This is my finished analysis of the movie trailer oculus. I have made changes from the feedback I received from my media class.

1. Movie release date: April 11, 2014
Director: Mike Flanagan
Genre: Horror
AUDIENCE
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. The film is rated a 15 therefore
reinforcing that the audience are for this age and
above.
http://www.tribute.ca/trailers/oculus/19604/
GENRE
The film itself is a horror and the trailer conforms to this.
The music throughout changes pace to enforce the intensity
of the trailer and this adds to how it is also a thriller.
Throughout, the cuts also are synchronised with the music
so the pace changes, adding to the mystery and the drama
to the horror. I feel that this film successfully obeys with this
genre and goes with the norms of horrors in the way that
the audience are kept on their toes the whole time.
However the trailer doesn’t reveal too much which has
become typical in movie trailers in this decade because the
director wants the audience to be surprised of what
happens in the actual film. This works with the horror
because this genre surprises and scares you throughout. The
setting in the house also haunts the viewer and the
flashbacks gives the film a sense of reality.

2. Mise-en-scene
Lighting
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. As the girl bites into the light bulb the sound increases
dramatising the scene, this is an example of anchorage as the sound and image are used
simultaneously for effect.
In addition to this one of the main props in the trailer is the mirror which is always central to
the camera shots depicting its importance.
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. Also this lighting is used during the beginning of
the trailer and this creates suspense.
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. This suggests that the director of the trailer has tried to
continuous remind the audience of the upcoming events that occurin the movie,
therefore reinforcing that the genre of the movie is a horror. A framing technique
has also been used in order to draw the viewers attention to the figure who is in
the centre, bulls-eye, of the shot.
Props
Costume

3. Editing
Cuts (transitions)
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 to add intensity.
This conforms to the genre of a horror because the audience are constantly being shocked and
are unsure on what will happen next.
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. This is an effective editing technique as the black
background is used to depict the gloomy emotions that a horror creates. The fluency
almost is used to relax the audience before the intensity is reinstated later in the trailer.
Filters The clip has been edited into slow motion as the cloth falls off 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.
I feel that the slow motion is away of showing that the mirror isn’t going to go
away. In this same print screen a sepia filter has been used in order to portray an
antique feeling, this could be done to highlight how the mirror has history.
Fades/Dissolves Fluency
Slow motion

4. Camera
A 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. The longshot also gives the
viewer more to take in, however the bulls-eye composition is meant the audience is
drawn into the focal point, the mirror. This could be done as a way of telling the audience
that the mirror is central to the film.
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. Not only this but the background of this close up is dark, in
contrast to the long shot shown above, this is done to dramatize the figure in the shot
and draw our attention to her eyes. Lastly the camera shot is quite thrilling due to the
facial expression, linking with the genre.
The girls head is out of focus in this shot reverse shot and this is so the
audience pays full attention to the boy. It also links to the narrative theory of
props because the boy would be identified as the ‘Donor’ and the focus on
him shows how the girl relies on him and without him she could not continue
on in the plot. I feel this focus is of high importance because it shows the high
significance of the male character.
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. This camera angle is another way
of belittling the audience and making them feel scared, again conforming well with
the genre horror.
Shots
Focus
Angles

5. 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. The font used in the texts and
credits is very simple and sharp, this
means that the audience remain
serious throughout.
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.

6. Changing of time zones
The films start in the present, showing
where the mirror is now in its current form.
The film finishes with the
mirror however the
audience are looking down
on it and the room is a lot
darker leaving the audience
in fear. The fact the trailer
starts similar to how it
finishes shows the power
and the significance of the
mirror.
Alternating from the past and the present depicts how the mirror is on going issue and doesn’t
go away. The fact both the shots have the same actors and the same mirror suggest how the
mirror is something they cannot get rid of and there is a prominent relationship between them
and the mirror. The storyline within the trailer reveals how she wants to put an end to the
deaths the mirror has caused so in the first shot the mirror was in control of their lives and
effecting it dramatically, and now they have grown up she is trying to take control of the mirror
and defeat it. The different in facial expressions contrasts, linking into the narrative theory
created by Levis strauss. In the top shot the facial expression convey innocence and fear where
as in the top shop the characters and depicted with strength and courage. The body language
reinforces this because as they are older they are facing the mirror showing how they are
taking it on, where as children they are facing away from the mirror showing they have no
power over it. The time zone therefore allows the audience to see how these two characters
have grown up and how they have changed. This creates a sense of reality and this could be
purposely done in order to make the film more believable.

7. The apple scene
One of the most prominent scenes in the trailer
is the section where the girl goes to eat the
apple and then bites into the light bulb. Below is
a step by step analysis of this scene.
As the girl walks into the room there is a long shot allowing us
to see all of her and how she is eating and apple and sorting
out light bulbs. This immediately establishes what she she
doing, shown in print screen one. Then the girl is shown in a
wide show so we can see the box of light bulbs, her and the
apple and her arranging them, shown in print screen two.
Again the use of the wide shot allows the audience to come
to terms with the scene. The shot then becomes closer to the
light bulb and the apple next to each other on the surface and
her hand, with red painted nails connoting danger, comes in
to pick up the apple. During these three clips the sound is
diminuendo and only picks up in print screen 7 in
synchronisation with the girls fear. By keeping the sound
quiet for print screen 56 the audience are able to hear the
diegetic sound of the crunch along with the dropping of the
light bulb on the floor. The music is essential to this seen as it
exaggerates the atmosphere. As there is more danger the
shots become closer and closer, and an extreme close up is
used of the models eyes to depict her fear and this is a
successful camera technique because the audience get to see
and feel the girls emotion.
You could argue that this scene is a post modern reference to
snow white because there is the innocence of the girl eating
the apple, like the innocence of snow white, and in both cases
the apple was dangerous.
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8. During the feedback, some of the pupils in my class left questions for me to answer and I have tried to do this below. This questions are
of high importance in relation to the trailer and they have helped me understand how the trailer is so effective.
Why is it called ‘Oculus’?
The definition of the term oculus
is ‘a round or eye-like opening or
design’ and this may refer to the
main feature in the film, the
mirror. The mirror is the opening
and the instigator of all the
problems caused and is the one
that is allowing the supernatural
force in to real peoples lives. The
fact the actual definition suggests
its ‘eye-like’ insinuates how the
mirror is always watching you and
staring back at you.
What voices are used to narrate?
Throughout the trailer one of the
main characters, the girl who is
‘the princess’ in Prop's narrative
theory, is the one who’s voice
dominates the trailer as she tells
the story to the video camera we
hear it. This form of narration is
effective because the audience
get to find out the story from
someone who has been through
it. The trailer also includes the
other characters voices but this is
just snippets from the film to
dramatize the clip.
The sound track
One of the most effective aspects of
trailers in my opinion is the sound track,
because this is the part that emphasises
the actions. In the film trailer Oculus, the
director has used the soundtrack
effectively in order to conform to the
genre of horror. Anchorage is used
throughout so the music is simultaneous
to the events within the clip. Both diegetic
and non-diegetic sound is used within the
trailer, this is crucial because diegetic
sound like the footsteps add the extra
effect while the music dramatizes it. The
sound track itself varies in the way that it
goes from being loud, crescendo, to quiet,
diminuendo, therefore resulting in the
audience jumping when the director wants
them too.