1. Horror movies generally have dark/dim lighting, wide shots, Dutch angles, ominous/creepy music, and the use of a Steadicam. These ideas come from the numerous and different horror movies I’ve watched in my life, from supernatural horror like Paranormal Activity, Hereditary, Sinister, etc., to gore or slasher films like Saw, Scream, and Friday the 13th.
2. The visual techniques used in The Conjuring help set the tone and emotion the characters experience. The camera movement reflects the character’s reactions whenever something scary happens, such as an offscreen sound. The shots during a sequence like this employ shaky Cam to accentuate the fear and panic of a character. Most of the scenes in this movie are shot in a way that doesn’t centre the main subject in the frame, instead having them to the side, leaving the rest of the shot available for possible ghosts or spirits to jump out. Overall, this technique builds suspense as you have no idea what could happen in the scene. Whenever the ghost or spirit causes mischief or harm, the lighting also reflects this. Near the climax of the movie, when the spirit is about to force the mother to kill two of her children, the weather suddenly changes to dark, stormy clouds. This makes the scene very dark and provides a creative way to achieve low lighting without it being night.
3.
a. At the beginning of the film, we are introduced to the possessed doll, Annabelle, the first supernatural presence in the movie. This sequence also explains how spirits and ghosts function within the universe.
b. After the family moves into their new home, they discover a walled-off basement and investigate it. Around this time, one of the daughters also finds a music box on the property. Following these two events, supernatural activity begins in the home.
c. One of the major problems that is solved in the film is the nature of the spirit, a witch who hung herself after killing her newborn child. The wife in the ghost-hunting duo is able to see supernatural aspects and deduces that the spirit is trying to kill the children of the newly moved-in family.
Anshika Tiwari
I don’t watch a lot of horror movies but I have seen the conjuring, scared me and my friend to death at one of my childhood sleepover! We have both pointed out the typical horror techniques—dark lighting, eerie music, and those unsettling Dutch angles. They really are the backbone of horror, right? These elements almost work together to make you feel uncomfortable before anything even happens. And using the Steadicam to create that “you’re right there” feeling is so effective for keeping the tension high. Your comments on the camera movement are also spot-on. The off-center framing really adds to the suspense, because you’re constantly wondering if something’s going to pop up in the empty space next to the characters. It’s like the camera itself is playing with us. And that shaky cam when the characters get scared? It really pulls you into their experience and ramps up the anxiety. Even the progression of the story elements you mentioned, like discovering Annabelle and the basement, really adds to the tension, too. It’s classic horror—start with something small and creepy, then slowly reveal darker secrets. It makes the scares feel earned rather than forced. Plus, the backstory with the witch ties everything together so well, giving the hauntings a deeper, more chilling reason.
Abhinav Suresh
The way that The Conjuring employs traditional horror methods to create tension and arouse terror is well-explained in your study. Particularly in the manner that lighting, framing, and camera movement add to the scenes’ suspense and unpredictable nature, the attention to detail is impeccable. From Annabelle’s introduction to the disclosure of the spirit’s past, I like how you deconstructed significant events and demonstrated the story’s logical progression. This brief and perceptive analysis of the movie’s eerie atmosphere is commendable.