Scream 4 Poster Analysis

This is the teaser poster for Scream 4. One of the first things that stands out is the strapline situated at the top of the poster, "New Decade. New Rules" in bold red writing which stands out on the pitch black background. The red writing is there to signal blood and perhaps violence. We get a little peak into the plot with the strapline, as well as acknowledging the original 1997 film of the same name. So we know that the plot will be the return of ghostface to once again terrorize the local teenagers. Also the word "Rules" suggests that it is some sort of sick game the killer is going to play but it is different to the last time, maybe making viewers who liked the original come back and see it because there may be a twist in the plot. The bright image of ghostface heavily contrasts with the black background and grabs your attention immediately, with help from the slight shadow. Even if you're not familiar with the Scream series, the frightening mask lets you know that this is the antagonist, and also how the mask morphs into a knife at the bottom, suggesting that there will be death and the killer is wielding a knife. In the bottom right hand corner you can see the 'Dimension Films' logo, this is important for some people would be turned on or off by a production company, or they would have an idea of the kind of films that the company produce or create. The background is pitch black, which allows everything else on the poster to stand out clearly, emphasising everything else. Also it could represent the fear of the unknown, not knowing what to expect. And the mask on the black background could perhaps suggest the killer primarily stalks by night. The knife on the mask looks very clean and fresh, it has a glimmer at the bottom which implies that it hasn't been used it that it is new, relating to the series itself for it was the first film in over 8 years. The film title again, stands out heavily on the black background because of the big block bold capital letters, also the red and white colour scheme. The title itself suggests that there will be a lot of deaths and distress in the film, also the font itself is reminiscent of a knife, suggesting the antagonists weapon of choice. Also the number 4 replaces the letter 'A' stating that it is the 4th in the series, maybe making old viewers of the first film come back and watch it.