'Halloween' Research

The trailer which I have analysed at the moment have all been quite modern, therefore have been able to used special effects which may not have been available year before. This is therefore the reason, which I chose to analysis a trailer which was older, and see if there were any effects which i may be able to take inspiration from. The first thing that the audience hears within this trailer, which causes a sense of discomfort, therefore setting an atmosphere for the rest of the trailer. A shot of a house is then shown and part of the beginning shot is also is also shown of the film, which causes the same effect which is seen at the beginning of the film. This series of shots show someone stabbing someone through two eye holes of a mask. This causes the audience to feel confusion and anxiety to build, as at this time we are unable to see who the murderer is, or who he or she is attacking. At this time also, we are given a non-diagetic dialogue, in a deep tone, exclaiming that the area which this is set in was a small town in America, which places more anxiety onto the audience, as it reminds them that this could occur to anyone. As we see the stabbing the audience is given a low non-diagetic tone, which causes confusion, as the audience does not understand why this is occurring, following this is high pitch, minor non-diagetic tones, which increase in volume and decreases in pitch to cause more confusion and anxiety to increase, as the audience doesn't understand what is happening. The audience is then given a medium shot of a little boy who was the person we saw through the mask eyes. This causes the audience to feel slightly disturbed and distressed as they are unable to understand how someone so young and innocent could do such a violent act.

The viewer is then presented with a caption of the title of the film, unlike in the modern trailers, this trailer shows the title of the film very early on and repeats showing this throughout the trailer, which could show the difference in modern and older trailers. This caption is on a black background, with the writing being in a bold bright colour to allow it to stand out on the screen. The viewer is also shown a pumpkin, to show that the title of the film, is a traditional holiday shared by billions across the world. However as the pumpkins eyes, nose and mouth holes are lit it gives the whole caption screen an eerie sense. At this time, the audience is also given, non-diagetic dialogue, stating the name. However, as it is in a low toned voice is does allow the audience to feel extremely uncomfortable. The audience is then shown a long shot of a male explaining, about the killer, that he is untreatable and kills for no reason, however we are also told that he is also unstoppable. All this information causes the target audience to feel uncomfortable, fear and for anxiety to build as they are also told that this killer is on the loose, therefore could attack anyone, placing them into the trailer, as they may think that he could come after them.

We are then shown a shot a series of short shots of a woman being attacked within her car. The only shot we gain of the male is a long shot, where focus is not placed upon his face, therefore the audience may feel an increase in fear, as the identity of the killer is unknown. The shots of the girl being killed, allows the audience to feel an increase in anxiety, as they want to help the woman, but know that they can not. The only dialogue which is heard at this point, is the scream of the woman, which allows the audience to feel discomfort. A short shot is then shown of the male again, which allows what the male had said earlier, be supported by the shots which the audience had just seen. This shot also allows the audience to see the fear which is in the males eyes with a medium shot being used, allowing the tension within the trailer to build.

The next series of shots, the audience are shown the a group of three girls talking and walking, which lifts the tension within the trailer, however this is suddenly changed, when all are shown with a worried face which was also seen on the male. This then allows the audience to have a rush of anxiety, as what they are looking worried at is unclear, however the audience do have a sense that it may have something to do with the killer which has been mentioned within the trailer, therefore allowing the audience to fear for the characters lives. At this time, there is also an increasing non-diagetic low tone, which also allows the audience to feel an increase in anxiety. The title screen is then shown again, which is supported with the non-diagetic dialogue of repeating 'Halloween', which give the audience a sense that on Halloween, something is going to happen to these girls, because of this murderer.

The next shots are those showing snippets of how the murderer kills these girls and another male. The first shot shows a door slowly opening, which causes the audience to have an increase in anxiety, as the audience realise that this is the murderer, yet the characters do not. Other shots show different ways these characters have been killed, which increases the audiences fear, as they fear for the lives of the female which is still alive. At this point there is also an increasing low tone which causes discomfort and fear to grow within the audience. When the shot of the remaining female is shown this non-diagetic sound changes from a low tone, to that of a high tone, which causes the audience to sense that she is in trouble, but also to allow them to feel uncomfortable. At this point also we are able to hear diagetic cries and screams from the female, allowing the audience to feel discomfort again. In this shot we see a medium shot of the female, however in the shadows we see a white mask. This causes the audiences willingness to help the character to increase, as they know where the killer is, but she does not. In this shot the non-diagetic sound is not heard and we only hear the dialogue of the female, allowing the events happening to her to seem more realistic to the audience.

The following series of shots show a chase seen between the murderer and the female. At this time we hear a non-diagetic low tone which stops and starts and the dialogue of the female, which causes the anxiety of the audience to increase. The anxiety and fear also increases as at this point as the woman runs from the killer, however the killer only walks meaning that no matter how quick the female runs, he will always catch her. This is increased by the woman, not being able to get in a house and the killer is coming closer and closer. After this the title screen in shown again, which causes the trailer to have a cliff hanger, as the audience can not see if the female got away from the killer, meaning that this is a good persuader for the audience to go and watch the film.