Hossam - Analysing the walking dead opening sequence

Media - Analysing The Walking Dead opening sequenceHossameldin Elrayes

Micro features

Consists of:

• Cinematography

• Mise en scene

• Editing including sound

• What elements make this opening engaging for an audience?

Cinematography• The opening introduces the main characters

• For example, the first photo of a person we see is the main characters in the news paper with the word “Shot”.

• This creates an enigma code and make it more interesting for the audience.

• Then we see a pan shot of an abandoned pharmacy, which states to the audience that the main character is injured in some way.

Cinematography• All the shots are either Pans or zooms out.

• Plus, all the shots last for a maximum of a two second period and they are all urban. This tells us that the setting is in the city.

• This is to shock the viewer because if the image was left on for long enough, the viewer would get used to it.

• http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/the-walking-dead-seasons-1-2/

Mise en scene• This is flowed by two other main characters. One’s picture with broken

glass frame and the other’s is under the rubble.

• After the shot of the main character, we then a series of abandoned places, which were a house and a caravan, which are also enigma codes and then an abandoned child’s teddy bear.

• The abandoned toy could say to the audience that the owner of the teddy bear was either pulled away in a rush or something could have happened to them.

• This is because children don’t usually leave their toys anywhere.

• This is then answered by an image of crows eating flesh off the teddy later.

Editing including sound• The type of music they use is called staccato.

• Staccato music means it uses short notes and short notes are usually associated with thrillers.

• There are also a very high pitched base.

What elements make this opening engaging for an audience?

• The enigma codes made by showing the audience abandoned places makes them ask themselves questions such as “what happened?”.

• There is also an enigma code when the audience see the pictures of the main characters.

• This makes them wonder if the characters will live or die.

Setting• We know it is set in the city because the images of

abandoned places are found in the city• For example the abandoned roads.

Narrative/Theme• Since it is called “The Walking Dead”, this says

that the theme is about zombies.• The main character is wearing a police uniform

which tells us that he is a police officer.• Plus, the teddy bear story is covered in one of the

episodes.• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59c842hVxD4