1. Halloween (1978) whole film case
study

2. Technical Aspects:
How cinematography, use of sound, mise-en-scene and editing create meaning?
SOUND
Throughout the course of the film their was an instrument used to create tension
which was a piano and it was played on keys which was a repeated sequence to
create tension and suspense. The use of piano is a common horror slasher film
convention as the basic sound you get from a piano creates tension for the
audience to forebode what may happen next. Another sound aspect was silence;
silence is essential especially in horror slasher as you keep the audience
anticipated; the film starts off with silence. During the start of the film their was
use of handheld camera whilst Michael Myers was walking the house when he was
younger, this was used to show the realism and the sense of the audience being
present at the scene. Throughout the course of the film the phone ringing creates
a lot of tension especially when no one answers the phone, having phones in
horror slashers is common as it creates tension and the audience are expecting
something horrific to happen to the victim. Also whenever Michael Myers is about
to go and kill someone the piano keys are higher which informs the audience
something horrific is about to take place

3. SOUND 2
Key dialogue used in Halloween: “I saw the Bogeyman” – the little child kept
telling his mother that the Bogeyman man was present, which was really
Michael Myers. A bogeyman is a mythical creature in many cultures used by
adults to frighten children into compliant behaviour. The monster has no
specific appearance, and conceptions about it can vary drastically from
household to household within the same community; in many cases, he has
no set appearance in the mind of an adult or child, but is simply a nonspecific embodiment of terror. The bogeyman is a nickname for the devil.
A lot of the sounds in Halloween are repeated, in a way it’s like a rhythm
being created, so the sounds are delivered in a sequence
Whenever Michael Myers was present their was always a sense of heavy
breathing coming from him, this could connote the fact that he’s so
desperate to go and kill people, but also the fact that he may be sexually
frustrated as all the victims he goes after are girls
Also the noise of car engines where present, this could connote and
forebode danger and also the fact that the plan for Michael Myers to kill
people as restarted

4. Mise-en-scene / Iconography (Props)
Michael Myers:
The killer Michael Myers is portrayed wearing prison clothes.
Furthermore, we don’t get to see his true identity as he wears
a white mask, which conforms to horror slashers film
conventions of the killer having a hidden identity. The only bit
left of his childhood is his hair, as it looks the same as when he
was a child which could inform to the audience that he still the
same old Michael just grown up. Also Michael Myers is quite
tall and bold; this appearance conforms to horror slasher film
conventions as most of the killers are tall so that they can
overpower their victims. A common horror slasher film
convention is the use of a knife been present at the scene of
the killings the killer does, however in Halloween Michael
Myers only uses it once, to slice the final girl. With the other
victims he uses other ways to kill them; this is where the
“phallic” symbol comes into phase as he uses the knife on the
final girl because she’s usually a virgin, however the other girls
he killed are promiscuous, this connotes he is sexually
frustrated

5. Mise-en-scene 2
Final Girl:
The final girl was dressed well as she was wearing
suitable clothing compared to her friends who were
dressed to impress, one the girl victims also had a car
which informed the audience of what type of character
she was; she was also very mouthy one of those “know
it all girls” in the group which also connoted that she
was promiscuous. The iconography used with the final
girl represented her character well as she was seen
holding books which connoted that she was a bright
girl and that she was really focused on her education,
she had a simple look about her, no make up, her hair
was normal nothing added to it, which connoted her
simplicity and the way she goes about her life, her
character informed the audience that she was an
innocent independent girl. The other victims were
stock types as they were cheer leaders which is a
horror slasher film convention, also the fact that they
love sex and smoking

6. Representation and Characterisation
how are the character’s represented. Can you discuss stereotypes and stock types?
In horror slashers there are always college girls in a group, and in that group there is always a
mouthy “know it all” girl in the group normally a promiscuous. As the victims in horror
slashers are mostly girls and the killer is normally if not always sexually frustrated (phallic
symbol) so the girls become victims.
There is also always a final girl in horror slashers film, as they are normally virgins
Furthermore, in horror slashers there is always a sheriff (police man) which is a stock type,
however in horror slashers the police never tend to help out, so there just there to make up
the stock types and the cast, the police act like nothing is going on; this informs the audience
that the world of horror slashers cannot be dependent on police as they are no help at all, so
the community or the victims have to take the problems on board themselves.
The killer in horror slashers always have a hidden identity, in this case we didn’t get to see
Michael Myers until the middle of the film as the editing was done film Michael Myers from
his neck downwards even though his identity was already hidden with a white mask
Psychiatrists is present as he knows what Michael is capable of but doesn’t really have the
power to stop him even though he thinks he can, he is just needed to give information as he
knows the most about Michael Myers

7. Genre conventions: How does the film adhere to the conventions of
the genre
Horror films are usual set in middle class detached houses, and normally
the neighbourhood seems disserted even thought there are plenty of
houses around, it seems like the neighbourhood don’t come out.
Another genre convention is that the killer hardly ever speaks if not
doesn’t speak at all, as they normally move in silence do their business
without speaking then on to the next one they go. In horror slashers the
killers go about their business at night, even though they are scenes in
midday that’s just a build up to what will happen when it’s dark.
Another genre convention is the use of the dialogue that seems to be
common in horror slashers “I’ll be right back” after the victims have said
this they don’t come back as they get killed, so this shows that in horror
slashers the victims always make stupid decisions, another one leaving
the door opened or going out late at night for no absolute reason.
Furthermore, another convention is that the killer is able to come back
to life, towards the end when the final girl was stabbing Michael Myers
he kept coming back to life, so in a way the genre for this is that the
killers have some sort of super powers

8. Narrative: how does the film tell its story. Linear
or non-linear. When does the plot begin?
In a way, the plot begins at the very start of the
film with a flashback of Michael Myers killing his
sister, this already informs what the film may be
about as the narrative is clear from the start. This
shows how he was before as he was already
holding a sword/knife which could connote that
his had this killing mentally from young even if he
didn’t mean it when he was younger, as this is no
excuse as he returned 15 years later to kill more
people
The story is non linear, as it starts with a flashback
of what happens 15 years ago then skips to the
future
The story is linear and non-linear

9. Editing:
The film starts with a pan of the house which
already gets the audience anticipated on
what could happen throughout the course of
the film, also it informs the audience where
all the action is going to take place and also
where Michael Myers used to live as he
returns to his old home 15 years later.
When Michael Myers was first introduced on
screen, the editing was done so that the
audience can only see his appearance from
his neck down, this could’ve connoted the
fact that he wasn’t meant to be seen in
public as he had broken out of his mental
home and prison, meaning that he was
technically on the run; even though he had a
mask they thought they had to cover more
of his identity to show that he is a very
dangerous man

10. Lighting:
The lighting used in Halloween is dark, as in all horror slashers the action
and killing takes place in the dark, so dark lighting is essential in horror
slashers. The killings normally take place in a middle class detached house
which looks abandoned as the neighbourhood doesn’t look present it was
a coincidence that you only saw the neighbourhood present on the day of
Halloween.
There was darkness in the house, and this connoted to the audience that
something horrific could be about to take place, as the darkness in the
house creates tension. Also outside the house when it was bright their
was a pumpkin which sums up that when it gets dark their will be terrible
scenes
The middle class detached house from outside always seems to have one
light one and the rest of the lights off, this grabs the audience attention as
it could show that where the lights are off are where all the action and
killings take place, as the killings hardly take place where the light is on
which is normally always the living room, as the victims (final girl) always
tend to re-locate and run to the rooms which have no light in them. This
is a common horror slasher film convention.