Blog 8 - Analysis Of 2 DVD Covers



Jennifer's Body Cover

This is the DVD cover for Jennifer's Body, the language used for this cover is mainly informal so that it appeals to it's target audience of 18-29 year olds. However in the synopsis the language is quite formal, this could be because they still want there film to appeal to all ages. The majority of colours they have used for this DVD cover are very dark. They have used deep red to indicate blood and danger for the word 'body' and the quote's 'She's got a taste for bad boys' and 'Smart, Sassy and sexy as hell'. Just below the title of the film there are two bloody hand prints smeared down the black board as if they were trying to hang on to save their life. Right underneath there is also a puddle of dried blood, and a hand hanging out the front of the desk Jennifer is sitting on. They have drawn attention to Jennifer being a danger by her wearing a red top, red shoes and red nails, this could also be seen as quite sexy and could draw males attention to the DVD cover. Another colour used in the main title is white, this is for the word 'Jennifer's' this could be because when Jennifer is first introduced in the film she seems vulnerable and innocent. The main background colours used for this cover are black and green, this is because they're very dark and can convey a lot of mystery. The font they have used is a bold block letter font, this stands out and is very easy to read. The bottom of the title has started to erode mainly on the word 'body'. This could be because when Jennifer has killed her targets they are left to rot away. The main image underneath this title is a big picture of the main character, Jennifer. She is sitting in a very seductive way, leaning back holding some books and showing of her legs, arms and chest whilst looking straight into the camera. She has blood dripping out the side of her mouth which could indicate that she might be the bad one in the film. The lighting isn't very obvious for this cover as it is mainly very dark, but there is some light in the bottom left hand corner which fades out as it gets towards the top. The layout for this is very simple, the title is centred at the top with a main picture underneath. The two main characters names 'Megan Fox' and 'Amanda Seyfried' look like they're sitting on top the title and just below is a quote 'She's got a taste for bad boys' this tells us a bit about the film. The back cover is split in two halves. The top half has 3 pictures on the left hand side that are from the film, the top one is blended into the background whilst the other two are more bordered. Next to the pictures is the synopsis, this is started with a drop capital in red. There is also the other quote 'Smart, Sassy and sexy as hell' this is also red and has been taken from Total Film. This is a good teen horror cover because it keeps its colours to a minimum using mostly dark colours like red, green and black but when white is used it really stands out. Having blood on the cover was important to show that it is a horror film and the two quotes picked help you to understand what the film may be about. The blood coming out of Jennifer's mouth and that she is sitting on a hand makes you realise that she could be the killer, this could make people want to know why she did it and how. Using Megan Fox for this part was a good way to get more male viewers, she is a attractive young girl that would attract their attention.

Sorority Row Cover

This is the DVD cover for Sorority Row, the language used is quite formal on both the front and back of the cover. This could be because they don't only want to appeal to their target audience of 18-29 year olds they want to get as many people viewing their film as possible.

On the cover for Sorority Row the colours are mainly very dark again, they have used black, orange and red. The orange has been used for fire, the house behind the main characters was their sorority house. This was where they all lived and now they are all being hunted down by a serial killer their house is up in flames. Red has been used for the star ratings, the line under the title and the blood on the axes. This is because when people see red the think of danger. Most of the background for this cover is black which makes the whole cover dark apart from the glowing fire. The characters on the front have even been dressed in dark colours such as black, deep greens and blues. They are all wearing short, low cut dresses which could draw male attention to their cover. They have also used some white for the title, quotes and synopsis. This could be because white and black are contrasting colours and these are all important parts of the cover that need to catch the public's attention. The font used for the Sorority Row cover is in capitals but a lot thinner than the title on the Jennifer's body cover. This title has also eroded but not just on the bottom, it has eroded more evenly. The main picture on this cover is of all 6 of the main characters standing in front of their sorority house. They are all looking down into the camera almost expressionless, not worrying about what is going on behind them. The light on this cover is only coming from the fire that has been set off inside the house, the main section of bright light is coming from the house in between the main characters which slowly fades off. The layout used is very different to Jennifer's body, the main difference is the title. On the cover for Jennifers Body they placed their title in the centre up the top, but on Sorority Row they placed the title in the centre but in the middle of the cover they have also underlined it. They have a quote at the top 'The best horror since scream' and a quote at the bottom 'Sisters for life...... and death'. The back cover for this DVD has four pictures, one on the top right and three underneath. The bottom picture is blended into the background whilst the others are bordered. On the top left hand side is another quote 'Blackly comic gore-laden shocker' with the title above and the synopsis which doesnt start with a drop capital. This is a good cover for a teen horror film because it is again very dark using orange, red and black with minimum light which adds mystery. Using blood on the axes behind the title shows that this is going to be a teen horror film, the quotes also show this and give you clues what it might be about. There is no clue to who the bad person may be in this film as there aren't any indications such as one of the characters having blood on them. Having all 6 of the main characters as girls is likely to attract male attention, it also helps that they are young because they can relate to them much easier.