1. Halloween Trailer Analysis
In the beginning of the trailer there is no Equilibrium because the trailer jumps straight into
dramatic acts of horror. For example, there is the diegetic sound of a young woman
screaming “no” and police officers holding her back. This type of sound establishes that a
murder has already been committed. A master shot shows police officers taking a covered
dead body somewhere. This type of shot heightens the sensation of: fear dread
and anxiety for audiences‟ alarming them that the sinister of an evil villain has already
occurred even though the villain is not introduced by and camera shots or angles.
Technical codes such as low key lighting have been used to present
the villain with an unknown identity wearing a mask. This stock prop enables viewers to
become aware that the terror of the unknown has appeared. The use of this low key lighting
and a close up camera shot of the villain creates a sense of fear because the dark shadows
that contrast around the villains face in a cinema creates a sense of panic for viewers
because the lighting in the cinemas isalready dark these shadows therefore reinforces the
feeling of the dark denoting an element of threat is posed in the film because dark is
juxtaposed with the feeling of, direful, danger and alarm. The clothing of the villain is a
disguise he wears a white mask. This stock prop allows the viewer to deduce that the villain
identity is unknown who is a mentally deranged psychopathic killer who slays and slashes
his victims.
The disturbance of Disequilibrium has been introduced by diegetic sound this has been used
to establish a police officer‟s voice revealing that 3 people have been brutally murdered and
explains the murders as brutal and vicious. The uses of this diegetic sound illustrates that
the film conforms to thriller conventions because the diegetic sound creates a sense of a
disturbing panic for viewers, leading to an enigma questioning viewers who has been killed
and who will survive.
I have identified that fast pace cuts of editing have been used of; the masked villain,
weapons, knives and guns. This has been used to stimulate the viewer‟s mood of a
heightened level of; fear, dread and disquiet. This type of editing reveals and presents the
film as a stereotypical slasher film, because this is shown through connotations of the use of
weapons and knifes and brutal violence that are the stock props and iconography that are
portrayed in a horror sub-genre 'slasher.'These types of stock props enablesaudiences to
identify the villain and to avowthe sub-genre of a slahser film, this therefore enhances
audiences knowledge to infer that the weapons (phallic symbol) symbolises; death,
bereavement and quietusas the weapons (phallic symbol) are used to slay and slaughter
victims which therefore demonstrates the film challenges horror conventions of a
slasherhorror film.
The trailer falls within the queue of the stereotypical slasher film; this is shown though
connotations of the iconography. For example, the stock characters and stock props of the
villain, weapons and verisimilitude -outrageous gore and blood. For example, the villain is
identified as; strong, psychopathic and dangerous man chasing victims such as a young
blonde female. This implies that thriller conventions are reinforced by stock props and
characters because blonde females are stereotypically revealed as vulnerable and
defencelessvictims this also distinguishes audiences to infer that the narrative structure of
the film consists of stock characters such as a villain whom uses his props to brutally murder
his victim‟s this is reinforced by the use of iconography.
A camera angle such as a high angle denotes that the stock characters are stereotypically
teenage victims in the trailer victims in trailers are often filmed using a high angled shot to
portray them as, terrified and lack power.For example, the use of fast pace editing
demonstrates that the villain is trying to slay a teenage girl and shows she is escaping from

2. the villain. This establishes a sense of; terror, suspense and anticipation for audiences to
feel as they are consumed by the elements of threat posed by the villain.
Cross cutting editing revealthe villain violently chasing after his victim with his stock prop,
knife (phallic symbol) smashing and violently vandalising objects whilst the use of diegetic
sounds corresponds over this violent scene establishes a police officer‟s voice revealing that
„he‟s come back for his baby, but to do what?‟ This reinforces the idea for audience‟s to
become engaged with the trailer and work out the plot, this immediately allows audiences to
recognise the stock theme of the film that connotes binary opposites for example, good vs.
evil, nightmares, childhood issues and revenge such as the villains innocent sister vs. the
villain her mentally deranged brother.
Technical codes such as low key lighting have been used to introduce the audience that
something sinister is going to happen throughout the film. For example, a wide shot clearly
signifies and portrays low key lighting has been used revealing the use of outrageous blood
and gore splattered all around the floor and walls. The impact created by the use of low key
lighting, blood and gore, creates an expectation and demonstration that brutal violence and
terror will occur throughout the film. This has been used to captivate the viewer‟s attention to
stimulate the viewer's mood of feeling; frightened, fearful and anxious.
In the end of the trailer a mid-shot is established of the last girl standing pointing a gun
(phallic symbol) towards the villain. This links to the final girl theory that during the final
scene the girl is masculine by using a gun (phallic appropriation) to put an end to the villain,
this would also connote that that villain has a masculine crisis at the end. A two shot 2
teenager‟s engaging in sexual activity this links in Laura Mulvey‟s male gaze theory where
females are focused on sexual objectification, this scene would also indicate that a female
having sex is an object of desire for males.
The Narrative Structure of the trailer links to different types of theories. For example, Claude-
Levi-Strauss's approach to the narrative theory of binary opposites is identified in the trailer;
good vs. evil, teenagers vs. villain and dark vs. light and innocence vs. darkness. The trailer
also relates to Vladimir Propp's theory of the limited number of character types. For
example, the recognition that a villain exists in the film as he is masked, and other such as
police officers. Significantly the trailer shows a link to TzvetanTodrov‟s narrative theory of
Equilibrium and Disequilibrium.