The happening film poster analysis

M.Night Shaymalan is a director of many thriller films Including signs and the sixth sense which have also broadcasted on the top of the page.  It instantly attracts audiences who have already watched these films as there genres are very similar. The layout of the poster sees the characters adapt in well to the background of the poster. It shows to the audience that the film will inflict in supper natural events evident towards the fact that the poster looks like the city is moving in towards the characters. The iconic image for the poster is the disserted city. This is instantly initiating the thriller genre. This is due to the audience wondering why these people are the only people in the city, what has caused this and what will happen to the characters on the poster.

The film poster targets an audience of around 20-35 and is mixed gender. This is shown because it includes two characters around the age of 30n and also a little girl. It provides that sense of a family being threatened by something which the audience is unable to see. The characters are presented as normal people who the audience of 20-35, mixed gender and middle, lower class people can connect to. This is evident due to the way the characters dressed, as the man is wearing jeans and a casual shirt the little girl is also wearing jeans with a white t-shirt. As it shows a family being threatened this shows to the audience its unique selling point. This is down to the fact that ordinary people are being threatened by something and it can happen to anyone. This breaks that sense of security when you’re with your family. The film poster includes a release date of Friday the 13^th they have purposely set this date as Friday 13^th if supposed to be one of the unluckiest days of the year. It provides s that sense that something bad is going to happen. The title block is decorated with white bluish colour. This initiates a cold scary feeling. The billing block has also the same colour this shows the poster is very well colour orientated. The whole of the billing block is about the same size of the title. This shows the title being the largest lettering on the film poster. The actors are positioned to be sitting down. This causes the characters to look more vulnerable. The man seems to be holding the man and the women as thou he is trying to protect them. This man is also the only character to have his name written on the poster. This is evident towards the name of Mark Wahlberg.  The image is multi layered. The background looks like a city bring squeezed in as thou something bad is coming closer. This is also initiated with the dark shade on the left hand side of the picture. It creates the suspension and tension for the characters that are on the poster.  Those examples of suspense and tension are key elements for a thriller. The tagline for the poster isn’t shown very clearly due to the image. However it says,” Don’t look for the answers it’s already too late”. This is suggesting that something has happened but it might be too late to figure it out because something will happen to them before they can.