The document discusses how the Halloween trailer adheres to the codes and conventions of the slasher horror sub-genre. It follows conventions such as showing the killer wearing a mask to hide their identity and using weapons like knives. However, it also breaks conventions by revealing the killer's identity midway through. The trailer establishes it is a slasher film through settings like houses and neighborhoods. It uses dark lighting and non-diegetic sounds to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense.

1. How does the halloween trailer adhere to the codes and conventions of the slasher horror
sub-genre
Halloween’s trailer uses codes and conventions of a slasher, but it also brakes away from the
conventions so that the movie could be less predictable and seem more interesting to the
audience. By following the codes and conventions of a slasher, it allows the audience to know the
sub-genre of the film, as the audience of that film would know a slasher by the techniques used to
communicate ideas, and also by the technical codes for examples camera angles, sound and
lighting making the trailer more appealing to the audience.
Codes and conventions are followed through the trailer as we see the killer (murderer) covering
their face with a mask all the way through the trailer, therefore this follows codes and conventions
by making the killer anonymous to the victims and the audience; making the trailer become more
appealing and engaging to the audience, as by coving the killers face crates a sense of mystery
making the audience want to watch the movies so that they could find out who the killer is and why
they are doing it. In the trailer there was a point of view shot which allowed us to see the killer
who's face was coved under a mask, thus shot introduced us to the character where we are given
awareness of the murder he was perpetrating at that time. In the trailer we are also shown times
where the trailer brakes away from the codes and conventions as we are told the identity of the
killer midway through the trailer. The reason why they did this was to create a scary, dark and
horrific mood all around the characters mind, by first showing him as a child, then moving on to the
future as him as the killer. This makes the audience wonder what had happened to him to corrupt a
child that much making to become a sociopathic killer. We are first introduced t the little boys
sociopathic mind when he was holding a knife, where we would associate a boy holding knife at
that age as uncommon and dangerous, a typical association of a boy tat age would be seen as
innocent therefore juxtaposing innocences with danger.
The way we know it is a slasher movie trailer was from the setting of the movie as it is mostly
based around an american house which in many horror movies can have big impact as it is usually
where the killer would tend to looking for the innocent victims, and it is also is in the neighbourhood
of where the little boy grow-up around. This is because where the killer goes always has a
significant meaning and connection to them in their past, which is common in many slasher
movies.Another reason why we know that it is a slasher movie trailer is when it has the killer as a
sociopath and as the killer usually has a personality disorder, this is shown by using antisocial
behaviour, where we are shown at the start of the trailer of the little boy acting in an antisocial
manner drifting himself away from everyone. This allows the audience to know that he is
psychopathic, and which we are also told about him midway through the trailer in the trailer.
In the start of the trailer we hear a powerful soul stirring non diegetic sound, making the movie
seem very haunting to communicate a sense of fear and dander within the audience. This non
diegetic music continues all the way through trailer to create a sense of suspense leading all the
way through the trailer there are also other non diegetic sound used, such as the door creaking
open creating a thrilling, dangerous atmosphere in that seen of the trailer, letting the audience
know that something is going to happen, leaving them wanting more, as they are left in a creepy
atmosphere which mostly all horror movies end there trailers in so that hey will leave the audience
wanting more.
In the trailer when the killer uses a knife to kill the other character, it also portrays him as a
psychopath as at the start of the trailer we see him holding a knife as a little boy then we see him
as an adult killing people with the knife. What this does is make it clear it is in the slasher sub-
genre as the convention of the knife is being used.
In the trailer we are introduced to the doctor who talks about the masked killer after we are shown
that the little boy murdered his parents through a point of view shot. Typically in a slasher movie
we have a character that warns people about the killer. in this specific movie it is the doctor making

2. the trailer follow the codes and conventions through the trailer, by being told that the masked killer
uses a knife goes with the sub-genre of slashers as weapons are the main key to horror movies.
In the trailer we have a dark lighting continuously through the trailer therefore this follows the codes
and conventions of a slasher. The darkness matches with the killers personality as he is a scary,
frightening, sociopathic killer. In the trailer all his victims and the horrific killings where taking place
in a dark setting with a little light coming through but only hitting the victims to show their
innocences, but to also emphasis the gruesome horrific way he had killed his victims. IN the trailer
the light represents innocence and the more it gets darker the more of the innocences disappears
and turns in to fear and danger instead. Fo example at the start of the trailer we are in a setting
outside with the natural daylight which then becomes darker and darker through each of the
scenes with the light slowly fading away. This portrays the killer as always having a dark soul and
would never stop killing, without him getting stopped.