Shaun of the Dead.

   

Shawn of the Dead.

Youtube Link: www.youtube.com/watch

DVD Cover.

Film Genre: Comedic Horror.

First Point.  Establishing the Zombies.

• This part of the scene subtly foreshadows what is to come in the upcoming scenes of the movie. It is used to establish the scene, the location, and let the audience take in the surroundings to help them understand the storyline and the characters.

Camera Angle/ Shot.

• This shot is on the audience's eyeline,  as if they are really seeing this appear in front of them. With using this as an establishing shot, the audience are given the information of the surroundings, and can directly relate to the environment, as it is in a regular place in a shopping centre.
• This shot is a long shot, due to the character being in full scale, but showing the locale around the subject.

Sound. 

• The non digetic soundtrack that is used over the scene is very upbeat and bouncy, contrasted to what is usually expected in a horror film of a eerie ghostly track. The soundtrack does not suggest there is an ominous atmosphere, or that anything bad is about to happen. It is very repetitive indicating to the audience that the same thing is going to keep happening, and happening, that it is like a cycle, it will just keep going round in circles. 

Mise En Scene.

• The subject in the shot is the only one, there is no one else, showing a remote location, which is usually included in horror movies. It also seems not quite right, as it is broad daylight and at a supermarket, in which supermarkets are buzzing with customers constantly. 
• The dominant colour within the shot is blue, which usually connotes calm, but due to this being a horror movie, it is most likely to represent clinical, due to the people being affected by this 'disease'.

Editing.

• Within this shot the camera tracks the subject, from left to right, as one smooth movement, which is not used a lot within horror movies, due to the shots being jumpy and out of place. This subverts the usual editing techniques used within a horror movie, and demonstrates the normality of the surroundings in the scene. 

Mirror Reaction - Bus Stop

Mirrored Reactions - Supermarket Cashiers

Both of these shots to the left emphasise the repetitive motions,prefiguring what is to come later on in the film. 

Camera Angle/ Shot

• There is no real dominant individual within these shots, all together the people are the dominant, as they seem united as one due to their actions being mirrored by each other. 
• There is moderate lighting within these shots, as it is not as dark as a typical horror, or as light as a romance film. 
• Both of these shots are medium shots, as they are all from the waist up on every single character. 

Sound.

• The sound that has been used within this clip is the same as the previous section, it is bouncy and light, but it changes with eerie voices in a chorus, almost like a laughter scene within a horror movie, conforming to the conventions of a typical horror film. 
• The sound is repetitive, which is similar to the shots of the people within the scene all mirroring each other, and doing the same actions at exactly the same time, this is demonstrating what is to come in the near future. 

Mise En Scene.

• The dominant colour within both of these shots is blue, which is connoting something clincial, much like an infection that is going to spread and affect more and more people. 
• Within this shot all of the people are different ages, showing that this 'infection' can happen to anyone of any gender/age/race or ethnicity. 
• Within the underlying design, there is a lot of horizontal lines, which usually show peace and tranquility, and normality, but as this is a horror film, we see that this is not the case. 
• In the second picture, the girl at the front is more in focus that the rest of the individuals within the shot, as they move along the characters become more and more out of focus, showing that they are all merging into one, and that the same thing is happening to everyone else.
• In the top picture the man with the blue shirt stands out as he is directly looking at the camera, almost as if he is challenging the viewers, whereas all of the others within the scene are looking away from the camera. It isolates this character, as it seems he can see straight into the camera, whereas the other's do not see that they are being watched. 
• In the second picture the tills and the positioning of the cashiers are diagonal, indicating tension, and suggesting that everything is not as it seems. 

Editing. 

• These shots include the same techniques as the previous shot above, the editing technique that is used is invisible editing, as it is not attracting the attention of the viewers. It is also used as it is showing reality in it's simplest form, there is nothing bad that is going to happen, so no jump cuts are needed, like they usually are within a horror film. 
• The subjects are all tracked, from left to right, showing a connection between them all. 
• Montage editing is also used, as we do not see why all of these unconnected events are being shown, as they are all in different locations,including a supermarket car park, a bus shelter, and a street tunnel. 

This scene subverts the subconventions of a horror movie in every way possible, nothing scary happens, there are no jumps, and there is no tension building. 

Point 2: Nothing Scary? Normal Movie?

Sofa Surfing

Camera Angle/Shot

• This reaction shot is used to convey the characters reaction to something which is happening off screen. Taking the whole of the surroundings into consideration, this is a loose shot, due to the amount of area that the subjects have to move around within. Both of the characters are in the middle of the shot conveying their importance and authority within the shot
• It appears that we are at eye level with the two character's, as they are not directly above or below the audience, showing that we are equal to them, and we could relate to them more. 

Sound.

• Within this scene there is no non- diegetic sound, which is usually consistent within a horror movie. 
• The sound of the video game gives a whole different feel to the movie, with eerie noises and the sound of various gun shots, linking in to the fore coming scenes in the film.
• The sound of the phone ringing gives a jumpy effect, which is usually expected within a horror movie, but we shrug it off due to the fact it is an everyday thing that happens and we should not be scared by it. 

Mise En Scene

• Shaun is wearing a red top, in which red connotes danger, so this could be demonstrating what is to come in the near future for Shaun, and the impact it will have on his life. It could also connote blood, and action, which we are sure is to come within this horror movie. 
• Blue is a dominant colour within this scene, hinting at a clinical infection which is soon to affect the people within the town, and what affect it will have on the protagonists. 
• The mess all around them could show the audience this is what their lives are like, unorganised, messy and all over the place, with no respect for things around them and no self respect. 
• The character proxemics indicate that both of the character's are very close friends, as they are sat directly beside each other,conveying to the audience the closeness of their friendship. 
• Both of the characters are facing the camera, it is like they are inviting us into their world, and inviting our complicity. 
• The image is highly detailed, as it gives us visual information into both of the protagonists lives, for example the state of the living room, and the big knocked over seems that the characters who live in the house live a busy life as they do not tidy up, or it could indicate that they just cannot simply be bothered to tidy up. 
• There is a lot of brown in the image, which could indicate dullness, that the lives of those who live there are not full of action, they are just in a circle of boring, repetitive everyday tasks. 

Editing. 

• The use of parallel editing in this scene is used to show that reality and time is moving on, during the scene, and that it is moving on as normal, and not jumping around a lot, it is moving at the same pace as the audience, showing there is nothing odd or unusual about the scene. 

Typical Horror Reflection.

Camera Angle/ Shot.

• This is a over the shoulder shot, which is usually used in horror films to create tension, and emphasise the alienation of the character.   
• The shot looks as if it has been shot on a wide angle lens, as there is a large amount of depth within the image, and the edges seem to be distorted. 

Sound. 

• There is a mixture of non diegetic sound and diegetic sound within this scene, with the dialogue between the two character's and the click of the mirror magnetic being heard by the character's within the scene. 
• The non diegetic sound appears to sound like a airplane taking off, getting quicker and quicker until it then stops. This creates a surreal effect within the scene, and alienates the character's within, also the sounds of the character's movements are increased to put the audience on edge, and expect something to happen. 

Mise En Scene. 

• The dominant in this photo is the room mates tie as it is dark blue, this could connote masculinity as he is the man with the most authority in the house as the other two act like pubescent teenagers. 
• The roommate seems to be at the top of the frame, indicting the power he has over the over two room mates, and showing that he is the one who controls and provides for everyone. 
• Shaun is looking up to his room mate, which shows that he has respect for him, and also that he looks up to him, within opinions.

Editing

• The scene is made up of a lot of cross cutting of different objects within the fridge, house and kitchen. It adds meaning to all of these and shows the connection between them all, as we are seeing through shaun's eyes.
• Invisible editing is also used to convey the fact that reality is still passing on, time is still going on at a usual rate. 

Typical Jumps?

Camera Angle/ Shot

• This shot shows the reaction shot of Shaun getting hit by a ball. 
• The entirety of this scene is shot on eyeline with the audience, this is so we can see directly what is happening and relate to the scene.
• The camera follows Shaun, and tracks his movements through the street, it is a very smooth movement, much of what is not expected within a horror film. 

Sound

• There is a lot of diegetic sound within this scene which makes people jump, when he falls up the steps, when the gate clicks shut, when the ball hits him, when he nearly gets run over and few more examples. This conforms to the genre of horror providing many jumps, but also subverts it because it is nothing that is scary to jump about, conforming to the comedic genre. 

Mise En Scene

• This shot is full of colour, but the dominant colour within this scene is green, maybe hinting at the corruption that is soon to start within the town. 
• There is also a lot of blue around in the scene, on the boys top, on the car, on the man cleaning the car, etc, conveying again a clincial feel to the scene. 
• The composition shows that there are many horizontal lines, showing that everything is as it seems, and is carrying on as normal. 
• There image is quite moderate in density, as there was is some visual information within the photo, but there is not a awful amount of detailed information for the audience to gather a good amount of depth within the situation. 
• The main protagonist's back is towards the camera, suggesting alienation from the world, and all around him. 

'You've got red on you!'

Camera Angle/Shot

• This scene was shot from the waist up, in which was is a medium shot, because the whole of the body was not necessary for this shot. 
• The protagonist takes up most of the shot,showing his importance and power. 
• The shot is on eyeline with the audience, showing therefore what we see, and what the characters can see. 

Sound.

• This is when the typical horror music kicks in, and we start to hear a flat minor note being played eerily in the background.
• The sound isolates the main protagonist, sounding like a spaceship, and links in with the diegtic sound in which gives it a more uncanny atmosphere. 

Mise En Scene

• Within this scene, the dominant colour is red, connoting danger and action, and emphasising what is yet to come. 
• Shaun, the main protagonist was the only one in focus within the scene, conveying his importance.
• The relationship between Shaun and his stepfather is broken, which is show by the proxemics between then, as they are standing far apart. 
• Close ups are used to show the reactions of the face, and the reactions of the dialogue between the characters. 
• Blue is still a dominant colour, as it is shown on all of the products in the background. 

Overall the opening of this film conforms to the subconventions of comedic horror, but subvert the horror subconventions.