The opening scene shows only half of the face of the doll Annabel for 20 seconds, establishing it as a mysterious but important prop. We hear shaken voices discussing strange events but see nothing. When the three roommates are shown, they appear normal but recall their experiences, causing the music to rise and scenes to cut faster, building panic. The opening sets an ominous tone through the doll, shaken voices, and escalating pacing as more is revealed.

1. Film Opening Analysis – The
Conjuring
The first initial shot is just a blank screen and all
you can hear is the victims saying that they
won’t believe them. This makes the opening
very mysterious as we haven’t seen anything yet
but we already know that something is going on
that is not quite right. When they start talking
about the events that have been happening
Annabel the doll comes into shot, however it is
only half of her face which also adds to the
mystery. The doll is old and worn which shows
the audience that there will be some stories
behind it. Also the eye that we can see of the
doll is cracked and scratched which tells the
audience that it is not taken care of or no one
wants to look after it. The first shot of the doll lasts about 20 seconds which shows that it is a
main prop and part of the story. We don’t see the people talking at first but we can hear their
voice which sounds a bit shaky so it tells the audience that it is not a normal conversation.
When we first see the three roommates talking about their experience the audience can see
that they are dressed like any normal person which shows that the characters are innocent.
There isn’t any music or sound effects until they flash back to one of the events that occurred.
The music then starts to get louder as they find out what the doll has done and then the scenes
move faster and cut from one shot to another faster and faster. It starts off as a slow paced film
with only a few shots. However, as the music starts to kick in and we find out more about what
has been happening then the shots speed up and are shorter to give a sort of panic feeling –
not knowing what to look at or what to do. Also when it cuts to the roommates talking to the
whoever they are they stick to the 180 degree rule.
I would like to use the idea of cutting back to memories whilst they are still talking about them.