Opening sequence analysis of Halloween

Introduction

The purpose on an opening sequence is to introduce the antagonists and victims and to attract the audience so that they want to finish watching the film to find out what happens. It is also there to introduce the plot and the narrative themes for the rest of the film.

The sequence I will be analysing is the Halloween 1978 opening:

The first element I will analyse is the sound. Non-diegetic sound was used when there are kids chanting Halloween rhymes right at the beginning of the film. This shows that it is Halloween so it sets the time of the film. This builds up tension because Halloween is the scariest night of the year which makes it more realistic for the audience. As they are young children, this also makes it feel more realistic and makes the audience feel like nothing bad can happen as there are children around. Also, the words they were chanting, 'cauldron', 'witches', 'night, and 'spells' foreshadow that bad things are going to happen. This tells the audience that someone will get hurt or die. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it helps the audience build up a negative relationship towards the antagonist and they feel sorry for whoever the victim is.

The second type of sound used in this sequence is diegetic sound when the owl is howling. This tells the audience that it is late at night which is when owls usually howl. This is good to have in this sequence as it makes the scene spookier for the audience to watch. This is also conventional to the thriller genre as the sound is related to the time it is set. This creates tension as it is a normal sound to hear late at night so it makes it feel like the average Halloween night when there aren't actually any murders taking place which makes it more realistic for the audience.

Another sound used in this sequence is on-screen sound. This is shown when they are speaking so they use dialogue. The dialogue used is when he asks her is they're alone or not. This shows that he senses that someone else is also there. This helps the audience build a relationship with the characters as they also feel like someone else is there so are both in the same position. By him asking this, it makes the audience also think it so they know something is going to happen and one of them is going to be a victim to some sort of crime. This foreshadows a murder to both the audience and the characters on screen. This is conventional to the thriller genre because an enigma is created as the audience and the characters don't know what is going to happen. Therefore, the audiences are asking many questions keeping them engaged in the rest of the film. By showing that he knows someone is there through dialogue is good as it is easy for the audience to know what he is thinking and they then know that they are also thinking the same thing. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it helps the audience build up a relationship with the male character as they are both thinking the same thing.

The final sound used in this sequence is also non-diegetic sound. This is used when the clock starts ringing as Michael walks up the stairs. As it is the same clock as one at a church during a funeral, it signifies death. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it foreshadows to the audience that there's going to be a murder. It also happens just before she's stabbed so symbolises end of life. This tells the audience that something bad is going to happen and she is going to be hurt. This also builds up suspense because the audience know something will happen but are just waiting for the antagonist to strike at his victim. By using the clock as non-diegetic sound, it shows the audience that the antagonist is taking his time to get up the stairs and to his victim because he knows that his victim is going to die anyway. So, the clock tells the audience that the antagonist knows what's going to happen and doesn't care. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it helps the audience build up a negative relationship with the antagonist and makes them feel sorry for the victim.

The second element I will analyse from this sequence is cinematography. A point of view shot is used when the killer is walking into the house. This shows the audience exactly what the antagonist can see. This helps the audience build a relationship with the killer because they see what he sees and therefore, have an idea about what he is thinking. This also keeps the killer unknown and hidden from the audience and victim. This creates an enigma which then creates suspense as it keeps the audience questioning who the killer is. This shot is conventional to the thriller genre because it keeps the audience asking questions which then keep them engaged in the film as they want to find out who the murderer actually is. This shot also creates an enigma where the audience don't know what is going to happen next as they don't know where he's going to go.

Another piece of cinematography used is a zooming out shot. This is used when Michael's mask gets pulled off of his head. The camera zooms out turning it into a high angle which shows that a murder has taken place in that house. It sets an enigma for the rest of the film as it keeps the audience wondering whether or not Michael is actually the murderer. This also sets the scene as to where the murder happened and also to where the body has been left. This is conventional to the thriller genre as the audience can see exactly where the victim has been killed and this also creates suspense as the audience don't know what is going to happen next. By the camera zooming out straight after the mask is taken off, it tells the audience that it is the antagonist and he was the one that killed the victim. As a result, an enigma is created because the audience don't know his reason behind killing the victim. This is conventional to the thriller genre because the audience keep engaged within the rest of the thriller film.

The next element I will analyse from this sequence is editing. The first piece of editing I found was slow editing. This is used when the killer is walking round the house. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it builds up suspense as the audience don't know when the killer will strike. This engages the audience because it means the antagonist could kill when they least expect it to happen. This is conventional to the thriller genre because an enigma is created as the audience don't know when the murder will take place. Therefore, they stay engaged within the rest of the thriller film. This also tells the audience that he is going to kill but doesn't want to scare his victim so moves slowly and quietly around the house. This helps the audience build a negative relationship with the antagonist because they know he will kill her no matter what. They also build a relationship with the victim because they know he is going to hurt her and she doesn't so they feel sorry for her. This is conventional to the thriller genre because suspense is built whilst the audience are waiting for the killer to get his victim.

The second piece of editing used is the linking of section which is done when the camera looks at the victims then looks at the bedroom. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it tells the audience that the antagonist is going to kill and where the antagonist is going to kill. This engages the audience as it makes them feel scared and sorry for the victims. It also helps the audience build a relationship with the victim as they know what is going to happen to her and want her to get out so she isn't hurt. By the camera doing this, it also shows where the victim actually is at that moment in time. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it tells the audience that he has been watching her and knows all her movements. This helps the audience build a negative relationship with the antagonist because they believe he has been stalking her for ages.

The final shot used is the reaction shot when the girl sees Michael and screams. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it shows that the victim didn't expect it especially as it was his named she screamed showing that she knew who he was. This engages the audience and it makes them want to find out what is going to happen next. This also helps the audience build a relationship with the characters as they can see how they are feeling by their facial expressions. In this sequence, the audience can tell that she's scared as she screams so they feel sorry for the victim.

Another element I will analyse from this sequence is conventions. The first thriller convention I found was the use of low key lighting. This was both inside and outside of the house. By using this type of lighting, it created shadows and silhouettes which told the audience that there was someone else around. This also created an eerie atmosphere which engaged the audience as the murder could happen at any time. This built up tension as the audience don't know when the killer will strike at his victim.

A second thriller convention found was the use of suspenseful music. This was heard when the killer entered the house. This type of music created tension as it built up which makes it scarier for the audience to watch. As a result of this, the audience are more engaged as they want to know what will happen next. This also makes the audience believe something bad is going to happen as the music is so tense.

The next convention used was iconography of the knife. This was taken out of the draw by the antagonist. A knife is a popular weapon for an antagonist in thriller films because they can easily kill and cause suffering with it. In this sequence, it is conventional to the thriller genre as the audience know that by getting it out of the draw, the antagonist wants to hurt or kill their victim. This helps the audience build a relationship with the victim as they begin to worry for her safety.

Another thriller convention used is a female victim. This is shown as it  is a young woman that is killed by the antagonist. This is conventional to the thriller genre because it shows that she is weak and vulnerable making her an easy target. It also means that she won't be able to fight back so the audience know that she is most likely going to die. This helps the audience build a relationship with the female as they feel sorry for her because they know she won't be able to do anything about it.

The final thriller convention used was iconography of the mask. This is shown when the antagonist picks up the mask from the floor then puts it on. From then a point of view shot is used. This helps the audience relate to the character as they can see what they see so nothing is hidden from the audience. By using a mask, it keeps the identity of the antagonist hidden creating an enigma for the audience. This engages the audience because they will want to know what happens next to find out who the killer is.

The next element I will be analysing from this sequence is the representation of the characters. The first representation is of the girl. She is only young and shown as being innocent. This makes her an easy target for the antagonist as they know she is weak and vulnerable. She is also wearing white which signifies purity which is conventional to the thriller genre as it shows she's a female victim. It also shows that she rarely gets in trouble so is a good girl which makes the audience wonder why she is being killed. This also creates an enigma which is conventional to the thriller genre.

The second representation is of the killer. It is shown to be a man but once the mask is taken off of him, it is actually a boy. This creates an enigma because the audience don't expect a young boy to be a killer. A young boy is known to be cute and innocent whereas in this sequence, the audience are surprised to know that the killer is a young boy. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it makes the audience shocked and surprised to know the truth.

The final element I will be analysing from this sequence is the narrative. The first piece of narrative is an innocent girl becoming victim of a murder where she was brushing her hair then is suddenly stabbed to death. This is conventional to the thriller genre because she is weak and vulnerable. This makes her an easy target for the antagonist. It also helps the audience build a relationship with her because they know what's going to happen to her and feel sorry for her as they know she hasn't done anything wrong.

The second piece of narrative is that the film is set on Halloween. This is a typical date to have a murder as it signifies death and suffering. This makes it conventional to the thriller genre as it means there's going to be a murder. This helps the audience relate to the characters as they know what is going to happen to them. It also creates tension as the audience don't know when the killer will strike.

The final piece of narrative used is that the antagonist is wearing a Halloween costume. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it sets the plot and setting for the rest of the film. By wearing a Halloween costume, it could make the audience feel like the antagonist is just dressing up and being the character of the costume he is wearing. This builds up suspense as the audience are scared for the victim.

Conclusion

Overall, this sequence informs the audience of the conventions of a thriller as it shows many different types of conventions to make a thriller scary for the audience. The conventions should be able to build up suspense and create shock and surprise for the audience. If each of the conventions of a thriller do this, then the audience will be frightened. By doing this analysis, it has helped me with planning my own thriller as it has shown me what different conventions do to make it scary. For example, I like the use of the knife as it is a popular weapon choice for antagonists which helps the audience know what is going to happen next. Also, the use of suspenseful music is good and it creates tension which engages the audience more.