Ingrid De Souza

Jhané Ormsby

Fatou Panzout

Group names & Responsibilities

Task 1 Task 2 Task 3

Ingrid Purpose/Conventions MES Narrative Theory

Jhané CAM SAM Sound Narrative Theory

Fatou Editing Narrative Narrative Theory

Film Details

Genre Horror

Year 2004

Director Zack Synder

Main Actors Sarah Polley, Ving

Rhames, Mekhi

Phifer

Film: Dawn Of The Dead Genre: Horror, Thriller

Template Notes

Genre Proof

Thriller

Drama

Zombie films

Sci-fi

Purpose of the opening sequence

The purpose of this opening sequence is..

To leave an enigma to the audience of

what might happen to the people being

attacked by the zombies

It‟s kind of a trailer of the film, leaving

the audience wanting more and more

It gives away of what might happen in

the film

Conventions

General conventions of

genre

Conventions in Dawn of

the Dead

Similar films

1. Conflicts Death The last house on the left

2. Innocent death Possession Paranormal activity

3. Suspense Science lab The Amazing Superman

4. Usually shot in an

urban setting

Transformation Hulk

5. The hero is always the

only one to be able to

solve the problem

Authority in charge Batman

Camera Shots, Angles and Movement.

The Camera section has been split up

into three categories:

Shots

Angles

Movement

SHOTS

In the open sequence close ups were presented which added to the enigmas and expressing facial expressions.

How did these people get to

this mental state?

What happened?

Are they suicidal?

What caused this?

Is this contagious?

Expressing facial

expressions and the

reactions to the

problem.

Angles

There are canted/oblique and low angles presented In the opening

sequence of the film and therefore can create or show higher

authority from another characters, therefore making them feel of a

lower status or self esteem in the film.

This shows a dominant image

which the character plays as the

characters look as if they have

confidence and control over

there issues.

Movement The camera movements presented which I have spotted are zoom and panning

The camera zoomed right into the mouth to express the

use of blood presented and potentially highlighting the

torture.

Panning is presented as the news reporter reports to the mass public the actions

taken out to solve this deathly issue. The panning presented causes more tension

and adds gravity and depth to the wording/reporting.

Mis-en-scene LIGHTING

This is natural

lighting.

In this screen grab, you can

notice that the lighting used is a

low key artificial lighting.

This is a natural

lighting, however it

seems like it has a low

key lighting as well.

However, when ever a zombie

appears, it seems like there‟s

sort of a red tone on the

lighting.

Mis-en-scene: Character

Term Screen grab and Annotation

Representation

Body language

Costume

Props

The body language of the character beside is

more of an authority body language. Just by

the way he‟s standing up and looking towards

the other characters demonstrates that he‟s in

charge.

The image shows a man transforming

into a zombie. However, the lighting

with a red tone connotes death; for

him turning into a zombie it

represents death.

The costume the zombies wear is all

torn and stained from blood from their

victims. It looks really dirty and ripped.

The circled area are camera‟s

and microphone, showing the

position the characters play in

the film. E.G. being a news

reporter or being in authority.

Editing

Diegesis

Continuity Editing

Pace

Time

Cutting

Transition

Special Effects

DiegesisDiegetic Non-Diegetic

• The Characters within the scene can hear him

• The murmuring coming from the reporters

• The sound coming from the zombie overlays the

interviewer talking

• When the zombies are attacking they‟re screaming

• The characters can hear the gunshots going off

• The soldiers shooting the guns within the field of

vision

• Whilst it is transitions, the sound effects of the

zombies encounter that only the audience can

hear

•Its not within the field of vision, but only to the

audience and not the characters

• Again within the field of vision, the zombies are

encountering their attack

• The characters are encountering the attack

• The score music drowns the diegetic

Continuity Editing

Sound Bridge

Whilst these clips are

flowing and transitioning

into each other, you hear

that male character is

being interviewed

You hear him continuously

being questioned until it

gets to the actual clip,

where you see who is he.

This can be effective because its

creates enigmas.. Who is

speaking ? What are they talking

about etc..

Also its effective because the

continuous editing matches his

speech and what he‟s talking,

giving the audience a small insight

for what they should expect.

Continuity Editing

A AB

• As they transition they show how time goes

• The eye line match cut is effective because you want to know in shot

A what he‟s looking as you have a small glimpse of what it is

• Shot A in the last glimpse, shows from the point of view of the camera

Pace

Mid paced but it gradually gets faster

This creates enigmas

The quick cuts affects the audience as it

thrills them and also gets them

questioning

Most of the shots are short and efficient

Time

• Each of these shots are shown in an abstract form,

differentiating the times that are passing.

• It also shows that the different times that have taken place

throughout the cuts

• This type of time is a “story time”

• The time is being stretched therefore showing the different

segments that are taking place within the cuts/shots.

Cutting (Cutaway)

• By the vital pieces of information you know that the film will

be based on zombies.

• The pictures above show that human race and their cells

are being contaminated by whatever the disease is.

• This could effectively answer the audiences enigmas as to

why and what is causing the disruption throughout the

sequence.

Transition

Cross cutting is shown through the cuts.

It goes from one cut to another with no

special transitioning.

The pace is quick and fast.

This builds the enigmas as to what it is

that‟s happening

Special Effects

• The special effects is in a TV format, connoting the reality of the

cuts

• With the use of this effects this also shows that its non-diegetic

• There‟s also a touch of colour filter. Some of the shots had a

red/orange tone to it.

• This connotes that a symbolism of death, violence, danger,

aggression etc

Sound The category sound is split into three elements:

Diegetic sound

Non-diegetic sound

Sound effects

Diegetic sound Diegetic sound are sounds of which is in the characters world and therefore

can potentially effect the character or their actions. Diegetic sounds were

presented throughout the opening sequences.

A prime example of this are:

The praying/chanting at the

beginning of the sequence.

The man seen to be a

man in higher class (and

of a higher status)

answers questions from

the worried public and

publicity.

Non-diegetic sound

Non-diegetic sounds are sounds of which only the audience can

hear. This can also be used as a narration into a movie of over

voices.

This is presented in the film with the over voice , added

music and score music.

Sound effects Sound effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds

and are added on top of imagery. Again, many are presented throughout the opening sequence including between transitions.

Sound effects were added such as

1. Zombie scream

2. Natural sounds inputted

3. Gun shot

4. Heart beating

5. Scream

6. Tv crackle

Other … Other Sound effects were added and created in many

specific ways such as:

1. The use of sound bridging –between various clips shown

2. Volume Control- the soft

music was altered to be like

background music to focus on

the words being said.

3. Dialogue (American Accent)-

interviewing the news

reporter/president.

Barthes Theory Barthes theory ;

The audiences experience of the narrative involves

ANTICIPATION and EXPECTATION of a resolution to

disruption/conflict; Barthes theory of codes of encourage the

audience to seek answers and clues to make them anticipate

outcomes.

These „codes‟ were identified as:

Enigma Code

Action code

Semantic Code

Symbolic Code

Cultural Code

Barthes-Enigma Code Enigma codes are narratives set up as puzzles to be solved

portraying a sense of mystery to engage the audience within a particular sense or sequence.

Images such as the ones portrayed makes the audience questions like:

How did they get into such state? Is it air-born? Is it deathly? Are they dead or alive? Can they recover? Etc.

Barthes-Action Code

Action Codes are codes of behaviour which leads the audience

to expect certain consequences based on other films or genres

and their conventions.

Opening title sequence-Dawn of the Dead- 2004

Horror Films

Action- A possessed/infected person is held

down on a hospital bed.

Assumption- The nurses and doctors are going to use

the captured person as experiments to try and cure or

resolve this problem.

Barthes- Semantic Code

Semantic codes shows connotative meanings of characters, objects,

locations etc.

The same features are presented in iconographic features and experience

about these denotations and connotations.

An example of this would be:

Romance Horror

Red in romance films are

seductive.

Red in Horror films are deathly.

Barthes-Symbolic Code Symbolic codes can be seen as binary opposites. Symbolic

features often signify oppositions and create juxtapositions.

For example: Short and Tall, Day and Night.

In this case, it’s between the sane people who are not infected

and the people who are infected and therefore turned to

zombies.

The „zombies‟ The normal and sane

people.

Barthes: Cultural Code

Cultural codes are outside the text and often refers to things within popular

culture within historical events.

An example of this would be the health during the times of the war period and

therefore there was a fascination about keeping alert and the constant watch

of the news.

Narrative - Structure

The opening sequence is structured in a non linear

format.

Its not a whole narrative but its an enigma

It is presented in segments, showing the changes

in time and the locations

Enigmas

Why is this person like this?

What caused this?

How did they become like ?

Were they contaminated ?

Narrative Theory –Propp

Propp‟s theory couldn‟t be applied to our opening sequence as many of his features hadn‟t taken place within the opening sequence

Narrative theory

Cameron

Cameron‟s theory couldn‟t be linked into this opening

sequence because:

• It doesn‟t have split screens or flash backs or flash

forwards