Textual Analysis Of Insidious

1. Textual Analysis of Insidious
A James Wan Film, 2010
By Amelia Owens

2. Camera work
The equilibrium to Insidious, includes many different camera angles,
such as when the opening sequence starts it uses tracking camera
movement. When the titles start to come on the screen the shots are
mainly still, and the editing makes the shots zoom in.
Throughout the opening sequence mid shots and long shots are mainly
used to show the location of the film. Also low angles were used on the
house which could show that something bad is about to happen to the
house, as low angles connote that something or someone is inferior.

3. Editing
The slow pace editing of the opening sequence creates suspense, which makes
the audience think something is about to happen, this keeps the audience
watching the rest of the film. The opening sequence uses montage editing which
is frequently used in this genre of film (horror). The shots are faded out to black,
then fade into another shot. This makes the montage more gloomy which
connotes a horror film. The font used creates mystery in the opening sequence
which establishes there a supernatural ghost in the narrative theme, as the font
is ghost like as it floats up in the air. Through out the titles sequence all the shots
are in black and white. The framing of the shots keeps the main focus of each
shot in the centre.

4. Mise en scene
On the set of the film certain objects have been placed in the scenes because they are
conventions of the genre, this shows the audience the genre of the film. Iconography objects
such as a the chair which moves at 2:49, even though this object isn’t scary by it self it
connotes that the film is a horror as it moves by it self, as it suggests a supernatural creature
moved it. There is also children's toys which look disturbing at 2:42.
The costumes the characters were wearing were mainly realistic such as on the young boy in
his nightwear and the woman at the end, however the scary figure at 1:17 looks like she is
wearing a black vale, which connotes death as people used wear black vales to funerals.
The location is in a normal family home, this is shown in the montage of the title sequence.
The positioning of the characters doesn’t stand out, however the figure at 1:17 does and the
figure at 2:36 does because they are stood in a intimidating position as they are facing
towards the camera.
As mainly all the shots at in black white this already gives the lighting a dull and gloomy look,
however even if they weren’t put in black and white the lighting is already dark.

5. Use of sound
The music in the opening sequence creates a suspenseful scene, as the
music is dramatic and eerie. It makes the audience feel involved in the
film. The music gets more dramatic and suspenseful when something is
about to happen, such as when the figure at 1:17 appears and when
the title of the film appears. This music is diegetic to emphasise that
the scene should be scary. In this opening sequence as it’s a montage
their isn’t any sound effects or dialogue in it. When the titles are shown
such as the Directors name, eerie music is used throughout.

6. Representation of characters
In the opening sequence the representation of the characters are clearly shown to the
audience. The first character which is shown is a little boy in his bed, making him look
inferior, which could show he is going to be the victim. After him shows the villain in the
film, we can tell that the figure is the antagonist as the music suggests its dangerous and the
lighting is very dark and gloomy which connotes danger. The woman at the end shows her in
black and white and then in colour this represents that she will help in the victim in the film
which connotes that she is protagonist. As the opening sequence suggests that the victim is
a child and the protagonist in a woman it could mean that it’s a son and a mother, this is a
mainstream protagonist for a horror film as many horror films use family's as their narrative
theme, and they tend to focus on the relationship between a mother and her children.

7. Conclusion
I think this opening sequence was good for me to analysis as it will help
me when I create my own opening sequence. It includes many
conventions which tend to be in horror films. It also is a montage
sequence which is what I want to do for my main task. The lighting
used in Insidious is the type of lighting I was to in corporate in my
sequence. Where the titles were placed on the screen gave me good
ideas where to place mine and how long I should have them on the
screen for. I think this opening sequence was also good because it
showed the main characters, the location and the genre in under 3
minutes, which is what I aim to do for my main task.