Film Poster Analysis

 

Black Sheep

 

Black Sheep is a New Zealand Comedy Horror about mutated sheep becoming carnivorous and attacking humans and essentially turning them into "Were-sheep" that also start to attack people. An Animal rights Activist tries to help the owner of the Sheep farms brother stop the experiments being practised on the flock when they find out what's happening. As the farm owner also gets bitten things turn a bit a bit debauched and it's a fight for their lives not to become one of the Were-sheep abominations.

As the film is mainly focused on Henry Oldfield who as a teen was traumatised by his brother Angus murdering his favourite sheep, Henry left the farm he became the Black Sheep of the family for not carrying on the family business of Sheep farming. This brings to light the idea of the title as well as the very sinister happenings at the sheep farm involving rather bizarre genetic experiments in the cause of creating the perfect sheep but in the process also ends up turning ruminants into carnivorous meat eaters. This then shows the title to seem like a explanation for the Main Character and for the Evil (Black having connotations with evil) blood thirsty sheep.

The taboo lexis (swearing) on the poster is used very well. First as a play on words in the Tag Line substituting "Fuck" for "Flock". The second refusing the subtle route and plainly saying that the sheep are "Pissed Off" giving the harshness and anger of the word.

The main image of the poster is of the Sheep Flock surrounding the truck of the 3 main characters that are trying to help stop the outbreak of Were-sheep. This has effect due to the tagline "there are 40 million sheep in New Zealand... and they're pissed off" as it helps show the extend of the groups problem and also gives the audience and idea about the film if they haven't see it as the mass of sheep is quite eye catching.





Also the full moon in the background of the image connotes with the idea of werewolves and so backs up the idea of the Were-sheep as the full moon is commonly what makes the human turn to whichever cursed creature they are meant to now be after the original creatures bite or scratch is inflicted.



Most importantly of all one a film poster there is the release date, the one on the poster being for the New Zealand release "March 22" mentions the month and date for people who would wish to see the film when it comes out.