Assignment 20: Opening Sequence Analysis

Responsibilities

Tayla (Person 1) Chelsea (Person 2) Kelly (Person 3) Gelsomina (Person4)

Purpose and conventions + some sound + 1 narrative

theory

CAM SAMC + some sound + 1 Narrative

theoryEditing + 1

Narrative theory

Narrative (structure/enigma/type) + MES + 1 Narrative

theory

‘Dawn of the Dead’

Film Details

Genre Action/Horror/Sci -Fi

Year 2004

Director Zack Snyder

Main Actors Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Mekhi Phifer

Film : Dawn of the Dead (2004)Genre : Action/Horror/ Sci-fi

Source: Art of the Title

Template Notes

Purpose (Genre)

Action Horror Sci-Fi

-‘Edge of our seats’

-Suspense

- Fear

- Panic

- Alarm

- Dread for the audience.

- Educate

- Intrigue

- Futuristic prospects

Purpose (Opening Sequence)

The purpose, like most predominantly Horror films its aim is to:• Fear• Alarm• Panic Audiences

Through the opening sequence the use of montage editing, fast pace and high pitch score music it is clear to see that this opening sequence is intended to fright the audience. It is further emphasised through the convention of blood.

Convention Table

General Conventions of Genre Conventions in Dawn of the Dead (Challenged or Reinforced?)

Similar Films

1. Blood Reinforced Saw

2.Weapons to harm Reinforced 28 Weeks Later

3.Possessed child Reinforced Mama

4.Blonde victim Challenged- she is not a victim Gone

Close ups Mid shot Extreme close ups

Establishing shot

Insert Shot Aerial Shot

Camera Shots

Extreme close up of zombies mouth full of blood

Someone’s hand reaching out to grab something

Establishing shot of white house and armed guards

Showing the development of the spreading virus

High Low Oblique

These show the zombies as inadequate compared to normal people

This shot shows the soldiers as superior as they are armed, it is also canted as the angle shows different head space between the soldiers

Camera Angles

• The camera movement is very shaky, Fast pace• It is very unclear, similar to cctv footage

• Jumpy

Camera Movement

Mise-en-scene : Setting

• At 00:36 the setting seems to be set in a conference. It seems as if the female is asking the male a question. • Furthermore this can be gathered due to the multiple microphones at the bottom.

•At 00:41 the setting moves to outside in the streets. • It seems as if there is a riot going on due to the mass numbers of people and the man raising his arm which seems to be protesting.• This sense of rioting continues throughout the whole opening sequence.

Mise-en-scene : Setting

• At 00:47 the setting seems to be at a local news station.• He mentions how he has lost transmission connection.

• The setting at 01:59 seems to be at the white house.• High key lighting. During the day and outside.•The main colours are black and white.

Mise-en-scene : Lighting

• Seems to be mostly low key lighting and available lighting which fits into the conventions of a horror genre.

Mise-en-scene : CharacterTerms Annotations :

•They seem to be running• Wearing black• Protective clothing• Guns• Helmets• Fighting or protecting

Representation They seem to be represented as powerful as they have weapons. Also by them having weapons it gives them a sense of authority. As we don't know what they are shouting it is not clear if they are good or bad.

Body Language They seem to be defensive as they are holding their weapons up pointing at someone or something. They also seem to be running forwards.

Costume Black protective gear and a helmet. They seem like they are some form of police men.

Props A guns.

Mise-en-scene : CharacterTerms Annotations :

• Blood• Wearing black shirt• Showing teeth -> Predatory• Makeup -> Pale -> Zombie?

Representation This character is represented as evil as he has blood all over his mouth. Furthermore, he is wearing black which is a connotation for either death or darkness.

Body Language He seems to be screaming. His mouth is covered in blood and as are his teeth. This shows a sense of predatory behaviour which links to how zombies tend to act

Costume He seems to be wearing an open black shirt. Make up seems pale which can imply that he is a zombie. Zombies tend to wear casual clothing as they were human before they turned.

Props None.

Editing

Dawn of the dead is a montage editingIt's pace is fast to create tension of what is happening and how fast the

virus Is spreading

The Diegesis of ‘dawn of the dead’ the MES makes the characters experience the internal world of the story line

Is also contains jump cuts of different scenes to show what is happening all around the world

Title and transition

A red bold tittle is being used to reinforce the significant of blood also a bloody effect is used in the tittles it also establishes the horror genre

The transition being used is fade to black and tap record effect to make it more realistic

Special effects

The special effects being used is black and white, sepia and a variety of different color effect to shown the different characters in different a perspective. There is also use of a tap recording effect making it more seem dramatic and realistic.

Other

Use of micro photography effect is being used to show the virus from a closer view representing how dangerous the virus is.

Sound

At 0:52 the score music reaches a climax in terms of becoming higher in volume control at a faster pace where it becomes high pitch. It is where the disequilibrium happens that tension is heightened amongst audience.

Narrative

Structure Type Enigma

• Implicit – It is unclear what is happening in the opening sequence.• It is unclear whether it is linear or non linear.

Restricted- does not give away to much in terms of what caused this to happen primairily.

• What is happening?• Who are those people?• Why is there so much distress?• Why are there so many destructions?• Why is there so much violence between people?

Todorov

• This opening sequence shows no evidence of the equilibrium although it does make references throughout via insert shots

• The opening sequence consists of the disequilibrium throughout

• There is no new equilibrium shown in the final scenes of the dawn of the dead opening sequence

Barthes

Enigma Code Action Code Semantic Code Symbolic Code Cultural Code

•What is happening?• Who are those people?• Why is there so much distress?• Why are there so many destructions?• Why is there so much violence between people?

•Rioting leads to mass destruction and buildings catching fire and loads of causalities.

• The majority of the characters are covered in blood and eating people which makes the audience conclude that the movie maybe about zombies.

• There is lots of burning and fighting between people. Loads of people are running away so it could symbolise the ending of the world they know.

• There seems to be loads of guns, explosions, rioting.

Propp

Generally, Propp’s theory in the opening sequence is not applicable.

Although, there is some similarities in terms of a helper being the main characters associates and the villains being the Zombies.

Cameron

Cameron's theory of Anachronic there is no clear chronological order. There is flashbacks to the news reporters of what is happening. We know these are flashbacks by the fuzziness effect on the screen.