Shot by shot analysis-

sinister By Hope Brennan

At the start of the trailer for sinister there is a cut

to the producers of the film ‘summit

entertainment’. This is to show the audience who’s

reasonable for making the trailer they are about to

see. This is used at the start of many trailers as it

could be seen as persuasive technique if the

movie is created by a major Hollywood distributer.

This can be the cause for summit entertainment

as underneath there is smaller text saying ‘a

lionsgate company’.

the trailer then moves to the first image

from the movie, this image is a establish

shot of the house where the horror takes

place. The lighting for this image is low key

which gives the house a very dark and

mysterious feel to it. This is to help create

the feeling of mystery to an audience and

clearly shows them the genre is of horror.

Next there is an extremely quick cut to

this image of a family. However the little

girl with a ribbon on her head has a red

circle around her face and a arrow

pointing from it. This connotes that

something has gone wrong in this family

and the little girl is the main lead to why.

The red pen on the picture also

suggests its lead for a murder or crime

scene.

there is also a quick cut to this image which

looks like a child’s drawing. However this

drawing is very dark as it’s of a family being

hanged. With the low key lighting on the image

this the image suggests to the audience which

type of sub genre this film could be eg

‘psychological’ and it suggests ideas of

corruption of young children. Also as this edits is

put in the trailer after the shot of the family it

suggests it could be a reason why the family

have become a crime scene.

After this we go back to an establishing

shot of the house however the mood

has changed as the lighting has

changed to high key. This creates an

element of surprise to the viewer as not

everything in the trailers is as it seems.

Also in the far left of the shot there is a

massive van which boxes being taken

out of it, this suggests someone is

moving into the house adding to the plot

of the movie.

the first character we see moving in to the

house is the male lead in the movie , this

suggest to the audience he is the main

character of the movie. However as this Is

a horror movie this could also suggest he

is the main victim

As seen in the quick cuts at the start of

the movie the trailer suggest that child

are linked to the horror of the house.

One of the main characters that get’s

the most air time is this little girl in the

family and like the male lead this could

suggest she is a victim or has

association to the horror take place in

the house.

Here we see a classic two shot of a happy

couple in the film this contrasts with the

element of horror in the trailer and

suggests that family have an element of

happiness to lose. This is a persuades the

audience to find out what actually happens

to the modern family and weather they can

make it out of the situation they are put in.

the next edit we are shown persuasive text

stating ‘from the producer of paranormal

activity and insidious’ this clearly shows the

sub genre of the horror to the audience as

both paranormal activity and insidious are

psychological horrors. This also shows that

the producer has already created movies of

this type suggesting that the film will be of

high standard of its genre, persuading fans of

psychological horrors to watch it.

the next edit is of the mail lead going

though the mysterious box where he finds

tapes. This is unknown link to the viewer of

the trailer making them want to find out

why they are such an important prop in the

movie to get air-time in the trailer.

This is an edit to the first tape that is

view by the male character, this tape

shows the family on the picture linking

to a crime scene. This suggest to the

audience that the house, tapes and

crime scene all link together suggesting

it could be a means to the horror

inflicted on the family in their new

house.

This image is a quick cut to a policeman

reinforcing to the audience that the

element of crime is a theme in the movie.

Next we see an edit to the viewing of

the second tape, however this is a

recording of a different family

suggesting to the audience there is

more than the first family creating the

horror story link and this creates

confusion and mystery for the

audience.

This is the edit where the speed of the cuts

speed up as it’s the first image where you

see a shocking/ horrific image. This image

is from the second tape and clearly shows

the audience the tapes the male lead is

watching is actually torcher tapes.

Here we see the male lead which lots of

print screens from the tapes plastered

on a wall, this shows the male lead is

treating the tapes like a crime scene and

is determined to find out what they mean

and why they were left in his loft, this

suggests to the audience that the

character is putting him self in the risk of

danger.

Next there is a quick cut to this symbol that

connotes the idea of a cult or demon. This

connotes to the audience that the murders

taking place are linked to the super nature

world.

We then see an edit of the male

lead watching another one of

tapes, this is just to again inform

the audience about the risk he is

putting him self through.

After the tragic deaths take place in the

third tape there is a quick cut to this figure

in the water. This image is of a horror

figure which suggests to the audience

there is a villain in the movie.

The next edit is to the text ‘once you

see him’ this leaves the audience

hanging as it doesn’t give away to

much of the information but clearly

suggests that seeing the horror figure

connotes danger.

There is next a quick cut to the horror

figure standing outside the house in the

garden and this connotes to the audience

that the figure is actually around watching

the family and Is not just something on a

tape. This creates tension in the trailer.

Next we see a close up of the male lead

after he sees the figure outside that this

clearly shows the audience his NVC of

fear. This connotes that the horror has

gone to far and is effect the man as he

feels like no way out as the figure is now

among his family.

The next quick cut is shows the figure

moving on the computer screen to look at

the man, this presents to the audience that

the man has now become the victim of the

figures torture.

The next cut is to text that follows up the

last text ‘one you see him’. This text

states ‘nothing can save you’ and

suggests to the audience there is now

no way out for the family.

We now see the youngest girl in the family

viewing one of the torture tapes, this shows

to the audience the tapes are now starting

to effect the whole family.

Then there is a extremely quick cut

back to the first tape and the cut is of

the little girl who went missing, this

shows the audience what tape the

male leads daughter is watching.

The next edit is a drawing the daughter did

of the girl in the tape and this suggests the

tape has influenced her. This also

connotes themes of corruption on the

child’s mind.

the next image is a horrific image of the

youngest son having a night terror, this

connotes the idea of the corruption of

children again suggesting that the whole

family are now at risk of torture due to the

tapes.

As the tapes are distressing the family the

male lead decides to burn them and leave

the house shown in this edit.

Now the trailers has speed up and we see extremely quick cuts

presenting elements of corruption on the house such as the six images

above. The first image of the sign on the door connotes that the demon

is now with the family in the house; the second connotes the tape has

run out suggest the tapes are no longer the source of torture in the

film. The third image suggests the corruption of the little girl as she

draws the demon figure on her wall. The fourth suggests death and

violent with an axe presenting to the audience someone is going to get

hurt. The fifth image is of a dark figure that contrasts with high key

lighting on the wall which enforces the element of mystery and surprise

to the view and the sixth is of the male lead of the floor struggling this

reinforces the fact he is a victim to the torture.

the next cut I to the male lead/victims

face with a close up showing his nvc.

This image shows he’s in total distress

but is also confused at what he is

looking at.

We then see what he is looking at in the

next edit, which is all the children from the

tapes sitting together with the demon in the

far back. This shows the audience the

demon is there to corruption children of

different families and presents that the

male’s leads family is next.

The next cut is extremely quick of a

close up of the demons face jumping

out in front of the camera. This makes

the audience of the trailer jump giving

them a sense of what they are going

to face in a cinema viewing of the film

as it a jumpy psychological horror. The

nvc of the demons face is unnatural

and scary to add to the sense of horror

in the film.

finally the trailer then cuts to the name of

the film at the end ‘sinister’ which means

‘giving the impression that something

harmful or evil is happening or will happen’

this is left to the end of the trailer so its

memorable for the audience in hope it will

stick in their minds so they go to see the

movie though its cinema screening.