Suspiria Horror Film Poster
Illustration | Typography
Programs: Procreate and Adobe Photoshop
Institution: Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University
Art Direction: Sean McCabe, Fall 2021
The goal of this project was to create a design for a horror film based on our own perception. I chose to watch the Italian supernatural film, Suspiria, from 1977 directed by Dario Argento. Susie Bannion, the main character and American newcomer, travels to Berlin to attend the prestigious Helena Markos Dance Company. However, when she takes the place of the lead dancer, she soon realizes that darkness swirls around the center of the world renowned dance company. She uncovers the real secrets of the school and learns that the founder was a witch and uses the school as a front for witchcraft.
Ideation
I created a moodboard to show my vision and the style I wanted to achieve for the horror poster. I was drawn to symmetry, reflections, and geometric patterns.
A Leap of Faith
While watching the film, I immediately noticed the visually stunning aesthetics including psychedelic colors, neon bright lighting, and exquisite geometrical architecture of the interior of the ballet school. I took notes of the main symbols and their relevance. The two lit-up doors were important as witchcraft took place behind them. The purple irises painted on the wall led Susie very close to the room where she overhears the founders talking about witchcraft. The symbol of the eye and peacock is significant because it is what Susie sees when she sneaks inside the founders’ room and uncovers the largest secret that the founder is indeed a witch.
Process
I found that a stained glass border inspired by the architecture of the dance school would be a solution to have the main image housed in. On either side, I drew the purple iris and in the center, the main bold eye with peacock feathers around it. Thinking about typography, I played around with the ribbon of the ballet shoes and how it could spell out the main title. I took inspiration from Jess Johnson and her use of borders, checkerboard squares and symmetry for the director’s name, Dario Argento.
The design went through many different stages of color. I tried working with monotone colors, the primary colors, and a lot of neon colors. My challenge was to create a psychedelic look which aligns to the neon lighting in the movie. Neon green, bright pink, red, purple, and blue hues were a must.
The Finer Details
