Poster DeconstructionBreak My Bones

Break My BonesThe plot of the film follows a 10 year old girl, who confronts her own capacity for evil when her mother forces her to seek the mentorship of a disturbed old man. I appreciate that the plot is darker than what I am planning for my own film, however it is the style of the poster of which I find interesting, especially to link into the theme of having two realities.

Double exposureThis poster uses a double exposure effect where a coloured background image is revealed in the low key areas on the foreground image. The connotations of this are that the character in the room has had a strong influence over the main character, and is on the main character’s mind; perhaps because of fear or love. Structurally, this would have been achieved with the main face being in a studio, and the secondary character being on a set. I know I can achieve this effect as I completed this style for a Photography course, so I know this is realistic inspiration.

ColourThe stand out colours in this poster are blue and white. The white is very prominent, and provides a modern and clean background for the face, however it has strong connotations of purity towards the protagonist, as we know she is a 10 year old girl who will encounter evil. White could also link to a haunted atmosphere, as the stereotypical ghost is considered white. The colour blue seeps in from the mid-ground, in a misty paint style, which entices the audience about how something dark and cold will be confronted. Personally, I like the idea of using two prominent colours to demonstrate alternate moods or plots.

LightingThe right side of the image is overexposed, which blends her face into the white background, and makes the image bleached out. This again exaggerates the ghosting effect, but also creates a blinding dream like effect, that demonstrates to the viewer the psychological drama within the film. The left side of her face has low key lighting in order to blend in with the dark scene that has been double exposed. The darkness could also connote the evil within the film, linking to a horror aspect that is hinted in the synopsis, which ultimately targets a wider audience.

TypographyThe font size is very sporadic, which in combination with the random letter thickness and colour, creates a distorted title, that appears to be falling apart. The disjoined effect could perhaps link to a gothic plot, with a story that isn’t straightforward and simple, reaching out to a niche audience that prefer a dark and twisted film. Additionally, the top line of text is a different font style to the bottom line could demonstrate the confusion of the protagonist, which links the audience to the character emotions before they have seen the film