Dawn of the Dead

Code and Conventions

Findings Textual Evidence

Creation of enigma.

Enigma is featured in action horror films to keep the audience occupied and for them to find the film or opening interesting so that they want to watch more and more of it.

The montage editing displays news programmes of the action happening. We cannot receive full details on what is happening, but we hear short, snappy words which follows the convention of withholding information.

Introduction to characters

Usually the main characters are introduced at the beginning of the film in order for the audience to know who the main characters are and for them to know that the first characters introduced are important to know in the film.

We are introduced to the villains, zombies at the beginning of the opening to Dawn of the Dead. And various news reporters and military army characters but no specific characters to the film.

Setting up Plot

The setting up plot usually has great significance in the film/trailer. It shows the audience where this film is based and gives them a clear indication to what the film is going to be about. For example in 28 days later the opening shows a montage of clips of scenes that might occur later on in the film. This immediately hooks the audience so that they keep watching the rest of the film.

Scientific images of genes and cells convey that there is some sort of virus or genetic mutation going on. These images are followed by zombies attacking humans. The scientific images suggest that this is something genuine and scares the audience into thinking something like this could really happen.The disruption is shown through the fast scenes of zombies attacking humans and flashes of news reporters.

Pace and rhythm

Editing/mise en

scene/camera shots

The editing was fast pace and quick straight cuts on as montage edit this signifies that the film is going to include a lot of fast pace action in it which is a convention of an action horror.The titles in the opening are red and they have a special effect on them which looks like they are exploding with blood. The red signifies violence, death and danger which

An extreme close up of a zombies face conveys to the audience that this film is going to be about violence, death and gore.

The make-up and costume enhances the genre of the film to the audience. Zombies have blood dripping off their face and mouths covered in blood and ripped and torn clothing.

Dawn of the Dead

link to the idea of it looking like blood.The mise en scene: The costumes are dark which connote danger and death. This is a typical convention of an action horror film. Action horror films tend to have quite dark lighting.Some of the camera movement in the film opening is handheld, this makes the filming look shakey which connotes that there is danger or that something is hard to handle. It signifies struggle which could connote that the humans in the film are struggling because of the zombie invasion.The use of quick cuts creates tension and pace. The fast cuts convey that the infection is spreading and cross cutting from news reports to zombies eating humans shows how rapidly this is happening. The setting includes significant buildings like The White House in America where the president lives, this conveys reality in the opening of the film.

Mood and tone (non diegetic

music)

In action Horror films fast pace non diegetic sounds tend to be used. These can build up in rhythm and paste to go along with the filming of the film opening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=7G2YAtFeVOM

The sound in the opening scene starts with sound of tearing flesh and faint screaming which are sickening sounds which are there to scare the audience. The non-diegetic music sounded like folk music (Johnny Cash’s ‘When a man comes round’) doesn’t fit the images shown at all. It really contrasts against the opening. This is effective as it detaches the audience from the scariness of the film but the lyrics can relate to the audience ‘hairs on your arms will stand up’ This is a normal thing that happens when someone is scared of something and this may happen to the audience as this is an intense action horror film.