Research- Film Opening 3 - Genre

Sinister

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Introduction of film//Brief background

The third movie I choose to analyse is Sinister (2012).Directed by Scott Derrickson, staring James Ransone and Juliet Rylance, made by Summit Entertainment.The film is based on a true-crime writer finds a cache of 8mm home movies films that suggest the murder he is currently researching is the work of a serial killer whose career dates back to the 1960s. The film's budget was $3 million and received an estimated $19 million.With critical acclaim positive, Roger Ebert rated the film 3 out of 4 stars.

The film also  won several awards, such as the Film Trailer award in 2013 and the Fangoria Chainsaw award in the same year.

Key characters/Stock characters

The first scene doesn't establish to the audience the key characters, as the scene is based on the execution of four subject, which appear to be children.Which again links to the conventions of a Horror, being  children, who are stereotypical persevered as vulnerable and innocent, following the conventional stock characters of the genre. Their costumes are basic and generalized, however showing traits of masculinity, through using baggy, unflattering clothing as costumes.The scene is shot in an extreme-long shot, this helps the audience to identify the location,characters and events, without providing them with to much detail, going back to the genre of Horror, making it more identifiable.

Narrative/Stock situation  

The establishing shot and long-shot in the scene immediately helps the audience to establish the film's location.Due to the opening scene being based purely on the execution, the audience can infer the movie will be based around death and murders, with the antagonist perhaps being a murder or serial killer, or even a rapist, linking to the genre of Supernatural Horror.The audience can also infer some of the stock characters in this film, such as the antagonists as a family or young children. Which show both vulnerability and innocence, again being a stock character with conventions of the Horror genre.

We can only assume that some kind of investigation will take place to find the criminal and that the events that happened has some involvement into the film and narrative.

Genre Iconography

The size of the victims/characters in the opening scene help the audience see that all of them are young, stereo typically linking to the visual of children.

The icon of the tree delivers connotations of the genre Horror, with the stereotypical location of a Horror genre movie being in a isolated setting, such as a woodlands.

Themes of genre

The main theme of this movie, by looking at the opening scene, is murder.Which is made clear by the first two minutes being based on a execution, which is associated with

Score

The tone of the chain unwinding is emphasized to show the importance of the action.The rest of the scene is silent, which is effective because it draws and encourages you to watch the visuals.

Typography

There is little typography in the opening scene, there is however the title. Sinister appeals on the screen after the execution is finished and the subject are dead, which helps the title gain importance.

The font is narrow, white and bold, drawing the audience in instantly, with the voice over ' Sinister 2'.