John Carpenter

John Carpenter

John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor and composer. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction films from the 1970s and 1980s.

Films directed by John carpenter!

Methods of creating Suspense in film 1.HALLOWEEN

The opening scene lays out the background of the film, the lead character Michael is introduced, his crime or evil deed is shown.The sequence is classic carpenter its shot through the eyes of Michel who at this time is a child dressed in a Halloween outfit including a mask.

The film opens with a narrow camera angle show of the house front its limited to the first floor shot of the house front deck, its pans to the right past a orange Halloween pumpkin traditional cut out with candles inside the pumpkin.

The camera pans around the front of the house and down the darker side, this pan from light to darker starts building up suspense and mystery in the audience mind. From the side of the house a young couple comes into shot they are kissing on the coach. This whole sequence is taken from the child's eyesight and child's eye level. (Childs Michael subjective camera angle).

The couple do not see Michael but are disturbed by his presence they seem to feel his presence. So far eerie feeling and sound of the night crickets and sound track have been prevalent. but are now broken by the couples voice. Who decide to go upstairs for privacy.

As they go upstairs the camera still in Michaels subjective angle cuts faster to the front of the house and his eyes and camera pan up to the bedroom window, the lights go out. The instance the lights go out a more scary sound track cuts in and the camera scans faster back round the house to the kitchen the camera follow his hands to the knife draw and the draw opens and a knife is taken out and held up in a menacing motion as its held up ready to strike down.

The camera stays in his subjective angle and follows before him through the house to the stairs. He steps out but backs up to hide from the boy who has finished making love and comes down the stairs to leave before the parents come back. Michael moves up the stairs and into his sisters bedroom. The first thing he finds is the Halloween mask the young couple took upstairs. He puts this on and the camera angle now is shot through the mask creating a darker atmosphere the screen is now darker as the camera shoots through the mask eyes. The camera follows ahead of Michael as he flows the trail of cloths to his sisters room and walks up to her. She is startled and shouts his name in surprise and shock as she sees the knife in his hands held high, before she can say more the knife slashes and strikes down several times the The sound track strikes with the knife a perching sound strikes with each knife blow. She falls dead and naked to the floor, he flees in child size steps down and outside as his parents approach. The are startled to see him with his blood stained knife. The take away the knife mask to reveal his face and stand back unable to bereave what they ae seeing. Their child with a huge blood soaked knife.The suspense is created by the camera angle mood music and disbelief that a child so young could be so evil. The suspense for the audience is also created because from one third way through they almost know what's coming the slow pace of getting to the act create the suspense.

Methods of creating Suspense in film 2.VAMPIRES

Once the film titles are over the scene is set by our hero the male lead and his side kick looking down on a Mexicanfarm house. The scene is set the have a suspected site of a vampire set. The crew of vampire start to prepare the assultThe movie builds suspense in using the prep time for the audience to start getting on the edge of their seats anticipatingAction the vampires the blood and gore thats coming and the music builds tension.

The camera angles range from above and from the sides . The tension is then further built by the priest saying Prayers to protect the vampire hunters.

The classic props of stakes holy water sunlight and guns swards spikes are all introduced in the prep to follow the Genre of vampire hunters.

The film then uses surprise to at tension and suspense ater the successful killing of the vampire they are surprised that there was no vampire master. They drive away as the sun goes down, and the camera takes an angleTo film them going away it films the from behind an unmarked grave. The vampire had hidden in his grave outsideThe farm house. As they drive away suddenly his hands drive out through the earth he has awoken ready For REVENGE.

Comparison of Methods of creating Suspense in film 1 and 2.

Key elements for suspense in film1 opening

. Camera angle Subjective through Michael's eye. Mood music spooky music varying speed. Halloween scene set. Prop -Large knife. projecting what's to happen but delay the act. Evil deed

Key elements for suspense in film2 opening

. Camera angle

. Mood music

. Vitriolic team mood

. Props stakes sunlight graves holy water

. The film signals what is to happen then adds a twist

It not surprising that so many elements within the two films are similar. The subjects and genre are different but the films are made by the same person. His trade marks and skills leave their mark on the two films. The way he creates suspense shock and surprise and hence the horror ties the films together easily recognisable as JOHN CARPENTER

Horror Conventions used..Film 1

. Genre - Halloween follows the conventions of a slasher movieThere have been so many Halloween movies bydifferent directors they almost have a sub genre.. Location - Locations is a sleep backwater American town. Characters - The evil starts its manifestation within a child MichaelAnd then progresses from there as Michael grows up . Props - the weapon of choice in this film is the knife in this Horror slasher type movie . Sound . Lighting - The film makes use of night sounds like crickets calling in the night. And eerie background theme which has a stabbing noteAnd uses lowering and raising sound levels.The film employs very dark spaces or times of the day for his attacksAnd often uses harsh lighting to pick out facial highlights

Horror Conventions used..Film 2

Comparison Between film1 and film 2

Use of Narrative..

Narrative is often used in horror films to explain the genre for example the ways ofkilling vampire or rules that they obey like not appearing in the light, not castingReflections in mirrors. Neither of these films seem to use them directlyBut they do hide them within conversation between two characters.

For example the priest will explain what needs to be done to kill the vampires,Its used to explain things to the part of the audience which may be seeing this type of horror story for first time. Or to explain where the plot is going.

John carpenter uses this technique to lead the audience into think theyknow what's coming but then throws a curve ball or twist to create horror tension and suspense.

Similarities between the two films..