The document analyzes how the Halloween movie trailer adheres to the codes and conventions of the slasher horror sub-genre. It discusses how the trailer uses establishing shots, camera angles, sound, settings, weapons, and characters archetypes common to the genre. Specifically, it shows a tense scene of a house at night with shadowy trees and piano music. It then reveals the killer as a young disturbed boy who grows up to be a psychotic murderer. Finally, it depicts the killer chasing the "final girl" as tension-building music plays, showing the conventions of shot-reverse-shot and a neighbor unable to hear her calls for help.

1. Hifsa Hussain 13ME Halloween Trailer Media A2
How does the Halloween trailer adhere to the codes and conventions of the
slasher horror sub-genre?
The Halloween trailer follows the codes and conventions of a slasher sub-genre
by using camera angles, sound, mise-en- scene, and character types. In the first
shot we are shown a house at dark with the typical tree shadows, this is a
establishing shot showing where the following scene will take place, in the
background we hear a non-diegetic sound of a piano creating a scary tense
atmosphere. The camera is a hand held shot giving us the feeling as if someone is
watching the house. The place where this scene is set is a old American
neighbour hood.
In the following scene we can see through the mask the killer is wearing
suggesting he is not showing his identity for many reasons, this is typical in this
genre of movies, then killer is revealed later on in the movie. As the killer walks
out the house, we see a car approaching who then reveal the killer to be ‘Michael’
who is a 6-year-old boy, however at this stage we are not fully aware he is the
killer as he looks as if he has seen something. They following another code by
having a young disturbed child turn in to a psychotic killer as he grows up, and is
described as ‘Simply evil’.
The ‘Killer’ uses the typical weapon of a knife to stab the victims in the back, they
are following the codes and conventions as most slasher films use weapons like
this, which slashes and are sharp, typical weapons which are easy to get hold of.
Each killer has a separate weapons depending on what type of killer they are.
At the end of the trailer you see the killer going after the ‘final girl’ who is the
‘innocent one’. The non-diegetic sound at the back is building up the tension, as
the audience knows something is about to happen. At this point we get a shot-reverse-
shot so we see the final girl running away from the killer and then it goes
to the killer who is slowly walking down the steps knowing he will get her, here
they are following the codes and conventions. The camera shot used is a free
hand as the final girl runs to her neighbours’ house giving the sense of urgency
and danger. At this point they follow codes and conventions as the typical
neighbour has the volume too loud to hear her knocking on the door.
In conclusion the Halloween trailer follows most of the codes and conventions of
a slasher horror, as it has all the main elements that make up a horror movie.