The Sinister trailer uses text cards and voiceovers to set up the plot of a true crime writer who moves his family into a house where a horrific crime occurred. As he researches the crime, he finds disturbing snuff films in the attic that show more than he bargained for. The trailer builds a sense of unease through unsettling music, shaky camerawork, and glimpses of a mysterious figure. Through crosscutting between the family's deteriorating situation and clips from the snuff films, the trailer hints at a dark threat pursuing the family.

1. Horror Trailer Analysis
Sinister 2012
By Laura Naylor

2. Synopsis: True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt moves himself and his family
into a house where an horrific crime took place earlier, but his family
doesn't know. He begins researching the crime, so that he can write a
new book about it - to help his flailing career. He uses some "snuff" film
footage he finds in the house to help him in his research, but he soon
finds more than he bargained for. There is a figure in each of the films,
but who or what is it? As a result, his family start to suffer (as does he),
and things take a turn for the worse. Will they survive? – IMDB
Budget: $3,000,000 (estimated)
Director: Scott Derrickson
Length of Trailer: 2:37 (minutes)

3. Cast: Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt
Juliet Rylance as Tracy
Fred Dalton Thompson as Sheriff
James Ransone as Deputy
Michael Hall D’Addario as Trevor
Clare Foley as Ashley
Rob Riley as E.M.T
Tavis Smiley as Anchor
Janet Zappala as Reporter
Victoria Leighas as Stephanie
Cameron Ocasio as BBQ Boy
Ethan Haberfield as Pool Party Boy
Danielle Kotch as Lawn Girl
Blake Mizrahi as Sleepy Time Boy
Nicholas King as Bughuul/Mr Boogie

4. Voice over and on-screen texts:
The Sinister trailer begins with the use of text cards which gives you
information about the trailer and it is then interrupted by a text card
that has institutional information on it. There is also a text card used
for the title in order for the audience to understand what film this is
about. The trailer uses a lot of voice over from the film in order for the
viewers to understand what is going to happen.

5. Music and Sound:
The trailer begins with the sound of thunder which is common within horror trailers as this used as a
factor which would scare the audience. There is the use of a tape noise at the beginning of the trailer
as this is what the movie is based on and there is a voice over of a news reporter in the background
suggesting that something has already happened within this house. There is also a non-diegetic
humming like sound in the background which crescendos to a stop. A non-diegetic sound then begins
to build again when he finds a box in the attic which instantly makes the audience think that this box is
going to relate to the film in some kind of bad way. The non-diegetic music cuts of as he flips the
switch on the projector and the diegetic sound of the films turning begins which gives the audience an
eerie feeling and as this continues another non-diegetic sound then build again until it is interrupted
by a static sound as though the film has been corrupted. When the car is set on fire there is a loud
scream which is used to give the audience a fright so that they jump. The non-diegetic sound then
crescendos again and it is left with a screeching noise as the face of Mr Boogie appears on the screen.
There is a moment of silence when the man holds up an image to the window until he removes it and
the face of Mr Boogie is in the hedges just like the image and a sharp non-diegetic noise is then played
in the background which makes the audience jump. There are many static non-diegetic noises within
the trailer which relate to the fact that this film is based on tape recordings. The noise of the boy
screaming cuts of the non-diegetic sound and there is then a build up of different noises which catch
the viewers attention. There is then a continuous diegetic noise of the project flipping the recordings
and as this noise plays a different shot is then played with it as though it was flipping through the film
like the recordings until it crescendos and as the face of Mr Boogie pops onto the screen a loud crash is
played along side this which gives the audience a fright.

6. Editing and Cinematography:
The trailer begins with an establishing shot of the house is complete darkness. Is then
cuts to a load of different images of other families which keep getting interrupted by
the static noise of the camera. There is then a zoom in shot of the house in daylight
which makes the audience wonder about the house. There is a long shot of the box
which instantly makes the audience wonder why this is the only thing within the attic
and they instantly know that there is something wrong with the contents of this box.
There is an over the should shot when he is looking in the box suggesting that
something or someone is watching him. When the films are being played there is a
moment when the audience are wondering whose filming these families as the image
in which they are playing suggests that there may be someone watching these families
and then there is an image is the feet hanging and it makes the audience wonder who
did it. There is a moment when the camera looks like it is moving the images on a
computer which makes this a point of view shot as the man is investigating and
looking at these images. There is then shots which cut to show real life images of the
signs being spread about the house. There are many fade to black and back up shots
which are used to show he passing of time. There is a point when there are flashes
when Mr Boogie turns his head on the computer which frightens the audience.

7. Editing and Cinematography:
There is another point within the trailer when
the camera is hand held and is shaking
making this shot a point of view shot and
makes the audience wonder who is watching
the house. When the shots of the trailer
begin to speed up it begins to get more
intense and as the film turns the shots cut to
different moments within the film.

8. Mise-en-scene:
This trailer begins with a dark mise-en-scene and instantly makes the audience
think that there is something wrong with this house. When we see the images
of the family we see that in each family there is one child that is not smiling
and this instantly draws the viewers attention and makes them want to know
why this is the case. The equilibrium of the trailer then becomes more bright
and the audience feel less frightened until it goes to a shot of the family eating
dinner in candle light and it makes the audience wonder what is about to
happen. There is a beam of light spread across the box within the attic and it
makes the audience wonder why that box is there and what it has inside.
Within the films the equilibrium is bright and it makes it look like the family
are safe and enjoying their day however there is still something that makes
the audience question which is why there is one child not involved with what
the rest of the family is doing. When we see the end of the films there is
always a dark equilibrium whenever Mr Boogie is seen which associates him
with death.