The Conjuring 2 follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they travel to London to help the Hodgson family who are being haunted in their home. Janet Hodgson, the second eldest daughter, becomes possessed by a malicious entity. The film uses many horror conventions like jump scares and focusing on a family, but also includes some unconventional elements like not having any character deaths and having a happy ending. It tells the story of the Hodgson family's haunting and the Warrens' investigation in a linear way through parallel editing between the two storylines. The film employs various camera techniques, editing styles, lighting, settings, and props to build tension and atmosphere throughout the supernatural horror story.

1. The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The filmis about paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren who travel to London to
help a single mother and her four children haunted by supernatural happenings in their
house and a malicious entity that takes possession of the second eldest child Janet.
The genre for The Conjuring 2 is a supernatural horror, the way you can tell this is due to the
conventions that it has; a convention is a way in which something is usually done. One
example of a convention that is the same in horrors is the focus on a family. This is done as
the audience would most likely have a better connection with their family and friends and
would be more distraught if the story was happening to them and their family as a pose to
their friends.
Another convention that is used are the use of jump scares; a jump scare is a technique
often used in horror films and video games, intended to scare the audience by surprising
them with an abrupt change in image or event, usually co-occurring with a loud, frightening
sound.
Another convention that is used in The Conjuring 2 is the focus on one character, which is
usually a child; in this case it was Janet Hodgson (aged 11). In the film Janet is taken over by
the spirit of Bill Wilkins; a man who had died in the living room chair 40 years previous.
There are some things that are unconventional as well. For example nobody died in the film.
This is unconventional as typically you have a character die in the movie. Another thing that
is unconventional for horror films is that there is a happy ending, at the end of the filmwe
see Valek banished back to hell. A few minutes later we see outside; it is bright, as if all the
darkness has left the world.

2. Narrative
The Conjuring 2 is linear, this means that events progress in chronological order, although
there are some flashback scenes although this does not affect the fact that the storyline is
linear.
The Conjuring 2 is a closed film as there is a clear beginning and end. This is clear as we have
the text at the ending of the film, which gives us some more information on what happened
to the Hodgson family in the future. We can tell this as it tells us that Peggy Hodgson died in
2013.
On the other hand some people may think that it is open as there are some things that are
not explained e.g. what happened to Bill Wilkins or what happened to the other families and
all the members of the Hodgson family. Although the filmis classified as a closed filmas it
has a clear beginning and end.
The Conjuring 2 is a multi-strand movie. A multi strand movie is one which has more than
one main storyline. The two main story lines we have are the focus on the Hodgson family
and the Warrens. The filmstarts of by showing the Warrens and then shortly afterwards we
see the Hodgson family.
The Conjuring 2 uses parallel editing and a multi strand storyline to link the two families. We
see the families individually by themselves we then see parallel editing between the two

3. families. This occurs just after the police have visited the Hodgson house; after they leave it
then cuts to the Warren’s house.
These scenes are also a juxtaposition as we see the comparison between the dark and
gloomy Hodgson residence and the bright and warm feel of the Warren residence. We can
tell this from a few things, firstly the colours in the Hodgson residence are quite low tone
and dark, whereas in the Warren residence is quite bright and high tone.
As the film develops we see the Warren family join the Hodgson family to try to help find
out what is going on at their house.
This is when we first see the two
families coming together to try and
solve them. Later on in the movie
there is some evidence that Janet is
faking the events in which she is
being ‘taken over’; this then leads to
the Warrens deciding to leave.
They are ready to leave right up until they realise the real meaning of what Bill Wilkins is
trying to say. They then rush back to the Hodgson’s as soon as they can, as they realise the
severity of the situation.
HodgsonResidence Warren Residence

4. In the picture to the right we can see the
Warren’s rushing back to the Hodgson’s
house. We can tell this is of importance as
Vic Nottingham (the driver) is overtaking
other cars and speeding to get back as
quickly as he can.
Camerawork
In the Conjuring 2 they use camerawork in a variety of ways. One of these ways is the use of
close ups. In the movie they use close ups for two different things; the first is to focus on an
object or to personify the emotions we can see from a person. The second is for close ups,
the reason why close ups are used for jump scares is because you are more likely to get a
shock from something that is right near you, rather than something that it is further away.
An example of this is when Valak is at the end of the corridor in the Warren’s house ; if a
jump scare was used here it would not have as much effect as it is an extreme long shot.
This is why it is nearly always a close up when there is a jump scare. An example of this is
when Ed has just been visually impaired and he goes upstairs to and watches the crooked
man zoetrope.
There are also some high angle shots in the movie. An example of this is when Lorraine is
having a premonition on the train. In the premonition we see Bill Wilkins sitting in the
armchair that he died in, it is as if he is speaking to Lorraine. There is then a jump scare
where we see Valak standing over Bill.
Leavingontrain

5. The use of a high angle shot in this scene is very important as it is as if we are looking down
on Bill. Then when we see Valak put what seems to be a hand on Bill’s shoulder we can see
that the high angles shot is showing us that Bill has been used and is under the control of
Valak. This makes the audience feel sorry for Bill in a way as they can see that he has no
control and that he is weak in the situation and just wants to leave.
In The Conjuring 2 they also use long shots in a very good way, for example when we first
see the room that has been locked up with a padlock because the Hodgson’s have heard
noises coming from it. When we go into the room they use a long shot, this is done for a few
different reason, the first is to show that the room is filled with crosses to show the worries
that the Hodgson’s have. The second is to make the audience feel small, this is done so you
know that something serious is going on and that there is something bigger in the room.
Another long shot that is used is in Nottingham residence when the Hodgson family are
staying over. We see Billy Hodgson woken in the middle of the night. He then hears the bell
that the Nottingham’s dog rings when he wants to go outside. Billy walks to the door and
then opens it. In this shot we see a lot of headroom left, this is not usually done so this
makes the audience expect something.

6. In the next shot we see the Nottingham’s dog turn into the crooked man, the dog slowly
grows and when he is changing we see Billy from the crooked man perspective. A high
angle shot is used here to show how Billy is small and vulnerable.
Another shot used in The Conjuring 2 is a mid shot. An example of this is when Ed wants to
speak to Bill Wilkins through Janet but when she has a full mouth of water to prove she is
not faking it. In this scene Bill won’t speak unless everyone in the room turns around. So in
the shot the focus is on Ed’s facial expressions and body language but we can see a fuzzy
Janet in the back as well.

7. Another example of a mid shot is when Ed and Lorraine are having a conversation on the
train about the tapes with Bill Wilkins speaking. The reason mid shot is used is so that we
can see their faces but also so we can see their body to see what they are doing at the same
time.
Another type of shot that is used in The Conjuring 2 is an establishing shot. It is usually the
first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place. It
is usually a very wide shot or extreme wide shot.
An example of this is at the beginning of the movie when we first see Green Street. They use
an establishing shot here as it is the first time we are seeing it and so we don’t confuse it
with other locations that are shown.
Editing
Editing is used in a variety of ways in The Conjuring 2. One way in which editing is used is the
use of quick cuts. Quick cuts are usually used before a jump scare. You will have a main
subject it will then usually cut to something else and then quickly cut and that’s when the
jump scare will occur. For example in the Amityville basement scene we see Lorraine looking
in the mirror to see the nun and then back to the mirror and then we see the nun again but
close up as a jump scare.

8. Another way in which editing is used is the pace of the cuts between shots. The pace of cuts
is important as you can use the pace to either build or show tension. For example when Ed
is speaking to Bill through Janet there is no cuts as it is building tension. This scene is
important as we can see Janet turning into Bill in the background but we can also see the
facial expressions of Ed. If there were cuts between Janet and Ed it would take away from
the mystery of the scene but also we would not see Ed’s reaction to everything.
An example of when the pace of cuts is used to show tension is when we see Janet who is
evidently being controlled in a claustropbic cupboard under the stairs that is surrounded by
pipes. We see Janet, it then cuts closer on her face and then back to Ed to show his reaction
and then back to Janet. There is a face pace of cuts here to show that something is wrong
and to show tension.

9. Another way in which editing is used is by using a combination of shots. An example of
when this is used in the pub scene where the Warrens are speaking to a few other people
about whether the events are rea or not. It starts of by panning round the pub, it then goes
into a long shot then to a mid shot and then a close up.
One more technique that is used is a match on action; this I when a scene cuts from one
shot to another view that matches the first shot's action. An example of this is when Ed and
Lorraine or on the train. They have the tape player on the table, Ed goes to push the button
to play it and just before he does it cuts to another shot of him actually pushing it.

10. Mise En Scène
Lighting is a very important aspect of mise en scène. In The Conjuring 2 the lighting is main
low key and dark, this is as lighting helps depict a frightening atmosphere. During the
basement scene in Amityville when Lorraine is having a premonition we can see that the
lighting is dark and mysterious and it is not really clear. This juxtaposes what happens in the
real world as in the real world she sees things in high clear and clear unlike her
premonitions.
This gets the audience thinking about how close her premonitions actually are compared to
the future.
Throughout the filmthe colours are mainly dark, even in scenes of natural light the mood
seems eerie and strange. This is to show that is wrong, it is as if Valak’s darkness is making
everything dark. A way we can tell this is up until Valak is banished back to hell the mood is
very dark, but after he is banished back it becomes light out.
Another aspect of mise en scène is setting, there are two main settings he first is the
Hodgson residence and the second is the Warren residence. We can tell that the Hodgson
family don’t have a lot of money. A way we can tell this is from the fact that they have 60’s
décor; for example their TV, wallpaper and couches.
On the other hand we can see that the Warren family does have money as they have 70’s
décor in their house. The two households juxtapose each other as on one hand we have the
dark and old styled Hodgson house and on the other we have the bright and modern
Warren house.

11. There are alsoa fewpropsusedinthe The Conjuring2.For example we have the crookedman
zoetrope whichshowsthe crookedmandancingaround.Thisisshownat the begginingof the filmas
theychildrenuse ittotry and helpBilliesstammer.
Another prop that is used is Ed’s crucifix, this plays an important part in the film as Ed uses it
a few times to stop Janet from being completely taken over and he also uses it to protect
himself against the crooked man when he is visually impaired.