Camera Shot/Angle/Movement
The mixture of different shots, angles, and movements is what helps to define the genre of this trailer as a horror trailer. The first camera shot we see takes the form of a point of view shot, drawing closer to a woman and eventually becoming an extreme close up. Based on the diegetic sound track, we can assume the point of view shot is that of a Monkey or a Chimpanzee, as the noises in the background suggest that this type of animal is present in the room. This shot sets the pace for the first minute of the trailer, with various quick cuts and short shots of harrowing devastation featuring throughout the first minute. However, when we see a high angle shot of a man on a bed in what appears to be an abandoned hospital, the camera angles and movements change. We get wider, longer shots that take in more detail of the aftermath of the chaos that we are led to believe has happened before this moment in time. In one of the most infamous shots of the scene, we see the same man from the hospital bed standing on Westminster Bridge in London, where he is completely alone. The camera shows him turning, and in the background the morning sun illuminates the houses of parliament. The use of the mid-shot is important, as it shows both his confusion and abandonment and the solemnity of the city around him.
Sound
Sound, both diegetic and non-diegetic, are key components of the trailer. The diegetic sound of the monkey’s and the voices of people screaming are key to building suspense, intrigue and horror. Just before we see the aforementioned point of view shot, we hear a woman’s voice scream “one got out”, helping us to establish that the following point of view shot was probably that of the monkeys. Non-diegetic sound becomes more important towards the end of this trailer, using a string arrangement to denote loneliness and desolation. The score, largely arranged by John Murphy, is key to capturing the post-apocalyptic style the Danny Boyle’s film adopts from the very outset. As well as John Murphy, 'An Ending' by Brian Eno was used towards the end of the trailer, playing as we see the panoramic shots of an empty London.
Editing
The editing for this trailer is reminiscent of the editing you find in most horror trailers. The mixture of editing techniques helps to enforce the conventions of a horror, using quick cuts and close ups to create tension and establishing shots to denote remoteness. The clips of action that link to the text shown on the screen e.g. ‘Evacuation‘ provides the viewer with a basic background knowledge as to how the protagonist finds himself in an abandoned Central London. This is an affective technique, as it illustrates some of the themes and plot to potential genre fans without revealing so much detail that the film becomes predictable.
Mise en Scene
Mise en Scene is crucial to this trailer, as the environment and outside world is central to the plot of the film it promotes. Before we see Danny Boyle’s vision of post-apocalyptic London, the screen remains dark and desolate, suggestive of the content of the film. The use of colour is important in the first section of the trailer, the colour red connoting blood, the use of black connoting uncertainty and disorder. The latter part of the trailer makes use of iconic images of London, subverting what we would expect to see surrounding them. Instead of busy streets and tourist filled walkways, we see litter strewn pavements and empty roads. Absent of any life apart from our disorientated antagonist, the images we see truly denote a post apocalyptic City.
Characters
We are only introduced to one character in this trailer. The protagonist, whose name we do not find out, is a male who could be in his early to mid thirties. Although not all trailers introduce character names, the fact that we are not introduced to the character suggests his personal identity is not crucial to the film itself.
Location
Director Danny Boyle’s choice of location means that viewers of the can instantly connect with the films identity. Instantly recognisable, London is the perfect city to set a film of this kind. Based on the viewers knowledge of the city, or a persons own experience, the audience can connect with and try to imagine that situation in a place such as London.
Dawn of the Dead.
Camera Shot/Angle/Movement
The Dawn of The Dead trailer uses some similar Camera shots and angles to the trailer for 28 Days Later, indicating that they are popular amongst films in this genre. In the beginning of the trailer, quick shots from low and mid angles are used to provide a back ground to a family of three; using a wiping style of cut between shots means that although the shots are quick, they do not change violently, which fits in with the actions on screen. However, the pace is altered by a change in the style of shot being used.
A sense of voyeurism is created using tracking shots at mid level, suggesting someone is in the house. When it is revealed that the daughter previously seen in the trailer has becoming one of the dead, a series of jump cut illustrate the next events. We see a high angle shot of the father, leading to a mid shot of the mothers reaction, and then a close up of the daughters eyes to illustrate the fact that her body has been taken over. This close up mirrors a shot used in the 28 Days Later trailer, where a woman's eyes are shown after being bitten by an infected monkey. This suggests that eyes are a motif within the genre, representing a change within the body; the idea that the eyes are windows into someones soul is another possible reason why eyes are a popular motif in these films.
When the female escapes the house and leaves her infected daughter, low angle establishing shots are used to depict the chaos and destruction that has taken place. As the woman drives, a camera is attached to the back of the car in order to give the audience a view of how the car is moving and how the carnage on the streets is forcing her to drive this way. As the trailer progresses, we see that the woman has taken refuge in a mall or shopping centre with other people who have not been infected. Various jump cuts from high angles and low angles are used to illustrate how the infected people outside are surrounding the building, building tension and creating a sense of hostility. This differs from 28 Days Later, where the infected are shown to roam in small groups as apposed to the larger more crowd like groups shown in this trailer.
The end of the trailer makes use of more jump cuts to illustrate various key points within the movie, such as how the the uninfected fight off those that are infected, and how those inside the mall interact with each other and build relationships in such tense situations. The use of jump cuts means that while it shows different points within the film, it does not give away too much of the action or story line. The last shot before the title of the film is shown is similar to the last shot of 28 Days Later. The shot shows a foggy, smokey screen with various hands and arms shown pressing against it, presumably those of the infected crowd. Similar to this, the silhouettes of the infected are shown running toward the camera in 28 Days Later, with a smokey screen similar to that of the one mentioned before behind them.
Sound
The soundtrack for this film was written and arranged by Tyler Bates. The trailer for Dawn of The Dead uses a mixture of Diegetic and Non-Diegetic sound to encapsulate the themes and motifs of the film. Similar to the music at the end of the 28 Days Later trailer, this trailer uses peaceful atmospheric music at the beginning to simulate the harmony of the surroundings before the chaotic course of events unfold. More Non-Diegetic sound is used to change the mood as the action becomes more intensified; shrieking stringed instruments such as violins are used to create tension as the action in the trailer progresses. The use of stringed instruments continues throughout the trailer, and is popular amongst films of this type, becoming a kind of convention of the horror genre.
Diegetic sound in the form of speech and broadcasting is important in this trailer, as it provides background information to the audience as they watch. The first piece of broadcasting we hear is in the car was the female character drives erratically through her neighborhood, announcing that the government has “declared a state of emergency”. This use of dialogue gives the film an apocalyptic edge, similar to that of 28 Days Later.
Towards the beginning of the scene, a clock is heard ticking. This is important, as it alludes to an important theme within this movie and most movies of this variety. The theme of time, and the motif of time, are often central to the horror genre. Suggesting that time is running out, it also creates a sense of conflict as the events within the movies are often presented as a race against time.
Editing
The editing in this trailer sets the pace of the movie, creating a fast paced atmosphere. Jump cuts are used frequently throughout, particularly at the beginning and towards the end, in order to summarise events and show progression of characters and situations. Editing is also used to reinforce themes, and provides the audience with ideas about what to expect. At one point in the trailer, the screen cuts to black and the words “when hell is full, the dead will walk the earth” appear on the screen. This has religious connotations, with the reference to hell. It could also indirectly be interpreted as a reference to the famous religious quote “the meek shall inherit the earth” from the book of Matthew, which would suggest that those on earth in the film are meek and incapable of dealing with the invasion of the dead from hell. The trailer also makes use of lost of unsteadiness in terms of camera, creating a sense of uncertainty, as well as making use of lots of voyeuristic tracking shots mixed in with close up’s to suggest the idea of being watched.
Mise en Scene
The Mise en Scene is key to establishing the background of the family at the beginning of the trailer, providing the dramatic contrast between how their lives are before and after the events. At the very beginning, the type of street that the family live on and the decor of the house suggest that they are an American middle class family who live comfortably and appear to be generally content with their lifestyle. Having one child suggests that the adults are fairly career driven, but feel financially comfortable enough to support a child at this point. Contrasting this is how the area in which they live is represented when the female character runs outside, trying to make her escape via her car. As she looks around, we can see that cars houses are on fire, and the previously pristine driveways of the surrounding houses are strewn with pieces of torn clothing and general debris. These differences influence the disorder that has descended, an almost chaotic suburbia.
Later on in the trailer, we are shown more images of chaos and disorder. At one point, we see the infected people from the outside trying to take over a bus with uninfected people onboard on it’s way to the mall. The zombie crowds are shown the be unclean, riotous and out of control, which sets the division between them and those inside the mall, who remain in control of their own bodies.
Characters
We are introduced to a number of characters in this trailer, apposed to only one or two in the trailer for 28 days later. Although we are introduced to a number of characters, we are not given any of the names of the characters which appear to be the main cast. In contrast with those characters featured in the 28 Days Later trailer, the trailer for Dawn of the Dead represents some ethnic minorities with two of the main characters being black males. As well as this, the trailer for the films suggests that age is fairly well represented, with an age range of around 25-40 year olds. The female who appears to be the protagonist in the film is the character who is most developed through the trailer, and one of the black male characters appears wearing a police uniform, providing a small idea of this characters background and lifestyle.
Location
There are two main locations featured in this trailer, a seemingly quiet residential street and a shopping mall/centre in Cincinnati, surrounded by other buildings. The quiet residential area provides the female character with more of a background for the audience to read into, and also gives them audience something to connect with. In using somewhere an audience can relate to, it prompts the audience to wonder how they would react in a similar situation, therefore establishing a relationship between the trailer and the audience.
Similarly, the Mall/Shopping Centre used in later on in the trailer gives the audience another everyday image to relate to. This image may help to establish a connection between the film and young adults and older teenage members of the audience, as this is an image the younger audience can relate to easily. The quiet middle class residential area, although recognisable by younger audience members, is more likely to build a relationship with elder members of the audience.
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