Insidious: Chapter 2 opening deconstruction

Insidious opening deconstruction 

Mise - en - scene

Mise en scene is an important aspect in films, particularly this scene of Indicious. The background is extremely dark and therefore the audience are unable define some objects in the clip. The scene starts off with a little boy in bed wearing pajamas, this item of clothing includes innocent animated images which give us the impression that the boy is:

• Young 
• Pure 
• This contrasts greatly with the actual movie as it is classified as a psychological horror movie. 

Additionally, the location is also important as it sets the scene and gives the audience an idea of what type of character the little boy is. The bookcases in the background demonstrate how knowledgeable and educated the boy may be, which again allows us to get an understanding of what the character is like. 

A small lamp on the bedside table could suggest the little boys' insecurity during night time, this reinforces the idea of the character being quite young and therefore "scared" of the dark. 
The whole bedroom has a sense of comfort and security as it is predominantly made from wood, this includes the bed, walls and bedside tables, this contrasts greatly with the initial genre of the movie which is horror.

Lighting

The lighting varies throughout the clip, for example natural lighting is used which mainly shines through the curtains. The natural light is extremely limited as the scene is set in the night, this therefore reinforces the theme of 'horror' as night time is most commonly used within the horror genre.
Furthermore, artificial light is also included through the use of night lamps and glow in the dark items, lighting such as lava lamps. Soft light is also used to emphasise the child's face whilst he is sleeping, this suggests that he is the main character in the scene. 

Sound 

In this particular scene, there is little sound used because it is trying to portray a scene in the night, where the majority of people are asleep.

• Diegetic sound is used in some parts of the scene, this refers to the sounds that the characters can hear for example, the slight noises of insects such as cricket can be heard from the window outside. This sound technique therefore sets the atmosphere and mood of the scene. 
• As the clip progresses the volume of the sound increases rapidly, this creates a lot of tension in the scene and already makes the audience scared in the opening seconds. 
• Volume of sound corresponds well with what is shown on screen, for example a close up of a candle wick when the volume is at its highest point. 

Camera angles/movement
From the short clip, we can already see a variety of camera angles and movements, for example the use of panning which gives the audience an impression of what the surroundings look like and get a feel of where they are in the scene.

• Birds eye view shot - which again gives us an idea of the setting 
• Close up shot of the items which are placed around the house
• Medium shot - giving us a view of what the room look like, including a shadow lurking in the background
  

Typography 

The titles used for Insidious are mainly in the colour red or black, both of these colours have strong connotations of:

• Death
• Blood
• Devil 
• Evilness 
• Horror, ghosts and supernatural people

The sound corresponds well when the title 'Insidious' pops up, this is shown in bright red with almost 'devil horns' on each of the letters, this therefore works extremely well with the actual genre of the movie (psychological horror)