10 Things You Learn Rewatching Halloween (1978)
6. Carpenter's Visuals
As wonderful as Carpenter's score and script are, his visuals are what truly sets Halloween apart from its counterparts.
Utilizing Panaglide technology, Carpenter and cinematographer Dean Cundey gave Halloween a smooth and effortless visual presence. The original competition of Steadicam, Panaglide was an early version of the technology that had only been used on three films prior to this. And with their low budget, Carpenter and Cundey were understandably thrilled to get their hands on the technology.
And it pays off in spades.
They used the camera to put audiences very much in the same position as Michael in the opening of the film; voyeurs. The shots of Laurie Strode simply walking through the neighborhood feel intrusive almost. Similarly, framing nearly every conversation in the film with both participants in one frame rather than using shot reverse shot to accomplish the same thing serves to build character and atmosphere, and it's only possible through the use of Panaglide.
The film wasn't shot like a typical American horror film of the time, but rather like the avant-garde European films that Carpenter loved so much. Thus, it has these long-takes and shots of noir-inspired lighting, utilizing the shadows and open spaces in the frame as the greatest sources of dread.