10 Secrets From The Set Of John Carpenter's Halloween 1978

7. Panaglide Versus Steadicam

Halloween 1978 Michael
Compass International Pictures

Budget issues again played a part in securing some of the best shots of the film. Panaglide was a competitor to the Steadicam (made famous by the long shots in Kubrick's The Shining). It allowed the camera to be rigged to the operator for long, unbroken shots - like the infamous opening scene.

Cinematographer Dean Cundey relished the opportunity to work with John Carpenter, as although the young director was not established yet in Hollywood, he had a true interest in the methodology of how the film was put together. As he says, this was a new technology that they were learning to use by the seat of their pants.

The film was as much a learning curve for the production crew as it was for the young talent in front of the camera.

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Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"