Trailer analysis: Insidious

Link to 'Insidious' trailer.

The title of the film; ‘Insidious’, is only shown once near the end of the trailer. This may be so that the audience will remember the title as this is the last thing they see. Also, the title is animated with buzzing/electrical sounds, which further makes the audience feel uneasy as the title ‘grows’ on the screen, this makes the audience feel intimidated. Also, it makes the audience think that the title is coming out to catch them. 

The title flashes onto the screen and some of the letters change to a white colour font, which further makes the title appear  mysterious as the audience don’t know what is going on. When looking at the title we assume that the film is going to be a horror, this is shown through the use of red and black colours surrounding the title. The colour scheme of black and red are typically shown in horror/thriller genre films, this is to get across the mood of the film as the colours have  connotations of death, misery and decay, which would make the audience feel nervous. Also, the connotations of red are danger, blood and violence which would indicate that the film is aimed at a mature audience (18-24 year olds) and is not a pleasant film to watch for the weak hearted. 

The title is shown in white/cream block capitals, this makes the title stand out and makes the audience focus on the title, the white/cream title on a black/red background makes the title stand out and become intimidating to the audience. The title is centred on the screen; this is the first thing the audience see when they look at the screen. There are scratches on the letters which almost look like veins and splats of blood making the title appear gloomy and disturbing, this indicates to the audience that the characters in the film are in danger. The title ‘Insidious’ means harm and evil, which further indicates that the film is a horror. People who understand what the word ‘Insidious’ means will immediately know that the film is a horror without focusing on what is around the title, this indicates that different audience groups will interpret the title in different ways.  

In horror/thriller genres, female characters are seen as being the weaker sex in society. In the film ‘Insidious’, this stereotype is shown to portray the female characters in this way. Females tend to be seen as being vulnerable and dependent and not being able to fend for themselves. In terms of Proppian characters, the female character, in this instance, is seen as being the damsel in distress, victim. Also, having children in the film further makes the audience want to sympathise with the characters. However, the expectation of women being the weaker gender is society is contradicted as the protagonist in the film, who is trying to get rid of the spirits, is an elderly female character. The character is seen as being strong and powerful which indicates that the character will save others from the spirits. Also, the male character in the film as seen as being weak as he is possessed by the spirits, in this instinct the male character is seen as being the character needing rescue as he is portrayed as being powerless and dependent on the elderly woman to save his soul.   

                    

The colours which are commonly shown throughout the trailer have binary oppositions of black versus white; black has connotations of death, misery and reality. This immediately indicates to the audience that the film is a horror. The film is set inside a house, which further makes the film realistic. Also, setting the film in a closed- refined place e.g a closet or a room, adds more tension as it makes the audience think about whether or not the characters will be able to escape from the ghosts. Having low key high contrast lighting creates mystery and the audience as unaware of what could be lurking in the dark, this intrigues the audience and builds up tension as a result. White lighting is also used to highlight parts of the locations but only slightly; this is to create shadows and creates the focus on the characters as well as the ghosts, this makes the ghosts appear superior as the lighting focuses on their faces creating a creepy impression unnerving the audience, this is further enhanced through the use of disguising the body of the ghosts in the dark which creates an ominous tone.  

We see further binary oppositions of human versus non-human (ghosts), throughout the trailer. This is shown though the human characters coming in contact with ghosts/spirits. The makes the film appear interesting and adds a twist, the ghosts/spirits are seen as being powerful and the humans are seen as being weak which also creates binary oppositions of power versus powerless. Having ghosts/spirits targeting humans with violence is unusual as this would not normally happen in reality; this creates fantasy and makes the film appear dramatic.

Bathes enigma codes are also shown in the trailer. Hermeneutic codes are shown though the ghosts/spirits in the trailer, there is no indication of what is going to happen to the characters, which raises many questions in the audiences mind such as ‘What will happen to the characters?’ and ‘Will the spirits leave the family house and vanish?’. The storyline creates mystery and enigmas in how the story will end and it makes the audience use their imagination and think about what will happen to the characters and the ghosts. Another enigma that is created in the trailer is that the audience are left on a cliff-hanger of whether or not the exorcist will be able to get rid of the ghosts; this will intrigue the audience into going to the cinema to answer their questions. Proairetic codes are also used in the trailer. This is shown through the exorcist in the trailer; the audience are left wondering whether the exorcist will be able to get rid of the ghosts and treat the characters in the trailer who have been possessed by the demons of whether the exorcist will be possessed by the demons too. This creates mystery and suspense makes the audience make assumptions of what is going to happen to the exorcist.  

In the trailer, ‘Insidious’ fast editing pace is used, this builds up tension as the trailer progresses. This makes the film appear creepy and adds mystery, which intrigues the audience of what is going to happen next. Also, jump cuts are used, this is to tell the story to the audience but also not to give too much away to the audience as the trailer is supposed to make the audience want to go and watch the film at the cinema. The use of jump cuts further make the trailer appear intriguing as the storyline doesn’t follow through, which creates enigmas and suspense.  

The characters in the film are portrayed as being weak in the film; this is shown through the high angle shots used in the trailer, this makes the characters appear vulnerable and powerless. POV shots are also used in the trailer this is normally shown through the audience seeing the POV shots which makes them empathise with the characters. 

Also, the characters look into the camera which involves the audience members and makes them feel part of the film. The use of close-up shots enables the audience to see and feel the characters emotions.

At the beginning of the trailer, a non-diegetic light drum and violin sounds are used, these sounds become louder and more dramatic as the trailer progresses. The violin sound slightly screeches for 3-4 seconds creating a creepy feel. The audience would immediately know that the film is a horror due to the bold and dramatic sounds used.   They are also diegetic whooshing and pieces of glass clashing sounds when the chandelier moves side to side in the room. It comes to mind that the glass clashing is in fact knives being sharpened up; this connotes violence and danger, which would alarm the audience. 

Diegetic whooshing sounds are further shown when the ghosts appear in the trailer, it creates tension and makes the ghosts appear creepier making the audience feel uneasy and terrified. Also, we can hear diegetic sounds of the ghosts in the trailer, this is shown when they ‘growl’, this makes the audience believe that the antagonist/killer is not human, this creates a sense of mystery and becomes intriguing to the audience as they would want to watch the film to find out who the killer is. The sounds of the growl are quite disturbing for the audience which is further reinforced by drums sounds which suggests that the characters are in danger. The growling is quite masculine; males tend to be shown as being the killers/antagonists in horror films as they are seen as being strong and intimating to the victims who are normally female characters. 

The crying of a child makes the film seem realistic and indicates to the audience the vulnerability of the characters in the child, the child crying almost seems that he/she is crying out to the audience for help, which involves the audience making them sympathise with the characters. Towards the end of the trailer, the violin sounds gets louder and faster in pace with the editing which creates suspense and  tension leading up to a cliff-hanger, this makes the audience feel uncomfortable and scared to what is going to happen to the characters. A voice-over is not used in the trailer, as the story is portrayed through the characters dialogue; this makes the film appear realistic and dramatic as well as suspenseful.

The film ‘Insidious’ is targeted to audiences who have an interest in horror genres, it is clear that the film is a horror genre, through the use of fast pace editing and sound as well as showing the demons being portrayed as disturbing creatures. The BBFC rating for the film is 15; the film does not have blood and gore which makes it suitable for teenagers as young as 15 to watch the film at the cinemas. The film is seen to be original from other films, through the use of demons which can be seen by the human eye as other films have spirits/demons which cannot be seen by the human eye, this makes the film appear realistic and frightening.