Movie release date: April 11, 2014Director: Mike Flanagan

Genre: Horror

This film is intended to scare the audience and for this reason it is targeted at people who are teenagers to late 30's. This group find enjoyment through the horror. A film like this wouldn't be suitable for people under the age of 15.

AUDIENCE

http://www.tribute.ca/trailers/oculus/19604/

Mise-en-sceneLighting

Props

Costume

The use of the prop, the light bulb, is disturbing and escalates the fear of the viewer. Using this prop emphasises the danger they are in. Also the broken glass could be used to foreshadow the danger they are in.

The lighting coming in from the mirror draws attention to the mirror but this soon blacks out, creating suspense and tension. The lighting gives the audience false hope, making them comfortable before the later disturbances of the trailer.

The supernatural force that comes from the mirror is in a light blue dress which compliments the eyes that have been edited white, therefore leading the audience to them. The blue depicts the coldness of figure therefore foreshadowing the danger of the force.

Throughout the trailer anchorage is used throughout where sound and image are used simultaneously for effect, as the girl bites on the light bulb the sound increases dramatically creating tension.

Editing

Cuts (transitions) Fades/Dissolves

Filters

The clip has been edited into slow motion as the cloth falls of the mirror to dramatize it. It results in the audience being more focused on the mirror. This also affects both the fluency and the cuts of the trailer because it slows the pace down.

As the trailer begins the picture fades in and out, contributing towards the fluency of the video. This also is a way of creating suspense, resulting in the audience having a fear of the unknown. The genre of the film is a horror so fading out onto a black background the trailer has a negative atmosphere.

Throughout the clip the transitions become a lot quicker in order to dramatize the clip and add suspense. The music follows this and increases in volume in sync with the cuts.

In the same print screen above a sepia filter seems to have been used giving off an antique impression, this suggests that the mirror behind the cloth has history.

Fluency

Camera

Shots

Angles

FocusA long shot has been used in order to set the scene, however there is a sense of mystery. This entices the viewer and makes it feel like they are there.

A close up of the super natural force is revealed as a way of grasping the attention for the audience and making them want to know more. The close up also means that it is more disturbing for the viewer.

A low camera angle has been used when the focus is on the mirror, this is a way of showing the power and superiority of the mirror and how it haunts whoever owns it. The blood dripping down further enforces this.

The girls head is out of focus in this shot reverse shot and this is so the audience pays full attention to the boy.

In post-production the blood has been edited into the shape of the letter S in order to emphasise how the actresses soul has been taken. The red blood further depicts the danger.

Texts and credits are used at the start of the film to inform the audience what the producer has also made, this is a way of reinforcing the movie is a horror.

Characters

The villain

The Princess/hero

The Donor

Narrative Theory- I have tried to use this trailer and apply it to Propp’s theory, the idea that each media text has 7 distinctive characters. I have been able to pick out three of these within the trailer, supporting this theory. The most obvious was the villain who is the supernatural force from the mirror. She is the one who is a huge danger to all the other characters within the plot. Next I labelled the girl actress the princess, because she is the one who wants to catch the villain yet ends up being the victim and the one needing help. Arguably, the girl is also the hero because she is the one trying to beat the villain. Lastly I chose the donor to be the boy who assists the princess/hero because he is beneficial to the plot and she would not go on with her plan without him. Although I have not linked all 7 characters, these characters support his theory because the remaining 4 may be revealed in the whole film.