This post explores different aspects of film openings in the horror genre, including specific movie analysis. This post is specifically looking at sound, first shot, central narrative + protagonist, mise-en-scene for exposition and transition to main film. This is the list of topics looked at in this post:
Sound
First shot
Central narrative + protagonist
Mise-en-scene for exposition
Transition to main film
Film analysis
GENRE SPECIFIC MEDIA LANGUAGE ANALYSIS
WARM BODIES ANALYSIS
Jonathan Levine
2013
Box office: 117 million USD
Budget: 35 million USD
Sound - voice over, harmless non-diegetic string instrument music connoting peace (contradicting what is on screen) signifies the comedy element
ECU on protagonist
opening shot is of guy staring into camera
similar to hot fuzz first shot (1 continuous shot)
clothes + dirt on floor - blue filter on screen - intertextualising halloween (horror element)
Yet to show protagonists full face (slight narrative enigma)
narrative enigma on setting
slow motion
showing little emotion in his voice
chairs fallen over
dark, no sun
yellow signs suggest it is at airport
denotes the mise-en-scene ironically ("hoodie suggests unemployed")
music changes after 52 seconds of opening to become even more joyful when discussing past life
classic old filter to show flashback - brown tint with shaky outer layer
false scare - standard for horror
music cuts off during false scare
scream used (likely added in foley sound)
music reenters after 2 seconds
green screen style when discussing past
signs fallen over
straight blue jeans with zip up red hoodie (used to connote blood)
standard grey hoodie
Broken tv's as mise-en-scene
constant tracking camera
Colours change to bright and colourful when discussing past"we wish you a merry Christmas" starts playing
Cuts out hen it returns to present
diegetic sound of people talking introduced then cut out
cracked windows
panning out shot revealing outside location with hand of god style shot
has no main title - uses high angleELS shots to transition into main film
binary opposites + countertypes with humans
BRIDE OF CHUCKY ANALYSIS
1998
Ronny Yu
Box office: 50.7 million USD
Budget: 25 million USD
Blue tint
Clear 'prize' denotation
Black tight fitted dress
High heels
Late and dark - usually connotes something bad is about to happen
panning up from worms eye view
leans on abandoned police car - rebellious
blonde hair covering face
heavy makeup
cuts to her doing her nails with blood
non-diegetic sound that would be associated with the antagonist
wearing choker
wet abandoned street
narrative enigma on character
male gaze with nail shot - the chest shown in background due to the revealing dress
licks the blood with her finger - sexual connotations
diegetic sound of high heels on road
very 'creepy' sound of nail file against nails
unknown beam of light coming from sky
reaches into police car and finds a lighter (fire is another signifier that something will go wrong)
'dumb blonde' stereotype when the female says "cool"
Music peaks when she brings mask up
Shape of windows suggests she is near a chapel or church
electric guitar kicks in after "well hello dolly"
She walks moving the bin bag between her hands
What is in the bag?
panning out shot to reveal establishing shot
'Bride of Chucky' - largest font - seems to be made out of bloody parts for bubble font - 'bride of' in cursive italics
This post explores different aspects of film openings specifically in the horror genre, including specific general movie analysis. This post is specifically looking at titles, idents and production context. This is the list of topics looked at in this post:
Titles
Production context
Idents
Film analysis
TITLES, IDENTS AND PRODUCTION CONTEXT ANALYSIS
LAND OF THE DEAD
Budget: 16 million USD
Box office: 46.8 million USD
George A. Romero
No jingles however first one has background sound that fits with it
atmosphere pictures
Wild Bunch and Universal Pictures presents
In association with atmosphere entertainment
A Mark Canton-Bernie Goldmann and Romero-Grunwald production
In association with Rangerkim
George A Romero's Land of the Dead (auteur)
Smoke coming from main title
Actors names come up as the storyline begins
High pitched sound in the background
Large font on main title
Splatter style connotes blood splatter
Bold bubble serif font
Different flashing images while titles are going on
All black and white titles and images
HALLOWEEN
Director: John Carpenter
Box office:$60–70 million
Budget: 325,000 USD
Creepy fast music
builds heart rate
No jingles
A Compass international pictures release
Moustapha Akkad presents
Donald Pleasence in
John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN
largest font
Titles do not take place over the opening scene
First shot
VODCAST
28 DAYS LATER
DANNY BOYLE
Danny Boyle is a renowned film director in the specific zombie genre. He is also well known for directing movies such as Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and 127 hours.
PLOT
A group of misguided animal rights activists free a caged chimp infected with the "Rage" virus from a medical research lab. When London bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma a month after, he finds his city all but deserted. On the run from the zombie-like victims of the Rage, Jim stumbles upon a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomie Harris) and cab driver Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and joins them on a perilous journey to what he hopes will be safety.
BUDGET + BOX OFFICE
The budget of this movie was £5m
The box office was $82.7m
STARS
Cillian Murphy Naomie Harris
GENRE
Drama, Horror, Sci-fi
IDEAS + INFLUENCES
Decaying title 'presents' fades away - Blood splatter on main title
- We won't take the style of fast zombies as we would prefer to use the stereotypical style (more practical for filming)
- Security camera style
IDENTS
UK Film council
DNA films
Fox Searchlight Pictures
SYNOPSIS
World War Z is a post-apocalyptic film, which was directed in 2013, by Marc Foster, known for his previous work on Quantum of Solace and The Kiterunner, both films which fall far from the genre of World War Z. He is a BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Independent Spirit Award nominee.
PLOT
The film follows the life of the immediate family of Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), through the end of the world, where a Zombie outbreak occurs. Gerry is a former employee of the UN, who knows people in the military, and goes to them, seeking solace, whilst trying to find the cure for the outbreak, or at least trying to find a way for humans not to be affected by the undead. We see Brad Pitt's character go through many countries, in search of someone who knows something about something. He eventually finds the cure in Cardiff, Wales. Which he finds out is a cure, by injecting himself with it, it's some kind of pathogen which he didn't really know was a pathogen. He could have died or something, but he risked his life to find the cure and from then on he was hailed as an American hero!
IDENTS
World War Z follows an unusual pattern in regards to idents, not following the typical rule of using between 3-4 idents. World War Z uses 5 idents, which are as follows (in order):
Paramount Pictures
Plan B
Skydance Productions
Hemisphere
GK films
SHOT TYPES
In the opening of World War Z, we are presented with a long title sequence, which shows clips of the news presenting multiple natural disasters, as well as strange occurrences. We are also presented by short clips of large groups of people walking.
The first shot, is an establishing shot, focussing on the house of the main protagonist. We then experience narrative enigma, as a door into a bedroom is opened. Two children then run into the bedroom of the main protagonist and his wife, sleeping. The mise-en-scene, contains very dim, and boring colours, with various shades of brown, grey and blue, colours associated with conservative.
CHARACTERS
Brad Pitt's character and his wife, are both wearing blue items of clothing, Brad Pitt, wearing a dark blue v-neck pullover, and holding a light blue mug. The actress playing his wife is wearing a light blue, wool, sweater. She is holding a turquoise/green mug.
ZOMBIES
The Zombie's in World War Z, are not similar to the usual portrayal of the undead, which are typically slow moving and take a while to turn from human to zombie. The zombie's in World War Z are fast moving, and take seconds to turn from human to zombie. They act similarly to Danny Boyle's 28 days later zombies.
