PRIMARY RESEARCH - FILM SEQUENCE ANALYSIS

  PRIMARY RESEARCH - FILM SEQUENCE ANALYSIS

FILM TITLE: Sinister 

SEQUENCE TIME CODE: 59:48-1:07:53 

SOURCE: DVD 

(Image 1) The suspenseful music using crescendo and accelerando. This creates fear through anticipation>fight or flight response (partial). 

(Image 2) ECU of camera lense>restricted camerawork>restricted information>the unknown. 

(Image 3) Darkness>associated with evil and a common phobia. The question raised of who is filming>places spectator into the scene using POV. 

(Image 4) Predatory view of the family created by blocking and this is out of place in a conventional family-oriented community. Relatability to the casual family household. 

(Image 5) Rapidly altering pitches after relatively low sound frequency> jumpscare due to the sudden confronting image of the dead body on the floor>out of place in the garden>unusual to mow the lawn in the dark (erratic behaviour). 

(Image 6) Symbol (décor) represents the worship of a Babylonian, pagan deity> Bughuul (known in the film as Mr Boogie/Eater of children) but this is strongly connected to a true pagan deity known as Moloch> both are responsible for sacrificial rituals involving children. The concept of the deity in this film is to take the souls of the children by possessing them and killing their family by using them. The deity does this in order to survive. 

(Image 7) Messy cuts>in stability> fear due to uncertainty. Pulse like music similar to the human heartbeat fight or flight reaction. 

(Image 8) A symbolism of the hanging family shining onto his body>foreshadows danger>his shadow being bigger than him represents the big threat. 

(Image 9) A complete lack of non-diegetic soundtrack> almost no diegetic sound only creaks of floorboard etc... builds fear. Music begins once an isolated sound occurs> big increase in tension. 

(Image 10) Sudden flux in music to combine with a sudden appearance of the ghost face. A character is unaware=strong dramatic irony.