Task 9 – Analysis of Title Sequence: Dawn of the Dead (Snyder, 2011)

·         RED BOLD FONT – connotes the image of blood, creating a sinister and gory undertone.

·         San-serif font – creates a perhaps informal but more direct and personal script by making the text look more modern.

·         UPPERCASE, RECTANGULAR BLOCK CAPITALS – the uppercase text connotes that the text is very important and deliberately legitimate. Different size fonts show the importance of different texts. Producers name is bigger font than most others.

·         Running of blood, assisted with screams and a splattering effect. Which then dissolves off, this is created to connote the splattering of a bullet hitting flesh, and the rapid spreading of a virus.

·         ‘Dawn of the Dead’, stays up on the screen for the longest in the biggest font, connotes this item of text is the ‘conclusion’ of the opening and most important piece of text.

 

American Horror Story – Opening Analysis

‘What media language techniques are used to create mood and tension?’

Camerawork ·         Tracking longshot – to establish tracking in to house at the beginning. At the end, same shot but tracking out to show action has occurred and scene is finished. ·         Canted angle tracking shot – following action with a more present feel. ·         POV shot – with handi-cam, leading up to murder, makes audience feel present and creates tension. ·         Worms eye view – gives house prevalence, makes boys look irrelevant in comparison

Mise-en-scene ·         Props such as Jars and dismembered parts of the body – connote a sinister tone as implies, someone would have to be ‘messed up’ enough to have to do this, as the jars cannot be there by coincidence. ·         Girls yellow dress – juxtaposes dark music and creates sinister tone similarly to ‘If you go down to the woods tonight’ soundtrack used in horror films.

Sound ·         Dialogue – ‘shithead’, connotes the boys are trying to be irreverent and rebellious by using explicit slang ·         Minor orchestral score – high pitched violin is conventional of horror movies as it connotes screeching, haunted music. ·         Deep base / double bass – leaves a dark background tone which intensifies as action builds up. ·         Song – non-diegetic nursery rhyming type face song. Juxtaposes visuals.

Editing ·         Continuity – walking ·         Increased cutting rate – when attack occurs the cutting rate increases which makes the audience heart beat increase and jump as if the reaction is a ‘rush’.