Opening Sequence Analysis of Halloween

How does the opening sequence of the film 'Halloween' inform the audience of the conventions of a thriller film?

Within the opening sequence of the 1978 thriller film 'Halloween' a number of micro elements have been used in order to create shock, suspense and surprise within the audience. These techniques are key in providing an understanding of the characters for the audience as well as keeping them engaged making them want to watch on further. The purpose of an opening sequence in a thriller film is to introduce the narrative so that the audience have some knowledge of where the story takes place, in what era; for example, present day and this is usually demonstrated through the use of introducing the main characters as well as the location. Another purpose of an opening sequence is to immediately grab the audience's attention. The first 5 minutes of a thriller film are the most significant in order to keep their audience hooked instead of losing them early on in the film. To follow this convention, within an opening sequence a murder always takes place to set the scene and use as a stimulus for the rest of the film to carry upon this basis. This is also used for the audience to be able to identify the genre of the film and know straight away that they are watching a thriller due to the use of a mysterious antagonist committing a cold blooded murder. With the narrative introduced, this creates a way for the story to unfold and create a mystery that will need to be resolved by the end of the film. The narrative of a thriller usually always has an unknown killer which keeps the audience as well as the characters in the dark about who the murderer is and this mystery is unravelled throughout the duration of the film with the inclusion of major plot twists along the way to prolong the suspense and keep the audience engaged in what they are watching as they are eagerly awaiting the unveil of the killer.

Upon analysing the opening sequence to 'Halloween' I identified the many uses of cinematography in order to create elements of suspense as well as setting the mystery of the story line. For example, the entire sequence is from a Point of View (POV) shot showing things from the killer's perspective as he roams around the house in search of his victim. The POV shot is used continuously in the opening sequence. This is shown at the beginning when the killer is finding a way into the house. As

the audience are unaware of whos perspective they are viewing from, this can make them feel quite uneasy as they dont know who this person is and begin to wonder why they are lurking in the shadows giving them the impression that they are trespassing. The audience can therefore connect to this particular character as they feel uneasy about him and know that he shouldn't be there. The emotions that the viewers experience are lost as they don't know who to blame these emotions on

and so when they find out that the antagonist is the young boy, these emotions are heightened considerably. The entire opening sequence shows the killer doing various things such as, retrieving a knife from the drawer, creeping up on the victim and stabbing his sister to death before leaving the house. By only showing what the killer sees, this keeps the identity of the murderer a secret and creates tension as the audience watch on in anticipation to find out who the killer is. There is also an element of confusion and disorientation involved as the audience are left wondering what exactly is going on due to only being able to see through the eyes of what appears to be the antagonist. This also creates a sense of intrigue within the audience as they wonder why the mysterious figure is creeping around in this house and why they are planning such a demoralised attack on what appears to be an innocent victim. This is conventional to the thriller genre as the killer's identity is always hidden in order to create an enigma for the entire narrative to cover and sets the scene for the remainder of the film.

Another use of cinematography within the clip analysed was a high angle shot used to create a sense of shock and surprise. The audience see the killer standing over his dead victim, naked and covered in blood. This makes the killer seem as though they are the authoritative figure whereas the victim is portrayed as being weak shown through the use of levels of her laying dead on the floor with her murderer standing over her dominantly. As the antagonist has managed to kill her, this immediately gives the killer power. For the audience, this creates a sense of curiousness as they are left wondering how strong this antagonist really is and what they may be capable of doing further on in the film. This is conventional as the killer is always conveyed as being the dominant figure as the victims are usually left unaware of what is about to happen to them therefore already portraying them as being weak and vulnerable. This technique also helps to convey the mental state of the antagonist, huge questions are asked by the audience as to what could drive someone as far as to brutally kill their own flesh and blood in an attack completely out of the blue. This is shown by how the killer is stood over the body of his victim as they are making no attempt to escape the house quickly before getting caught which connotes that their state of mentality may not be completely stable. By interpreting these questions, it could also create shock within the audience as they wasn't expecting something as big as this to happen, let alone a young boy killing his sister in a fit of rage.

A zoom out is also used when the audience are shown a shot of two parents finding their child with a knife covered in blood. This particular cinematography technique helps to establish the location of the film which is shown to be an ordinary house situated in a friendly suburban neighbourhood, a location not generally associated with having a vicious murder take place that appeared to be completely out of the blue. It also creates emotional distance between the characters and the audience creating a relationship straight away and encourage them to attempt to develop an understanding of why this image is being shown. This zoom out shot is also used to expose the identity of the killer, which turns out to be a young boy. This creates surprise and shock within the audience as they wouldn't expect a young child in a quiet town to be capable of performing a murder of such a brutal nature upon his own sister. This also makes the audience wonder the young boy's psychological state as there must be a serious problem with his state of mentality to kill his sister out of a moment of madness. This technique could also act as an example of foreshadowing showing what to expect from the rest of the film and making the audience also wonder if this is really the killer or if this has been shown to create a plot twist in order to keep viewers engaged in what they are watching. This is conventional in thriller films as plot twists are introduced to throw the audience off and keep them guessing therefore wanting to watch more to see if this is the true killer or if there is more than what meets the eye. 

Finally, another technique I identified within 'Halloween's opening sequence was a mid shot of Michael standing before his parents holding the knife used to kill his sister. The iconography of the bloody knife links in with the brutality of the murder and signifies how much of a threat he is to society. This, again, creates surprise within the audience as they now wonder why he has done this. This is conventional to the genre as innocent people are shown as being murderers to create a diversion from the original story line and also to introduce a plot twist to keep the audience gripped and want to watch more to find out what will happen to this young boy, similar to the purpose of the zoom out shot. This particular technique also helps to build a relationship between the characters and the audience. The audience are forced to side with Michael's parents and could make an attempt to put themselves in the parent's shoes and try to feel what it could be like to have just found your youngest child clutching a knife and covered in blood. This image could evoke a sense of empathy as there could be more to the story, Michael may not have necessarily known what he was doing drawing attention to his state of mentality as well as feeling extremely concerned for his welfare.

Another micro element evident within this opening sequence was editing. An example of this was the use of a reaction shot when the audience witness Michael, the murderer, being discovered with the murder weapon by his parents. This shot helps to capture Michael's body language and facial expressions upon being caught helping to establish his reasons as to why he murdered his sister as well as showing the shock expressions of his parents having just found their young son covered in blood. Michael has a look of guilt on his face which connotes that he is aware of what he has just done and knows that it is wrong to have done this, the fact that he doesn't attempt to hide the knife and just remains in his standing position also supports this. This is conventional as the use of a child killer in a film helps to evoke a response of shock and surprise from the audience encouraging them to watch on further to uncover the enigma created.

An example of a Straight Cut had been used toward the end of the opening sequence which can be seen in the clip between 3:45 and 3:47. A Straight Cut is a sudden change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another, which may be used to change the overall mood of the scene. In the clip above, the audience can see that a Straight Cut has been used to change from the viewpoint of the killer (POV Shot) to an overall view of the young boy and his parents outside the front of the house when he is discovered. This is done to create suspense and emphasises the effect of the enigma as the viewer wouldn't expect a gruesome murder to be carried out by a young boy. This editing technique has been used in many thriller films to quickly change the tone of the scene and give the audience an impression that the edits are motivated by the events taking place on screen. 

Furthermore, sound is a significant element within displaying the codes and conventions of a thriller film. This is shown in the opening sequence to 'Halloween' when the technique of off screen sound is used represented by the sound of children chanting Halloween rhymes over the image of the antagonist finding a way into the victim's house. This is off screen sound as the audience can hear the sound but cannot see the source. This sets the expectation for a thriller as it is set during Halloween and children tend to go trick or treating at this time of the year, supported by the sound of the children saying 'Trick or Treat' which gives the audience an insight into what to expect from the film. It also helps to show that something bad is going to happen due to the time of year that the film is set in. Furthermore, from the title and the nature of the chants, the audience can make their own assumptions that the film is going to be based around the theme of Halloween however connotations of Halloween usually involve children dressing up and going out for some harmless fun. The viewers would not normally associate the children's chant with the stereotypical plot of a thriller such as a murder. This is conventional to the thriller genre as Halloween is the perfect time to create a thriller film as it helps the audience to identify straight away the genre of the movie and also keep them well engaged in the opening sequence. The use of the children chanting intensifies the tension created with the support the image of the 'killer' walking around his victim's house while she is unaware of this.

Silence is used in any thriller to build tension, and so the use of it between 2:23-2:43 in the above clip does exactly that. Although it is not completely silent, the only noise that can be heard is the faint sound of the fireflies telling the audience that the film is set near a forest which is conventional to the thriller genre. The period of almost complete silence helps to build tension as it is used, alongside the cinematography technique of a zooming in shot which helps to engage the audience and draw their attention of what is about to happen.

The diegetic sound of a clock chiming as the killer is walking up the stairs to kill his victim is also used within the opening sequence of 'Halloween'. The sound of the chiming signifies the end of a life and that the time for the unfortunate victim is up, this links in with the genre as death is a symbolic convention for films of this particular nature. This is conventional as in thrillers, a murder always takes place within the first 5 minutes of the opening scene. The murder helps to create an enigma for the rest of the plot to follow and consequently uncover throughout the duration of the film. The sound technique is also effective due to creating the build up to the victim's death which is the climax of the scene. This could also represent the increasing pace of the audience's heartbeat as the tension and suspense built causes them to be on the edge of their seat as they wait to find out what will happen to the girl giving the scene an overall jumpy atmosphere. As the killer nears the top of the stairs and the audience see the image of the girl in her bedroom, we immediately realise what use the knife will be for and emotions are heightened as empathy is felt for the victim as she remains unaware of what is about to happen to her. This also shows a relationship between the audience and the victim as they have connected to the female due to the actions of the killer.

I also identified another example of diegetic sound when we can hear the sounds of owls howling and leaves rustling as the killer is making his way into the victim's house. These sounds are conventional aspects of a thriller scene as they evoke a sense of realism, that these sounds occur naturally on any night of the year. As it is halloween, the use of these sounds intensify the tension as they, along with the tense music played over the images, help to create an idea that on this particular night something isn't right and that halloween will end with catastrophe and misery. They also set the overall tone of the sequence and make the audience aware that what they are watching is a thriller film and that the film is going to feature a lot of jumpy and shocking moments. This is conventional to the genre as the purpose of a thriller's opening scene is to allow the audience to identify the genre of film that they are watching as well as creating their own individual expectations in their head of what will be featured.

Codes and conventions are also used within the opening sequence of the film 'Halloween' to create feelings of tension and suspense for their audience. Conventions are features of the film that are expected to appear based on the genre.  One of these is the use of a hidden identity, as the audience can only see an image of the killer grabbing the knife through their eyes creates an enigma fuelling the remainder of the narrative. As this means that the killer's identity is left unknown makes the audience feel scared as they want to find out who it is. Furthermore, the fact that the killer could be anyone is also terrifying for the audience which makes them want to watch on further to see who it is. This could also help to create a relationship as the audience can make guesses on who they think may be the killer and then watching to see if their predictions were correct therefore making the audience involved within the narrative. This is conventional as the idea of masking the identity of the killer creates senses of shock, surprise, suspense and tension, 4 devices vital for the success of a thriller film. It would also make the audience want to watch on to discover who the killer turns out to be therefore keeping them engaged in the story line.

Another convention evident within the clip analysed was the symbolism of the knife picked up by the antagonist used to kill the victim. This implies an element of danger as the weapon is dangerous if misused for a different purpose such as killing someone. This helps to create suspense as the audience are now aware of how perilous the situation has become and that someone is about to be attacked and consequently, murdered. This causes the audience to be on the edge of their seat watching on in apprehension as they wait to find out the victim's fate. This is conventional to the thriller genre as ideas of suspense and tension are supposed to be created in order to keep the audience hooked on the storyline so that they want to watch more to find out what will happen next. By including the iconography of the knife, it represents that the killer is knowledgeable in knowing how to be prepared for the forthcoming murder implicating his mental state. The audience are aware that people who are mentally stable do not kill out of cold blood therefore this particular antagonist may be incapable mentally of remaining sane justifying its reasons for killing the victim.

The time of year being Halloween where the film is set is an example of a convention used within the opening sequence. This is a typical time for a thriller to be created as this is conveyed as being the scariest time of the year therefore making it an ideal time of year for a murder to take place. This makes it easier for the antagonist to be able to get away with the murder as they could blend in with the backgrounds associated with the Halloween theme. This prolongs the suspense already created as the audience are forced to watch on to see if the murderer will ever get caught or if they will get away with it and be able to embark on a murderous rampage with more deaths occurring. This is conventional as, in thrillers, the killer is too clever to get caught and doesn't get what they deserve and causes the audience to feel as though justice needs to be served and involves them in the plot. This technique helps to create a relationship between the characters and the audience as they are placed into the character's shoes and are given the opportunity to make their own decisions on what they would do.

The final convention that I identified within 'Halloween's opening was the introduction of a plot twist to evoke surprise and shock from the audience. The plot twist in 'Halloween' came towards the end of the opening scene where the identity of the killer is revealed and it turns out to be a young boy. This helps to create surprise as children are never usually associated with being capable of committing such a horrific crime. This then causes the audience to start to question his state of mentality due to the nature of the murder taken place. This encourages an enigma to be created in order for the film to be able to continue and cause the audience to want to watch on to see what will happen to this boy, if he gets caught or if he gets away with it. This could also act as an example of foreshadowing, showing what is to be expected of the remainder of the film.  This is conventional as a psychological theme, the mental state of the killer, is always introduced in thriller films to play on the character's minds as well as the audience's in order to create even more suspense.

Representation of Characters is a micro element which is key in the making of thriller films. There are 2 characters within the opening sequence which are both represented in two very different ways. For example, the girl (victim) is portrayed as being similar to a damsel in distress seen when she was being approached by the killer while getting ready and again when she lay dead on the floor. Both of these representations suggest an idea of vulnerability as when she had her back to the killer, it showed that she was unaware of what was about to happen and this idea is shown again when she was screaming and trying to shield herself from the knife to no avail. This creates suspense within the audience as they are left wondering what could happen to the victim and why the killer had done this to such an innocent girl. The vulnerability is also supported by the images of the victim being killed while she was naked also conveying a sense of being oblivious to the fact  that a killer was sneaking up on her to kill her. This is conventional to the thriller genre as female characters are always portrayed to be inferior as they are usually one of the first characters to be murdered in opening sequences. This could be due to the fact that they are always shown as being unaware of what is about to happen to them and that they are not willing to fight back, relating back to the idea of vulnerability and innocence.

Another representation shown within the opening sequence to 'Halloween' was the representation of the male character (killer) as he grabbed the murder weapon from the drawer. This immediately shows that he is the superior figure as the knife gives him power over his unsuspecting victim. The fact that the killer turns out to be the victim's younger brother creates shock within the audience as this is an unexpected turn of events. This is conventional as thrillers are created to provide scenes of shock, surprise and suspense for their audience to keep them engaged and continue watching to see what will happen next. Male characters are also conveyed as being more superior as they are stronger than female characters and are always able to overpower their victim due to this power shift. Men are usually the ones to fight back and use violence as they are brave and not scared of anything whereas females are the opposite of this.

The narrative is also a significant element within thriller films as this is used to set the scene for the entire duration of the film. One example of this is the hidden identity of the killer as the audience only witness an image of the antagonist grabbing the knife which creates an enigma for the remainder of the narrative to focus upon. This is crucial in thrillers as an enigma can be used to drive the story forward and told in a way that causes the audience to want to watch on to see what twists and turns will be introduced while the narrative is attempting to solve the enigma. This also evokes a sense of fear from the audience as they are inclined to feel the same way as the characters therefore creating a relationship between the two. They will feel this way as they eagerly await to find out who the killer will turn out to be and if its who they expected or if it is to be a plot twist creating an idea of shock and surprise. This is conventional to the thriller genre as the opening sequence uses many aspects associated with thriller such as; the enigma and elements of shock, surprise, suspense and tension.

Isolation is also an element evident within the opening sequence to 'Halloween'. This is first seen when the audience are shown an image of a detached house, set in a suburban street and a shot of the female victim and her boyfriend kissing. He then leaves which leaves the girl in the house all alone, a perfect time for a murder to take place with no one to witness what happened. The inclusion of a realistic setting gives the audience an impression that this is an everyday situation giving viewers something to relate to and connotes that everything is all as it seems and that nothing out of the ordinary should occur which helps to build tension as the audience are left completely unaware of the events about to unfold. A handheld shot is then used to show the antagonist walk through the back door into the house and pick up a knife. This is the main use of iconography within the entire sequence. The killer, assuming it is a he, then walks up the stairs and picks up a clown mask so that his female victim may not necessarily recognise him along with the chosen murder weapon. The next shot the audience then see is of the antagonist attacking his victim of which we only see minimal detail as it is shown only through the eye holes of the mask. It is then revealed to the audience that the killer turns out to be the victim's younger brother which is misleading as the viewers are left wondering of how it could have been him. This is conventional as an enigma is created to base the remainder of the narrative upon, created from the realisation of the young boy being the killer. A use of isolation helps to ensure that the antagonist is never caught and brought to justice, a narrative generally associated with the thriller genre as the antagonists usually strike again and commit multiple murders before they are caught.

To conclude, the main focus within the opening sequence of 'Halloween' is the use of the continuous Point of View shot in order to keep the identity of the killer a secret from the audience. This helps to engage viewers as they are forced to watch on to find out who the antagonist is later on in the sequence. When this is revealed as being the victim's younger brother, this evokes a sense of shock from the audience as it is completely unexpected and acts as a complete plot twist, something that no one would have seen coming. This has inspired me when creating my own thriller sequence as I would like to create elements of surprise for my target audience used by a similar idea to what is featured in 'Halloween'. I would like to create a plot twist in order to throw my audience and keep them in the dark about who the killer is until the last part of the sequence in order to prolong the tension created keeping the audience engaged in finding out who the antagonist will turn out to be.