This document analyzes 7 stills from the Sinister trailer through examining the camerawork, mise-en-scene, conventions of genre, and conventions of form for each still. The stills show ominous events like a burning car wrapped in chains, a menacing figure in the bushes at night, a possessed child emerging from a cardboard box, a hallway covered in strange writings, and five children in an attic wearing frightening face paint. The analysis conveys that the stills are intentionally unsettling and leave questions unanswered according to common horror film techniques to intrigue viewers.

1. Analysis of 7 key stills –
Sinister Trailer
Philippa English

2. Camerawork: Mis-En-Scene:
This still is a wide
shot which therefore
shows all of the
burning car. This
shows that there is
some kind of danger
or bad events going
to happen as before
this shot they were
just moving into a
happy family home.
The shot is also low
angled so that the car
looks longer and so
that you can see all
of the smoke and
flames in relation to
where the car is.
Setting: The setting of this
shot is in a garage of the
house but it is being viewed
on an old film reel. The car
is wrapped in chains which
gives the impression to the
viewer that there may be
something inside it which is
not allowed out.
Lighting: The lighting in
this shot is very bright as
there is flames and smoke
which would be bright in
real life. The car looks
dark in comparison to the
rest of the fire which
makes it stand out more.
Prop: There are
various chains
wrapped across the
car as to make it
look almost as there
is something inside
the car which
should not be let
out. The car looks
like an older model
of a family car
which would
represent the
people who lived
there before as an
average family.
Costume: The
car looks old and
possibly run
down and is
covered in
chains.
Conventions of genre:
This is conventional of the horror genre as there is
usually danger and destruction in horror films and a
car covered in chains being blown up is conventional
of this.
Conventions of form:
This is conventional of a
trailer as they show things
starting to go wrong or
action parts of the film to
try and get the audience
to watch more.

3. Camerawork:
The shot is a wide shot
which shows the
antagonist in the bushes
with a light just over its
face. The wide shot
adds to the scariness of
the scene as it is only
on the screen for a few
minutes and then it is
gone which adds to
tension and suspense
for the viewer. As you
would not expect to see
someone in the bushes
and the antagonist is
small in comparison to
the setting.
Mis-En-Scene:Setting: The setting of this still is in the
garden of the main characters in the
trailers home. It is very leafy and full of
hedges which makes it difficult for the
antagonist to be noticed to start with.
Lighting: The lighting of
this still is very low lit to
make the garden look more
mysterious. But there is a
light underneath the
antagonist to make him
noticeable in the dark
garden. As he has a pale
face this draws even more
attention to him as it stands
out more on the dark
background.
Costume: The
antagonist in the still
is wearing all dark
clothing apart from
his face which is
painted in white face
paint with dark make
up around the eyes to
make it look very
mysterious and scary
to the audience.
Prop: There are many trees and bushes
surrounding the antagonist.
Convention of genre:
This is conventional of the
horror genre as in horror
movies there is typically an
antagonist who usually
looks scary and is not
seen very often but causes
lots of destruction like this
one.
Convention of form:
This is typically conventional of a trailer as
they usually show you a small snippet of what
the antagonist looks like as they have done
here.

4. Camerawork:
The shot used
here is a wide
shot as to show
the viewer the
main character
but then the
antagonist on the
computer screen
behind him. It is
close up on the
mans face to
show his emotion
and the
antagonist is in
the background
almost to show
that he is always
in there watching
the characters.
Mis-En-Scene:
Setting: The setting of this still is within
the family home in which the film is set.
The man seems to be in some kind of
study or writing room as the man says
in the trailer that he is a story writer.
Lighting: The lighting in this still is
low lit and you can only see half of
the mans face. There is also a
mysterious yellow light where the
antagonists face is on the computer
screen as to draw attention to it as it
therefore stands out in the dark light.
Costume: the man
in the still is wearing
plain clothing to
show that he is just a
regular person which
typically in horror
films the bad things
happen to as they try
to make it realistic.
The antagonist on
the computer screen
has his face covered
in face paint or make
up in white and
smudged black
around the eyes to
make him look scary
to the viewer.
Prop: There are
props in the scene
such as the
computer which is
important in
constructing the
scene as without it
you would not be
able to see the
antagonists face on
it.
Conventions of genre:
This is conventional
to the horror genre
as the antagonist is
in the background
which is typical to
have in a horror
movie.
Conventions of form:
This is conventional for
a trailer as it is showing
the viewer something
that the character
cannot see, therefore
helping to explain the
narrative.

5. Camerawork:
This shot is a zoomed
in wide shot which
shows a boy who has
been possessed
coming out of a
cardboard box in a
very strange position.
It is shot from a low
angle to make it look
as though the boy is
coming almost
towards you.
Mis-En-Scene:
Setting: The setting of
this scene is in a
normal room of a
house that belongs to
the family who are the
characters within the
film.
Costume: The
boy in the still
seems to be
naked and may
have some kind of
contacts in to
make his eyes
look freaky as he
is possessed.
Prop: The cardboard box in
this still is the main prop as the
boy has come out of it, which
to start with is irregular
because people do not sit in
boxes. Which gives the viewer
that something is wrong before
he even comes out of the box.
Lighting: The
lighting on the left
of the scene is
very low lit.
However there is a
light shining on top
of the boy which
makes his pale
skin stand out on
the dark
background. This
also gives him a
shadow on the
box which gives
an eerie feel to the
still.
Conventions of genre:
This still is conventional of
the horror genre as typically
there is a family member or
a person in horror films who
gets possessed or
controlled by the antagonist
in the film. This is typically a
child as they are venerable
such as it is here.
Conventions of form:
This still is conventional of trailers as they will
show scary/interesting parts of the film but not
reveal the whole story as they want the viewer to
go and watch the rest of the film. Like they have
done here the audience would want to know why
this boy is coming out of a cardboard box in a
strange position.

6. Camera work:
This shot is a wide
shot which has an
axe being dragged
along the floor in
the foreground so
that the viewer
instantly see’s it.
In the background
of the shot there
seem to be
people/bodies lying
on the floor which
shows the viewer
that there is
something bad
happening.
Mis-En-Scene:
Setting: The setting of this still is in a room of the characters
in the trailers home. The floor is wooden which shows where
the axe has been dragged along the floor and scratched it
almost as though to show that the person who is holding it is
walking around menacingly with it.
Lighting: The
lighting in this still
like most of the
scenes in this
trailer is low lit to
show less and
give it an eerie
feel. There seems
to be an window
which is letting
through bright
light almost like
lightening
flashing.
Prop: The axe
is the main
focus of this still
and the main
prop used. As
an axe is
typically a
weapon this tells
the viewer that
there is danger
and allows them
to relate that it is
a horror film.
Costume: There isn’t
very much costume in
this still but there are
people or bodies lying
on the floor who seem
to be stripped or half
dressed.
Conventions
of genre:
This still is conventional
to the horror genre as
there is a weapon and
people/bodies in the
background who have
possibly been harmed
by this and
murder/torture are
common in horror films.
Conventions of form:
This still is conventional of a
trailer as they are showing a
weapon and people/bodies lying
on the floor but you do not know
what happens or why which is
why they do this to add suspense
to try and get the viewer to go and
see the film.

7. Camera Work:
This shot is a
wide shot which
shows the
whole scene of
a woman
holding a child
going through a
corridor which
has been graffiti
on in what looks
like blood. The
shot makes the
woman and
child look small
in comparison
to the long
hallway.
Mis-En-Scene:
Setting: the setting of this scene is in the
family home in a hallway. The walls are
covered in writing which looks like it is in
blood. This gives a very eerie feel to the still
as it is very unusual to have such writing on
the wall which gives the impression to the
viewer that something is not right.
Costume: The characters in the middle of
the scene are wearing long dresses
probably night gowns as it is very dark it is
probably night time. This gives the feel of
something more creepy than if they were
just wearing jeans and a t-shirt for
example.
Lighting: this
still is very
brightly lit from
the bottom
which then
shows the
viewer all of the
strange
markings on
the wall that the
characters in
the middle of
the still cannot
see as they are
behind them. It
also gives the
characters a
shadow which
makes them
look very
mysterious.
Conventions of
genre:
This is conventional of the horror
genre as the writing in what looks
like blood on the wall cannot be
seen by the characters. Things like
this are typical in horror movies as
they let the audience know more
about what is going on than the
characters.
Conventions of form:
This is conventional of a trailer because once
again it is showing snippets of this woman carrying
a child through a corridor covered in blood writing.
Which makes the viewer wonder why this is
happening and makes them want to go and watch
the film.

8. Camera Work:
This still is a wide
shot which shows 5
children in strange
face paint sitting in
what looks like an
attic. They are all
facing the camera
and looking with very
scary faces. Which is
a place where
children do not
regularly go in this
then gives the
impression to the
viewer that something
is not right. It is also
from a low angle
which makes it look
like the children are
looking down at
something.
Mis-En-Scene:
Setting: The setting of this still is in
what looks like an attic or garage as
it has lots of cardboard boxes in.
This is not a typical place for
children to be especially without an
adult.
Costume: The children in this scene are wearing
normal bright clothing, which contrasts with the
ghoulish face paint which they have on.
Prop: The
children seem
to be sat in
front of some
kind of screen
and are
surrounded by
various
cardboard
boxes. One of
the girls on
the left also
has a
mysterious
black box in
front of her.
Lighting: The lighting is
low lit around the room
however there seems to
be a light underneath
them which makes there
faces seem to be more
visible.
Conventions of genre:
This is conventional to the horror
genre as there are children who
are in ghoulish face paint, and
typically children in horror movies
are taken over or controlled by the
antagonist as they seem to have
been here.
Conventions of form:
This is conventional of a horror
trailer as it is at the end of the
trailer they have left this at the end
to make the viewer question why
the children are like this and then
go and watch the film.