Sinister - Trailer Analysis

The trailer begins with the image of a dark house on a dark night (typical convention) then we get a brief shot of some kind of symbol which must have some significance, We then hear a police woman giving a report on a ‘grizzly’ murder and the report of a missing girl … we are shown a child’s drawing of a family being hung. This disturbing image, 10 seconds into the trailer should straight away frighten the audience.

It is then day light and onto another shot of the same house, and a new family moving into the house where the family were hung (another typical horror convention) we are then given some background information on the characters. I think this is a good technique to use as it is the start of a relationship with the audience and characters. All the time this is being shot there is a low monotonous sound which increases in pitch. It then stops when the dad enters the attic. This signifies an important scene. There is a box left in the middle of the attic floor – this should build tension as we as the audience want to know what’s in the box. There is an old film projector with films to watch… The family that lived in the house before are shown having fun then BAM there is a quick snapshot of the bottom of there legs as they are hung. My initial reaction to this was *gasping* in disgust. It defiantly has the shock factor.

As the trailer progresses there are more images of different families on the different tapes, all the tapes are of the families murders. We are shown a car being lit on fire and a child going underwater, these images just give the audience a taste to expect absolute disgust and repulsion. Screams and high pitch noises are used during this, it is used to keep the audiences pulse racing and makes them more ‘on edge’ We are then shown a same symbol and an explanation and we now know that this symbol represents a child murderer. To an audience who have a child or younger brother or sister this would be uncomfortable for them to take in as they would apply it to there own life. We are then given a reflection of this ‘boggol’

“Once you see him” “Nothing can save you” the fact this is shown indicate the family are doomed. This should make the audience emphasise with the family . The heartbeat in the background represents the families life line, it is a good way of building tension. We then are shown a clip of a child bending back out of a cardboard box – this horrifying image is intended to show the audience this family is in trouble and there family is being possessed. The family then leave and we are left with the image of the film projector ran out of tape which signifies the family has maybe ran out of time? We are then shown flashes of axes and knifes all connote death and lots of images of possessed children whispering – it is very disgusting then we are left with a flash of boggol. This trailer takes typical conventions and makes them 100 times scarier. It scared me and that’s an achievement.