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"Insidious: Chapter 2" Film Analysis (Part 2)

Which aspects of the film would you like to INCLUDE in your own trailer? Why?

I now feel that my horror film trailer will most definitely need a couple of "jump scare" moments mainly because I feel that it is one of the most important features within a horror films as it makes the film more exciting especially if it is unexpected. It will also be easier to re-create in comparison to another technique such as “Gore” which largely relies on expensive effects in modern films.

I feel that a setting is a key factor, so some form of creepy location always adds to the theme. I also feel that a narrative introduction is really important, within Insidious it follows up on the previous film helping you to remember what had happened. Low-key lighting and parallel sounds are essential for horror films as well mainly because it emphasises what is happening.

Which aspects of the film would you like to AVOID in your own trailer? Why?

This is a difficult question mainly because there weren’t many aspects within Insidious 2 that I disliked.  If I had to choose one part of the film I disliked it would have to be the slow editing aspects, I say this because as a whole it made the film more boring in certain parts. Within my trailer I would make sure that it flowed really well and had many eye-catching aspects and fast montages; this will make the film more exciting to watch.

What was the best aspect / more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How?

I think that the “Jump scare” aspects of the film were the most enjoyable because of how they had an effect on my when watching the film. I say this mainly due to the fact that throughout the whole film the “Jump scares” were unexpected and as a result it shocked you as a viewer.  I think that recreating something similar would be relatively easy as well providing that you had some good practice with the editing software.

Using montage effectively is what makes a horror film successful; it is what makes a film flow well. This is mainly done by balancing slow and quick parts to a film so that the film isn’t boring to the audience. Within a horror trailer I would say that the editing needs to be more fast paced; this is mainly because the whole film is cut down into a small amount of time with the best parts usually being presented also.

"Insidious: Chapter 2" Film Analysis (Page 1)

Insidious: Chapter 2

Year of Production: 2013

Director: James Wan

Genre(s): Horror/Thriller

Brief Plot Outline:

A haunted family seeks to uncover the mysterious secret that links them to the spirit world. Once the secret is revealed, the family has a long and stressful task of releasing people in order to surpass this horror.

Which two scenes impress you the most? Why?

The first scene that impressed me the most was in fact the final scene; the main reasoning behind this is because it was cleverly thought out. What makes it clever is the way that 'Collision cutting' has been used to create an emotional effect; the ending has a perfect balance of slow/quick montage which as a whole makes the film more eye-catching. Another important point based on the last scene is the fact that it has an open ending, showing you that there will definitely be a sequel.

I enjoyed the different uses of shot within the last scene as well, especially when the camera glances into the P.O.V of the little girl at the end to reveal the spirit looking straight at her creating a really good emotional effect. Another scene I liked was the use of cinematography when different sounds are alternatively causing Renai discomfort; an example of this is when the piano repeatedly plays whenever Renai is out of the room. This creates a nervous feeling on the viewer, mainly due to the fact that the music is primarily parallel and this puts you into the shoes of Renai and how she is feeling.

How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of filmmaking? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?

I think that it has helped me understand the horror genre mainly because whatever aspects of the film made me jump were clearly effective. The way the shots were filmed, a certain camera angle(s) or special effects can all have different effects on different people.

I think that the feature that was used the most from the genre checklist would have been parallel music; this really emphasises the mood within the film and makes the whole film a more exciting experience. I scene that represents this well would have to be slightly after the piano scene where the baby is screaming from upstairs and when Renai runs to attend her, the baby is silent laying within its bed.

The films setting also added to the horror mainly because it was set within a dark, woodland area. This emphasises that they cannot escape the spirit due to the enclosed location. Also the low key lighting is another well used feature within this film; this feature is mainly used when they get into contact with the spirits as the setting changes, it is also used sometimes when it makes you jump. An example of this would be when there is a moving shot heading towards a hospital bed and then suddenly the camera turns to the left revealing a scary looking, old man.

"Dog Soldiers" Film Analysis (Page 2)

Which aspects of the film would you like to AVOID in your own trailer?

I would like to avoid using over-exaggerated effects mainly because it makes a film look and feel unrealistic. I say this because I think that a realistic film has a better overall effect on me personally. Films that have realistic aspects such as, ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, ‘Psycho’, ‘Saw’ and even zombie films like ‘Zombieland’ and ‘Day of The Dead’ just have more of an emotional effect especially with the characters, which I feel is really important.                                                                                                    

I would also try to avoid using ‘slow montage’ within my film trailer as much as possible. I say this because using ‘quick montage’ within a film makes it more exciting and panic-inducing as a whole and adds to the effect of the storyline.

What was the best aspect / more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How?

I feel that as a whole, the body horror was the best aspect of this film. In terms of the scene that achieves this, I feel that the soldier who gets his stomach ripped open made me judder the most because it was evident that he was not going to survive. I feel that recreating that form of body horror may be difficult to replicate, but as a whole I would like to try and make something similar.     I would mainly try to add an emotional effect along with the body horror to make it more effective.

How does the film show the influence of its ‘auteur’ director? How does it show the director’s filmmaking style and soul? Give examples of three scenes from the movie that shows their auteur style.

I feel that this film has a good emotional effect throughout nearly every scene; this is helped by the ‘soldier’ side of things (looking out for one another, and relating to real-life soldiers).                                                            

In terms of the ‘auteur’ style, I think that Neil Marshall like the idea of using body horror to create an emotional effect. This film also suggests that he likes to cross genres (with this film being considered as 3).

"Dog Soldiers" Film Analysis (Page 1)

Dog Soldiers

Year of Production: 2002

Director: Neil Marshall

Genre(s): Action/Horror/Thriller

Brief Plot Outline:

A British squad is sent on a training mission in Scotland against a special operations squad. They come across the bloody remains of the special ops squad after ignoring the childish ‘campfire’ story surrounding the area. In the end they have to battle for survival against an unlikely form of enemy – werewolves.

Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?

The first scene I enjoyed was a scene about a quarter of the way through where one soldier, based on his own in the woods realises that he has no ammo; he then persists to run from the strange noises surrounding him. In the end he runs into a tree branch which goes right through his stomach. In this scene there is a good use of shots and collision cutting; it switches from the P.O.V of the werewolf then back to the soldier making a sense of panic. I enjoyed the ending scene also mainly due to the fact that it was quite comedic. What makes it comedic is the fact that it is very unrealistic; the werewolf and one of the soldiers get into an altercation which eventually ends up with the werewolf finally dying. This part also has a good use of camera; there is definitely a quick montage effect and a variety of fast paced P.O.V shots.

How has watching the film helped you understand this genre of filmmaking? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?

It has helped me understand that within the horror genre, a film can be widely different to other horrors. The horror genre can be considered ‘realistic’ or ‘unrealistic’; this suggests that the horror genre as a whole has many unique styles that can be produced in a film.                                                                                  
I noticed a large amount of body horror within this film mainly from the parts where werewolves were involved. Especially when one of the soldiers stomach is ripped open revealing his ‘guts’. This film also has many P.O.V shots / close ups; this adds suspense when watching and gets your heart rate up, especially when added to the use of quick montage. The werewolves can be considered as ‘quick moving monsters’ and the film has a humorous, open ending.

Which aspects of the film would you like to INCLUDE in your own trailer?

I wold like to try and replicate the body horror within my own trailer; mainly due to the fact that it shocks some audiences and adds to the suspense of a film. I would also like to have a good use of quick montage within my trailer as a feel that this is also a good aspect that gets your heart racing. This technique also gets you to focus on what is happening which I feel is really important, especially in a trailer. Lastly, I think that I will use some P.O.V shots within my horror trailer. I say this mainly because I feel that it makes films more involving; it makes you focus on what is actually happening, adding suspense.