Research Into Opening Sequence Of A Horror Film

Horror 

MOVIE: Insidious 

RELEASED:  April 1st, 2011

STUDIO: Blumhouse Productions 

DIRECTOR: James Wan 

He has also directed these major films:

PRODUCER: Jason Blum (also from 'Get Out') and Oren Peli (also from 'Paranormal Activity')

MAIN CAST:

Patrick Wilson

Rose Byrne

Lin Shaye

About the Opening Scene: 

As we see the scene starts off with a little boy whom is fast asleep in his bed showing he is a happy young boy who lives with his family at home from seeing all toys and props that a kids would have in his bedroom. The camera then slowly drifts throughout the family home where all of sudden there is a silhouette of a woman outside of the kitchen window and straight when we see this shadow of the woman the strong scary soundtrack starts playing perhaps showing that the boy is not fully safe anymore. 

The woman is then seen moving away from the window into the home and the camera then is shifted onto this woman who is seen to be ghostly and very terrifying. This perhaps also shows that this woman will be the villain in the movie who will haunt the boy and that home.

The target audience for this film I think would be old teens and young adults because the film is so shocking and loud, I don't find that kids or old adults would particularly enjoy this type of movie as they'd most possibly get bad dreams from it or even get a heart attack if your not suited for this type of movie. 

Horror is set up in the opening scene by the change in sounds and how everything is quiet which usually means something scary is about to occur. Key conventions that have been used are for example that the women is made to look like a ghost from the dark makeup, old types of clothing and also from the candle she is holding. 

In this opening scene there are only two characters who are introduced and they both do not say anything, therefore, it is difficult to know much about them. However, from seeing it I can easily say that the young boy is 9-10 years of age and is a normal happy boy who hasn't done any harm. Where as the woman is immediately seen as very old and creepy whom I can directly see is a ghost. 

The scene has both diegetic combined with non-diegetic sounds. It starts off with quiet ambient sounds slowly going into the parallel soundtrack which totally goes in with the narrative. 

I do think this is a successful opening scene because it starts the film off with not much information at all which will make the viewers question what will happen next, meaning the viewers will keep watching to see what happens.