background, showing us once again how the victims are out of their territory.
As well as this, most of the poster is in focus (foreground and subjects), however some parts, such as in the background, are slightly less detailed and blurry. This creates the idea that there could be moments in the movie that are sneaky and not so clear as they could be clouded by the actions of other characters.
Colour -
Overall, the poster is has a very sooty and gloomy coloured, as created by the night-time setting which engulfs the advert. However there are the few splashes of colour to attract the audience's attention such as the golds and reds on the women character's dresses and skins. A bright yellow is also used in the poster to make a point and create a real selling point for the movie, as it is described as "in colour" which would have been new and exciting at the time of the creation.
Lighting -
Very dark ( night time ), the moon and the title brighten up the whole poster. The impeding title is almost like rays of light which seem to be harming the male vampire as he shields himself. Adding to the myth of vampires and partially explaining their weaknesses within the poster.
Costume -
The costumes are typical of the era. The women are shown to be wearing these dresses which look very flimsy and with not that much to them. This sexualises women as well as evoking the idea that this movie could be slightly explicit in some way.
The man vampire is wearing very stereotypical vampire costume, matching the dominant ideology that a vampire is tall, of high social status ( well kept and well made looking clothes) and wears red and black clothes ( connotations = blood, romance and death). But, normally we see vampires to be very powerful. However here, he is not shown to be very powerful but rather timid and worried as he has this fearful expression on his face, using his cape as a barrier.
The kneeling man wears a white shirt, and his face is not really shown. The colour white depicts this idea of purity, which explains how he is a victim to these vampires. In addition to this, the fact that his face is hidden, the audience can only identify him as the victim, with no reason as to why he could be in the wrong, as we do not know who he is.
Graphics & logos -
Small universal logo used in the bottom right of the poster, still in the z line, " a universal release ", could possibly be another selling pint of the advert.
Codes and conventions -
Hermeneutic Codes: The moon and the fog help to create mystery as it shadows the truth in a way and hides what is really going on, makes the audience want to watch the movie and figure out what is being covered up.
Proairectic Codes: The red colours in the poster help the audience to connect ideas of romance, passion and blood as vampires are thought to be very seductive but predators to humans. Initial ideas from the title are developed through this proairectic code
Symbolic Codes: The woman being held up by the man vampire is shown to be very weak and submissive and a stark contrast to the other woman, who shows the most power in the whole poster. This juxtaposition challenges popular belief at the time that women need to be taken care of and were the weaker sex.
Composition -
Main characters in the foreground, other important factors in the background (castle)
Language -
"Kiss of the vampire" turns something sweet into something bad and also is a play on words to suggest that the kiss of a vampire is actually a bite. Doesn't sound nice or good.
Font size & type of font -
Sans serif font. The title of the movie is created using a bold, white font with sharp/raw edges to connote the idea of vampire fangs. This idea is added to through the red blood-like drops that drip off the letter "V", emphasising the animalistic nature of the vampire.
Font throughout the poster is bold and the majority of the the letters are capitalised, and slightly stretched out in order to really jump out at the audience and grab their attention.
Analysis of narrative:
Genre iconography: Dramatic , excessive gestures connotative of conflict.
Binary oppositions: Beautiful women in white with aggressive expressions and gestures - opposition of what we expect vs what we get.
Disruption of equilibrium: Symbolic code of vampire biting woman - showing power of evil ( the vampire has control over these women )
Challenging stereotypes - connotations of powerful women, through symbolic, protective gesture.
Hermeneutic code : cluttered and confusing collection of archetypes , we wonder what is going to happen next. "How did they all end up in this situation together?!"
Representation of women : women are sexualised - costumes are flimsy - the women on the left is shown to be submissive.
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