Sample Student 1

Sample #2 Create a Sequel Assignment(written by a former student in a previous class)

HUM 110: Introduction to American FilmJC Clapp, North Seattle College

This should give you an idea of what is expected. It is a bit on the short side, but the level of detail, description, and analysis is great.

ZOMBIELAND 2

CHARACTER LIST (BY APPEARANCE)

SCOTTSDALE: Scottsdale is Columbus and Wichita’s child. He is three years

old during the film and was born after the zombie outbreak.

LITTLE ROCK: Little Rock is Wichita’s younger sister and Scottsdale’s aunt.

Little Rock is seventeen, has long brown hair, and wears flannel and a

beanie.

WICHITA: Wichita is Columbus’s husband, Little Rock’s older sister, and

Scottsdale’s mother. She is strong-willed and protective of her family. She

has long red hair and wears a leather jacket with tall boots.

COLUMBUS: Columbus is the film’s narrator and Wichita’s husband. He is

twenty-five years old during the film and is the father of Scottsdale.

Columbus is the group’s level-headed, yet geeky leader who uses strategy to

help his family survive the zombie outbreak. Columbus has dark, curly hair,

is thin, and wears a button up shirt and a jacket.

TALLAHASSEE: Tallahassee is the group’s comic relief and is in his forties. He

loves killing zombies in creative, brutal ways ever since the death of his son.

Tallahassee is bald with an unshaven face, wears a leather jacket, and sport

Sample Student 2

a large, Indiana Jones-style fedora. Despite is hard exterior, Tallahassee

cares deeply for both Little Rock and Scottsdale.

SETTING: The group is driving through rural Oregon after leaving Northern

California. The film takes place over five years after a worldwide zombie

outbreak that has left most the Earth’s population either dead or as zombies.

Guitar with heavy overdrive plays with a fade in to a candid shot of an

American flag with a very shallow depth of field.1 The camera then flips to

reveal that the flag is being held upside down by a giggling toddler. The

quality of the footage suggests that this is a home movie. The angle is eye

level and the shot is captured through the back, driver-side window of a

white minivan.2 The toddler, sitting in a car seat, giggles. Guitar fades.

Off-screen sound: Little Rock giggles.

Cut to shot of entire car through the front windshield. The quality returns to full definition. All lighting in the vehicle is set to look natural. Columbus is driving, Wichita sits in the passenger seat, and Tallahassee, Little Rock, and the toddler sit in the back. Little Rock has a camcorder and is video taping the toddler.

Columbus then begins to narrate, non-diegetically.3

Columbus (Voice-over)“I used to not have a family. That was before Zombieland.”

1 This shot of the flag emulates the original's opening scene which contrasts America and the newly established Zombieland.2 The original frequently involves scenes in cars shot through windows.3 Columbus's narration and insight into Zombieland guide us and provide necessary exposition in the original.

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Cut to low angle shot from back seat. Close up on Columbus and Wichita holding hands on console.4

Cut back to windshield shot.

Columbus (Voice-over)Quite a bit has happened over the past five years.

Camera cuts to crane shot looking down on the white minivan they ride in. Camera very quickly pulls back, eventually using CGI and zooming out to see the Earth as a fiery sphere.5

Columbus (Voice-over)“In our travels, new friends have come and gone. But they’ve mostly

gone.”

Cut to a flashback.6 Shot is a long medium shot of a man fueling the white minivan. The minivan has a “3” painted on the side in black paint and has a bulldozer plow attached to the front of the vehicle.7

Off-screen sound: The bell rings from the gas station door opening.8

Man looks offscreen. Eyeline match. Cut to a zombie walking out the gas station door. Cut to medium close-up on man. He raises his gun and pulls the trigger, but there is no shot.

In the background, on-screen non-diegetic text "RULE #52: BRING EXTRA AMMO" is superimposed.9

Columbus (Voice-over)“This brings us to rule number 52: Always bring extra ammunition.”

Cut back to zombie who takes off towards man.

4 Columbus and Wichita’s budding romance was a subplot for the first film. The sequel jumps five years to show that they’re no married.5 This zoom out is used as an opening technique in the original films opening.6 As Columbus narrates the first film, he commonly uses flashbacks to fill the audience in on the films exposition..7 In the first film, Tallahassee paints a “3” on all of his vehicles.8 The ringing of a bell in department stores or gas stations is a motif in the first film. The welcoming ring is ironic since the store is usually abandoned or full of zombies.9 The on-screen presentation of Columbus's rules are consistent through the original.

Sample Student 4

Cut to a crane shot that establishes the setting of a deserted parking lot of the gas station.10 The scene is dark, with the main light source being lampposts.11

A chase ensues, using POV, handheld shots from both the zombie and the victim to build suspense.12 Zombie then catches man and bites off his arm. Blood and shredded tissue are exposed. Blood spurts everywhere.13

Columbus (Voice-over)“The poor bastard14. We picked him up just north of Oklahoma City. But there is someone who is here to stay. Say hello to Flagstaff.”

Cut to windshield shot. Columbus looks up to rearview mirror. Eye line match to an over-the-shoulder shot focused on the rearview mirror showing the toddler in the reflection.

Flashback 2 begins. Fade to a chase scene in slow motion. The music is an ironic 1950s pop song.15 The focus is shallow and the filter brings a sepia tint.16 Long shot of Columbus, Little Rock, and a pregnant Wichita running towards the camera. A zombie is chasing them.

Cut to behind the shoulder shot of Tallahassee standing in stance with a baseball bat. Columbus, Little Rock, and Wichita run by.

Cut to medium long shot of Tallahassee’s entire figure. As the zombie runs by, Tallahassee swings the bat, hitting the zombie in the face. As soon as connection is made, the film speeds back up to regular speed and blackish red blood splattered everywhere as the zombie falls to the ground.17 A large, over exaggerated “boom” combined with a long, sharp “clink” are heard when the zombie is hit. The sound resembles hitting something metal with a baseball bat.

10 Deserted, commonplace buildings are common settings of the original.11 Dark lighting is used frequently in the original to set the tone.12 Director Ruben Fleischer frequently uses this cinematography style in chase scenes.13 Dark blood and overdramatic deaths are both motifs in the original film.14 “Bastard” frequents Columbus’s dialogue in the original15 Ironic pop music is used occasionally in the first film during chase scenes. This music was specifically inspired by the flashback scenes of Tallahassee and his son in the first film.16 These stylistic choices pay homage to both the chase scenes in Zombieland’s opening sequence and the flashbacks Tallahassee has of his son, Buck.17 Any time that a zombie is hit in the original, it is overdramatized. This is reflected in this scene by slowing down the action, then speeding it back up as soon as the bat hits the zombies face. Excessive amounts of blood also act as a motif in the first film.

Sample Student 5

Cut to a medium close-up of Tallahassee’s grinning face.

Tallahassee“Time to nut up or shut up.”18

Cut back to a windshield shot. Speed and tint return to normal as the flashback ends and the music cuts with the transition.

Wichita“Are you sure you know where we’re going?”

Columbus“It’s just to Seattle. Once we get there, we’ll meet up with the rest of the survivors just south of downtown. It’s not that complicated.”

Cut to angled shot of back seat.

Little Rock“But shouldn’t we avoid downtown? Who knows how many zombies there could be there?”

Cut back to windshield shot, camera moved slightly towards the driver’s side, focused on Wichita.

Wichita“Yea, shouldn’t we take another way?”

Cut to camera from passenger side, focused on Columbus.

Columbus“We’re on I-5 in the middle of fucking Zombieland. I think I can handle

this.”

Cut to long shot from side of the road with the minivan approaching. The setting is an abandoned interstate in the middle of Oregon with a large median. The sky is cloudy and grey.19 As their car drives by, the camera pans to keep it center-focused.20

Cut to driver-side window shot of backseat.18 This line is also a motif in the original and is frequently used by Tallahassee when killing zombies.19 Most the scenes from the first film take place in a similar setting. The cloudy sky established the film’s signature washed color scheme.20 This drive by pan shot is used in the original to show a passing of time.

Sample Student 6

Little Rock“When are we going to get there?”

Cut to close up of Columbus’s face. He’s clearly frustrated.

Flagstaff“Dad, are we there yet?”

Columbus“Not yet, buddy. Just a few more hours.”

Flagstaff“But Dad!”

Camera still on Columbus’s face. Frustration continues and he rolls his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes grow large as he focuses on something in the road.

Columbus“Son of a bitch!”

Cut to medium close up of Little Rock’s face. She is clearly confused. We hear the offscreen squeal of Columbus slamming on the breaks.

Cut to shot of car from the outside. The camera pans as the car comes to a dramatic halt right beside a Portland population sign.

Cut to a closeup of Columbus’s nervous, sweaty face.21

Eye line match to a shot of a pack of hundreds of zombies standing in the middle of the road.

Windshield shot of everyone in the car, panicked. Flagstaff is oblivious to the zombies.

Columbus (Voice-over)“You would think that after five years in Zombieland, we’d have this figured out, but every once in a while you run in to a swarm. That’s when we made the plow”22

Cut to shot facing the minivan. The bulldozer plow that is attached to the front of the vehicle is now lowered to ground level.21 Columbus’s anxiety is prominent in the first film. This is shown in makeup through profuse sweating.22 This style of pause in the action frequents Columbus’s narrator style.

Sample Student 7

Columbus (Voice-over)“Rule number 64: When in doubt, plow it out.”

Tallahassee lets out an excited yell.

Cut to a shot from the side of the road as the minivan speeds into the swarm of zombies.

Cut to an over the shoulder shot from inside the car looking out the front windshield. There is a series of “thuds” as the zombies hit the plow and roll up the windshield. The camera then tilts up to see zombies rolling over the top of the vehicle through the moonroof.23

Cut to a crane shot showing the clear path that the minivan is making in the sea of zombies. The minivan begins to slow down as the pile of zombies in front builds up. The minivan is forced to come to a halt. There are still plenty of Zombies remaining.

Cut to a windshield shot of Columbus and Wichita. Columbus hits the steering wheel in anger and yells.

Cut to shot of Columbus, Tallahassee, and Wichita getting out of the car.

Tallahassee“Yea, buddy! Let’s go get some zombies!”

Overdrive guitar starts again.24 Cut to an over the shoulder shot of Columbus taking out zombies with a shot gun. Each zombie that is shot falls dramatically.

Cut to a long shot of Tallahassee using throwing axes to hit zombies.25

Cut to a head-on medium closeup of Tallahassee with a glowing smile. In slow motion, we see Tallahassee throw an axe towards the camera.

Cut to shot of the camera following directly behind the axe as it flies, spinning, towards a zombie. A dolly is used to follow the axe.

23 I intentionally shot the moonroof in this shot to add very subtle foreshadowing of Scottsdale climbing through the roof at the end.24 Just as in the original film, a guitar is used during intense battle scenes.25 Fleischer has Tallahassee use non-traditional weapons throughout the first film. This includes a banjo, baseball bats, and hedge clippers. These weapons add to the quirkiness of the film and amplify the gore required to kill the zombies.

Sample Student 8

Right before the axe hits the zombie26, we cut to a low angle, long shot of Tallahassee from where the body lies.27 Blood splatters on the camera lens.28

Cut to an over the shoulder shot of Wichita shooting zombies with a pistol. The zombies are shown to be moving closer and closer. Wichita then runs out of ammunition.

Cut to a point of view shot of Wichita looking down at her gun and realizing that she’s out of bullets.

Cut to a crane shot that gives a higher angle shot from above the minivan. The shot faces the swarm of zombies as they move closer towards the van. Long, dramatic notes are played on a guitar in the soundtrack.29

Cut to a shot of Tallahassee, Columbus, and Wichita stepping backwards towards the van as they are surrounded. They suddenly back into the van, realizing that they’re trapped.

Cut to a black screen. The camera is in the cargo space of the minivan, but there is no light inside. Suddenly we hear the “whoosh” of the minivan’s hatchback opening. As the door opens from the bottom, we see the swarm of zombies from Little Rock’s point-of-view. Little Rock is stationed with a machine gun in the cargo space of the minivan.

Cut to a shot of the cargo space. We see Little Rock with a machine-gun, ready to unleash fire on the swarm.

Cut to a medium closeup on Little Rock’s face from the right side. Little Rock takes in a breath, then slowly exhales.30

Cut to a point of view shot from Little Rock. Little Rock unleashes fire on the zombies. The camera pans left and right on the same pivot that the gun does as we see zombies drop to the ground like flies.

26 Fliescher frequently makes abrupt cuts right before a gory killing to insinuate the kill without showing the morbid and grotesque shot of a zombies head being split in half.27 The low angle helps create a point-of-view shot from the zombie while also establishing Tallahassee as a dominant threat.28 Blood on the camera lens is used in the film to insinuate closeness to the action without having to show the dead body. It rattles the viewer and gives spatial perspective without containing an overly grotesque shot.29 Similar to the scenes at the amusement park, the use of these guitar notes keeps the films rock theme while still establishing the dread and hopelessness the characters are feeling.30 This is the breathing technique Tallahassee taught Little Rock for shooting in the first film that was a motif during the climax.

Sample Student 9

Cut to a crane shot above the car showing Wichita and Columbus entering the vehicle.

Cut to a windshield shot of the vehicle. Wichita digs through the glovebox as Columbus searches through the console.

Wichita“I’m all out of ammo”

Columbus“Fuck! So am I!”

As the scene continues, there is a very deep depth of field. Though the focus of the shot is Columbus and Wichita’s search for ammunition, we can see Little Rock shooting at the swarm in the background through the hatchback. In the background we also hear a chainsaw starting up and see Tallahassee going after zombies and shredding corpses.31

Wichita“Didn’t we restock while we were in San Francisco?”

Columbus“Yea, but we used almost everything in Salem.”

The words “RULE #52: BRING EXTRA AMMO” are superimposed on the film in the background scenery, but disappear with a “poof” sound. We hear Little Rock yell from the background.

Little Rock“Guys, I’m all out!”

Cut to a shot of the side of the minivan. Columbus and Wichita run around to the back door to help Little Rock.

Cut to facing the back of the minivan. We hear the chainsaw slowly kick as it runs out of gas. Tallahassee runs into the shot.

Cut to closeups of each person’s face. Columbus, Wichita, and Little Rock all seem hopeless. Tallahassee is frustrated. Columbus narrates as we switch from face to face.

31 This shot reflects Tallahassee’s joy in killing zombies and his use of nontraditional weapons while still shielding the audience from extensive gore by keeping the action in the background.

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Columbus (Voice-over):“Well, this is it. I guess my family32 had a good run during this shit

storm. We’d made it further than most. We hadn’t found another surviver in nearly two months. I knew at some point this would have to end. But why here? Fuckin’ Portland.33”

Cut to a medium shot of Tallahassee pulling a Twinkie out of his back pocket and unwrapping it34.

Cut to Little Rock who give Tallahassee a confused and judgmental glare.

Tallahassee:“What? I’m not going to let this baby go to waste”

Cut to a crane shot from above the minivan facing out towards the zombies.35 Suddenly, we hear a “clink” and a small dot flies into the swarm of remaining zombies. There is a large explosion.

Cut to the side of the zombie swarm where bodies and dismembered limbs fly everywhere. Blood is splattered onto the camera lens.

Cut to a low angle shot of Flagstaff, who has crawled through the moonroof. Flagstaff has a grenade pin in his mouth and is smiling from ear to ear.

Tallahassee (offscreen):“Well I’ll be damned”

Columbus (Voice-over):“Well, that’s my boy. As the first child born a citizen of Zombieland,36 I guess I should expect nothing less.”

Cut to scene of everyone getting back into the car as the narration continues. The minivan then drives off in the distance and the camera is

32 This line inserts the family based theme of the first film. Columbus, once an introverted loner, has grown to love these people and accept them as his own.33 Fleischer consistently uses crass language in the original. Colombus also seems the be more profane during moments of desperation.34 Tallahassee’s desperate search for a Twinkie is an ironic driving motivation for the original film.35 This high angle shot show acts as a reestablishing shot to show how many zombies are left. The high angle also makes our heroes look small and helpless during this scene of hopelessness.36 As in the original, Columbus continues to refer to Zombieland his new country now that all government and establishments have dissolved. This is a motif in the first film.

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raised on a crane and zooms out. Once the narration is complete, the screen fades to black.37

Columbus (Voice-over):“And so continues life in our new country. It may not be perfect, but it’s home. I’m Columbus Ohio from Zombieland saying ‘Goodnight.’”38

A rock anthem begins to play as credits start to roll.

37 The cinematography and editing of this closing shot parallel the closing scene of the original film when they drive away from Pacific Playland.38 The sign-out is how Fleischer ends his first film.