Analysis of Lights Out

There is no music at any point in this film which creates a very eerie and tense atmosphere, it also works as a build up to the anticipated shock which leaves the audience tensing up for the moment. It also adds more emphasis on the sound effects such as the clicking of the light switch which again adds to the tension because the silence shows how the woman is all alone in her home which leaves her and the audience vunurable.

The silence between the flicking of the light switch gives us time to dwell on the silhouette seen in the hallway once the lights are off. The sound of the tape being torn of the light switch is also significant because it confirms the suspicion that there is something else present with the woman and amplifies it.

The majority of camera shots are close ups of the woman's face and POV shots of what the woman is looking at. The close ups of her face are to show here various facial expressions throughout the film, she is calm at the start however as she becomes more aware of something in her house she visually becomes more and more distressed which also shows the severity of the situation. The POV shots are mainly of her looking through the sheets when the demon is in her room, however we can't see anything to create more tension and more fear of the unknown thing in the house.

Lighting is extremely important in the film because it keeps the figure in the hall clouded in mystery. Darkness frightens people because you cannot see what is going on in close proximity to you and gives fear of the unknown. Even the bright lights are not particularly welcoming and literally give light to the emptiness of the house which furthers the feeling of loneliness and vulnerability felt by the woman and the audience.

There is no dialogue in the film because a conversation is too comforting for the audience and again this emphasises the tense silence in the house which creates further tension.

The point of climax is when the woman turns and sees the thing which is invading her house. The thing is some sort of possessed monster or has a major deformity which makes her hideous to behold and hence it only flashes for a split second to shock the audience. Throughout the film the audience has been built up towards this moment and so the spilt second we see of it adds to the horror aspect and mystery. The sound is also explosive at this point which adds to the shock of the moment.

Typical Horror conventions used are dark lighting, to make it more scary and unclear what is hiding in the shadows. There is also a scary mask or face which has been edited in post-production which is also typical of the action adventure genre