The trailer for the 1978 film Halloween uses signs, codes and conventions to establish itself as the horror sub-genre slasher. In the few minutes that the trailer lasts for, it also establishes the setting, weapon, characters and icon that will feature in the film. These are all prominent in any horror film, however they also add aspects into the trailer to make it the sub-genre slasher.
In the first few seconds of the trailer, they establish the setting of the film, using an establishing shot, as a big, detached, mansion-like American house at night. This is common in slasher films as they normally require running from a killer and as this is a detached house, they cannot easily alert someone of their murderer and that it would be hard to see them during the night. The camera then cuts to a POV shot through a mask showing a knife being used in a stabbing motion. This establishes both the icon of the film and also the weapon. The film have used a mask as they want to create a sense of mystery for the killer and also make it a hidden identity, it also corresponds with the name Halloween, as during this time you would see many people in masks to create fear. Using a knife as a weapon implies that the sub-genre of this film is slasher, as you have to get close to someone to hurt them, creating tension. However, the knife is also an important symbol in the film because when they are seen, you think of death, murder and torture, many themes that are associated with slasher films. There is then a paradigm shift in the trailer, as the killer is revealed to be a little boy rather than the expected typical murderer.
There is then a mid-shot of three teenage girls walking alone, establishing other characters that also feature in the film. The characters being women is also significant as it isn’t a traditional male figure that survives, just like in other horror films. The slasher sub-genre normally features women as survivors and males as the killer to create more tension and show how the killer usually has more power. These girls also play a role of the typical slasher paradigm as you have the moralistic survivor and the promiscuous girl who usually dies. As the girls turn around to face the way they had come, the non-diegetic music becomes deeper and also louder to create mystery and tension of what the girls saw. The girls’ facial expressions of shocked and scared also creates tension as it shows the audience that there is a treat to the characters and their everyday lives.
After the camera cuts to create mystery of what the girls saw, the cuts get quicker to build more tension and show the action. Every time the camera shows someone getting injured or that they are in danger, the music increases in volume and becomes more prominent while you are watching therefore also creating tension. Also when the girl who is trying to escape falls down the stairs, she screams for help. This shows the audience that there is an obvious danger to the girl and that she is scared. This is also an important part to a slasher film as the girl needs to seem helpless and isolated so that it is a one on one fight to the death between the killer and victim. Furthermore, in the trailer the killer is shown walking to kill the girl instead of running. This adheres to conventions of a slasher film, as the killer needs to be shown as confident and collected while trying to murder someone, showing that they have done it before. This then makes them a serial killer, which is the normal murderer in a slasher film.
By the use of the mask as an icon, the knife as a weapon, the character personalities and the serial killer traits in the murderer, we are able to establish that the film would be a slasher. The structural paradigms also suggest that the film is of the slasher sub-genre as they have an equilibrium, a period of disequilibrium and do not show the new equilibrium in the trailer. This therefore means that the Halloween trailer adheres to codes and conventions of the sub-genre slasher.
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