Research into Thrillers
"How does the opening sequence of the film Halloween, inform the audience of the conventions of a thriller film?"
The purpose of an opening sequence to a thriller film is to engage the audience and set the narrative of the film which will unravel throughout the duration. A typical thriller opening sequence should contain an introduction to main characters, generally a mysterious/strange scenario, opening credits, and generate conventional audience effects such as fear, tension, apprehension and enigma.
Cinematography
In the opening sequence of the film Halloween there is a zoom out when the mask is taken off Michael by his parents when they return home, revealing the killer. This technique produces a sense of shock as the protagonist of the film is revealed to be simply a young boy. The zooming technique highlights the reaction of shock that the audience are expected to feel after its revealed that a young boy murdered his sister for no apparent reason.
There is also high angle cinematography used when the camera zooms out. This juxtaposes from earlier shots in the opening sequence as most were high angle shots but from the antagonists perspective inside the house. This leaves the audience looking down on him as it is revealed he is simply a child. In addition, this diverts the audiences attention to the killer encouraging shock as the identity of the antagonist is unknown up until this point. This would be conventional of a thriller as hidden identity is often found in thrillers as it is effective in producing enigma and mystery from the viewers perspective.
Throughout the opening sequence the events that unfold take place from the perspective of the killer, Michael. This is evident when we see Michael put on his Halloween mask and the shot becomes obstructed, just before he murders his sister. This would be considered a good effect as it leaves the audience guessing the identity of the killer, generating suspense and enigma from the audience leaving viewers anticipating and waiting to discover the true identity of the cold blooded killer. This is conventional of a thriller as point of view shots are often used to give audiences an insight from a different perspective and in this case the effect leaves the audience questioning not only the identity of the killer but also his motive.
Editing
Slow editing is used in the opening sequence of Halloween. This can be seen when the antagonist Michael is calmly walking up the dark staircase about to murder his sister. The effect of this editing technique is to overall generate suspense. The audience is given a rather long period of time to question the antagonists intentions, therefore, generating a sense of worry for the other characters as the antagonists behaviour previously e.g. looking into the house and spying suggest that the intentions are likely to be somewhat sinister. The tension that is created by using this editing technique and would be conventional of a thriller movie as slow editing allows time for the audience to question everything they see, perhaps assuming things will take place which are worse than the actual scene they witness. This is effective as it produces apprehension, fear and for some excitement, these are all audience reactions which are all typical of a thriller film.
Following the murder, the tempo of the scene increases. This can be seen just after Michael is seen stabbing his sister in her bedroom. The fast paced editing suggest that the antagonist, Michael is wanting to get away. This further excites and engages the audience as they anticipate what is going to happen next. This would be conventional of a thriller film as the pace of tempo is often used to reflect the mindset of characters, in this case the audience are able to infer Michael Myers is possibly in shock and panic, therefore the pace increase or he either enjoyed what he did and the pace increases as he gets a rush from his actions. From either assumption the audience make, both enigma and apprehension is produced.
Sound
The use of non-diagetic sound of children chanting Halloween songs while the opening credits are playing produces and eery atmosphere for the audience and gives them an insight into the age of the killer as he is later revealed in the clip to be a child. This insight prepares the audience for the revelation they witness soon after. The use of children chanting is also contrasting to the plot of the opening scene as children are often linked with innocence, happiness and laughter. Furthermore, this specific use of non-diagetic sound exaggerates the shock of the audience once the true identity of the killer is revealed.
Within the opening sequence there is a use of silence when Michael is watching in on his sister and her boyfriend from outside the house. This creates an eery atmosphere and intimates as theme of madness, this would be conventional of a thriller movie to portray themes of insanity. In addition, the use of this silence generates suspense from the audience as they anticipate the characters next move.
In the scene there is use of diagetic sound when we can hear Michael stabbing his sister. The use of this sound produces sympathy for the victim as the audience can already see the awful state of the character and the use of the sound of her being stabbed puts focus on her suffering and produces a sense of horror and perhaps make the audience feel uneasy which would be conventional of a thriller film.
Conventions
Low key lighting is used in the scene, this can be seen when the antagonist Michael Myers is walking around the house. The use of dark shadows and shades of black are effective in generating suspense as it is not clear to the audience who is there, leaving the audience engaged and anticipating to find out who it is. The use of darkness also has connotation of evil and hidden identity, both of which are themes which could be argued are present in the film Halloween, and are both conventional themes of a thriller, therefore the opening sequence gives the audience a slight insight into the direction the film begins to unravel.
Iconography has been used in the scene. This is evident as the victim is a youthful, attractive, female. It is conventional of thrillers to use young attractive female victims as it entourages the audience to feel sympathy for the character, feeling sorry for her as she's portrayed as a vulnerable individual. This in turn, generates suspense as the audience presume she's an easy target.
The conventional point of view shots have been used, in this case to hide the identity of the killer. This can be seen when the view of shot is reduced by the mask Michael puts on before murdering his sister. This convention is effective in thriller films as it generates mystery, keeping the audience on the edges of the their seats waiting and anticipating the identity of the antagonist to be revealed.
Characters
Michael Myer's character is not revealed to be the killer until the very end of the opening sequence where he is unmasked to be the killer by his parents. The camera remains up until this point to shoot from the killers point of view so the character of the antagonist is not immediately obvious to the audience. This would be conventional of a thriller as a theme of hidden identity generates enigma, suspense and surprise.
The victim in the opening sequence would be considered a typical victim in thriller films because she is young, female, blonde and naked when she is stabbed to death, this highlights her vulnerable state before her attack. The way in which she is presented as being vulnerable makes the audience feel sorry for her as it is predictable she is likely to be killed/hurt. This would be an example of dramatic irony as the audience assume the character is going to be murdered yet the character doesn't see it coming. Using a young, blonde, female character would be considered conventional of a thriller movie as there is typically female victims found in thriller films that the audience can sympathise for.
Narrative
The narrative is based on Halloween night. Halloween has connotations of evil, costumes and masks. Simply the title of the film and the fact its set on Halloween suggest to viewers that something sinister is soon to take place. The narrative is set in a suburban american neighbourhood, this would be conventional of a thriller as it can be easily related to by most individuals. However, the typical suburban family is torn apart following Michael Myers, a young boy, killing his older sister to only be caught by his parents following the awful act. The fact the film includes murder would alone fit the conventions of a thriller film. When murder is committed in the film shock and enigma is produced, both two audience reactions typical of the thriller genre. There are several narrative conventions in the opening scene such as; your typical, blonde, female victim, who is left alone in the house naked, indicating she is vulnerable. The scene ends with Michael stabbing his sister repeatedly before fleeing the house only to be caught by his parents. The narrative of Halloween is conventional of a thriller and most of the storyline the audience could relate to as the film begins with an ordinary american, suburban neighbourhood which due to the sinister acts of Michael Myers leaves the community feeling uneasy and torn apart.
Summary
My analysis of the opening scene of Halloween will enable me in planning my own thriller in the way that I have closely focused on the main aspects of conventions of a thriller that would be typically used in an opening scene. I have also obtained a good idea of what camera angles I should begin to consider to use, a rough idea of a narrative that I like, the variation of lighting I could use e.g. low key lighting, types of characters I would like to use e.g. female victim, antagonist v. protagonist and the sound I would like to use in my opening sequence of a thriller. In conclusion, this research into the conventions of a thriller opening sequence has educated me in regards of what to include in my own production of a thriller opening sequence in order to generate enigma, suspense and shock.
In the opening sequence of the film Halloween there is a zoom out when the mask is taken off Michael by his parents when they return home, revealing the killer. This technique produces a sense of shock as the protagonist of the film is revealed to be simply a young boy. The zooming technique highlights the reaction of shock that the audience are expected to feel after its revealed that a young boy murdered his sister for no apparent reason.
There is also high angle cinematography used when the camera zooms out. This juxtaposes from earlier shots in the opening sequence as most were high angle shots but from the antagonists perspective inside the house. This leaves the audience looking down on him as it is revealed he is simply a child. In addition, this diverts the audiences attention to the killer encouraging shock as the identity of the antagonist is unknown up until this point. This would be conventional of a thriller as hidden identity is often found in thrillers as it is effective in producing enigma and mystery from the viewers perspective.
Throughout the opening sequence the events that unfold take place from the perspective of the killer, Michael. This is evident when we see Michael put on his Halloween mask and the shot becomes obstructed, just before he murders his sister. This would be considered a good effect as it leaves the audience guessing the identity of the killer, generating suspense and enigma from the audience leaving viewers anticipating and waiting to discover the true identity of the cold blooded killer. This is conventional of a thriller as point of view shots are often used to give audiences an insight from a different perspective and in this case the effect leaves the audience questioning not only the identity of the killer but also his motive.
Editing
Slow editing is used in the opening sequence of Halloween. This can be seen when the antagonist Michael is calmly walking up the dark staircase about to murder his sister. The effect of this editing technique is to overall generate suspense. The audience is given a rather long period of time to question the antagonists intentions, therefore, generating a sense of worry for the other characters as the antagonists behaviour previously e.g. looking into the house and spying suggest that the intentions are likely to be somewhat sinister. The tension that is created by using this editing technique and would be conventional of a thriller movie as slow editing allows time for the audience to question everything they see, perhaps assuming things will take place which are worse than the actual scene they witness. This is effective as it produces apprehension, fear and for some excitement, these are all audience reactions which are all typical of a thriller film.
Following the murder, the tempo of the scene increases. This can be seen just after Michael is seen stabbing his sister in her bedroom. The fast paced editing suggest that the antagonist, Michael is wanting to get away. This further excites and engages the audience as they anticipate what is going to happen next. This would be conventional of a thriller film as the pace of tempo is often used to reflect the mindset of characters, in this case the audience are able to infer Michael Myers is possibly in shock and panic, therefore the pace increase or he either enjoyed what he did and the pace increases as he gets a rush from his actions. From either assumption the audience make, both enigma and apprehension is produced.
Sound
The use of non-diagetic sound of children chanting Halloween songs while the opening credits are playing produces and eery atmosphere for the audience and gives them an insight into the age of the killer as he is later revealed in the clip to be a child. This insight prepares the audience for the revelation they witness soon after. The use of children chanting is also contrasting to the plot of the opening scene as children are often linked with innocence, happiness and laughter. Furthermore, this specific use of non-diagetic sound exaggerates the shock of the audience once the true identity of the killer is revealed.
Within the opening sequence there is a use of silence when Michael is watching in on his sister and her boyfriend from outside the house. This creates an eery atmosphere and intimates as theme of madness, this would be conventional of a thriller movie to portray themes of insanity. In addition, the use of this silence generates suspense from the audience as they anticipate the characters next move.
In the scene there is use of diagetic sound when we can hear Michael stabbing his sister. The use of this sound produces sympathy for the victim as the audience can already see the awful state of the character and the use of the sound of her being stabbed puts focus on her suffering and produces a sense of horror and perhaps make the audience feel uneasy which would be conventional of a thriller film.
Conventions
Low key lighting is used in the scene, this can be seen when the antagonist Michael Myers is walking around the house. The use of dark shadows and shades of black are effective in generating suspense as it is not clear to the audience who is there, leaving the audience engaged and anticipating to find out who it is. The use of darkness also has connotation of evil and hidden identity, both of which are themes which could be argued are present in the film Halloween, and are both conventional themes of a thriller, therefore the opening sequence gives the audience a slight insight into the direction the film begins to unravel.
Iconography has been used in the scene. This is evident as the victim is a youthful, attractive, female. It is conventional of thrillers to use young attractive female victims as it entourages the audience to feel sympathy for the character, feeling sorry for her as she's portrayed as a vulnerable individual. This in turn, generates suspense as the audience presume she's an easy target.
The conventional point of view shots have been used, in this case to hide the identity of the killer. This can be seen when the view of shot is reduced by the mask Michael puts on before murdering his sister. This convention is effective in thriller films as it generates mystery, keeping the audience on the edges of the their seats waiting and anticipating the identity of the antagonist to be revealed.
Characters
Michael Myer's character is not revealed to be the killer until the very end of the opening sequence where he is unmasked to be the killer by his parents. The camera remains up until this point to shoot from the killers point of view so the character of the antagonist is not immediately obvious to the audience. This would be conventional of a thriller as a theme of hidden identity generates enigma, suspense and surprise.
The victim in the opening sequence would be considered a typical victim in thriller films because she is young, female, blonde and naked when she is stabbed to death, this highlights her vulnerable state before her attack. The way in which she is presented as being vulnerable makes the audience feel sorry for her as it is predictable she is likely to be killed/hurt. This would be an example of dramatic irony as the audience assume the character is going to be murdered yet the character doesn't see it coming. Using a young, blonde, female character would be considered conventional of a thriller movie as there is typically female victims found in thriller films that the audience can sympathise for.
Narrative
The narrative is based on Halloween night. Halloween has connotations of evil, costumes and masks. Simply the title of the film and the fact its set on Halloween suggest to viewers that something sinister is soon to take place. The narrative is set in a suburban american neighbourhood, this would be conventional of a thriller as it can be easily related to by most individuals. However, the typical suburban family is torn apart following Michael Myers, a young boy, killing his older sister to only be caught by his parents following the awful act. The fact the film includes murder would alone fit the conventions of a thriller film. When murder is committed in the film shock and enigma is produced, both two audience reactions typical of the thriller genre. There are several narrative conventions in the opening scene such as; your typical, blonde, female victim, who is left alone in the house naked, indicating she is vulnerable. The scene ends with Michael stabbing his sister repeatedly before fleeing the house only to be caught by his parents. The narrative of Halloween is conventional of a thriller and most of the storyline the audience could relate to as the film begins with an ordinary american, suburban neighbourhood which due to the sinister acts of Michael Myers leaves the community feeling uneasy and torn apart.
Summary
My analysis of the opening scene of Halloween will enable me in planning my own thriller in the way that I have closely focused on the main aspects of conventions of a thriller that would be typically used in an opening scene. I have also obtained a good idea of what camera angles I should begin to consider to use, a rough idea of a narrative that I like, the variation of lighting I could use e.g. low key lighting, types of characters I would like to use e.g. female victim, antagonist v. protagonist and the sound I would like to use in my opening sequence of a thriller. In conclusion, this research into the conventions of a thriller opening sequence has educated me in regards of what to include in my own production of a thriller opening sequence in order to generate enigma, suspense and shock.
Your analysis of Halloween demonstrates a good understanding of what an opening sequence is. You have identified the main micro elements and you have considered your examples well throughout. You have also focused on the role of the thriller conventions and have considered the effect that is created.
ReplyDeleteTo develop your analysis further, you need to include screenshots to support the points that you have made. You also need to focus more on the shock, surprise and suspense elements further, which will enable your analysis to be more detailed.