What is the purpose of the opening scene?
An opening scene is key to a good and successful film as it introduces the story and will try and engage the audience. By stating the key characters and location from the outset it allows the audience time to get to know the characters so they can relate an emotional distance and get involved with the story line.
How does the opening the sequence of Halloween, inform the audience if the codes and conventions of a thriller film?
Narrative-
The opening of this film is set on Halloween in the 1960's. The shot opens with a view of a house. The shot doesn't include the street however which makes the location unknown adding a sense of eeriness to the scene as it adds to the element of unknown as the locations where abouts is never revealed to the audience. By not showing where the house is the audience therefore become unaware of the surrounding in case of a chase scene. By showing nothing around her as she's in the bedroom it adds to the idea of her death being inevitable as we know that there is no escape which sends a panic through the audience as they don't know a way for her to get away either. It then switches to two teenagers fooling around in the living room however we see this through the window of the house which adds to the idea that we are seeing the scene from the villains point of view which creates an interest between the audience and the central character and adds an element of powerless and suspense within the audience as they continue to play out the scene as they feel as though they are committing the crime yet have no power to stop it to have to let it play out. The person who was then on the outside of the house enters suggesting the idea that a death is soon and also that the person is familiar within the house as they head straight to the kitchen without confusion. This intrigues the audience as we can see what's happening but the murderer remains a mystery and so by showing his point of view we seem more connected to the villain than the victim in this instance as we can understand what must be going through their head. Once the girl has been killed from a knife in the kitchen the scene returns outside where we see her little brother standing with the weapon in his hand framed in front of his mum and dad.
Cinematography-
A weapon is used in the form of a knife. This makes the scene seem more realistic as through being set in the house the weapon is typically found in a kitchen. As a result the audience can relate more to the scene as it is a familiar and everyday object than say a gun, which is more conventional to a action genre. A knife is also more commonly used as it creates a more gory death as multiple wounds are usually achieved as a result. This allows there to be more suspense as the scene can be dragged out as a death by knife is slower and more theatrical then the other more action conventional methods of a gun.
A weapon and in particular a knife is very conventional to the thriller genre as they allow the villain and victim to have more contact during their fight scene. This means in order for an incident to happen they have to be very close together which makes chase scenes more tense as they appear to close the distance between the victim and villain.
Characters-
The victim in this film is female. This is a sterotypical convention of a thriller as a female is typically seen as the weaker sex and so by trapping a female it makes the audience members feel more empathy towards them creating a bond built of fear for the victim as female portray vulnerability more effectively. However more typically a blonde female is used as they manage to portray more innocence to the audience emphasising their position as the victim.
Another minor character in the film is the girls teenage boyfriend. Through them both being teenagers it adds to the conventional idea of a thriller as they are both seem to be naïve and more innocent than an adult however more prone to being alone and there fore vulnerable than children which makes them a perfect example as an age category for thriller actors and actresses. By the teenagers both being caught together it relates back to the audience as they can imagine being alone with their boyfriend or girlfriend and think about if they are completely safe at home as they can now understand, through seeing the situation through a different perspective how they can often also be forgetful and in a sense idiotic when in the company of others as we automatically feel more safe and this scene makes you question that sense of security.
Editing-
There is very limited editing used within this film as through following the point of view of the villain the audience is forced to follow his journey and entrance into the house making the shot stay continuous. However, although a lack of editing is used a mixture of timing of shots were used. At the beginning all the movements and editing was at a slow pace as the villain was outside creeping about which allowed him to seem as though he was trying to not be seen. This shows the audience that the person committing the murder has almost planned to do what he does as their actions seem persist and cautious which gives the audience the impression that the murder is making sure everything in the lead up to the murder is executed perfectly so he can do what intended and get away without a hitch. However, in contrast to this as soon as the murder has taken place the timing of shots become more fast paced which gives the reader the impression that the murderer has panicked and is flustered whilst trying to get away. This fear and panic makes the villain have a inferior persona which makes them seem naïve and not as cunning as we first made out. The fast shots interlink with his rushed exit making us seem as though he's going to get caught as typically villains always walk towards their victims with a sense of arrogance and confidence but this panic makes us believe that maybe the murder wasn't as calculated as we first thought.
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