Zombieland Title Sequence
At the beginning of the sequence we see a close up of the flag for USA, this shows to the audience where the film is set and the character stereotypes that we will find within the film. The camera tracks out suggesting to the audience that America has changed. We here a distorted loud noise (national anthem?) and static, which suggests that the place which the film has been set in is distorted. We also hear the character's voice narrating which suggests to the audience who the protagonist of the film is. The camera flips right side up to show the reality of the disequilibrium to the audience. The camera has static images within the camera which give the idea of this being filmed by a camera man, this could make the audience feel disorientated and show that the diegesis of the film is distorted. It could also reference the title sequence to Dawn of the Dead which shows a compliation/montage of news clips about an outbreak of a virus.
The camera pulls back further showing the car flipped over and flames, this shows the audience that the diegesis of the film is not normal. The camera is handheld giving a sense of reality to the audience as typically when a tragedy occurs within the world we are shown a handheld camera account of a person within the tragedy. There is a quick midshot of guns on the floor, this suggests to the audience that the film will be violent and creates tension within the audience as typically we only see weapons in acts of murder or terrorism or police.
The camera pans round to show more cars, more fire and the setting of iconic Washington DC (The White House), this creates a sense of realism and makes the audience feel tense. The camera pans round to a zombie at a low angle shot; the shows to the audience that the zombies are in control and that there are more of them than there are normal people. The non-digetic music is in sync with the on screen action, and is exaggerated to make the audience jump when we see the character, this causes the audience to feel tense.
The camera tracks backwards and is jerky and shaky presenting the idea of realism within the diegesis as the camera is from a point of view shot. We hear the zombie moans/cries and the man's pleading 'No' which also presents a sense of realism within the diegesis of the film. As the man drops the camera (because he is being eaten) there is a close up shot of the zombie eating, this is used to establish the differences between the uninfected and the infected. This part of the sequence is set in natural lighting to make it feel more realistic for the audience. The exaggerated sound of the burp is used to show to the audience that this film is a comedy or parody of zombie films.
There is a birds-eye-view of the white house, this makes the audience feel as if they are looking into the scene and makes it feel like helicopter news footage, this makes the audience feel tense as they look upon the action and destruction. The camera pans out to show the Earth, which makes the audience feel disconnected with the scene and shows that the place which the film takes place in is else where in America. The camera tracks the Earth showing the fire and chaos to the audience, this sets the situation for the audience and sets them in the diegesis of the film. The camera then pans in on a famous stadium in the US, this makes it feel realistic for the audience.
The sequence is set in a football/rugby field, this presents a part of the stereotype for American people and allows the audience to identify this stereotype and associate characters within this film to other stereotypes. The camera tilts up to show to the audience that we are in a new setting, the camera angle makes the audience feel like a spectator instead of being a part of the diegesis. A high angle long shot is usually used within televised games so it shows to the audience that this film is a parody. The slow editing within this sequence highlights the fact that this is a comedy as it is funny seeing actors faces being slowed down while running.
The sequence changes to a city scape with cars, presenting another stereotype of Americans; that they drive a lot and are always busy. A birds-eye-view is used to show the scene like it would be featured on the news, again making the audience feel like a spectator. The fast paced editing matches the fast paced chaos in the city streets.
The sequence changes to a bathroom stall, the camera slowly tracks into the stall and tilts down at a high angle view to show that the character is vunerable. The sound speeds up and matches the pace of the editing. The exaggerated sounds throughout the sequence such as a bell, show the audience that this film is a comedy or a parody.
The sequence changes to a close up of a car and portrays another stereotype of 'soft' parents and spoilt little children, this allows the audience to recognise the stereotype and laugh about it.
The editing of the sequence then slows into slow motion depicting different humourous scenes of humans being caughts by zombies. The slow motion shows the audience that the film is a parody and is meant to be funny, it shows that this film is not serious and that the audience are not supposed to feel tense. The titles appear at this point and act as if they are within the scene, the fonts are knocked about and fall over as characters are alligned with them, this makes it more entertaining for the audience and makes the audience pay more attention the the titles.
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