Ancillary Text - DVD Cover

To create my DVD cover I looked through google to find other examples of films featuring kidnapping/murder/stalking to determine what kinds of conventions were featured. The main covers I looked at were Taken and Play Misty For Me.

Some key similarities I noticed between the two covers were:

• The frequent use of the colour red. This heavily suggests danger.
• As well as red, both covers use a lot of black shades. This palette of minimal colours highlights the mood and atmosphere the film will create.
• On the spine is a miniature image of the DVD cover. This is to help easily identify the film when it is on a shelf.
• The placement of the title is unlike the regular centered title that is found on many books and other DVDs. The font size varies, and the placement means the title 'becomes' a part of the cover.

For my own DVD cover I have used a similar palette to the conventional horror themes- shades of grey, black, and red. I used posterize on each photo to make it more tonal. This also means the knife on the cover becomes an ominous black shape, leaving the audience guessing. It also made a good background for the band title, again in red to highlight the danger. The font is from the original My Chemical Romance logo, so fans of the band will recognize it easily. The age rating is clearly displayed to warn underage viewers, as well as a small information box to inform them of what mature content to expect. The audience statement on the back is there to advertise and persuade the audience to buy it.