Shot by Shot Analysis of Insidious

https://youtu.be/g1e1feo4DUk

The opening of Insidious (2010) begins by showing the titles of the production and companies as well as who the film is associated with.This is shown when the titles on the screen are red which connotes to blood or danger. The blood red color chosen is a stereotype for a horror film.

The first glimpse of the protagonist as he is just a young boy. The shot pans from the ceiling as if something is lurking.

You get a panning shot of the house which give an establishing shot of where the film is set. Also a shadow that moves across the window as the camera moves, which gives the idea of the young boy being watched.

The Antagonist is introduces by a shot that zooms into a darkened face only lit by a candle, you know this is the antagonist because it’s the person who was lurking while the kid was asleep

The beginning of the opening sequence there is an establishing shot at the location of the new house. This is used to help show the audience exactly where the film will be set but also what the setting looks like outside which can give the audience an idea of what it may look like on the inside. 

Once inside the house, there is an bird’s eyes shot looking down the staircase, in the middle of the stairs there is a silhouettes at the bottom, suggesting that something is watching them. The bird’s eye camera angle shot makes the audience wonder what is within the house.

The first time the audience meet the main characters is during the brief shot were the audience see the family photo. The camera zooms in on the family photo and they appear to be happy, as they are all together and smiling for the photo. However ,in the photo the father isn’t smiling in the photo like the rest of his family which creates a twist for the audience as they could wonder if he is as innocent as the rest of the family or if he plays a role which could endanger the rest of the family. 

The location of the opening scene is in the home of the main characters that the audience see in the family photo. It is also visible for the audience to see that the family is new to the house as their are brown cardboard boxes lying around unpacked.

In the opening scene is the grandfather clock featured repeatedly in the opening scene which fits into the conventions of a stereotypical horror film as a lot of horror films take place in old houses. The chiming of the clocks also creates a tension for the audience in the atmosphere during the opening. The use of a dutch angle shot of the grandfather clock gives a sense of confusion and disorientation for the audience.

During the entire opening scene, the lightning is dull and low key aside from a few angles where certain areas are highlighted. This is done to suggest that the house is mysterious. The rest of the rooms are black which ties into the conventions of the horror genre.