Opening sequence analysis of Halloween

The purpose of an opening sequence is to engage the audience into the film. The opening sequence reveals the plot of the film and includes an enigma which straight away makes the audience intrigued as the enigma would make them want to watch the rest of the film so that they can find out what happens in the film. The opening sequence also introduces who the antagonists and the victims are and they set the theme for the film. This engages the audience as they are are led into suspense as to what is going to happen to the victim. During the opening sequence a murder takes place by an unknown person and this builds up tension as to who the murderer is and this also sets the narrative for the plot.

Editing is used in the opening sequence and this is shown through slow editing when the killer is walking around the house. This is conventional as it builds up suspense because the audience don't know who the killer is and when he is going to strike. It also creates tension because the killer could strike when the audience least expect it and this creates shock and surprise as it would make the audience jump when the killer does strike. Slow editing also builds up tension within the audience as it makes the audience feel vulnerable as they have know clue who the killer is and they are frightened for the victims because they know the killer is going to strike however the victims don't. This engages the audience as it keeps the audience intrigued in the film to find out whether the killer is going to kill someone or not or whether the victim will get away. It also intrigues the audience as the enigma makes the audience want to find out the rest of the plot.

Linking of section is also used and this is shown when the camera looks at the victims then follows them and then looks at the bedroom where the victims went. This represents that the killer is following where the victims are going and this implies that the killer now knows where the victims are and shows where he is going to strike. This is conventional to thriller films as it makes the victims seem helpless because the killer is following where they are going and so the victims become trapped which shows that the victims could die. The bedroom suggests that, that is where the killer is going to find the victims and that is where the killer plans to strike. This engages the audience as as it makes the audience worried for the victims because they know that the victims are going to die. However it leads the audience into suspense as to whether the victims are going to die or not and it also makes the audience want to find out who the killer is.

Reaction shot is used when the girl sees the killer and screams. This is conventional because it shows the girls reaction to the killer and it shows that it was unexpected and so this builds up tension and creates thrill because it makes people worried for her as they know she is about to die. This is also conventional as typically in thriller films, the victim never knows when they are going to die and so when they see the killer it comes to a surprise for them and shocks them which engages the audience as they wanted to see how the victim would react and whether they died or not. This engages the audience as the audience feel surprised that the girl is being killed and the audience are also intrigued to find out who the killer is. The audience feel engaged in the film as the audience see from the girls reaction that she was surprised to who the killer was and this makes the audience wonder whether the killer had any relation to the girl and if so why would he want to kill her and this leaves the audience in suspense as to who it might be.

In the opening sequence jump cut is also used and this is shows when the camera focuses on the knife. This is conventional as it straight away makes the audience think that that is what the killer is going to use to murder the victim. This is typical in thriller films because there is always a weapon involved to kill the victim and the camera focuses on the object to foreshadow later events that is going to take place during the film and this makes the audience nervous for the victims because it implies that they are going to die later on in the film. By focusing on the object it also makes the object seem powerful and highlights the object so that the audience focus on that instead of anything else in the room. This engages the audience because they are left in suspense as to when the killer is going to strike and whether the killer murders the victims or just injures them.

Cinematography is also used in the film and this is shown through point of view. Point of view is used when the audience see through the eyes of the killer and so this keeps the killers identity a secret. This is conventional as in thriller films the identity is always kept a secret until right at the very end when they reveal themselves and this keeps the audience engaged as they would want to find out who the killer is. It also creates tension as point of view makes the audience feel like they are the killer and so they feel shock when the killer murders the victim as they feel powerful. This engages the audience as it intrigues them because they can relate to the characters and know how they feel. It also intrigues them as they want to know who the killer and so would want to watch the rest of the film to find out whether the victim dies or not.

Zoom out is also used when the mask gets pulled off of Michael's head. This is conventional as it creates an enigma as to if the killer is actually Michael or not. It also is conventional to thriller films as it now makes the audience wonder if he is the killer and if so what is going to happen next in the film. Using the zoom out makes the house look vulnerable and make it seem like Michael is the more powerful character because he has apparently murdered someone. The house looks small which implies that its vulnerable and weak and that anything can happen inside the house as a murder has taken place in it. This engages the audience as they now want to know what is going to happen during the film and whether Michael is going to kill anyone else. This leads the audience in suspense as they wonder is Michael is the killer because he is just a child and is portrayed as naive and helpless, this also makes the audience wonder if there is another killer about.

Sound is used in the sequence as non diegetic sound is shown when the kids are chanting Halloween rhymes right at the beginning. This sets the scene of Halloween and sets the time of year. This is conventional to a thriller film because it is set on a spooky time of year which is when people dress up in costumes and so this could hide the identity of the killer. Halloween is also associated with death and blood and so this creates the scene of death and foreshadows what could happen later on i n the film. It increases the spooky atmosphere and straight away sets a dark and mysterious scene as to what is going to happen during the film. This engages the audience as they become intrigued because they know that Halloween is associated with death and so they would want to find out who dies during the film. It also creates tension as to if there is a killer out there because everyone is dressed up in scary Halloween costumes which creates shock as everyone's identity is hidden.

Diegetic sound is shown when the owl is hooting late at night. This also sets the scene for a dark atmosphere and shows that there is silence around apart from the owl which builds up suspense because it makes it seem like somebody is out there. This is conventional to a thriller film because the owl hooting shows that it is nighttime and this is when the killer is ready to strike. At night it makes everything harder to see and s the killer could be anywhere. This is also conventional as usually murders take place at night when everyone is sleeping so that nobody can see the killer, it also makes it seem more spookier as you don't know where the killer is and nobody is around at nighttime so it makes it easier for the killer to kill someone. This engages the audience it builds up suspense as to if there is a killer about. The audience start to become on edge as they feel sorry for the victims because they know a murder is about to happen and the audience find it hard to see whats there and so it leads the audience into the fear of the unknown.

Non diegetic sound is used again when the killer picks up the knife and the mask. The music played is a low beat piano sound which is used for dramatic effect. This is conventional as it signifies that something sinister is going to happen as the music gets lower which portrays the killer. The low music also creates suspense as the audience know that there is a killer about and it makes the audience focus on the knife which foreshadows later events that might take place as the low music is played as soon as the knife is picked up. This is typical to thriller films as low suspense music is played when something bad is going to happen or when a scene is foreshadowing what is going to happen later on in the film and this engages the audience as they become more on edge as they would want to know what is going to happen during the film. It builds up tension as the low key music suggests that the killer is going to murder someone.

Parallel sound is used when the clock is chiming and the killer is walking up the stairs towards the victim. This implies that the killer is getting closer and closer to the victim and this is shown which each time of the clock. This also implies that the victims life is running out of time and the killer is coming to get her. Each chime signifies one step closer to the victim which shows that a death is going to take place. This is conventional to thriller films, as parallel sound is used to show when something sudden is going to happen and implies to the audience that a death is about to take place. It also is conventional to thriller films as it makes the killer seem more powerful and makes the victims seem helpless and vulnerable as they have no escape. This engages the audience as they are left in suspense as they feel worried for the victims as they know their life is about to come to an end and there is nothing the victims can do. It builds up tension and creates a relationship with the audience as surprise, suspense and shock is created and this keeps the audience more on edge and more intrigued to watch the rest of the film.

Conventions is also used in this sequence and one of the conventions shown was low key lighting. This is shown throughout the sequence but particularly when the killer is looking through the windows and when the killer is walking around the house. This already creates a dark atmosphere and makes it hard for the audience to see what is happening which builds up suspense as the audience don't know what is going to happen next. The low key lighting also portrays something sinister and connotes that death is going to happen as the spooky atmosphere suggests that there is a killer about. The low key lighting also leads the audience into the fear of the unknown and suggests that something unexpected is going to happen. This engages the audience as they are left in suspense because the low key lighting creates a dark atmosphere and this foreshadows later events which makes the audience on edge as to what is going to happen during the film. It also creates thrill for the audience because they know something unexpected is going to happen and they enjoy being scared.

Another convention is suspenseful music. As soon as the killer enters the house, tense music comes on. This is portrays that the killer is now dangerous and that the killer is going to murder someone. The tense music makes the audience feel scared because they know that the victims are helpless as they have no escape from the killer. The tense music is conventional to thriller films as it lets the audience know when there is a killer about and it also creates tension as it shows that something bad is going to happen. The tense music keeps the audience on edge as they are intrigued to find out what the killer does. The high pitch noise represents the victims life, and how it is coming to an end and when the music stops it shows that the victim is going to die. This engages the audience and makes them want to watch the rest of the film to find out what is going to happen next. The audience also want to know whether the killer is going to get away with it or whether the killer murders more people.

Iconography is shown when the killer picks up the knife from the draw and also picks up the mask. This shows how deadly the killer can be and how determined the killer is to murder the victims and it also gives away how the killer is going to murder the victims. The mask also makes the audience wonder why the killer has it, but then when the killer puts it on, it implies that the killer identity is kept a secret. The mask also sets the scene of Halloween as it is a costume and so it creates realism and makes the sequence seem more natural which keeps the audience more intrigued
because they would think that the events taking place are actually real. Iconography is conventional to thriller films because there is always a weapon involved which is used to kill the victim and there is always a mask or something that hides the identity of the killer. This engages the audience as they would want to watch the rest of the film to find out who is underneath the mask as it creates suspense as to who the killer is and the audience are engaged to find out whether the killer uses the knife to murder the victims. The audience are left in suspense as to what is going to happen and the sequence is left unexpected.

A female victim is shown throughout the sequence and this is another convention as typically in all thriller films the girl is seen as the victim. Women are seen as helpless and vulnerable and so they are an easy target for the killer. This is conventional as in thriller films, the woman is seen as the victim while the killer is usually a man. This shows the difference between men and women as the man is represented as powerful while the woman is portrayed as weak. This engages the audience as it intrigues them to watch the film to see if the girl actually does die or not and this builds up suspense because the audience want to find out who the killer is and whether the killer is a man. The audience feel sorry for the victim because they know she is helpless and trapped which gives the killer more chance of murdering her.

Representation of characters is also shown through this opening sequence as the killer is implied to be a man due to the camera angles and how he is actually capable of killing someone. However the audience later find out that the killer was actually a boy and this is surprising for the audience as young children are portrayed as naive and weak. The audience wonder why the little boy killed his sister. This is conventional to thriller films as the killer is always someone the audience don't expect them to be and this creates an element of surprise, shock and suspense because the audience are both shocked and surprise that the killer is a young boy. It also built up suspense because the audience were expecting the killer to be someone completely different. By having an unexpected killer it is also shown as conventional as it creates an enigma as to who he killer is and why they murdered people. This engages the audience as it creates thrill for them and also keeps them engaged in the film as they would want to know what happens next to the killer. It also keeps them on edge as suspense builds up to whether the killer was actually ht young boy or not.

Another representation of a character is the female victim. The girl is shown throughout the whole sequence and is also portrayed as naive. The girl is shown to have no clue what is going on and she has no clue that there is a killer in the house. The female victim is portrayed as weak and pure as she is wearing white clothing which instantly makes her seem like a helpless victim while the killer is wearing a mask to hide his identity. The female victim portrays her innocence by the way she is brushing her hair in the sequence and doesn't know she is about to get killed. This is typical for thriller films as the girls are always targeted for the ones to get killed while the males are shown as powerful and so are never the ones to get killed. The girl is also alone in her bedroom which makes her seem even more helpless because nobody will be able to help her and nobody will hear her scream. This is also conventional to thriller films as typically the girl is always shown to be on her own before she gets killed to show her vulnerability and to show that nobody can help her and so she is implied as weak. This engages the audience as they can relate to the character and feel worried for her because they know she is going to get murdered. The audience build up a relationship with the character and they are kept on edge as to whether the female victim is going to die or whether she will survive.

Finally narrative is shown through this opening sequence as an innocent girl become the victim of a murder. She was brushing her hair at the time when she gets stabbed to death by an unknown killer. This is conventional to thriller films as typically  in thriller films a murder always takes place by a masked killer. This is so the killers identity is hidden and creates an enigma to who the killer is. This engages the audience as they are intrigued to find out what happens to the killer after the murder and they are engaged to watch the rest of the film to find out what happens next. The audience are left in shock as they don't know who the killer is. By having a murder at the beginning of the opening sequence it means that the audience are intrigued to see if there are any more murders and it creates an element of surprise and suspense as the audience are left on edge because the murder was unexpected.

The brother was also dressed in a clown costume and this is shown at the end of the opening sequence when the parents pull the mask of the costume and underneath is Michael. This straight away creates an element of surprise and shock as the audience didn't expect the brother to be under the mask and this leads to assumptions that Michael is the killer. However this creates surprise and suspense because the audience actually wonder if Michael was the killer or if there was another person in the house. The costume also sets the theme of Halloween and creates a dark atmosphere but also makes the sequence seem scarier. This is conventional to a thriller film as an enigma has built up and in thriller films, the killer is exposed but there is a plot twist. This makes the audience more engaged in the film as they would want to find out whether Michael is actually the killer or whether there is someone else. It also makes the audience wonder why Michael killed his sister if he was the killer. This leads the audience into the unknown and intrigues them into watching the rest of the film so that the mystery unravels and the audience actually find out who the killer is. This keeps the audience in tension because they have no idea what is going to happen next.

To conclude a thriller film has to include an opening sequence so that it builds up tension within the audience as an enigma is created which makes the audience want to watch the rest of the film so that they know what happens. All thriller films need a murder or something unexpected in their opening sequence to engage the audience straight away and make them relate to the characters or make them feel like they are part of the scene. In the opening sequence there also must be a masked figure so that the audience are left in suspense as to who the person might be and this would make them want to watch the rest of the film to find out who the killer is. The opening sequence needs to appeal to the audience and make them feel sympathy for the characters in the film and this is done by clearly pointing out who the victim is. In my opening sequence I want to include an enigma to leave the audience into suspense as to what is going to happen and lead them into the unknown. I would also want to include a suspenseful music to intrigue my audience and make them feel scared for the events that are going to take place. I also want my audience to feel an element of shock, surprise and suspense and this will be done by as the music which portrays that the killer is coming for the victim. Finally I want to add slow editing to make a scene more dramatic and to build up tension as the killer is approaching the victim. This would keep my audience engaged but also imply that the victim is helpless and vulnerable.