Insidious – Opening Scene Analysis

Director: James Wan

The teddy bear, duvet covers, toys and lava lamp are all appropriate age related props that

give the audience a sense of age and maturity of the young boy. These stereotypical props

present the boy to be young, innocent and potentially vulnerable and Wan has used these

significant props to give the audience that certain emotion. Similarly the fact that he is

sleeping makes him seem even more vulnerable and ‘unprotected’ making the audience feel

for him and immediately feel protective over him. The scene is shot with minimal light to

represent the sheer darkness at night and how things are more difficult to see and what we

don’t notice during without the light. This makes the shape in the window bolder as it is

being highlighted by the moonlight. There is a deep, slow, groaning sound affect build-up

before a shape at the window is recognised and the more disturbing music over-rides. The

sharp, piercing notes of the non-diegetic violin create that chilling sensation in the audience

and recognisable sound when a terrorising scene may occur. The camera work is

significantly different in the way that it is shot in one ‘swooping/panning’ movement, a

technique used to put the filming in ‘real time’ and allow the audience to follow and

accurately watch the events unfold as it builds towards an ending. This camera work is

almost used to take the audience on a ‘tour’ of the house and setting, as Wan maybe

suggesting possible settings/locations to be recognized later in the film. There are no

costumes revealed to the audience and there is no dialogue as Wan allows the camera

work, setting, lighting and sound to do all the talking.

I like the use of the long tracking shot, as the audience can watch the events unfold in ‘real

time’ as well as it building the suspense of when it’s going to cut, or even if it’s going to cut.

The sharp non-diegetic musical score is also something that I’d like to use in my work.