Halloween (1978) Opening Sequence

The opening for "Halloween" is a one shot sequence with no editing using a stedicam. It is entirely a POV shot which creates mystery as to who the stalker is and is not revealed until the very end. The sequence establishes the films time and setting with the text at the start. The setting is a typical American suburb, which is now conventional of the slasher genre where a quiet town is prey to a psychotic killer.

The music begins suddenly with a high pitched whistle sound then stops again just as suddenly. As the stalker approches the house it is silent then begins the music again as the stalker finds that he can now go inside the house as the lights turn off. Then the real tension begins as a piano repeats a series of notes while the stalker gets closer to the victim.

The stalker makes his way through the house, which we see is a family home. The stalker then finds a mask and puts it on so now the audience can only just about see what is going on and creates a more claustrophobic feeling. The stalker then approaches his victim where she shouts his name - "Michael" which tells us she knows him and is possibly a member of the her family.
Interestingly, while he stabs her he actually looks at his hand doing it. This could say that he has no control over himself and is confused why he is doing it.

Finally, the killer is revealed to be a child. His mask is pulled off and we see he clearly looks confused about what he did, indicating he's insane. The camera then cranes out from his face revealing his parents standing there and the house where the murder took place. This scene works as a prologue and sets up the films narrative which takes place 15 years later.

Title Sequence
The films titles take place before the opening sequence over a black screen beside a pumpkin. As the titles progress the camera slowly tracks into it. It uses the main theme which is frequent throughout the film. Titles over a black screen is the sign of a low budget film, which Halloween was. The director, John Carpenter has his name above the title so that if the film were a success he would get better recognition. The most famous actor in the film was Donald Pleasense so his name is put before the title while the rest follow after.