Joseph Russo

SINISTER – TECHNICAL ASPECTS ANALYSIS

CAMERAWORK - FRAMING

• Close up:

• In Sinister, a close up is used to create fear towards the audience when Ellison climbs the ladder and sees the villain pop up on the screen. The audience sees the villain close up for the first time in the film and this makes it especially scary because they get to see the detail of what he looks like. It also creates a dramatic effect and creates an atmosphere for the audience. Close up shots are also an opportunity scare the audience as they can be very creative.

CAMERAWORK – FRAMING

• Long shot:

• The people in the shot being hung from the tree look helpless and vulnerable. The long shot helps emphasise this as they are isolated and creates a mysterious atmosphere, and it also helps to convince the audience to watch on as they would be wondering why the family are hanging from the tree and why they have been completely isolated. It also sets the scene because it is the first shot the audience sees and also shows other technical aspects such as lighting.

CAMERAWORK - ANGLE

• Low Angle

• A low angle shot is used to signify power in Sinister. It is used towards of the end of the film when the girl has been possessed and about to murder her family. It shows that she has become more powerful than the rest of her family as she has made them vulnerable and hopeless. This goes against the stereotype of children having less power than adults but it works with horror films as there are often children in horror films that create fear towards the audience because of there scary presence.

CAMERAWORK – MOVEMENT

• Zoom

• In Sinister, a zoom is used to create fear and tension towards the audience when Ellison is watching the video tapes and sees the villain in them. When he spots the villain in one of the videos, the camera quickly zooms into him and it makes the audience jump and feel the same way as the character does. The character or the audience does not expect a shock like this and this is why a zoom in this scene is effective.

SOUND

• Diegetic sound - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7hzX7HEQU8

• A particularly effective piece of diegetic sound in sinister is the “Lawnmower scene” when a loud scream can be heard all of a sudden and it scares the audience as well as the character in the film. Diegetic sound is very effective especially in horror films as there a lot of sound to choose from to scare the audience and create fear. A scream is very effective as it is shocking, especially because the audience does not expect it and is completely all of a sudden.

SOUND

• Soundtrack - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HEfWVc9Qk0

• In the clip, a family is shown having a BBQ and music is heard playing in the background and it sounds very normal and happy, but also has a scary element to it. However, the music changes to a scary, distorted sound to a scene that shows a family tied up in a car. This soundtrack is very repetitive and makes the audience feel uneasy and builds up tension. It lets them know that the scene has quickly changed and something has gone wrong. The music creates fear as it is a series of repetitive and creepy noises.

EDITING

• Graphic Match

• A graphic match is used here when it shows one shot change into another by using the same or similar images. Ellison holds up a picture to the window and when he removes, Mr. Boogie is standing there looking at him. This also creates a jump scare as it happens very quickly and it is a very effective editing technique to use in a horror film.

EDITING

• Jump Cuts

• A jump cut is used in Sinister when Ellison begins to hear mysterious sounds coming from the attic. While he is walking, the camera jumps from him walking towards the ladder, to the ladder that is coming down from the attic. It also creates the feeling of confusion towards the audience and the character, and asks the question of, how did the ladder get there, or who is in the attic? Jumping from him to the ladder is effective because it creates tension and leaves the audience wanting to know who is up there.

MISE – EN – SCENE

• Lighting

• In Sinister, lighting is used to create a mysterious and dull atmosphere. It creates fear towards the audience as it makes them feel uneasy because of the misty and dull sky in the background. It is important that the lighting is like this because if it was bright, it wouldn’t have the same impact on the audience as it does when it is more dull.

MISE – EN – SCENE

• Costume and make-up

• In Sinister, costume and make up is used on the children who are some of the main villains of the film. An example of this is when they are sitting and the camera shows what they are wearing and what they look like. It is important that costume and make up is used because it creates fear towards the audience and it has a very good impact of horror. These are also easily recognisable costumes so the audience can easily recognise the villains in the film.