Institution information
This film is called Halloween, and was released in the year 1978. Its been rated 18 in the UK and was produced by falcon international productions as well as distributed by compass international pictures. It was directed by John Carpenter and earned a total of $250 million (as of 2014) and didn't earn any awards.
Genre analysis
The opening starts in a low key setting with a long shot of the front of a house. The camera then pans across to show a pumpkin, which stands out on the set as it is well lighten (high key lighting) and also symbolises the film title (Halloween) as well as creates a setting. The effect of the camera panning across the porch makes the audience feel as if they saw things from the perspective of first person, which sets a narrative up for the target audience (conventionally in slasher films, first person perspective means that the audience is seeing things in the eyes of the killer so they don't know who the killer is yet, which creates suspense).
Genre analysis
The opening starts in a low key setting with a long shot of the front of a house. The camera then pans across to show a pumpkin, which stands out on the set as it is well lighten (high key lighting) and also symbolises the film title (Halloween) as well as creates a setting. The effect of the camera panning across the porch makes the audience feel as if they saw things from the perspective of first person, which sets a narrative up for the target audience (conventionally in slasher films, first person perspective means that the audience is seeing things in the eyes of the killer so they don't know who the killer is yet, which creates suspense).
The use of no camera cuts shows the path of the killer, but also that it is from a first person perspective. The camera then pans around the corner of the house to a window view of two characters in which the dialogue then sets up a narrative for the audience to follow. The effect of having "first person perspective" look into the window creates a tension of the teenagers being watched by the killer making the target audience feel uneasy. Also, the use of using teenagers for the characters relates to the target audience (teens and young adults) in which sets more of an atmosphere as it makes them feel vulnerable and shows that they are most likely to be killed by serial killers, according to the sub-genre.
The conventional layout of the teenagers watching television in low key lighting is expected according to the fixed elements in the genre, as it sets an atmosphere so that we can see the characters features but we cannot see very much of the environment surrounding the character with further sets a tone. In the narrative, the male character pulls out a clown mask and jokes around with the female character. This foreshadows to the audience what is going to happen to the female, but also sets an uneasy tone as the characters are naive about what is going to happen. In a horror film, the fixed elements state that the protagonist is not shown at the beginning of the film, but instead the antagonist. This is so that the film shows the audience what the film is going to be about, but also foreshadows plots within the film and creates a brief narrative.
The use of footprints for sound effects (diegetic sound) creates more of an atmosphere for the audience, and adds to the effect of "first person perspective" as it tells the audience that its the killers footsteps and that now we have established who they going to kill, we know that they are "on a hunt". The incidental music comes in time so when the light is switched off, it catches the audience off guard and creates a tension that something is about to happen. The use of low key lighting in the household adds to this effect, and again by using "first person perspective" we can determine who the killer is as the person holding the camera is the one who pulls out a knife from the draw, meaning that they are going to use it to stab or slash (hence slasher film) at someone.
By showing the audience the character leaving the house, tells them who the victim is and that they are "vulnerable" because they are alone (which adds to the narrative). The effect of putting the mask on over the camera gives the audience more of a "first person perspective" feel but also adds to the tension as we cant see everything within the mise en scene which makes the audience feel tense. The use of high key lighting in the victims room shows details of her death when the killer starts stabbing her. At this point, the incidental music gets louder and more intense to create an unnerving effect. The use of heavy breathing sound effect (diegetic sound) adds to the tension, and the setting of the killer being in a street neighbourhood at the end makes the audience feel nervous as it is set in an environment where they feel safe, in which the fact the killer is in a common neighbour hood makes them feel unsafe. The revealing of the killer at the end of the scene, adds a twist to the codes and conventions of a horror film (the killer is a child) and creates a narrative as well as tells the audience who the protagonist of the film is going to be.
The conventional layout of the teenagers watching television in low key lighting is expected according to the fixed elements in the genre, as it sets an atmosphere so that we can see the characters features but we cannot see very much of the environment surrounding the character with further sets a tone. In the narrative, the male character pulls out a clown mask and jokes around with the female character. This foreshadows to the audience what is going to happen to the female, but also sets an uneasy tone as the characters are naive about what is going to happen. In a horror film, the fixed elements state that the protagonist is not shown at the beginning of the film, but instead the antagonist. This is so that the film shows the audience what the film is going to be about, but also foreshadows plots within the film and creates a brief narrative.
The use of footprints for sound effects (diegetic sound) creates more of an atmosphere for the audience, and adds to the effect of "first person perspective" as it tells the audience that its the killers footsteps and that now we have established who they going to kill, we know that they are "on a hunt". The incidental music comes in time so when the light is switched off, it catches the audience off guard and creates a tension that something is about to happen. The use of low key lighting in the household adds to this effect, and again by using "first person perspective" we can determine who the killer is as the person holding the camera is the one who pulls out a knife from the draw, meaning that they are going to use it to stab or slash (hence slasher film) at someone.
By showing the audience the character leaving the house, tells them who the victim is and that they are "vulnerable" because they are alone (which adds to the narrative). The effect of putting the mask on over the camera gives the audience more of a "first person perspective" feel but also adds to the tension as we cant see everything within the mise en scene which makes the audience feel tense. The use of high key lighting in the victims room shows details of her death when the killer starts stabbing her. At this point, the incidental music gets louder and more intense to create an unnerving effect. The use of heavy breathing sound effect (diegetic sound) adds to the tension, and the setting of the killer being in a street neighbourhood at the end makes the audience feel nervous as it is set in an environment where they feel safe, in which the fact the killer is in a common neighbour hood makes them feel unsafe. The revealing of the killer at the end of the scene, adds a twist to the codes and conventions of a horror film (the killer is a child) and creates a narrative as well as tells the audience who the protagonist of the film is going to be.
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