H.G: Analysing an open sequence ( Halloween 1978)

Analysing an open sequence (Halloween 1978)

Genre:
• Halloween is a horror film which fits under the sub-genre of slasher. There are some conventional indicators that shows Halloween fits under the slasher sub-genre. For example, iconic to this sub-genre is the use of the prop by the antagonist in this case a knife. Another film that shares this convention is in psycho when the antagonist stabs the female in the shower
 • The audiences generic expectations of the text would have been fulfilled by the opening sequence. This is because there were iconic symbolisers conventional to this genre. An example of these iconic symbolisers is the use of a point of view cam used by the antagonist to make us feel like we are antagonist
 • I think the texts conform to the characteristics of this genre and does not treat them playfully or ironically can see this when the women is being frighten by unknown male character is a generic convention.

Film Language Camera:
• A significant camera technique used in this opening clip is the iconic use of a POV shot. This is seen when the young boy ( the antagonist) is watching the young man leave and is walking up the stairs. This is conventional of this sub-genre in horror and lets the audience see the view from the antagonist.
 •Another significant technique used in this clip is the use of crane shot right at the end. This is when the antagonist has stab the protagonist and is standing outside of the house with the large knife in his hand and helps to add to the enigma in the scene.

Editing:
• There is very few cutting rates in this clip which creates the effect of continuous action making the audience feel tense and un easy as they are expecting something to happened. This is a very bold technique as fast cutting rates are conventional to horror as it builds tension. I think they have used this to build up the tension slowly, and to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Mise-en-scene:
• The location used in the opening scene of Halloween is of a normal house. This is iconic as it represents a safe place for the audience. So when these bad things are happening in someone’s house it creates dramatic tension quickly as it is in someone’s safe haven.
• The unusually large knife used by the antagonist is there to create fear as the knife being used is bigger than needed for the damage to be done. This is done to add to the brutality of the killing

 Sound:
• An example of sound in this clip is the use of non-diegetic sound. The sound before the protagonist get stabs is sharp high pitch sound which is very conventional at for slasher and for the horror genre . • Another way sound is used in this clip is the diegetic sound of the women (protagonist) screaming when she is being stabbed. These screams are very loud and make the audience feel uncomfortable when hearing these loud screams.

 Narrative:
• The plot for the opening is quite simple but effective one. The sister is babysitting her young brother, when she thinks she is asleep she is downstairs with a boy. They decide to go upstairs which indicates to me they were going to have sex. When the boy leaves the brother of the sister the Antagonist gets a large knife, walks upstairs and stabs his sister to death. He then walks outside to be met by his parents who can’t work out what has gone on ( as he is holding a large knife with blood on it). The stock characters in the scene are the boy who the sister has sexual intercourse with and the parents of the two who turn up at the end.
 • The audience are seeing the sequence from the antagonists situation, this builds suspense as when you don’t know it’s the sisters little brother you have no idea what creature this might have been lurking in her house.
• The main themes in this narrative is the boy being possessed, this makes the audience feel at ease that one of the family members killed another because of them being possessed.
• The way the tension was created was mainly using the POV camera technique which net the audience see the killing from the antagonist view. Also the high pitch sound when the antagonist is getting closer to his victim builds tension very quickly and effectively. I think hearing the stabbing and screams of the victim also add a lot of tension to the scene. I think the enigma code was created early on the film so that for forthcoming scenes they don’t know why the boy killed his sister and this is what keeps the audience engrossed in the film. There was also an action code when the boy is stabbing his sister which is quite symbolic of this sub-genre

Representation and ideology:
• The young social group in this film opening is represented negatively in two ways. Firstly the young sister having sexual intercourse with another young boy when she was meant to be babysitting her brother which reinforces the stereotype that youth are reckless and naughty therefore the ideological discourse is regressive one. The other way that youth is resented badly in this clip is when the younger brother stabs the sister, this is represented the youth as extremely violent this is challenging stereotypes as hardly any children are extremely violent in this way. Therefore the ideological discourse is a progressive one as it challenges normal stereotypes Media audiences:
 • I think the target audience for this film would be for teenagers as in the opening scene that was the dominant age and think they can relate to what happened in early moments of the scene. I think there is a negotiated audience reading as, you can’t really question what happened as I think the producer created the enigma like that on purpose for the audience to question it and find out what happened later on in the film.
• Me being a British teenager see the text as quite frightening as these are things that I carry out. I help out my mum and dad by babysitting sometimes and in doing this find the film a lot scarier. 

Institutional context:
 • Directed by John Carpenter
 • Produced by Debra Hill
• Screenplay by John carpenter, Debra Hill, Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis
• Starring P.J.Soles, Nancy Loomis
 • Production company : Falcon International Productions
• Distributed by Compass International Pictures
 • Released on the October the 25th 1978
• Budget 300,000-325,000
• I think that due to budget being quite small I would say that this was therefore an independent film. I generated a box office revenue of 90 million so therefore this production was a huge success.