Ashlea Hickin
Media Studies
Former United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself. - IMDB
Mise En Scene:
The setting changes quite frequently throughout the opening; however it is noticeable that it starts with various natural setting – for example a beach. It is also interesting that there are no people in the natural settings as they only appear in the man-made ones such as the train station and the busy streets. They are all however very normal places that most people would be able to relate to.
We are not introduced to a main character in the beginning so the only people that we see are those that you would usually expect to be in that particular setting. For example, in the background, we hear TV presenters introducing breakfast shows which suggest it is the morning. In the urban, city settings we see people wearing suites and smart costumes which suggests wealth and sustainability. Whereas the setting of busy streets, the people are in much worn, ill-fitting clothing which suggests poverty and lack of jobs. It is unclear to the audience as to who the film is going to be about however, the cultural diversity that is shown through the costumes suggest that it is likely to be about something that will effect lots of different people all over the world.
High key lighting is used throughout as it is daytime so it makes it look more realistic to the audience. It suggests that nothing is wrong as the lighting is soft which gives you a sense of security and peace. It also allows the audience to see everything that is going on and clearly introduces them to them film and the problems that will occur within it.
The props used were relevant and related to the setting that they featured in. For example, in the settings that appeared to be wealthier, props such as briefcases and various means of technology were used. Compared to the less fortunate setting where the props were items such as bikes and cardboard boxes containing goods. This adds realism to each setting and makes it more believable for the audience. It also gives them an accurate representation of each setting and allows them to work out more about the people featured in each of the settings.
The colours throughout are quite vivid and don’t appear to have been washed out at all. This suggests that life is very normal at this point and there is no reason why anything should be wrong. The predominant colours in the natural settings include colours such as blues and greens which have connotations of happiness, nature and beauty. This suggests that the nature is untouched and free. There are however no predominant colours in the wealthy, urban setting as it is mainly composed of neutral tones of grey, black cream and white from the buildings and their costumes. This could suggest that the human race has a threat posed on it as it is not bursting with colour. The fact that the colours have not been washed out allows the audience to have more of an idea as to what the everyday lives of the characters are like and also suggests that nothing has gone wrong yet.
Camerawork:
Establishing shots are used when we are introduced to a new setting to allow us to adjust to it before being introduced to the people. This allows the audience to understand where they are and predict what they think it might be like there and the relevance of it. Although the shots do not last very long, it gives the audience enough time to adapt to the new setting without getting confused. The quick changes of setting also allow the audience to compare world problems from a business person in a city getting stuck in a rush of people to someone in a poorer country having to take their good to market using a bike. Close up shots are used of the insects which suggests to the audience that even the smallest creatures will be affected by the changes to the world. It could also suggest how small each individual person is in the world and when they are altogether, they can have a huge impact. A high angle shot is used to make the people look vulnerable. This suggests that what is about to happen cannot be stopped and the people will all be badly affected. It suggests to the audience that something bad is going to happen to the people. An extreme close up is used when the man is telling people that the whole thing is a hoax. This emphasises his point and shows its importance to the audience by zooming in closer to his face. It could also suggest how wrong he is because we know that something bad is going to happen – as suggested by the words ‘world’ and ‘war’ in the title of the film. The addition of the shot of the wolf between the close up and extreme close up suggests danger and contradicts what the man is saying. This would therefore make the audience feel on edge as they don't know what is going to happen.
Editing:
The whole of the opening appears to have a broken glass effect on it where part of the image is distorted and doesn’t line up with the rest of the image. This is effective as it disorientates the viewer but adds suspense at the same time. It is interesting that the cuts between the different settings get faster towards the end as the music gets louder. This could suggest that time is running out and would also make the audience anticipate what is coming next which may also put them on edge. The superimposition of the news stories that we hear overlap each other are all about the same thing. This could suggest urgency and how massive the news is as it is on every channel. It continues as the setting changes which suggest that the same news has spread all over the world. It is interesting that after the man talks about doomsday there is then a jump cut to a shot of animal killing each other. This is effective as it suggests that it has already started happening and that something similar could happen to humans soon. It is ironic as the audience know that something bad is going to happen.
There is a distinct use of montage throughout the opening. This is when lots of different clips are put together but do not tell a story. This is particularly effective in this case because it disorientates the viewer and doesn't tell them exactly what is going on. The quick cuts within it add a feeling of stress which suggest to the audience that time is running out.
Soundtrack:
The voiceover of the presenters that are opening their shows overlap with each other which represent just how many of them there are which are telling people the same thing. It may be comforting the audience as it is a familiar sound that lots of people will have heard in their lives. It also suggests normality which is ironic as we know that something bad is going to happen. The background music is in minor key which connotes danger and suggests that something is going to go wrong. It may also put the audience on edge as it sounds quite unsettling. The background music starts very quietly at the beginning and crescendos throughout the opening. This suggests a developing problem which would intrigue the audience and make them want to keep watching. The music crescendos very dramatically at the end which builds more tensions and also builds up to the reveal of the title when the audience discover what the film is about. This would make them excited to watch the rest of the film and see what happens to all of the people they have seen in the opening scene.
Example of a natural setting from the opening
Example of a wealthy, urban setting and professional, business costume from the opening
The use of mobile phones as props used in the opening
The less wealthy setting and characters used in the opening. There are also lots of bright colours such as yellows and reds.
After the establishing shot of this setting, the next time we return we see the contrast between the rich and the poor
Establishing shot to allow the audience to adjust to the change of setting
High angle shot to make the people look small and vulnerable
Close up of man then cuts to a shot of a wolf attacking another animal and then back to an extreme close up of the man to emphasise his point.
Broken glass effect
Watch the opening here:
Credits:
All of the credits are in the same sans serif, bold, capitalised font. It is all coloured white which could represent how innocent the people were before the disease hit. The capitalisation of the credits makes them bolder and suggests their importance; however the size of the people’s names tends to be bigger than their role within the making of the film. This allows the audience to only take in the most important information and also allows the names to stand out to the audience as they may be the reason that they have gone to watch the film if they are a fan of a particular actor or director. The positioning of the credits varies each time on the screen however, they are always positioned within the black part of the shot, keeping the text and the image very separate. This helps to keep what is happening in the film very realistic and also doesn't distract you from what is happening. Each separate section of the credits lasts for about three seconds from when it appears on the screen to when it disappears. There are no soft fades between the credits, representing the harshness of what is happening in the film and also building suspense, especially as it changes in time with the music.
The title of the film is much larger than the other credits and is displayed on the screen for five seconds, suggesting its importance and also allowing it to have more of an impact on the audience. The way in which the title is revealed to us is also very unique as it zooms out of the shot to reveal the title. This then explains to the audience why there were randomly positioned black sections of the screen as it is the edge of the letters. It also suggests the relationship between the title and the people as we get the sense that they are strongly connected and involved. The title also fades out of shot, having a more calming effect than the other credits.
The credits mainly followed the institutional conventions as the director's name was shown at the very start however, it did not tell you that they were the director until the end of the credits. Other than this, the credits were in order of importance e.g. Brad Pitt's name came first in the actors names.
This gif demonstrates how the shot zooms out and turn into the title.
The director's name is shown however it does not state that he is the director.
Brad Pitt's name is shown first of all the actor's names and is in the black part of the shot.