[Allie Rivera Quinonez]

Subject line: (Oculus) Horror Conventions

What I learned doing this assignment is a better way to organize the concept of the film I want to make, while following and identifying “smart horror.”

Film: Oculus

Horror Conventions:

• Title / Concept:

o Title: Oculus

o Concept: Supernatural powers possess a physical object (mirror) that destroy the lives of those who are in possession of the object.

• Terrorize The Characters:

o The film begins with terrorized characters and goes back and forth in time to show how the characters became terrorized. The mirror and its supernatural powers terrorized a young family, causing the parents to go into hysteria and kill each other/themselves. The children witnessed their descent into madness and were terrorized by witnessing the events, which caused significant repercussions in their adult lives. As adults, the daughter attempts to re-create the events to prove the mirror’s supernatural powers, only to open herself up to its terrorizing horrors.

• Isolation:

o The mirror holds the characters completely captive, creating a very realistic illusion of complete isolation. Most of the film takes place in a large home, and the mythology of the mirror explains that even if you call out or try to leave the property, it won’t let you reach the outside world. Even a phone call comes into question as to who you’re really talking to on the other side. If you try to destroy the mirror, it protects itself against destruction.

• Death:

o Long history of horrific deaths associated with the owners of the mirror over time. Mom descends into madness and threatens harm to her children, even choking the daughter at one point. The dad is in a trance from the mirror, constantly self-harming, speaking to an unknown evil female presence. The dog dies. Plants die. The father kills the mother. The father kills himself. The son eventually kills his sister.

• Monster/Villain: The MIRROR!

• High Tension:

o The mirror creates hysteria by having the characters question what is real and what is a delusion. Some delusions end up coming true, for example, the daughter kills her fiancé, who wasn’t supposed to be there, thinking it was a ghost of her mother.

• Departure from Reality:

o The entire film is centered around a significant departure from reality; it is exactly what creates the tension and hysteria for the characters. From the beginning, the son experiences a dream that feels real, and the daughter introduces the mirror to the audience almost immediately seeing delusions. The past and the present were used as devices to explain what happened in the past but then becomes intertwined with the current reality. The intermingling of past and present have both characters and audience questioning what is really happening.

• Moral Statement:

o This was hard to pinpoint, but the moral statement seems to point to protecting your mental health and protecting your soul. The doctor in the beginning tells Tim to protect his recovery at all costs; he’s had mandated support to cope with his trauma, his sister has not. His coping has taught him that memory is tricky, deep-seated beliefs can subconsciously create memories to support that as your truth.

3. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great horror film?

There was a lot of really wonderful imagery, creating fractured narratives and mirrored beliefs. It was interesting to syphon the reality from the delusions as the audience. Both Tim and Kaylie had reliable narratives and explanations for what really happened as children, so it was really cool to experience the discovery of truth with them. The use of flashbacks was really effective. Neither were completely realiable narrators. They were mirrored images of reality, the “oculus” and mirror being the eyes/window to the souls…

4. With your concept, fill in each of these Conventions for your story.

• Concept:

o A Mexican prostitute is paid to imitate an Aztec goddess as part of a scam, only to come to believe she is in fact a goddess, and demand human sacrifice as her own fountain of youth.

• Terrorize The Characters:

o Santos and Cayetano Hernandez start a cult in small town of Yerbabuena, Mexico, claiming to be Incan gods that will bring the town more despair (they were poor and illiterate) or even bring their demise should the townspeople not cower to their whims.

o Once a dissenter from the cult begins to question, they bring in a prostitute from neighboring town, Magdalena Solis to usurp their own power as a high priestess. Magdalena takes over the existing cult scam, started by the Hernandez brothers.

o She forces sexual orgies and human sacrifice to satisfy the “gods,” including burning, bloodletting, and even extracting human hearts while the victim is still alive.

o No one knows who is next.

• Isolation:

o The town of Yerbabuena (population 50) is tucked in a small valley surrounded by deep caves, completely isolated from the main populous.

• Death:

o Human sacrifice of those that dissent from the cult.

o Brutal beatings, burning bodies alive, cutting, maiming by all members of the cult

o Bloodletting by bleeding them to death, then drinking the blood mixed with narcotics to ensure her immortality and youth.

• Monster/Villain:

o Magdalena as the physical incarnation of the ancient Aztec goddess “Coatlicue”

• High Tension:

o Only the true believers will survive and be rewarded. Constant fear of “Am I next, or am I keeping the gods happy?”

o Magdalena slowly becoming the goddess, the brothers fear her power.

• Departure from Reality:

o Magdalena believes she is the goddess and can achieve actual immortality. The townspeople also believe they will receive treasures if they comply.

• Moral Statement:

o Greed, lies and idolatry are the backbone of self-destruction.

[Allie Rivera Quinonez]

Hi everyone! I’m Allie and, like Quinn, I’m also co-writing in this one with my Husband, Adrian! I didn’t have access to the class until today, but we’ve been trying to keep up with the email lessons and assignments-apologies we all haven’t “met” yet!

We are both Actors who have learned to create our own content so we may have a voice in our art. I’ve written 2 features, (one biopic/drama and one horror), as well as a thriller short film. I’ve created a 10 EP web series (Moms Anonymous-a mockumentary comedy) and have produced 4 other features, one drama, two horror and one documentary about horror (Hearts of Darkness: The Final Friday).

Although I’ve been fairly entrenched in the horror world for the better part of a decade, I hope to hone my storytelling skills in the genre to elevate the content I want to create. It is one thing to throw together a creature movie with a super low budget and hope to make some money (Guilty 🙋‍♀️-in my youth and inexperience, no judgment! 😱) but to truly create the smart horror we all really love to watch-that’s a whole superpower!

In addition to creating content together, my Husband and I are also opening an Acting Studio in Orange County. We are super excited to launch this part of our journey!

IG: @allieriveraquinonez

• This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by  Allie Rivera Quinonez.

[Allie Rivera Quinonez]

Allie Rivera Quiñonez- “I agree to the terms of this release form.”

GROUP RELEASE FORM

As a member of this group, I agree to the following:

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.

This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[Allie Rivera Quinonez]

Allie Rivera Quiñonez- I agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM

As a member of this group, I agree to the following:

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.

This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 10 months ago by  Allie Rivera Quinonez.