opening scene analysis

1. Shaun Of The Dead
by Greg Welbourne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCso753oVfw

2. My chosen genre is comedy-horror and I’ve therefore decided to research the film
opening of Shaun of the Dead as this is also a comedy-horror.

3. Camera Work
The camera work in the film opening uses continuous movement throughout the
scene. This literally moves the scene along but also shows contrast to the
start of the actual film where the camera is still. The camera is probably on a
track moving across the shot, filming individuals or groups of characters going
about their daily routines.
Towards the end of the scene the camera stops moving and instead the shadow
of an unknown character moves into the shot. This continues the theme of
movement in the opening scene however doesn’t end it because the opening
is still going on.

4. Editing
There is no editing within the same shot in the opening scene. The editing is done
so every time the moving camera gets the an opaque object, be it a person or
lamppost, the next shot comes when the moving camera reaches the other side of
the opaque object.
In the fourth shot of the opening scene the title is shown on the foreground of the
frame. The text ‘Shaun of the Dead’ has been entered to make it look like it’s flat,
alongside the pavement. The editor has enhanced this look by also making the
writing still. In that, the camera moves to the right and the writing stays in the
same position on the pavement.

5. Sound
The song ‘I Monster- The blue Wrath’ plays throughout the opening of the film, this
noise is non-diegetic. This is almost the only sound within the scene other than the
sound of a video game which is diegetic.
Near the end we hear the unknown character yawning, however because at first
we can only see is his shadow, we immediately think he’s a zombie but we then
see he’s just yawning. This is a very clever device the director has created and it
also sets the tone to the funny/scary feel of the film.

6. Titles
The titles in the film opening follow the camera and always stay in the bottom
middle part of the shot. They’re not such a big thing in this as the needn’t be in a
comedy.