Trailer Analysis: Halloween (1978)

Name: Halloween

Date: (1978)

Director: John Carpenter is a famous director, screenwriter, producer, musician, editor and composer who is popular with the horror and Sci-Fi genre. His most popular works are The Thing, Assault on Precinct 13, The Fog, Escape From New York etc.

URL link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHuOtLTQ_1I

Length: 2.45

Genre: Horror, Drama, Suspense, Slasher

Target Audience: The film is rated R and plus 18 as it involves various gruesome murders and violence.

Plot: On Halloween night in 1963, six year old Michael Myers brutally murders his 17-year-old sister, Judith. He was sentenced and locked away for 15 years. But on October 30, 1978, while being transferred for a court date, a 21-year-old Michael Myers steals a car and escapes a mental asylum. He returns to his quiet hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, where he looks for his next victims.

Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance)

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis)

Annie Brackett (Nancy Kykes)

Michael Myers

Lynda Van der Klok (P.J. Soles)

6 characters shown in the trailer: Michael Myers, Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence), Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis), Lynda Van der Klok (P.J. Soles), Annie Brackett (Nancy Kykes) and Bob Simms (John Graham Michael). The main antagonist is Michael Myers who is represented as "pure evil" according to Dr. Sam Loomis. The other main protagonists: Dr. Sam Loomis is a caretaker to Michael and does what he can to help save Michael. The main protagonist Laurie Strode is a victim of Michael and is seen as rather weak because she is unable to defend herself against Michael and runs away. Lynda Van der Klok seems oblivious and ignores the fact that her boyfriend is dead and the one under the sheet is Michael Myers. Annie Brackett is also shown to be oblivious and moreover dismissive to the threat. Bob tries to face the threat by showing masculinity but he is instantly killed.

POV Shots are shown in order for the audience to understand the mindset behind Michael Myers and view the world through his eyes. This is very effective as it places the audience in the mind of a murderer and it becomes more frightening when you exposed to the violence from a first person

POV Shot of Michael going to go kill his sister

Mid torso shots are shown to make sure the audience focus on the main character within a scene. This provides audiences to exposition on what is going on in the scene as well as awareness of the plot that is going on.Wide shots are also given to show the audience a setting or to provide extra exposition to the viewer.

Mid Torso shot of Michael being discovered with the murder

Wide Shot of the Myer's residence

Over the shoulder shots allow the audience to see something or be immersed in a film as well as seeing another character from over the shoulder.

Over the Shoulder shot of Michael soon to attack Laurie

Low angles are used in order to make characters look scary and threatening. This would make the audience feel inferior to Michael and fearful of him.

Michael at the top of the stairs in Laurie's house

Finally close up shots are given to ensure we have a clear view of the character's facial expression but also to obscure the viewer from what is going on in the background.

Laurie looking for Michael who is stalking her

The trailer begins with a tracking movement as if to go along the plot of the movie without revealing much of the end. There are a lot of jumpcuts in order to help jumble the story a bit yet the sequence of the trailer links to the plot of the film which does not help the viewer to engage in the mystery of the plot. The audience however would be interested in the fact that there is murder and so this one way to entice audiences.

The costumes are stylish and it suggests that the film is set in the late 70s because the people are wearing high waisted bell bottoms and this was very fashionable in this time. There is a lot of low key lighting in order to obscure the view and to intensify the emotion of surprise and fear. The sets are mostly natural and set in houses in order to communicate that this is a real and authentic horror movie as well as getting the message of entrapment across.

The trailer is slightly conventional but more unconventional as it constantly repeats title of the film which does not happen in most trailers. In addition it involves rather simple and boring scenes in the trailer, for example when Laurie Strode, Lynda Van der Klok and Annie Brackett are walking and talking about men which is not very exciting because it does not sell the film and it defeats the genre of the film as well as failing the Bechdel test which consisted a group of women talking about things other than men. This however adds realism because audiences aren't shown the threat which creates even more of a mystery and tension. In addition the sound does not cut off anywhere and it continues to loop throughout the trailer which also is not a convention of a horror trailer. This is mostly an unconventional trailer.

The title "Halloween" is coloured in yellow with a red outline. It has a pumpkin with a face on it and this symbolises a traditional holiday in which there is terror. The pumpkin or Jack O' Lantern are lights which help brighten streets on the darkest of nights and the use of orange, red and yellow all mix together to form the basis of fire which is connoted to fire and danger.

Another symbol is Michael Myer's mask which is plain white with dark eye holes and a slit mouth. The colour white has connotations of innocence but also in some cultures i.e. India and China grief, death and mourning and in this film, the white is a symbol of death. The fact that the eyes are not visible shows the audience that Michael is soulless inside and he is nothing more than a sadistic killer.

Michael's Theme Song

Michael's theme song continuously played in the clip and this reminded audience of who Michael is but to also act as a intertextual reference for audiences. Audiences who have seen other films and heard this would be able to refer back to the film for the sound is very distinct. Special effects were only used to insert the title of the film and the other credits but other than that there are no other special effects or CGI used within the film and this makes the film authentic and even more fearful because everything is real and not fictionalised. Compass International is the production company shown at the very end of the trailer. The beginning has a voiceover that has the title: "The one. The only. The classic. Halloween." The reason for this is because it is trying to sell itself to the audience and trying to attract them to a film such as this. In addition there is a constant repetition of the title Halloween and it relates to a well known holiday in which little kids go to houses to collect sweets but in this version halloween is a nightmare and this is to ensure that the audiences know what film it is to watch.

The dialogue in the film provided a lot of exposition to the audience as it helped to understand many factors like: Dr. Sam Loomis explaining how dangerous Michael is and the fact that the victims are young which is why they talk about boys. The USP of this film is Michael Myers because he is such an iconic horror character with a very distinctive look and killer. Audiences are somewhat masochists and would watch horror/slasher films in order enjoy the pain that Michael Myers inflicts on his victims. In addition horror films are a good way to generate scares from people and this is something Michael does a lot to his victims and the audience: he's scares them.

To conclude the trailer is very unique as it does not follow conventions but also it inspires me to try incorporate these into my own horror trailer to ensure I get across that I am doing something niche.