What is it about Superhero/Action films that grabs us so much? In this article I will be discussing what it is that people like about action films and how the audience responds to the films. Millions of us go to watch action films all the time, but what is it that grabs us so much? is it the fight scenes,the violence, the explosions or the frantic chases, which leave us sitting on the edge of our seats wondering what will happen next. Haven't you ever noticed after watching an action movie you like you take wider steps? according to body language studies walking with wide steps indicates confidence and courage, so maybe after watching an action film we feel as if we are the hero ourselves, could that be the answer as of to why we watch them, do we seek a thrill that we could not achieve in reality. Many forms of action have been in our lives for as long as we can remember, and there is a considerable overlap between action and other genres such as horror, comedy and science fiction films, and superhero films whether it be in the form of Cartoons, Tv series, Films or comics, could it be these origins that make us so obsessed, Films such as 'The Avengers' started of as comics along with comics such as superman that date back to the 30's, and he made his first appearance in DC comics in 1938, and has been labeled as the greatest comic book hero of all time, the comic was later turned into a film in 1978 with further releases as 'Superman returns' & 'Man of steel', their popularity has even resulted in features at Comic Con along with many other superhero/action features, as well as multiple fan sites and forums who discuss topics relating to the films or what they enjoy about them, could it be the comics or TV series origins that make them so successful and make us even more interested to see our favourite characters in action?
Typically People going to see one of these films will expect to see the Hero go through a number of challenges and set backs but in the end is able to successfully being able to defeat the villain, then allowing the film to finish of with the typical 'everything's fine now' happy ending, while most people are happy with this type of plot however some people may think the complete opposite and not agree with the hero always winning in these films as they might interpret the message differently and take the villains side, such as in films like batman whereby there are fan clubs for the joker
- Most of these films also had advertising such as, posters, online, bus etc
Active spectatorship ( the idea that individual film viewers experience films in different ways and gain different emotions and pleasures from them . This may include an oppositional reading of a film , where the viewer disagrees with the intended message and values of the film or “reads” the film in a different way)
Maybe instead of liking the hero they're more on the villians side?
Conditions of reception e.g. cinema, DVD release and online access.
Before shooting my advert I had to do pre production planning, first I thought of a synopsis which briefly outlined the content of my advert, which I then finalised with a story board which displayed what would happen in each scene and also gave camera shots, voiceovers and sound effects, I then moved on to do a shooting script which was like doing a story board however it was written and a lot more detailed and included things such as production direction, camera and editing, I also had to to do a location plan and risk assessment identifying intended locations, permissions needed, health and safety considerations, next I had to outline the actors and crew members I would be using, then explain and justify their roles in the production, the Last thing I had to do before shooting was a Production action plan where I had to organise/arrange people, resources needed deadlines and a contingency (back-up plan)
Comments
After I had finalised my advert, I then showed it to a selected few people in order to get feedback from it, I asked questions such as:
1.What message do you feel this advert gives across about the product?
2. Could you suggest any improvements?
3. If you was to see this advert on Tv would you stay to watch it? why
4.Do you feel the Pack Shot fits in with the advert? (If no, why?)
I mainly received positive feedback about my advert, most people saying that the advert reflected the message I was trying to put out about the product, others also said the music was well suited to the advert and its themes, how ever one comment suggested that in order to improve the advert I should change the music, but due to the fact the majority of the people's response to the music was positive, I felt It was better to keep the music as it was because I also thought that it suited the advert well.
Fitness for purpose Personally I feel that my advert is effective in promoting the brand and product in a positive way as you see the product in almost every shot of the advert, so while the family are enjoying time together and having fun, the audience may associate the product with enjoying your self and family fun, also the last shot and the pack shot clearly show the bottle along with the logo therefore when people are out they will easily be able to recognise the product labelling and could consider purchasing it, although I feel the pack shot could be made more effective by having it fit in more with the surroundings shown in the advert, for example I could have taken the pack shot on the table, or in the garden, where one of the shots were filmed so that the advert flows more naturally into the Pack-shot. Clarity of communication I thought I communicated the message of my advert clearly in my advert, firstly by the actors used because as soon as they are shown drinking the Ribena the immediate effects of 'Bringing out happiness and fun' are shown by them laughing and enjoying their time together, and also playing together, I also feel that the change in music after they drink the Ribena helps get the message across by changing the atmosphere as the music is a bit more upbeat and matches the actions of the characters, as well as that the Voice over clearly states in the pack shot "Ribena, Bringing out the fun in you", also after the family have drank the ribena the voice over says "This seems to have done the trick" which also implies to the audience that Ribena would be the cause of their fun and happiness. Appropriateness for audience I feel that the advert was appropriate for my target audience as there was both adults and children shown in the advert which were shown as a family, therefore when families watch this advert they will get the impression that this is a product for family use, however the children shown in the advert were all under the age of 11 which may make it appeal to younger children rather than teenagers and young adults, as it is children who are having fun and playing together in the advert, other children may get the idea that this is the effect it will have on them and also the it is a product most suited for their age group. Compare final outcome with your original intentions (changes to your idea and why?) When looking at my original idea for my advert there is not really any change compared to the final outcome, the only change I made was taking out one shot whereby the family pet was shown wearing a party hat, I made this change due to the fact that I was unsuccessful in being able to achieve this shot because the character was uncooperative, I also made slight changes to the voice over as I had originally intended to also give nutritional information about the produce such as it's vitamin C content, but I chose not to do this as I felt it ruined the theme and humour of the advert. Impact of work on audience (is your advert successful?) I feel that my advert is successful as I had received multiple positive reviews about my advert, many saying they enjoyed it and found it funny, which I felt was a good point as my intentions where to make the advert come across with a slight sense of humour, also after having my advert shown on a social media site, I had received additional positive reviews where some people had said they feel like going to buy some Ribena after watching the advert. Technical qualities (use of camera, editing, sound and effectiveness)
At the beginning advert I used shots such as close ups and panning shots which helps the audience identify the main characters and aspects of the advert, also by the use of the close up shots you are able to see the families facial expressions individually and gain an understanding that they are not very happy people and not enjoying them selves due to the absence of Ribena in their lives, these shots also work along with the background music as it is a slightly dull sound, perfectly matching the families expression, the voice over also has quite a simple voice with a slight sarcastic hint to it which I feel was very effective when rhetorical questions were asked during the advert such as "They don't look like they're having a good time do they?".
The first shot changes from a wide shot into a close up panning shot, which is almost like an introduction to the family so you can see what they're like and would be able to compare them from how they turn out after drinking the Ribena, after the product had been consumed I had used more wide and mid shots to try and get the whole family and surroundings in the shots to give a sub-conscious message of 'togetherness' and that they have been made to have more fun together due to the effects of drinking Ribena, likewise the music had also changed at this part of the advert to match the atmosphere given by the actors enjoying themselves, and the voiceover saying "Ah this seems to have done the trick", which will ensure the audience realise that a change has happened in the characters.
Aesthetic qualities (audience appeal through mise-en-scene, actors etc.)
I think this advert would be appealing to the audience through the use of mise-en-scene as it is set in a typical family house therefore families would see that this product is tailored and suited to them specifically, as in the background of the scenes you can see general mess that you would normally see in a family house and it shows the audience that you don't need to be perfect, and any family can buy this product, the use of actors also has an effect on the aesthetic qualities as there are a range of ages used in the advert who are represented as a family, therefore the advert should also appeal to families.
Effectiveness of techniques used j I think that the techniques used in my advert such as the range of different shots and also the timing of the shots were effective because I felt it kept the advert interesting and would have kept the audience attracted and entertained due to the fact that the shots did not drag out and were not stuck in the same scene for a prolonged amount of time, also the range of wide,mid, close up and panning shots worked well with the timing as each scene changed there would be a different type of shot, another thing i felt was effective was the narrative and voice over used, firstly I thought the way the narrator talked was very direct to the audience making them feel more involved in the advert, which Ideally would make them want to stay and watch the advert, However these questions were rhetorical so it got the audience thinking about how the product would effect the family, but then these questions were also answered by the narrator which would confirm the audiences thoughts on the product, as well as the narrative being effective, the actual voice also had an impact on its effectiveness as it had a well suited tone to the advert and gave a slight bubbly and humorous atmosphere, which would make the advert more enjoyable to watch, behind the voice over their were two different sets of background music used, the one at the first half of the advert is used to represent how the family are before they drink the Ribena, then the second half of the advert features a different more 'fun' piece of music, I this works as it gets the in message of the advert more effectively because the changed in music altered the atmosphere from dull to happy.
An ideal member of my target audience would be around the age of 10 as although the advert is aimed at families, children come under one of the sub categories for the main target audience and when looking on the Ribena website their are animations implying that this product is mainly aimed at children, as well as in the adverts which are mostly animated which will attract children rather than adults, An ideal gender would be male who is straight as the advert contains a stereotypical family situation, the Ideal ethnicity would be white-british as the advert will be broadcast in the Uk so that is what you would typically expect from that audience, as the ideal target age would be 10 the ideal occupation and education would be in school. Someone who is classed as an explorer in the psychographic category and is willing to try new things and seeks new experiences, which are demonstrated in the advert, most likely people who are living in the city or urban areas as their are a lot of families living in theses areas enduring busy life so my product would be shown as something suitable for their busy life styles, as they would be able to enjoy time together because of this product, also in class E & D who are casual workers, or living of benefits or pensions etc, so their preferred spending type would be more practical and aware of living costs as the product will be advertised as something that is low in price therefore good for families.
A long, long time ago (the 1930s to be precise) in a land not so far away (Great Britain in fact) blackcurrant syrup began life when Dr Vernon Charley was researching pure fruit juices for milkshakes.
in 1938, the Ribena product was born, taking its name from the Latin word for blackcurrants: Ribes Nigrum.
During World War II a lack of vitamin C in the UK led to a government decree and Ribena was given as a vitamin C supplement in schools, hospitals and nursing homes. To this day, Ribena remains rich in vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant.
(http://www.ribena.co.uk/story-so-far/)
There has been a vitamin C controversy about ribena as, In 2004, Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo, two high school students from Pakuranga College in Auckland, New Zealand, conducted a science experiment to determine the vitamin C levels of their favourite fruit drinks. As Ribena advertising refers to "four times the vitamin C of oranges", they were surprised to discover the levels of vitamin C were much lower at 22 mg/100mL in the syrup compared with another product, Just Juice, at 72 mg/100mL. After contacting the manufacturers of Ribena, their concerns of "intentionally misleading and quite inappropriate" claims were dismissed, and they were told the claim related only to the blackcurrant fruit, not the product.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribena#Vitamin_C_controversy - When writing and and producing my advert I would have to be careful when metioning vitamin C as it could be seen as misleading and would be against the advertising regulations.
c) Amend your ideas based on the audience feedback received and complete a written summary explaining: findings, your response as the producer to the feedback, changes made and justification for changes. After conducting an audience questionnaire I found that a large majority of people felt that one of the main conventions that make a zombie movie is blood, guns and a lot of action, also the fact that the undead infect the living by biting the living, another convention mentioned was the explanation of the zombie outbreak by an expert and also how long the transformation takes and ways to kill the zombies, the last convention talked about was how the survivors assemble to defeat or survive the threat. Overall I got a good reception of my synopsis and it was said it was an interesting plot as there was a supernatural element to the story, I also asked if they thought paranormal causes could be the reason for an outbreak, most people said that this could be accepted as the reason for an outbreak as the 'paranormals' could posses or kill people and reanimate their bodies, making them them living dead, however one person disagreed with this saying they did not see the connection, and they thought it sounded more like an apocalypse rather than a zombie outbreak. Personally I agree with what people expect from zombie movie conventions, so in my poster I will have to try and show some of these conventions to attract the correct audience and also make sure I have these conventions included in my plot, I will not be making any changes to my synopsis due to the response stating that "theres no connection between the paranormal and zombies" as I think this individual misunderstood how the living were turned into the undead, yet the other people I had interviewed thought that that this was possible, maybe a slight change I would make is to make it more clear in my synopsis of the connection between the paranormal and the zombies.
Initial ideas- characters and relationships to other films Black Souls (The) Insensate The awakening plot The Genre I would like my film to be is a zombie/Super natural/Horror, the film is introduced when police when police arrive at what they think is a crime scene at an old house, where they find 5 "dead" bodies which appear to have been there for countless years, although haven't rotted, they look as if they were in the middle of every day life when they suddenly stopped, while police are inspecting once of the dead bodies sat on the bottom stair is looking away from the camera, but it's eyes suddenly switch to face the camera, this is where the journey begins as the discovery over more and "still deaths" appear across the country, they are only to be activated by the presence of living flesh, later in the film we come to find in the house there is a spirit in the house that literally sucks the soul out of the living, turning them into the living dead, who crave other living souls and spreads the possession with a bite, who will be the saviour of the living?
After conducting a vox pox I found that a large majority of People interviewed Said one of the top things that gain their attention during an advert was music, especially if it was a well known song, or a catchy song, also if the product being advertised is a well known brand, another thing mentioned was use of celebrities or a well known face, I will have to take this into account when planning and recording my advert by choosing the music carefully and picking a song that will suit both the audience and advert it's self, the product Im advertising is already well known therefor in the advert I would just have to make sure the brand is clearly shown, however I would not be able to use celebrities in my advert as my budget is £4. Things that were said to make an advert Funny or Humorous were the types of people in the adverts, for example the type of character they portray, also the background music or sound effects can also make an impact on the humour in the advert, another thing that was said to make an advert funny was 'weird' things happening in it or a unique storyline, this information will help with planning my advert as It will make me think more about the placement of jokes or puns or also the music and sound effects that will go along with certain actions and how effective it'll be, I will also have to clearly highlight character types/personalities, because if people get the wrong impression of a character they may not understand any jokes made, this feedback has also helped me as I have found out that trying to be more creative and think out side the box would be more beneficial as unique or adverts that differ from a conventional advert have been said to attract more attention and could also be more funny as it is different from other adverts Most people told me that the main thing they thought made an advert boring was irrelevant items/things to their interests or products that were out of their price range and also to much talking about "how good the product is" in the advert, or just to much information in general, these comments will be helpful when planning my advert as when doing pack shots or giving product information I know now people will find it boring if I talk for to long and have repetitive uses of phrases which can also be annoying cause people to change the advert over when it has been broadcast and will effect how many people see my advert and get the message of it, I will not have to worry about people seeing the product as over priced as it is only 99p, however I will have to make sure that the channels the advert is set to be broadcast on is suitable for my target audience and will actually have people watching it and not ignoring it because it is irrelevant to them.
What production companies produced each film ? Planet of the apes 1968 was produced by APJAC productions and twentieth century fox film corporation, the remake in 2001 was then produced by 20th century fox Do any of these companies own any cinemas ? ( check links on imdb and use your own research) APJAC does not own any cinemas, although I cannot find any evidence that 20th Century fox owns any cinemas although as they are a large and well known production company I would suspect they do own some cinemas Which country or countries did the funding come from for both films? Funding for both the films came from America as the first film was produced by a smaller company and the remake produced by 20th century fox is also an american company Are they Hollywood, Bollywood, British or ‘developing countries’ films? Both films are hollywood films as produced in the US Is it an international co-production? Are there at least two production companies from different countries listed in the company credits ? Both films were produced by American companies so there was no international co-production
Can either film be considered an ‘independent’ or ‘mainstream’ film? Did they receive any funding from ‘funding bodies’? These should be listed in the film's company credits on imdb. What technologies ( film format, sound mix, cameras) were used in the production? (check imdb technical specifications). 2001 remake: Film format:35 mm (Kodak Vision 2383) Digital (Texas Instruments DLP 1280 x 1024, 1.9 : 1 anamorphic) sound mix: DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS (uncredited) Cameras: Panavision Panaflex Platinum, Panavision Primo and C-Series Lenses
1968 Film format: 35mm Soundmix: 4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) Cameras:------- Who distributed the films in the UK? ( company credits on imdb ) Original 1969 - released on the 15th of november 1968 although no record of the distributor in the UK, however it would most likely been 21th century fox as they were one of the production companies Remake 2001- 20th Century fox
Use imdb's box office statistics for each film and state whether each film gained a limited or large-scale cinema release. The films estimated budget was$5,800,000 (estimated) and also had a Gross of $32,600,000 (USA) So compared to the remake of the film, it received a limited cinema release as there are only records present for the release in the USA, whereas the 2001 remake of Planet of the apes had an estimated budget of
$100,000,000, on its opening weekend alone had a gross of $68,532,960 (USA) (29 July 2001) (3,500 Screens and £5,445,983 (UK) (19 August 2001) (446 Screens) and as well as that had releases in multiple countries therefore gained a large-scale release and was a lot more successful than the original film.
Do they fit into a particular genre or ‘cycle’ of films? Both films fall under the genre of sci-fi and adventutre/action Do they have any stars? Although the Original recieved more of a limited release compared to the remake it recieved a rating of 8/10 on IMBD whereas the 2001version recieved a rating of 5.7/10 What certificate did they receive in the UK, and why did they receive that certificate? The original Planet of the Apes recieved a PG certificate and the Remake had a 12 Certificate due to moderate violence. Are they part of a series of films i.e sequels? Planet of the Apes is an American media franchise comprising eight films, two television series, and various comic books, novels and a video game, which all began with the original film in 1968, which was based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The films in the series/sequel are,Planet of the Apes (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes (2001), Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
a)Select a director of your choice that can be considered as an auteur. You will then need to select 2 films from which you will take examples.
The director I chose who I think in an auteur is Roland Emmerich, I will be using the films, 'Independence day' and 'The day after tomorrow'
b)Extracting information from at least 3 different sources you will need to research and analyse the background , films and relevant technical information about your chosen auteur and their films. Influences, Filmography, Back ground etc
1) Extracting information from at least 3 different sources ( imdb, other websites, newspaper articles, interviews etc. ) you will need to create a visual introduction toyour chosen director. This should include details about their creative influences ( other directors,artists etc.) filmography and any relevant background or biographical information.
Your visual introduction can be completed in Powerpoint, blogger or Word , but should contain images and relevant quotes and links.
Roland Emmerich is a german screenwriter, producer and director, his films have grossed more than $3 billion dollars worldwide, and just over $1million in the US making him the 14th highest grossing director of all time, he is most recognised for films such as independence day, 2012 and the day after tomorrow which are all films about large scale disasters which I think is one of Emmerich's trade marks in a majority of his films, a possible influence to this theme throughout some of his films is the fact that he is a campaigner for awareness for global warming, so he may be discretely trying to get a message across about the consequences of the world ending, or major disasters due to global warming or other factors, shown in films such as 2012 and The day after tomorrow.
c)Using your research findings and observations from the whole/extracts from your selected films write a 500-word (minimum) explanation justifying why your selected director can be considered as an auteur. You will need to ensure that you make references to
·correct terminology
·elucidated examples discussing informed by genre analysis, narrative analysis and content analysis.
use of genre
I think Roland Emmerich can be considered as an Auteur due to his use of genre, as the large majority of his films are action/adventure/Sci-Fi, examples would be 2012, based on the Mayans prediction that the world end on the 21st of December 2012, where the world faces a number of global catastrophes, also the film 'The day after tomorrow' whereby there is an International catastrophic storm which sends the world into a new ice age, both these films main themes are world disaster and ending, however films such as Independence day and Godzilla(1998) also feature the 'end of the world' theme, but also display a more physical threat and play more on the Sci-fi sides of the film such as aliens attacking the earth, or Godzilla causing trouble in Manhattan.
use of camera and technical style Emmerich tends to use a lot of wide and mid shots in his films which enable him to show the widespread destruction and also the action in that particular scene, however there is also use of close shots and panning shots which shows the audience things the characters in the film may not be able to see straight away, which is also demonstrated in 2012 when the smoke and lava is behind the van and fast approaching, or in independence day when Will Smith is walking across a desert approaching the science lab, there is a wide shot showing him surrounded by camper vans, one of which is holding an alien, he does this to show dramatic moments, or times when there is hope for a solution to the problem, the use of wide shots also implies that their are multiple people working together in order to save humanity.
music and sound
In his films I came to find that there is use of both sounds than music, for example in scenes trying to build up tension there is dramatic and sinister music playing (Violins) which is also when action is happening, such as in 2012 when the family are able to fly out of the chaos in the plane, there is dramatic background music making the moment more intense and, which is also widely used in moments like this throughout the film and also in his other films like independence day, when Music is not being used the sound effects of things crashing, or breaking etc seem to be louder and much more defined where you can hear each individual piece of earth hit the ground (In 2012) which adds to the exaggerated effect of the intensity and tension of the scenes.
content and themes Emmerich's main theme of his films seems to be an end in humanity whether it be through a world disaster, aliens attacking or a radioactively changed creature, he seems to want to express how much we should value our world by showing people what could happen if these events were really to occur, which is very relevant to him due to the fact he is a campaigner for global warming, also he tends to show people uniting together to save themselves or the earth, rather than people fighting each other, or having people as villains, the threat is usually something bigger and either due to natural causes or the problems caused by humans themselves, which supports his views on equal rights and global warming.
settings
A lot of Emmerich's films are set in big cities or highly populated areas whereby the effects of the disaster or problem can be expressed and exaggerated, and also shows the seriousness of them, these are signature settings in his films as they feature in many of his most well known films, e.g 2012, The day after tomorrow and Independence day.
characters and casting ( actors).
Emmerich tends to follow the general conventions of action films within the characters where there is a strong character shown as the leader/hero from the beginning, however as a campaigner for equal rights he seems to express racial diversity in his films, such as Independence day where the hero is Will Smith where Emmerich claimed he witnessed overt racism where the producers and executives were opposed to Will smith having the lead roll in the film, and also he experienced racial problems in the making of 'The day after tomorrow' when the producers were reluctant to allow him to portray an interracial couple, but despite these problems he still showed these things, therefore it gives him his own style as a director as he doesn't always follow others opinions and is able to communicate his views in his films.
- what have you found out - How will it help with planning your tv ad -I found the highest views channels were BBC 1 and 2 although they both do not broadcast adverts so the most suited channel to broadcast my advert would be Itv which gets on average 38,832 views per week, another channel that would be channel 4 which gets 35,014 views a week, using these channels to broadcast my advert would be most effective as they have the highest amount viewers of viewers in the UK therefore the advert would be seen by more people. - Unable to find the sales of the product. - Similar products that are in competition with ribena`such as lucozade which made sales of £117.9m in 2011 Qualitative research I looked on youtube at the most recent ribena advertisement for the publics comments and opinions on the advert.
After reading the comments I found the audience liked the animated advert as they found it 'cute' which attracted them more to the advert.
Using the notes you have made in class, film sequences and your own analysis, complete the genre and technical analysis of Dawn of the Dead ( 1978 ), the first film we are focusing on. This will be the first part of your Task 1 Analysis . This should include the following :
Dawn of the dead and Shaun of the dead
Genre Conventions
Setting
In The film Dawn of the dead (1978) the first scene we see is in a television studio where we are introduced to the chaos and stress of multiple people trying to organise a broadcast to alert others about this zombie outbreak which also alerts the audience who are watching the situation the characters are in as the outbreak began before the film starts therefore the zombie apocalypse had to be explained by a professional, this is one of the most basic of conventions in zombie movies whereby the situation is usually addressed or explained or gives vital information and background about the problem, by someone such as a slightly mad scientist or doctor etc, I think the chaos in the TV studio is also used to represent a downscale version of worldwide chaos as the film is based in Philadelphia therefore showing the events happening all over the world would be to large to film, the action begins in a SWAT raid in what looks like a block of flats where we are first made aware that this is a serious situation and come face to face with the zombies, the whole swat team and people living there are all in an in-closed space with the zombies which is another typical convention of zombie films where a large part of the action is seen in a closed space where the characters are stuck with the zombies, although the main place we see this is in the majority of the film which is based in a shopping Mall where the main characters are trapped hiding from the zombies who are also based in the mall, However in Shaun of the dead the first scene is set in a British household where three men live, the first few scenes could be seen as a romcom rather than a zombie movie as Shaun's main in interest at this point in the film is his love life, although in the background of these scenes we see examples of where the zombie apocalypse is being introduced such people walking like zombies on there way to work or looking lifeless, there are sickness outbreaks reported on the news and repetitive daily routines which is why Shaun is one of the last people to notice the outbreak as day to day life has more or less made people act as if they are zombies and he has more important things on his mind, this does work with another zombie movie convention whereby the events are based in the modern day/time, Similarly to Dawn of the dead the film uses the most typical zombie movie convention whereby the main action scene is based in a North London pub where all the main characters are trapped with the zombies and have no choice but to face them as it's the only way for survival.
Characters ( Human/non-human)
There are main categories of characters in zombie movies, such as the Hero who typically has good practical skills,The heroine who is usually blonde and vulnerable, and expert of some sort who will give vital information, a false hero who may not be as competent as the hero, and a villain who is also a main threat apart from the zombies Dawn of the Dead contains all of these whereby the Hero is Peter as he is practical and thinks ahead in order to ensure survival for him and others around him, he also has good skills with weapons which makes him more able to save and survive, Francine fits the description for a heroine as she is Blonde and seems very Vulnerable and almost useless at the beginning of the film, but towards the end she becomes braver and a lot more practical as she does not want to be seen as useless, The expert in the film is shown at the beginning as the scientist who explains the situation and gives important information about the Zombie apocalypse, Roger is seen as the false hero as while in the mall he feels superior to the zombies as they are slow and easily killed and he becomes to brave while trying to kill the zombies and ends up being bitten due to his unpractical thinking and finally the villains of the film are the gang of people on motor bikes who attack the mall and become a threat to the others, but is soon taken down by the hero and brutally killed, last but not least The non human characters (Zombies) which are the main reason for the film, they are the main problem and could have an external source or activated by being bitten, whereas Shaun of the dead follows along the lines of these typical characters displayed in most Zombie movies although I think it gives a more modern twist to it whereby it has a Hero who is Shaun who at the beginning of the film does not seem like your obvious hero but as the zombie problem arises he takes charge and becomes a tactical thinker who with a bit of help is able to work a gun, Shaun's girlfriend is the most likely heroine in this film as she is rescued and protected by Shaun throughout the film, but is also is quite a strong character compared to Francine in Dawn of the Dead and this shows how the concept of women being helpless in zombie movies have evolved and modernised, The expert in this film is the news reader as he gives crucial information about how to kill the zombies as you have to cut their heads off or destroy the brain,The false hero in the film is David who in the pub scene tries to take control of the situation thinking he is the most responsible, who ends up being one of the first in the group to be killed by the zombies just like what happens to Roger in Dawn of the dead, there is not villain in the film as the main threat is the zombies so there is almost no need for another threat or villain. Props and costume The props and costume used in zombie movies most commonly used a very similar to action movies where there is a large usage of guns and various kinds of weapons, also use of radio equipment which shows the importance and difficulty with communication between other surviving humans, tinned food and fuel, costume is also used to show social position or importance or characters during an outbreak for example in Dawn of the dead there is use of military wear and equipment in the scene where the swat team raid the flats, although every person is dressed in police uniform the ones that stand out for us are the four that get in the helicopter as it shows their power compared to the other people who are trying to get as far away from the zombie situation by car or boat and are staying on the ground whereas in the helicopter they are able to look down and their chaotic word while remaining safe in the air so it is as if they know the situation will get worse and they are looking down at the people shooting zombies for fun knowing that by taking the helicopter they have made a good long term choice for survival, which shows these characters are most likely in a high social position compared to others in the film, guns are largely used throughout the whole film as it is the easiest way to kill zombies without getting to close to them I think characters with larger guns or better weapons are used to show the strongest characters as they are able to handle larger weapons whereas the other characters may have smaller weapons for example Francine is given the smallest gun as she is the heroine therefore she is expected to be saved therefore would not put herself in major danger so she would not require a large gun like some of the others, how ever characters such as Peter and roger who are part of the swat team are more experienced with weapons as shown by their military uniforms therefore would also take charge in taking more powerful weapons, and Francine is shown in casual clothing with shows she is a house wife and would be treated differently compared to the men while trying to handle the situation, however in Shaun of the dead weapons I think weapons are used to show the growth of the characters rather than social position as at the beginning of the film when Shaun and Ed first realise there is a zombie apocalypse they take more realistic weapons compared to dawn of the dead, as Shaun and Ed use cricket bats which puts them in the same social position but as the film gets to the end Shaun is given the responsibility of a gun with I think shows his development and growth and highlights him as the hero, it also shows that he has gained the other characters trust and they have seen that he has also grown as a character as he is driven by trying to get his relationship back on track, although Shaun does require help working the gun from the characters which shows that in order to make this change in his life he needed all the people around him, unlike Dawn of the dead there is minimal use of military weapons and themes as Shaun of the Dead is based in north london and more about everyday life and people, so the use of weapons such and bats and sticks show the equality and importance each character has.
Narrative
Conventional zombie movies usually follow the same narrative where there is first an Apocalypse or zombie outbreak, Main character’s initial escape who is often female, Other isolated and very different survivors teamup together, Backstories of survivors ( flashback /narration), Development of outbreak and breakdown in society, Details of outbreak given to audience by expert, Survivors trapped in closed environment where they are surrounded by zombies, Closed environment is breached due to amount of zombies, or by actions by false hero or villain, Final standoff with zombiesand possible final escape and the Aftermath which is not always shown in narrative, Dawn of the Dead more or less follows this plan for narrative as it was one of the film that set the typical conventions for zombie movies, at the beginning of the film we are introduced right in the middle of the Zombie outbreak whereby it started before the before the film started so we are taken straight into the chaos of the Tv studio, next our main characters take their initial escape when Francine is told by David there is a helicopter waiting on the roof for them along with Peter and roger, Other survivors who team up together are shown in the towns and are taking the outbreak as a joke and making fun out of killing the zombies as the group look down on them from the helicopter who are taking the issue seriously, which also shows the breakdown of society as people are just killing the zombies as if it is a game, the film goes in linear order so there are no flash backs as we see the outbreak and the characters stories from the beginning, The details of the outbreak are given at the beginning of the film by the scientist (expert) and do not follow the conventional order of events, although the narrative does contain a part where the survivors are trapped in a closed environment which is the mall, which is infested with zombies and is the main setting for the majority of the film, and the remaining survivors are able to keep the situation under control until the villains ( Motor cycle gang) enter the mall and disrupt the peace which then allows zombies onto the second floor of the mall, at the end of the film we are left at a cliff-hanger as there is not a final stand off with the zombies, but more of a final escape which then ends the film so we do not see the aftermath of the situation as it is not present in the narrative or events so the ending of the film follows the conventional ending very briefly as there is no solution to the problem shown.
Events
Technical conventions
Describe their use
Sound : Music is used heavily in Dawn of the dead mainly used in moments of panic or high action which does follow the usual conventions for zombie movies as it makes these scenes more effective, for example when they first approach the mall in the helicopter there is 'strange' music playing, the music seems to match the actions of the characters, whereby they are looking around and analysing their surrounding and taking in actually how bad the zombie situation, the music also makes the viewers study the surroundings as well and take in what is happening around the characters, as this is not really an intense action scene I think this music is used to start to build up the tension for the rest of the film, and maybe implies there is more to come throughout the rest of the film, there is also use of simple sound effects such as gun shots which are not very exaggerated, but are sometimes quite loud and sudden in scenes whereby a character is in danger and they're thinking they are going to get bitten, but suddenly someone shoots the zombie and there is a sudden loud shot, Dialogue is also used widely to inform the audience on the characters plans for escape and also give vital information on things or events that may have happened before we had started watching, for example the scientist at the beginning of the film explaining that the dead are eating the living, however in Shaun of the dead there was a similar use of music in high packed action scenes or is used to make scenes more effective, for example when Shaun walks out of his house to the shop and is completely oblivious to the fact that there are zombies everywhere, there is low creepy music playing which alerts the audience there is something wrong, and we are waiting for Shaun to notice.
Use of Camera : shot types
At the beginning of Shaun of the dead there are many panning shots used, which start of wide but gradually zoom in slightly so they directly introduce the main characters, one thing I noticed about this film in particular was its use of quick shots when Shaun is organising or picking things up that he will need, for example in one of the first scenes when he is getting ready for work the shots quickly change from him going to the toilet, brushing his teeth, then doing his tie, this is not a typical shot type you would expect to see in a zombie film. whereas in Dawn of the dead the establishing shots are shorter than the ones in shaun of the dead and are more about introducing us straight into the panic of the situation, close up shots are also widely used showing the zombies heads being shot or peoples insides being eaten which is a typical convention which is used to show the graphic images.
