Opening Sequence Analysis

Insidious opening credits analysis

The opening sequence for Insidious is very ominous. The music along with the mise-en-scene creates a terrifying atmosphere and insight into the contents of the film. 

The music itself is extremely powerful as it creates a hair-raising feel for the viewer. The background music in the opening credits for this film link in very well with the mise-en-scene due to the terrifyingly creepy use of high pitch violins that create an incredible sense of fear. Because the visual content of the opening credits are very minimalistic, there is a lot of focus on the soundtrack. 

At the very beginning of the opening credits, we see a light shade close-up which is then followed by the camera moving slowly down the room to a bed with a sleeping boy. This then progresses to the left focusing on a teddy bear. Although this is usually an object connected to a feeling of calmness and love, the music gives the viewer a contrasting sense of fear. The camera then pans to lava lamp and then a lit candle. This focus on light is significant due to the complete darkness around it which emphasises the idea of everyday objects seeming ominous. As the camera moves closer to the candle we see a monochrome female face which looks like it is screaming. At the same time, the violins in the music background increase in pitch and connotes the idea of people screaming - linking in with the image that we see at 1:17. This then fades and the title of the film flashes up in block capital letters in red - INSIDIOUS. The dictionary definition of Insidious is:

Adjective Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with harmful effects: "the insidious effects of stress". Treacherous; crafty: "an insidious alliance".

so the emphasis and choice of this film title is very significant in providing the viewer with an insight to the content of the film. The next frame following the title screen is a house in black and white with very gloomy skies. The title here is in red. The contrast between the black, white and red is powerful as the situations associated with these colours are things such as death, murder, horror etc. This use of the red coloured text along with the black and white images is extremely powerful in embedding the sense of fear in the viewer immediately at the start of the film. 
This then progresses to a series of seemingly normal objects - curtains; sofas; lamps; stairs...yet the combination of the black, white and red theme along with the creepy music builds a sense within the viewer that something is hiding behind the shadows. At 2.04 we as viewers get the first hint that there's something or someone in the house other than what or whom should be, with the shadow of a man on the floor from a high angle camera. Later in the credits we see a picture frame moving slightly - very discretely hinting at the idea of somebody else being in the house and again embedding the sense of fear into the viewers mind. The next significant shot of the opening credits is at 2.37 where we can see a figure standing to the left of the screen, along with curtains blowing in the wind which once again create that ominous atmosphere. Continuing the embedding of fear, the next significant part of the clip is at 2.48 when we can see a chair moving backwards by itself; In the next shot we see a light shade swinging; At 3.16 we see a footprint appear on the wooden floor. The first image we see of characters is a family portrait showing a mother, father and two sons; this shows a normal-looking family and subtly embeds a sense of sympathy within the viewer, making us sympathise with this family who appear to have strange beings in their house. 

Figure of man on floor - 2.04

Figure and curtains blowing - 2.37

The chair moves - 2.48

Footprint appears on floor - 3.16

Family portrait

Insidious title

Woman screaming behind candle - 1.17