Deconstruction of Sinister - Georgia Serrecchia

Deconstruction of Sinister opening scene

Conventions of supernatural horror:

In supernatural horror films, they are usually set in the house of the protagonist which is usually a massive house in the middle of no where. The main character has usually just moved into the house and either the house or the main child is seen to be possessed of haunted. The main character is usually really young and part of a 'normal' family. The main character is usually being terrorised by an unknown creature. The soundtrack in supernatural horrors is normally a non-diegetic sound track in order to create tension and it can be used unexpectedly to make the audience jump. These conventions are effective in a horror film opening scenes because it makes the audience want to know what happens further on throughout the film, and it gives a basic outline as to what the film is about.

Camera angles:

There is a hand held long shot of four people being hung from a tree which creates suspense and it portrays what is going to happen in the film as well as making the audience wonder why they were being hung. This is effective because it makes the audience wonder what happens next and the hand held camera makes the scene feel more realistic. If it seems more realistic, it's effective because it gives the audience a sense of realism making the film come across as more scary and dramatic.

Editing:

Towards the end of the opening scene, text appears on the screen with the words 'Sinister' and then there is a cut and the screen turns black, however the diegetic sound is still playing. This is effective because it's the fear of the unknown as the audience do not know what is going to happen next. It is effectives because it makes the audience unsure as to whether something is going to appear on the screen, making the clip more dramatic, meaning it's appropriate for the genre.

Mise-en-scene:

The rope attached to the people and the tree shows that they are in danger and when the rope lifts you can see them trying to escape which shows they are scared. Also, the sack over their heads suggests that they don't want the four people to see what is going to happen to them as it creates more tension in the film. This is effective because the rope and sack give the audience clues as to what might happen in the rest of the film.

Sound:

There is non-diegetic slow music towards the start of the scene, however when the characters start to get lifted they start playing diegetic sound of interference in the camera and it sounds like the signal is breaking up. This is effective because it's like a real life sound so it allows the audience to relate which can then make them feel more scared and create more tension and suspense throughout the film.

What makes this opening effective?

This opening scene is effective because it uses an old fashion effect on the screen making it appear eerie and very dark. The clips are shaky which is effective because it makes the audience think something may be about to happen, making them worried but want to watch more. The end when the screen goes black is very effective because it gives a sense of mystery as the audience do not know what is going to appear next.


How is it appropriate to the genre?

This opening scene is very appropriate to the supernatural horror genre because it includes many supernatural features such as the people getting hung and the demon/spirit that belongs to their house. The scene contains a lot of sense of mystery which is good for genre as it means the audience become more scared as to what happens throughout the whole film.
Below is the whole opening scene: