'Halloween' DVD Cover Research

This DVD cover, uses many techniques to draw the audience to the DVD and to persuade them to buy and watch it. This DVD cover places the title at the top of the cover, which is extremely conventional, as this means that it will be the first thing which the audiences eye is drawn to when looking at this cover, due to the visual hierarchy. This title is also big and bold on the page, therefore places a dominance over the page, which also allows it to draw the eye of the user. The use of the contrasting colours, also allows the users eye to be drawn to the title. All these aspects are very sufficient, as they all mean that as soon as the target audience is attracted to this cover, they instantly know what the film is, but it will also intrigue those which have not seen the film before, as Halloween is acknowledged world wide. The title itself, is extremely clever, as although it is acknowledged throughout nations, it also allows the target audience to understand the genre instantly, therefore allowing the wanted target audience to be attracted.

The image on this cover, is the most dominant aspect of this cover. This is done by it being placed in the middle of the screen, therefore the eye is naturally drawn to it, but also due to it being a big size on the cover. This could also imply that within the film, like the picture takes over the cover, so does this figure, meaning that it may be biased around him and his actions. The audience is also drawn to this cover due to the picture, like the title, being in contrasting colour to that of the rest of the cover, which allows it to stand out, but will also draw the eye of the reader. Another aspect of the picture used, is its unnatural look, which gives in unsent to the murderer within this film, that he is unnatural, which causes both confusion but also fear, as why he unnatural is unknown to the user. The use of the mask, also allows the identity of the murderer to be hidden, which causes the user an increase in anxiety, as they do not know who this killer is, therefore allows them to feel their own life to be threatened as they would not be able to identify this person if they were to see them.

The colours used on this cover are very simple, with the main two being black and white, which could reflect that the film is very dark and gloomy, however there are pieces of light, where this darkness could be stopped. However if this were to be reflected, it would mean that the image of the murderer would be light within the dark, this therefore means that the image could be seen as unconventional, as although he is causing this darkness, he can be portrayed as the light within the film, which is not true. This cover is extremely simple, and does not use many effect like most recent DVD covers within the same genre. This can therefore show the difference within DVD covers over time and how new technology and effect has helped them to progress.

Within this DVD cover, like the other cover it places its title at the top of the screen, to allow the audiences eye to be instantly attracted to it, due to the visual hierarchy. The eye is also attracted to the title as it is bold and a bright contrasting colour, against the black background. The means that when the audience is attracted to the DVD that the title will be one of the first things which attracts them, therefore they instantly know what film is, but this could also mean finding the film is a lot easier. Unlike the first cover, this cover does use the same font, but a different colour is used. This is done as it allows a link to be made between the picture and the title, which the cover cover also does. This is done to allow the whole cover to work together, which would not be achievable without these subtle links. The title used on this cover is also a reasonable size, which is done for various reasons. The first of these is to allow the title too be visible and readable from a distance, which will allow the audience to find the DVD a lot easier. It is also done to attract the eye of the audience, as the word 'Halloween' instantly attracts them, as this is acknowledged throughout the world, therefore the target audience will be attracted as Halloween reflects a horror genre.

On this cover a subtitle is used, unlike on the first, this allows an instant link to be created between the trailer and the DVD cover. This caption is also placed in space on the cover, which will not be instantly see. This is done as the audience is not meant to be attracted to this instantly, but is meant to read this once looking at the DVD cover for a while. This caption is therefore the last persuader to the audience to watch the film. However with the use of a contrasting colour to the background, the caption is able to be attract the eye, but as the caption is smaller than the title, it is not instantly seen by the audience. Within this caption the word 'He' is bigger in size, which allows anxiety to be increased within the audience, as they will wonder why he is such a threat.

The image used on this cover, is extremely unusual and forces the audience to take a second look at the DVD cover, to actually work out what the image is. On first look the user is able to see a pumpkin, which would link to the title on the cover, therefore allowing it to work, due to the subtle links, however when looking for a second time the audience is able to see that the pumpkin is made up of knifes, which places an increased amount of anxiety, as the knife if is within a hand which looks as if it is about to stab something. The image take up a majority of the page, which could reflect to the audience that this threat takes over the film. as it does on the cover. The image is also this size to ensure that it catches the eye of the audience, and persuades them to look further into the cover and finally persuade them to watch the film which is the main aim of the cover. The use of the orange through the image, not only allows it to stand out on the page, therefore drawing the eye of the reader, and allows it to resemble that of a pumpkin, but is also allows the image to reflect, violence and heat, giving them an taste to what could be included within the film.

Like the other cover, a simple colour scheme is used on this DVD, the three main colours being black, white and orange. This allows the audience to understand that this film is extremely dark and gloomy through the background being black, however through the use of of white, the audience is given an clue that there is a glimmer of hope, that this dark and evil being can be stopped, however the way in which this is done is completely unknown to the user, as the cover gives no clue of this. However the use of orange, allows the audience to understand that this character who is known as being evil, is like a fire, used by the colour orange on the image, that no matter what people may do, his evil and darkness spread quickly and he is extremely hard to catch and stop. This cover is extremely simple, and does not use many effects like most recent DVD covers within the same genre. This can therefore show the difference within DVD covers over time and how new technology and effect has helped them to progress.