Insidious analysis

1. Insidious – Opening Scene Analysis
Director: James Wan
The teddy bear, duvet covers, toys and lava lamp are all appropriate age related props that
give the audience a sense of age and maturity of the young boy. These stereotypical props
present the boy to be young, innocent and potentially vulnerable and Wan has used these
significant props to give the audience that certain emotion. Similarly the fact that he is
sleeping makes him seemeven more vulnerable and ‘unprotected’ making the audience feel
for him and immediately feel protective over him. The scene is shot with minimal light to
represent the sheer darkness at night and how things are more difficult to see and what we
don’t notice during without the light. This makes the shape in the window bolder as it is
being highlighted by the moonlight. There is a deep, slow, groaning sound affect build-up
before a shape at the window is recognised and the more disturbing music over-rides. The
sharp, piercing notes of the non-diegetic violin create that chilling sensation in the audience
and recognisable sound when a terrorising scene may occur. The camera work is
significantly different in the way that it is shot in one ‘swooping/panning’ movement, a
technique used to put the filming in ‘real time’ and allow the audience to follow and
accurately watch the events unfold as it builds towards an ending. This camera work is
almost used to take the audience on a ‘tour’ of the house and setting, as Wan maybe
suggesting possible settings/locations to be recognized later in the film. There are no
costumes revealed to the audience and there is no dialogue as Wan allows the camera
work, setting, lighting and sound to do all the talking.
I like the use of the long tracking shot, as the audience can watch the events unfold in ‘real
time’ as well as it building the suspense of when it’s going to cut, or even if it’s going to cut.
The sharp non-diegetic musical score is also something that I’d like to use in my work.