Dawn of the Dead Is a Highly rated horror film that captivated and terrified audiences around the world with its life like interpretation of a plague infested world. Overnight the world becomes a living nightmare of unreal proportions. The planets population is hit by an inexplicable, unfathomable and lethal plague. The worrying thing is that the dead don’t dye. Instead they linger looking to pounce on any of the few remaining survivors for their next meal. In my essay I shall be evaluating exactly how each different micro element works to capture the interest of the audience. The micro elements include Cinematography, Titles, Mise- en- scene, Sound and editing. All of these elements are important in the opening sequence of a film as when combined they compel a viewer into watching the film.
As with any film, the producing company’s have the first 30-40 seconds to introduce themselves. This is the case in Dawn of the dead. Universal studios introduce themselves in their stereotypical way, with the globe being engulfed by light. However, the sound/music is not the typical music you would expect from Universal Studios opening sequence. Instead the music is low and eary. The music has a significant effect on the interest of a viewer and creates a pending sense of doom, danger and an idea of potential action. The audience expect this music to lead into something. The same music continues through the Strike intro, however special effects are then used to make the word Strike literally melt into a Scull. This scull then takes its form on an X-ray sheet and the camera moves to an over shoulder shot from behind a doctor, viewing the same X-ray sheet. This shows that the X-ray has something of importance or significance. The icon of the scull is also associated with death and hazard so the audience begin to become suspicious.
Two characters are introduced as the camera uses a medium long shot to establish the hospital. We see a doctor and a nurse exchanging dialogue. We know their role through the use of Mise- en –scene. The doctor is wearing a traditional white overall and carry’s a heart- beat monitor. The nurse opposite the doctor on the screen is wearing the overalls commonly associated with the role of a nurse. The frame is closed in order to put attention on the characters dialogue. This is to give a good opening impression of the story and plot. Non- diagetic sound is limited through these opening shots. The audience therefore uses this Mise- en- scene to get a sense of location and situation whereas the story and plot is made obvious in the dialogue that is being centred on.
The opening few shots have significance to the rest of the film. When viewing these shots analytically interesting points can be read. The most important point being the positioning of the two characters on the screen. The male doctor is placed in the upper left part of the screen to show his importance and dominance over the female nurse who is placed in the lower right part of the screen. This weighting of characters is important as it give the audience an early insight into the characteristics of an individual. In this case, the nurse seems to be portrayed as weak and venerable. This portrayal could be used later in the film for contrast. For example, later in the film this nurse may become an aggressive heroin. This would have greater effect had she been portrayed as weak and innocent in the opening sequence. This weighting of characters continues throughout the opening scenes in the hospital. In a later shot we see the female nurse enter the shot from the right whereas a large male doctor enters from the left. This use of weighting makes the female seem yet more inferior and weak in the busy hospital environment.
Throughout the hospital scene the light is dull perhaps to give a contrast between the outside. Maybe this contrast is used to show the hospital as a dark place, perhaps the place where the evil starts. The mood is kept relaxed in the hospital via the use of editing. Shots last longer and change less often then in later points in the film. This allows the audience to meet some of the characters that have importance in the story and plot, without being distracted by music and effects. This use of editing could also be used to deceive audiences into a sense of safety when danger is only round the corner. This will have a greater shock on a viewer. The fact that the opening shots of the film are based in the hospital creates the themes and values of help and public service. The audience uses these factors as clues. These clues are part of what keeps the audiences interest through the opening of the film.
When the female nurse leaves the hospital and walks into the greater outdoors the first thing that you notice is the significant change of camera angle. The frame is open as she walks into it. The camera is angled up at her so suddenly she seems less inferior and fuller of curiosity and courage. This is significant for the audience as they are continuously learning about this character. Her curiosity is then explained when the shot follows her line of sight to the back door of an ambulance. Two legs extrude from the door. The next shot is an over shoulder shot that shows the point of interest to be these legs that are immobile and therefore suspicious. The nurse approaches the legs from the right so our attention is put on the legs to the right. The audience’s suspicion rises as eary music enters. The music creates a sense of danger as the nurse approaches the legs. At this point the audience becomes aware of the theme of death that may play a significant part in the film. However it transpires that the legs were simply those of a sleepy paramedic who awakes to the shouts of the nurse. We see the paramedic raise from his sleep in a combination faster shots that increase the tension. This collaboration of shots play with the minds of the audience as they are led to believe something is wrong when it is in fact not. However, the seed of suspicion is still planted and remains as the eary music continuous. This leaves suspicion that something is still not right.
The camera moves to a very long shot, angled above the woman. Two flags are also in the shot, one being the American flag. This gives a sense of location but also the theme/ value of patriotism. The movement of the ambulances in the back of the shot allow the audiences to make the association of patriotism more clearly as the paramedics are important in defending life. The continuous eary music leads a viewer to belief that the theme of the film will develop from this eary association with the paramedics.
It is important to bear in mind that the editing of the shots get steadily faster as the female nurse leaves the confines of the hospital and enters the real world. This gives the idea that she is nearing a area or location of importance.
Shortly after the nurse leaves the hospital she begins a journey to what the audience assume will be her home. In the car scene, the female nurse turns on her radio. We see this in an extreme close up shot of her hand. The non- diagetic sound of the radio creates a very different mood and atmosphere. The music is bouncy and gives the impression of a normal day. However, up to this point the audience have been led to belief that something is slowly taking place. An example is the early scene outside the hospital when the paramedics legs where left extruding from the ambulance doors. The audience’s suspicions grow and then are released. This happens a lot during the opening of dawn of the dead as the film continuously teases you with its music, mise- en – scene and camera angles/ shots.
When the female nurse reaches her destination after some long establishing shots to show the location of her home, she exchanges some dialogue with a young girl. The girl seems kind and gentle. This is due to the soft, happy music that continues to play in the background. The audience assumes nothing is wrong. However, when the young girl leaves the shot we see a very different side to her. The gentle, soft, happy music stops and is replaced by the same eary music as was common earlier in the film. This shows contrast in the girl due to a simple change in music making the audience suspicious. The themes of trust know one is obvious here as the girl’s behaviour is perhaps deceiving.
In conclusion, the opening sequence relies on mostly sound to create it atmosphere of potential danger and suspense. The audience knows something is going to happen through the use of mise- en- scene in the hospital, e.g. the skull X-ray. The first seed of suspicion is planted outside the hospital in the ambulance when two legs are seen extruding from the door of the vehicle. The use of interesting camera angles and eary music create the suspense needed in the scene. It is the use of deceiving scenes like this in the opening sequence of dawn of the dead capture the interest of the audience through building suspense and then releasing it and visa- versa.
As with any film, the producing company’s have the first 30-40 seconds to introduce themselves. This is the case in Dawn of the dead. Universal studios introduce themselves in their stereotypical way, with the globe being engulfed by light. However, the sound/music is not the typical music you would expect from Universal Studios opening sequence. Instead the music is low and eary. The music has a significant effect on the interest of a viewer and creates a pending sense of doom, danger and an idea of potential action. The audience expect this music to lead into something. The same music continues through the Strike intro, however special effects are then used to make the word Strike literally melt into a Scull. This scull then takes its form on an X-ray sheet and the camera moves to an over shoulder shot from behind a doctor, viewing the same X-ray sheet. This shows that the X-ray has something of importance or significance. The icon of the scull is also associated with death and hazard so the audience begin to become suspicious.
Two characters are introduced as the camera uses a medium long shot to establish the hospital. We see a doctor and a nurse exchanging dialogue. We know their role through the use of Mise- en –scene. The doctor is wearing a traditional white overall and carry’s a heart- beat monitor. The nurse opposite the doctor on the screen is wearing the overalls commonly associated with the role of a nurse. The frame is closed in order to put attention on the characters dialogue. This is to give a good opening impression of the story and plot. Non- diagetic sound is limited through these opening shots. The audience therefore uses this Mise- en- scene to get a sense of location and situation whereas the story and plot is made obvious in the dialogue that is being centred on.
The opening few shots have significance to the rest of the film. When viewing these shots analytically interesting points can be read. The most important point being the positioning of the two characters on the screen. The male doctor is placed in the upper left part of the screen to show his importance and dominance over the female nurse who is placed in the lower right part of the screen. This weighting of characters is important as it give the audience an early insight into the characteristics of an individual. In this case, the nurse seems to be portrayed as weak and venerable. This portrayal could be used later in the film for contrast. For example, later in the film this nurse may become an aggressive heroin. This would have greater effect had she been portrayed as weak and innocent in the opening sequence. This weighting of characters continues throughout the opening scenes in the hospital. In a later shot we see the female nurse enter the shot from the right whereas a large male doctor enters from the left. This use of weighting makes the female seem yet more inferior and weak in the busy hospital environment.
Throughout the hospital scene the light is dull perhaps to give a contrast between the outside. Maybe this contrast is used to show the hospital as a dark place, perhaps the place where the evil starts. The mood is kept relaxed in the hospital via the use of editing. Shots last longer and change less often then in later points in the film. This allows the audience to meet some of the characters that have importance in the story and plot, without being distracted by music and effects. This use of editing could also be used to deceive audiences into a sense of safety when danger is only round the corner. This will have a greater shock on a viewer. The fact that the opening shots of the film are based in the hospital creates the themes and values of help and public service. The audience uses these factors as clues. These clues are part of what keeps the audiences interest through the opening of the film.
When the female nurse leaves the hospital and walks into the greater outdoors the first thing that you notice is the significant change of camera angle. The frame is open as she walks into it. The camera is angled up at her so suddenly she seems less inferior and fuller of curiosity and courage. This is significant for the audience as they are continuously learning about this character. Her curiosity is then explained when the shot follows her line of sight to the back door of an ambulance. Two legs extrude from the door. The next shot is an over shoulder shot that shows the point of interest to be these legs that are immobile and therefore suspicious. The nurse approaches the legs from the right so our attention is put on the legs to the right. The audience’s suspicion rises as eary music enters. The music creates a sense of danger as the nurse approaches the legs. At this point the audience becomes aware of the theme of death that may play a significant part in the film. However it transpires that the legs were simply those of a sleepy paramedic who awakes to the shouts of the nurse. We see the paramedic raise from his sleep in a combination faster shots that increase the tension. This collaboration of shots play with the minds of the audience as they are led to believe something is wrong when it is in fact not. However, the seed of suspicion is still planted and remains as the eary music continuous. This leaves suspicion that something is still not right.
The camera moves to a very long shot, angled above the woman. Two flags are also in the shot, one being the American flag. This gives a sense of location but also the theme/ value of patriotism. The movement of the ambulances in the back of the shot allow the audiences to make the association of patriotism more clearly as the paramedics are important in defending life. The continuous eary music leads a viewer to belief that the theme of the film will develop from this eary association with the paramedics.
It is important to bear in mind that the editing of the shots get steadily faster as the female nurse leaves the confines of the hospital and enters the real world. This gives the idea that she is nearing a area or location of importance.
Shortly after the nurse leaves the hospital she begins a journey to what the audience assume will be her home. In the car scene, the female nurse turns on her radio. We see this in an extreme close up shot of her hand. The non- diagetic sound of the radio creates a very different mood and atmosphere. The music is bouncy and gives the impression of a normal day. However, up to this point the audience have been led to belief that something is slowly taking place. An example is the early scene outside the hospital when the paramedics legs where left extruding from the ambulance doors. The audience’s suspicions grow and then are released. This happens a lot during the opening of dawn of the dead as the film continuously teases you with its music, mise- en – scene and camera angles/ shots.
When the female nurse reaches her destination after some long establishing shots to show the location of her home, she exchanges some dialogue with a young girl. The girl seems kind and gentle. This is due to the soft, happy music that continues to play in the background. The audience assumes nothing is wrong. However, when the young girl leaves the shot we see a very different side to her. The gentle, soft, happy music stops and is replaced by the same eary music as was common earlier in the film. This shows contrast in the girl due to a simple change in music making the audience suspicious. The themes of trust know one is obvious here as the girl’s behaviour is perhaps deceiving.
In conclusion, the opening sequence relies on mostly sound to create it atmosphere of potential danger and suspense. The audience knows something is going to happen through the use of mise- en- scene in the hospital, e.g. the skull X-ray. The first seed of suspicion is planted outside the hospital in the ambulance when two legs are seen extruding from the door of the vehicle. The use of interesting camera angles and eary music create the suspense needed in the scene. It is the use of deceiving scenes like this in the opening sequence of dawn of the dead capture the interest of the audience through building suspense and then releasing it and visa- versa.
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