Shaun of the Dead
This section is an analysis of the film Shaun of the Dead by Edgar Wright. I am analysing this film as the hybrid genre of a Zombie-Romantic-Comedy. Shaun of the Dead interested me particularly for its use of relatable characters and humour combined with the unrealistic narrative. I will analyse the media language of the mise en scene, sound, editing and cinematography through the same clip found on YouTube. Along evaluating with institutions genre, representation, audience, narrative and ideology.
media language
This section contains my analysis of the media language used by Edgar Wright in Shaun of the Dead, including the mise en scene, sound, editing and cinematography.
mise en scene
(My chosen clip of analysis for the media language section of Shaun of the Dead)
In this section I will analyse the mise en scene of the clip given above of the film Shaun of the Dead by Edgar Wright. I will do this by evaluating the clips location, characters, costume, set, props etc.
Mise en scene is defined as 'everything within the frame', each choice that the director has made has been for a reason, such as an actors costume and each element will illustrate something to the audience.
In this clip one can notice the clear associations between Wrights influences of comedy and horror genre films throughout the mise en scene. Being set and filmed in London, either Ealing Studios or mainly the suburban streets, illustrates many things to the audience. In this clip the natural alley way which the friends stand in at first communicates the leafy green gardens in suburban London. Out of focus in the background is a family home, the back garden is littered with children's toys. This set and location paired with the natural day light gives the audience the security of familiarity. However this scene location and set design has been chose carefully, there is hardly any natural sky whatsoever in the frame apart from a slight hint of a blue sky in the top right corner. The reason for this is that it highlights specifically the entrapment, being completely surrounded and enclosed by nature is a clear reference to the horror genre. Characters are often trapped into small places, this can go noticed or unnoticed yet it is a recurring theme in the narrative of horror genre film. Yet contrasting the frightening aspect of the zombie with the innocence and vulnerability of children. The collaboration of natural aspects and unknown fears instantly makes the audience laugh, establishing the mix of comedy and horror genre.
As the scene progresses and the friends enter the streets acting as zombies the value of the pub as some kind of 'Mecca' for the friends is a different reference to the comedy genre film. An everyday typical London pub will hold all manner of characters inside it and, is easily relatable to the audience. The audience will identify with the local pub as a kind of saviour in times of need and when taken to the extreme as a legitimate safe house when the world is full of zombies the audience will find the comic value in that.
Mise en scene is defined as 'everything within the frame', each choice that the director has made has been for a reason, such as an actors costume and each element will illustrate something to the audience.
In this clip one can notice the clear associations between Wrights influences of comedy and horror genre films throughout the mise en scene. Being set and filmed in London, either Ealing Studios or mainly the suburban streets, illustrates many things to the audience. In this clip the natural alley way which the friends stand in at first communicates the leafy green gardens in suburban London. Out of focus in the background is a family home, the back garden is littered with children's toys. This set and location paired with the natural day light gives the audience the security of familiarity. However this scene location and set design has been chose carefully, there is hardly any natural sky whatsoever in the frame apart from a slight hint of a blue sky in the top right corner. The reason for this is that it highlights specifically the entrapment, being completely surrounded and enclosed by nature is a clear reference to the horror genre. Characters are often trapped into small places, this can go noticed or unnoticed yet it is a recurring theme in the narrative of horror genre film. Yet contrasting the frightening aspect of the zombie with the innocence and vulnerability of children. The collaboration of natural aspects and unknown fears instantly makes the audience laugh, establishing the mix of comedy and horror genre.
As the scene progresses and the friends enter the streets acting as zombies the value of the pub as some kind of 'Mecca' for the friends is a different reference to the comedy genre film. An everyday typical London pub will hold all manner of characters inside it and, is easily relatable to the audience. The audience will identify with the local pub as a kind of saviour in times of need and when taken to the extreme as a legitimate safe house when the world is full of zombies the audience will find the comic value in that.
(A screen capture from the chosen clip from Shaun of the Dead, illustrating the gang of friends costume)
The costume and make up in this scene differs hugely depending on the characters role, for instance the gang of friends and the zombies dress in very different ways. The gang of friends as characters are trying to communicate their realtablitly to the audience. Therefore their costume is mundane yet in-keeping with their characterisation, for instance the best friend wears a 'got wood' t-shirt, highlighting his comic role in the group.
The zombies on the other hand are quite clearly different. Whilst their clothes are mundane and regular for the time period and fashions, they are covered in blood. When it comes to make up their are two obvious attributes that complete a zombie in this film, the fake blood and the pale eye contacts. Using make up to create a scary character is common place in horror films, producing a character that's sole purpose it to scare is sometimes helped by making them appear a different version of human. Eyes are a particular favourite as to create a collective identity of a force to frighten the public, if all of the characters have the same eye, something that is usually unique to each individual, it builds a strange unknown identity.
The mise en scene in this film illustrates the highbrid genre that Shaun of the Dead is, a romantic comedy with horror aspects weaved into it. The combination of horror elements such as the zombies hair and make up with the romantic comedy characters gives the audience a new genre to watch.
The zombies on the other hand are quite clearly different. Whilst their clothes are mundane and regular for the time period and fashions, they are covered in blood. When it comes to make up their are two obvious attributes that complete a zombie in this film, the fake blood and the pale eye contacts. Using make up to create a scary character is common place in horror films, producing a character that's sole purpose it to scare is sometimes helped by making them appear a different version of human. Eyes are a particular favourite as to create a collective identity of a force to frighten the public, if all of the characters have the same eye, something that is usually unique to each individual, it builds a strange unknown identity.
The mise en scene in this film illustrates the highbrid genre that Shaun of the Dead is, a romantic comedy with horror aspects weaved into it. The combination of horror elements such as the zombies hair and make up with the romantic comedy characters gives the audience a new genre to watch.
I am taking inspiration from the Shaun of the Dead mise en scene, in aspects such costume, make up and the significance of props and set in the background of the shot. The normal and conventional costume and make up maintain realism in the narrative, I want to achieve this with my characters, making it easier for the audience to relate to them on a human level. When evaluating at the value of the props and set that surround the characters it becomes very important, the fact that they are in London makes it instantly relatable to a British audience who they were targeting for. This is another quality I would like to carry over to my film as the story line of 'the end of the world' may not be instantly recognisable through dialogue so there will be reliance upon the set and props to illustrate this too.
sound
(My chosen clip of analysis for the media language section of Shaun of the Dead)
In this section I will analyse the sound used in the clip above from the film Shaun of the Dead by Edgar Wright. I will do this by going into detail about some of the sounds used and what these have connotations with in the film.
Sound is either digetic heard within the frame by the characters or non digetic, heard outside the frame by the audience and not by actors. Sound can be used to highlight emotions or communicate a certain message in a scene. I aim to convey how the use of sound in this clip manipulates the audience into feeling a range of moods, from anticipation to fear. I will do this by analysing the clip and seeing the similarities and deviations from more typical horror and comedy genre films (which are two of Wright's main influences).
In this clip the sound is minimal in range. It mainly focuses on dialogue and non digetic music to create a certain feeling or mood for the audience, such as tension as the sound rises or comedy with the dialogue The dialogue is heard alone for the beginning of this scene, and the first non digetic sound of a digereedoo is heard as a character says 'Captain Wow'. This sound starts with distorted musical notes that have no real pattern or structure, which highlight the confused thought process of Shaun as he stares at the zombie. Distorted sounds are typical of the horror genre as it illustrates something we cannot understand or digest. The mixture of digereedoo, symbols and drums in a cacophony of unstructured sounds creates a mood of confusion and risk. It communicates a tension to the audience as it has no solid structure and that in turn produces a panic theme to run throughout. This is seen in many horror films, the manipulation of sound to illustrate fear, risk or panic are key to making the audience feel as though they are going through the experience themselves.
Sound is either digetic heard within the frame by the characters or non digetic, heard outside the frame by the audience and not by actors. Sound can be used to highlight emotions or communicate a certain message in a scene. I aim to convey how the use of sound in this clip manipulates the audience into feeling a range of moods, from anticipation to fear. I will do this by analysing the clip and seeing the similarities and deviations from more typical horror and comedy genre films (which are two of Wright's main influences).
In this clip the sound is minimal in range. It mainly focuses on dialogue and non digetic music to create a certain feeling or mood for the audience, such as tension as the sound rises or comedy with the dialogue The dialogue is heard alone for the beginning of this scene, and the first non digetic sound of a digereedoo is heard as a character says 'Captain Wow'. This sound starts with distorted musical notes that have no real pattern or structure, which highlight the confused thought process of Shaun as he stares at the zombie. Distorted sounds are typical of the horror genre as it illustrates something we cannot understand or digest. The mixture of digereedoo, symbols and drums in a cacophony of unstructured sounds creates a mood of confusion and risk. It communicates a tension to the audience as it has no solid structure and that in turn produces a panic theme to run throughout. This is seen in many horror films, the manipulation of sound to illustrate fear, risk or panic are key to making the audience feel as though they are going through the experience themselves.
Another aspect of sound worth noting is the diegetic background noise. This background noise is naturalistic and is formed of car alarms and the constant monotonousness groan of the zombie in front of them. The sound creates a solid base for the dialogue to overlay. This ambient sound communicates a base for the dialogue as well as reminding the audience that they are not in a normal situation, with car alarms and the steady drone of the zombie behind them. This quick switch to naturalism highlights not only the clarity of Shaun's mind as a plan takes form. It also deviates from typical horror films as they are not naturalistic narratives therefore their soundtrack usually conveys this.
Later on in the scene there is a underlying non digetic sound of an air raid siren. This sound is key to the scene itself, whilst the sound isn't truly existing in the reality of the film it adds a certain layer of importance to the scene. An air raid siren is a extremely worrying sound, used in WWII any repetition of this sound which protected so many people from danger but also was the catalyst for panic on the streets means that something important is happening in the scene. In this case it is illustrating the paranoia of the group of friends as they move through the zombies to their destination. By just using sound the audience can understand to some extent the fear that the characters are feeling and that is an excellent example of how sound can manipulate an audience.
Later on in the scene there is a underlying non digetic sound of an air raid siren. This sound is key to the scene itself, whilst the sound isn't truly existing in the reality of the film it adds a certain layer of importance to the scene. An air raid siren is a extremely worrying sound, used in WWII any repetition of this sound which protected so many people from danger but also was the catalyst for panic on the streets means that something important is happening in the scene. In this case it is illustrating the paranoia of the group of friends as they move through the zombies to their destination. By just using sound the audience can understand to some extent the fear that the characters are feeling and that is an excellent example of how sound can manipulate an audience.
I will be taking inspiration from the sound used in Shaun of the Dead in the areas of keeping majority of the scenes with only digetic sound. This maintains naturalism and also keeps the audience focused on the dialogue between the characters. Shaun of the Dead's script has also been a major influence for me as I find it extremely funny and realistic, both elements that I wish my film to be very strong in. When writing my own script I will keep Wrights sarcastic flare in mind.
editing
(My chosen clip of analysis for the media language section of Shaun of the Dead)
In this section I aim to illustrate how Wright integrates his individual editing style with the clear influences from comedy and horror genre films. This will be done by analysing the clip above to pick up on these similarities and deviations from the influences. Editing in film is where transitions of images or the way certain shots are places in a sequence can communicate a wider meaning to the audience.
Even though the majority of the edits in this clip are swipe cuts, which is where the shot swiftly 'swipes' to the next one with a small sound effect to keep pace and create a surrealist theme to the film, the editing maintains continuity throughout. This is done by using such tools as eye line match and action match. It is interesting to note that the zombies as characters cannot have an eye line match, reinforcing the difference of our main characters and the ensemble of extras.
Even though the majority of the edits in this clip are swipe cuts, which is where the shot swiftly 'swipes' to the next one with a small sound effect to keep pace and create a surrealist theme to the film, the editing maintains continuity throughout. This is done by using such tools as eye line match and action match. It is interesting to note that the zombies as characters cannot have an eye line match, reinforcing the difference of our main characters and the ensemble of extras.
(A screen capture from the chosen clip from Shaun of the Dead, illustrating the lack of eye line match from the zombies)
The continuity edit of this clip is directly linked to the comedy genre films that Wright has taken inspiration from. By highlighting a realness to the situation through the genre conventions of continuity the audience can relate to the characters far easier and thus find humour in their predicament.
Yet the swipe cuts as mentioned before highlight the surrealism of the horror of zombies and thus once again the hybrid genre of a horror romantic comedy is illustrated as it combines two kinds of edits.
As the group try to portray zombies there is shot reverse shot between the zombies and the main characters, they try desperately to portray the zombies yet when put in comparison they look very unrealistic. There are also cutaways to each character showing the different struggles each one is going through to become a fake zombie. Each clip is short, hardly lasting longer than five seconds. The length of the shots is a clear reference to the horror genre, in most horror films shots are kept short and snappy to create a pace to the scary drama that is unfolding. A part from the swipe cuts and quick cutaways there are no added on transitions or certain effects given, once again highlighting the realism.
Yet the swipe cuts as mentioned before highlight the surrealism of the horror of zombies and thus once again the hybrid genre of a horror romantic comedy is illustrated as it combines two kinds of edits.
As the group try to portray zombies there is shot reverse shot between the zombies and the main characters, they try desperately to portray the zombies yet when put in comparison they look very unrealistic. There are also cutaways to each character showing the different struggles each one is going through to become a fake zombie. Each clip is short, hardly lasting longer than five seconds. The length of the shots is a clear reference to the horror genre, in most horror films shots are kept short and snappy to create a pace to the scary drama that is unfolding. A part from the swipe cuts and quick cutaways there are no added on transitions or certain effects given, once again highlighting the realism.
I will be taking inspiration from the editing aspects in Shaun of the Dead of the clear and important continuity with elements such as action and eye line match. Continuity is extremely prevalent to me when trying to keep a realistic theme throughout a piece of work. It is a aim for me to create a product which keeps a strong line of continuity and Shaun of the Dead is an example of the simple rules such as action match that need to be clear within my piece.
cinematography
(My chosen clip of analysis for the media language section of Shaun of the Dead)
In this section I will analyse the cinematography in the clip above from the film Shaun of the Dead by Edgar Wright. By evaluating the specific cinematography in this clip I will illustrate what messages and feelings that communicates to the audience. Cinematography is how a shot is made to look the way it does, for instance what kind of camera movements there are or the framing of it.
At the beginning of this clip the camera is on a dolly and is slowly moving outwards to give the audience a full view of the group of friends as they discuss the problem they are in. The camera remains steady as it moves further backwards, this stillness in the frame is contrasted by the movement of the dolly and therefore is a contradiction to the audience thus creating tension.
There are mid close ups throughout giving the audience a sense of familiarity with the characters as they can identify with their normality. For instance the use of close ups when the camera tracks across the group as they practice pretending to be zombies means the audience can not only relate to their discomfort in the situation but it also highlights the comedy of the scene.
At the beginning of this clip the camera is on a dolly and is slowly moving outwards to give the audience a full view of the group of friends as they discuss the problem they are in. The camera remains steady as it moves further backwards, this stillness in the frame is contrasted by the movement of the dolly and therefore is a contradiction to the audience thus creating tension.
There are mid close ups throughout giving the audience a sense of familiarity with the characters as they can identify with their normality. For instance the use of close ups when the camera tracks across the group as they practice pretending to be zombies means the audience can not only relate to their discomfort in the situation but it also highlights the comedy of the scene.
(A screen capture from the chosen clip from Shaun of the Dead, illustrating the still camera used)
When the friends are walking through the mass gathering of zombies the camera work becomes far more distinctive along with the edits of the shots. The camera frame remains still on a steadicam yet there are many establishing shots of the pub. There are also POV shots of the zombies themselves as the move out of the way of the camera as if it was a person itself.
All of these elements combine both the horror making the audience feel like they themselves are walking through a entire field of zombies but it also has hints of comedy with the tilts towards the pub to make it appear as some kind of 'Mecca'. Once again the hybrid genre of romantic comedy and horror is illustrated through the cinematography.
All of these elements combine both the horror making the audience feel like they themselves are walking through a entire field of zombies but it also has hints of comedy with the tilts towards the pub to make it appear as some kind of 'Mecca'. Once again the hybrid genre of romantic comedy and horror is illustrated through the cinematography.
Shaun of the Dead's cinematography is interesting for me to analyse as I dont want to take too much from it as an influence for my final product. I am far more interested in the stillness of a camera as I find it distracting when too much is happening in a shot and want to keep the focus on my characters and their dialogue. Yet I can learn from the pace that Shaun of the Dead creates through their camera work and try to transfer that over to my film while keeping the camera still.
institutions
In this section I will be looking at the certain institutions that are associated with Shaun of the Dead. I will focus on their background, past films and what significance this has to categorising Shaun of the Dead as a British independent film.
Shaun Of The Dead was produced by StudioCanal, Working Title Films, Big Talk Productions and Film4 Productions. Working Title Films are well established in the independent scene producing films such as, Sixty Six, Love Actually and About A Boy. Working Title was formerly a British independent film company, and still tries to portray this image, however it became a subsidiarity of Universal Studios in 2000. This means that they now produce films aimed at a British national audience yet they are truly from an American conglomerate company. Film4 Productions which is part of Channel 4 with the specific remit to support British Film Production amount its most notable successes are Dead Mans Shoes, Four Lions and This Is England. As an independent film company with a background in well made films, Film4 would be an aim as a production company to back my final product, as both a short film or a feature length.
Shaun Of The Dead was produced by StudioCanal, Working Title Films, Big Talk Productions and Film4 Productions. Working Title Films are well established in the independent scene producing films such as, Sixty Six, Love Actually and About A Boy. Working Title was formerly a British independent film company, and still tries to portray this image, however it became a subsidiarity of Universal Studios in 2000. This means that they now produce films aimed at a British national audience yet they are truly from an American conglomerate company. Film4 Productions which is part of Channel 4 with the specific remit to support British Film Production amount its most notable successes are Dead Mans Shoes, Four Lions and This Is England. As an independent film company with a background in well made films, Film4 would be an aim as a production company to back my final product, as both a short film or a feature length.
(The Working Title logo)
It was directed by Edgar Wright, whose gone on to write and direct Land Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim vs The World. It was produced by Nira Park, edited by Chris Dickens and the cinematography was David M.Dunlap. The cast included actors such as Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis and Nick Frost. Pegg and Frost are a well known comedy duo and have been involved in more of Wright's films, for instance Hot Fuzz in 2007. Shaun Of The Dead was Wrights first big break onto the English independent film scene. It was a huge success and lead to him making serveal other films, all of which have a very distinctive style.
(The director, Edgar Wright)
The budget of Shaun Of The Dead was £4,000,000 which a large budget for an independent film, however this directly relates to the number of production companies supporting the film. It was shot entirely in London on location and some scenes in Ealing Studios in 2003-2004.
The audience of Shaun Of The Dead is niche, it appeals to the independent thinker with heavy ironic humour and setting the main protagonist against authority. The character with whom we sympathize, Shaun, is seen as being overwhelmed by circumstances when he realises that the zombies are taking over he tries to fight back which shows his rebellion against the system. Both my film and Shaun Of The Dead take a view of the apocalypse. The end of the world is coming and in both films the message is communicated through familiar human relationships of the characters
The audience of Shaun Of The Dead is niche, it appeals to the independent thinker with heavy ironic humour and setting the main protagonist against authority. The character with whom we sympathize, Shaun, is seen as being overwhelmed by circumstances when he realises that the zombies are taking over he tries to fight back which shows his rebellion against the system. Both my film and Shaun Of The Dead take a view of the apocalypse. The end of the world is coming and in both films the message is communicated through familiar human relationships of the characters
genre
In this section I will analysing how Shaun of the Dead combines the two genres of comedy and horror to create a sub genre of film. I will do this by analysing what characteristics from each genre film carries over to Shaun of the Dead by Edgar Wright.
The Auteur of this film is Edgar Wright. We know this because of his kinetic directing style and deeply sarcastic continually ironic script similar to some of his previous work such as Spaced. Included in Shaun Of The Dead are several references of films made by George A. Romero which all included the word Dead, such as Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of Dead and Day Of The Dead. Shaun Of The Dead is a tribute to the work of Romero.
The Auteur of this film is Edgar Wright. We know this because of his kinetic directing style and deeply sarcastic continually ironic script similar to some of his previous work such as Spaced. Included in Shaun Of The Dead are several references of films made by George A. Romero which all included the word Dead, such as Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of Dead and Day Of The Dead. Shaun Of The Dead is a tribute to the work of Romero.
(The Dawn of the Dead poster by George Romero)
Genre films must fit certain codes and conventions in order to be considered a true genre film.
A film such as Anchorman is seen instantly as a comedy film as it fills a certain amount of criteria, such as an all star cast, naturally comedic characters and normal situations turned on their heads. Or a horror film such as The Grudge conforms to the genre conventions of horror through a scary demon, a young female main character and a story line full of twists.
These two types of genre films are important in relation to Shaun of the Dead as it is considered a comedy/horror film. Shaun Of The Dead was such a distinctive film it created a hybrid genre, called by critics 'ZomRomCom' meaning Zombie Romantic Comedy. This is key to understanding the film as a whole as one can see it cannot be forced into one category of genre film and one alone.
A film such as Anchorman is seen instantly as a comedy film as it fills a certain amount of criteria, such as an all star cast, naturally comedic characters and normal situations turned on their heads. Or a horror film such as The Grudge conforms to the genre conventions of horror through a scary demon, a young female main character and a story line full of twists.
These two types of genre films are important in relation to Shaun of the Dead as it is considered a comedy/horror film. Shaun Of The Dead was such a distinctive film it created a hybrid genre, called by critics 'ZomRomCom' meaning Zombie Romantic Comedy. This is key to understanding the film as a whole as one can see it cannot be forced into one category of genre film and one alone.
(A clip example of horror and comedy in Shaun of the Dead)
When comparisons are made of Shaun of the Dead and horror films, the simliarites are blatantly clear.The horror aspects of the film are clearly shown through the symbolic codes of zombies, a 'life' form that makes no sense scientifically and is one that cannot be understood with reason. Therefore making it unknown which in turn instantly through human nature makes it scary.
Yet this fear is contrasted by the comedy theme that runs through this film. The characters and normal everyday portrayal of life make the unfathomable situation of 'zombies' relatable. Using Simon Pegg as the protagonist also creates a relationship with the audience as his face is one British audiences can find familiar.
The perfect mixture of horror and comedy can be seen in the clip above. Each genre is illustrated perfectly as the audience is never fully lulled into comedy or fully into horror. The innate fear of something that is unknown, the zombies, is relaxed by the comedic elements of a easily relateable lazy man taking no notice of the immediate danger that surrounds him.
Yet this fear is contrasted by the comedy theme that runs through this film. The characters and normal everyday portrayal of life make the unfathomable situation of 'zombies' relatable. Using Simon Pegg as the protagonist also creates a relationship with the audience as his face is one British audiences can find familiar.
The perfect mixture of horror and comedy can be seen in the clip above. Each genre is illustrated perfectly as the audience is never fully lulled into comedy or fully into horror. The innate fear of something that is unknown, the zombies, is relaxed by the comedic elements of a easily relateable lazy man taking no notice of the immediate danger that surrounds him.
I am really inspired by the combination of genre within Shaun of the Dead. The mix of comedy and horror/zombie to create a hybrid genre. I aim to do this in my final product by combing comedy with a end of the world horror style. Shaun of the Dead has influenced me in heavily in the area of genre.
representation
In this section I aim to explain how the representation of a mans struggle to overcome evil is shown throughout Shaun of the Dead. I will do this by evaluating the author Edgar Wrights own personal ideologies and answering the representation questions.
What is being represented is one mans struggle for independence and individuality and society is being made into a charactercature of its present day status. The genre of Shaun Of The Dead is comedy/horror or as referred to by critics a 'RomZomCom'. The protagonist struggle, is represented with the technical codes of whip-,pan, crash zooms and hyper-kinetic camera edits. Symbolically the normality of the everyday man and his mundane life turned upside down is shown through the unremarkable costumes and drab setting. The representation is made relatable by using characters and setting. The characters are stereotypical of what people may find in their own friend group. The representation of something so abstract as a life after death it becomes more 'normal' for the audience. For instance there is a regular relatable everyday man, a hard-working overbearing friend and one that does nothing but provides comedy. Its is also set in a normal urban environment but the charactature is that London s turning into the city of the living dead, people are so absorbed with consumerism that they have allowed their individuality to be crushed.
It is essentially a struggle between the binary opposition of Good and Evil. Shaun and his dwindling band of friends represent the good left in the world but as the film goes on that is over taken by evil in the form of the living dead. The lack of support for this good makes the struggle appear hopeless, this is the underlining message that good is slowly being overcome by evil, as is 'independent thought'. The representation is mainly going to be based on Edgar Wrights values and ideologies. You know this because Wright not only co wrote this film but he directed and acted in it. He was heavily involved in all aspects of the making of the film therefore his own personal views are going to be subliminally suggested throughout.
The representation will mainly be targeted at the independent thinker in the audience. The majority will see this film as a light comedy twist on a horror film. However a independent thinker will notice how it can also be interpreted as a comment on capitalism in the modern age. The zombies represent the mass society in capitalism, a group of people who have lost freedom of thought and simply 'go with the grain' and reinforce the 'status quo'. Wright may be trying to communicate this comment on modern society though his film but as proved by the concept itself the message could only reach a small percentage of the audience as they are the independent thinkers.
The representation to me is a picture of how life turns out for many people, Shaun is a salesman whose life has no direction and he has problems with his family and friends, which are all petty but symbolically show how minor matters can drag down a persons life. It is also a worrying representation that the majority of people in society today are becoming 'zombie-like' with a ignorance to what is happening. To others this film will be seen as a comedy play on a original horror movie with famously funny actors. If someone has a political view point they are more likely to read deeper meanings into the film, if like me you believe that individuality and independence is being crushed by the economic forces in play that require the mass majority of people to be obedient and unquestioning, then you will see this film as comment on this theory.
To make sense of such an incredible prospect so beyond of scientific understanding of people coming back to life after death and eating others, certain symbolic codes must be used. For instance faces that the audience will recognise and warm to such as Simon Pegg. Familiar settings such inner city London, with ordinary pubs and shop that people use on a daily basis. As well as human relationships such as Shaun's problems with his girlfriend and a friendship as firm as Shaun and Ed.
Whilst comedy spans out over many political messages the genre of horror in the modern age is seen much less to be portraying an message deeper than fear. However this has not always been the case. The film Dawn of the Dead is a 1978 horror zombie cult classic, which Shaun of the Dead is a comedy twist on. This film by George A Romero was heavily political as it also made many subliminal comments on capitalist society and the consumerist culture.
One interesting comparison could be with The Stepford Wives, a book that was made into a film in 1975 and re made in 2004. This also has zombies at it core but was far more serious in that it was not a comedy, but a satirical thriller in which beautiful young american wives are overnight turned into mindless, docile creatures. The Stepford Wives is a american story compared to Shaun Of The Dead which is urban London. It is also more centred around a message about feminism and how men take women's identity's Whereas Shaun Of The Dead is a comment on the capitalist society.
What is being represented is one mans struggle for independence and individuality and society is being made into a charactercature of its present day status. The genre of Shaun Of The Dead is comedy/horror or as referred to by critics a 'RomZomCom'. The protagonist struggle, is represented with the technical codes of whip-,pan, crash zooms and hyper-kinetic camera edits. Symbolically the normality of the everyday man and his mundane life turned upside down is shown through the unremarkable costumes and drab setting. The representation is made relatable by using characters and setting. The characters are stereotypical of what people may find in their own friend group. The representation of something so abstract as a life after death it becomes more 'normal' for the audience. For instance there is a regular relatable everyday man, a hard-working overbearing friend and one that does nothing but provides comedy. Its is also set in a normal urban environment but the charactature is that London s turning into the city of the living dead, people are so absorbed with consumerism that they have allowed their individuality to be crushed.
It is essentially a struggle between the binary opposition of Good and Evil. Shaun and his dwindling band of friends represent the good left in the world but as the film goes on that is over taken by evil in the form of the living dead. The lack of support for this good makes the struggle appear hopeless, this is the underlining message that good is slowly being overcome by evil, as is 'independent thought'. The representation is mainly going to be based on Edgar Wrights values and ideologies. You know this because Wright not only co wrote this film but he directed and acted in it. He was heavily involved in all aspects of the making of the film therefore his own personal views are going to be subliminally suggested throughout.
The representation will mainly be targeted at the independent thinker in the audience. The majority will see this film as a light comedy twist on a horror film. However a independent thinker will notice how it can also be interpreted as a comment on capitalism in the modern age. The zombies represent the mass society in capitalism, a group of people who have lost freedom of thought and simply 'go with the grain' and reinforce the 'status quo'. Wright may be trying to communicate this comment on modern society though his film but as proved by the concept itself the message could only reach a small percentage of the audience as they are the independent thinkers.
The representation to me is a picture of how life turns out for many people, Shaun is a salesman whose life has no direction and he has problems with his family and friends, which are all petty but symbolically show how minor matters can drag down a persons life. It is also a worrying representation that the majority of people in society today are becoming 'zombie-like' with a ignorance to what is happening. To others this film will be seen as a comedy play on a original horror movie with famously funny actors. If someone has a political view point they are more likely to read deeper meanings into the film, if like me you believe that individuality and independence is being crushed by the economic forces in play that require the mass majority of people to be obedient and unquestioning, then you will see this film as comment on this theory.
To make sense of such an incredible prospect so beyond of scientific understanding of people coming back to life after death and eating others, certain symbolic codes must be used. For instance faces that the audience will recognise and warm to such as Simon Pegg. Familiar settings such inner city London, with ordinary pubs and shop that people use on a daily basis. As well as human relationships such as Shaun's problems with his girlfriend and a friendship as firm as Shaun and Ed.
Whilst comedy spans out over many political messages the genre of horror in the modern age is seen much less to be portraying an message deeper than fear. However this has not always been the case. The film Dawn of the Dead is a 1978 horror zombie cult classic, which Shaun of the Dead is a comedy twist on. This film by George A Romero was heavily political as it also made many subliminal comments on capitalist society and the consumerist culture.
One interesting comparison could be with The Stepford Wives, a book that was made into a film in 1975 and re made in 2004. This also has zombies at it core but was far more serious in that it was not a comedy, but a satirical thriller in which beautiful young american wives are overnight turned into mindless, docile creatures. The Stepford Wives is a american story compared to Shaun Of The Dead which is urban London. It is also more centred around a message about feminism and how men take women's identity's Whereas Shaun Of The Dead is a comment on the capitalist society.
I have taken inspiration from Shaun of the Dead's representation with one of my characters. I am creating a character who will be a metaphor for 'men who will ruin the world through the constant greed and consumerism of the modern world'. However he will not be instantly recognisable as that metaphor and will only become clear through analysing, this is similar to the zombie characters in Shaun of the Dead.
audience
In this section I will explain the key audience for Shaun of the Dead and what that can tell you about the film itself and the way it was produced. I will also explain how Shaun of the Deads audience is very different to the traditional audiences of a comedy or horror genre film.
When discussing a typical horror genre film it ios usually directed to a certain kind of audience, one that wants to be scared. It ranges in age from 15-25 and tends to be released at certain times of the year, for instance Halloween.
A comedy film spans out much wider in range of audience. A comedy film is able to appeal to the majority of the audience, as it presents a international humour or famous actors. There can be certain films made with an age range, but tends to try and project to a 16-35 audience.
When discussing a typical horror genre film it ios usually directed to a certain kind of audience, one that wants to be scared. It ranges in age from 15-25 and tends to be released at certain times of the year, for instance Halloween.
A comedy film spans out much wider in range of audience. A comedy film is able to appeal to the majority of the audience, as it presents a international humour or famous actors. There can be certain films made with an age range, but tends to try and project to a 16-35 audience.
(The released figures of audience for Shaun of the Dead)
The typical audience for an independent British film is very niche, especially for a film made by a relatively new and unknown director. However, Shaun of the Dead bucked the trend and was a mainstream hit, making more than £20million and becoming BAFTA nominated. It received £1.6million in its first weekend, and $3.3m in the USA, which is very rare for a low-budget British film, becoming so popular "across the pond". its critical response was overwhelmingly positive, scoring 91% at the mainstream review website, Rotten Tomatoes.
The critic Peter Bradshaw is quoted as saying that "boasts a script, crammed with real gags" and is "pacely directed and nicely acted". It was rated 49th greatest British film of all time by Total Film magazine and third greatest comedy film of all time in a Channel 4 poll.
Normally an independent film, especially one that is clearly directed at a national audience does not achieve such main stream success and therefore Shaun of the Dead is an example of a rare case where wider audiences became interested in a independent film.
All of these successes show that despite being an independent film, with a relatively new director and cast, the idea and the execution of the film was sufficient to make it a critical and financial triumph.
The critic Peter Bradshaw is quoted as saying that "boasts a script, crammed with real gags" and is "pacely directed and nicely acted". It was rated 49th greatest British film of all time by Total Film magazine and third greatest comedy film of all time in a Channel 4 poll.
Normally an independent film, especially one that is clearly directed at a national audience does not achieve such main stream success and therefore Shaun of the Dead is an example of a rare case where wider audiences became interested in a independent film.
All of these successes show that despite being an independent film, with a relatively new director and cast, the idea and the execution of the film was sufficient to make it a critical and financial triumph.
I am also taking inspiration from Shaun of the Deads audience age range as it is similar to who I will be aiming my film at as I will be trying to hit a 18-25 male and female audience.
ideology
In this section I am going to be evaluation the ideology within Shaun Of The Dead by Edgar Wright. I will do this by defining the Frankfurt Schools of ideology and evaluating how far they relate to Shaun of the Dead.
The Frankfurt Schools three key ideas for analysing ideology are this:
IDEOLOGY (Marx) - Marxism at its most fundamental state claims that a dominant ideology, which is set on the values of the class which owns and controls the media, aka the ruling class. Is forced upon the public through a 'false consciousness', the mass media conceal certain things and by a 'what they don't know can't hurt them', policy they create a dominant ideology.
Through its representation Shaun of the Dead does follow a Marxist ideology as the zombies represent the 'false consciousness' area of society.
HEGEMONY (Gramsci) - Gramsci would use the term hegemony to signify the ruling of one social class over the rest of society. This would symbolise economic and political control as well as the capability of this once class to project their messages and values onto the rest of society. Those who are 'subordinate' would recognise these ideas from the powerful class as a kind of 'common sense' and 'natural'.
Shaun of the Dead is an example of a representation of hegemony in society as the zombies show signs of being 'subordinate' to this powerful class (otherwise known as the zombie disease).
INTERPELLATION (Athusser) - To describe the process in which a individual becomes completely subjugated to an ideology.
Again Shaun of the Dead illustrates this concept through the zombies with Shaun and his friends trying to fight against this domination.
The Frankfurt Schools three key ideas for analysing ideology are this:
IDEOLOGY (Marx) - Marxism at its most fundamental state claims that a dominant ideology, which is set on the values of the class which owns and controls the media, aka the ruling class. Is forced upon the public through a 'false consciousness', the mass media conceal certain things and by a 'what they don't know can't hurt them', policy they create a dominant ideology.
Through its representation Shaun of the Dead does follow a Marxist ideology as the zombies represent the 'false consciousness' area of society.
HEGEMONY (Gramsci) - Gramsci would use the term hegemony to signify the ruling of one social class over the rest of society. This would symbolise economic and political control as well as the capability of this once class to project their messages and values onto the rest of society. Those who are 'subordinate' would recognise these ideas from the powerful class as a kind of 'common sense' and 'natural'.
Shaun of the Dead is an example of a representation of hegemony in society as the zombies show signs of being 'subordinate' to this powerful class (otherwise known as the zombie disease).
INTERPELLATION (Athusser) - To describe the process in which a individual becomes completely subjugated to an ideology.
Again Shaun of the Dead illustrates this concept through the zombies with Shaun and his friends trying to fight against this domination.
(A screen capture of the zombies in Shaun of the Dead)
During the 1970s zombie films became a huge genre of cinema; this directly selected the fears of society at that time. The Cold War was at its height and a ideology which showed how terrifying a group of oppressed and wholly lacking in individuality could be seen, this was a clear direct link to the ideological fear of communism in western society at that time.
Edgar Wright brings this ideology forward to the modern day within Shaun Of The Dead, playing with the idea that a capitalist society is also deficient of individuality and independent thought. This is communicated not only through setting as it is in one of the capitalist worlds most influential cities but also through its characters such as Ed. Ed is a classic example of a man with 'false consciousness', a man who slobs on his couch eyes glazed over, the same video game and formulaic television like thousands of other in the capitalist system. He is easily susceptible to the dominate class relating a certain ideology to him and he would never realise.
Edgar Wright brings this ideology forward to the modern day within Shaun Of The Dead, playing with the idea that a capitalist society is also deficient of individuality and independent thought. This is communicated not only through setting as it is in one of the capitalist worlds most influential cities but also through its characters such as Ed. Ed is a classic example of a man with 'false consciousness', a man who slobs on his couch eyes glazed over, the same video game and formulaic television like thousands of other in the capitalist system. He is easily susceptible to the dominate class relating a certain ideology to him and he would never realise.
Shaun of the Dead'd ideology has influenced me much in the same way that its representation did in the creation and development of my metaphor character. The zombie characters interested me greatly in their ability to have a double political meaning at the same time as fitting into the horror genre of scaring an audience just simply by the way they look and their actions. I would like to include a character like this and am currently looking into how the ideology of this character will be able to be subtly communicated throughout the film.
narrative
In this section I aim to communicate the narrative style of Shaun of the Dead and how this relates to comedy and horror genre films. I will do this by anaylising the overall narrative and use clips to illustrate my points.
The narrative of Shaun of the Dead is a classic equlibrum, dis-equlibrum, equilibrum style. The protagonist the likeable loser (Shaun) who is placed at a moment in his life where nothing is getting any better or worse. when the unrealistic sci-fi moment of a zombie apocalypse happened, Shaun is thrust into the hero role.
The narrative of Shaun of the Dead is a classic equlibrum, dis-equlibrum, equilibrum style. The protagonist the likeable loser (Shaun) who is placed at a moment in his life where nothing is getting any better or worse. when the unrealistic sci-fi moment of a zombie apocalypse happened, Shaun is thrust into the hero role.
(A clip illustrating the comedy genre in Shaun of the Dead)
Typical of comedy genre films the characters are key. Unlike horror genre, the comedy film will always spend a specific amount of time to explain the characters and allow the audience to identify or have a personal relationship with the characters. This can especially be seen in Shaun and Eds relationship two best friends from a long time ago, stuck in a friendship that really has no deeper connection that humour. However they both regard each other in the highest form of friendship, for example when you are first introduced to them together (see above), the dynamic is obvious and easily relatable.
However the film begins to deviate from the simple comedy genre and begins to fall into the more conventional romantic comedy narrative. The genre starts to filter through the characters. A typical narrative for a rom com is boy meets girl, fall in love, boy does something stupid, he has to change to win her back. When you analyse the narrative of this film, in a simple form it follows the same structure. Shaun at the end of the film has changed as a person and therefore his girlfriend takes him back. Yet again it conforms to the comedy genre as the final scene of the film is Shaun and Ed play video games together even though Ed is now a zombie, highlighting their friendship over the relationship with his living girlfriend.
However the film begins to deviate from the simple comedy genre and begins to fall into the more conventional romantic comedy narrative. The genre starts to filter through the characters. A typical narrative for a rom com is boy meets girl, fall in love, boy does something stupid, he has to change to win her back. When you analyse the narrative of this film, in a simple form it follows the same structure. Shaun at the end of the film has changed as a person and therefore his girlfriend takes him back. Yet again it conforms to the comedy genre as the final scene of the film is Shaun and Ed play video games together even though Ed is now a zombie, highlighting their friendship over the relationship with his living girlfriend.
(A clip illustrating the horror genre in Shaun of the Dead)
Shaun of the Dead's narrative also follows much for the horror genre. Mainly through the storyline that is beyond our scientific understanding, in regards to the living dead. It also keeps in sync with the gore side of horror films, for instance the scene where the character David gets ripped apart by zombies (see below) follows the traditional 'blood and guts' side of horror films. The film however deviates from the horror genre by much of its media language, for instance soundtrack. A huge fight scene between Shaun and his group of friends VS the zombies is set to Queen's 'Dont Stop Me Now'. This instantly cuts the ties of the horror genre as the music contrasts the frightening action on screen.
I identified with "Shaun of the Dead" as a director because of its editing style and its narrative.
The narrative I shall use will also use ordinary characters who are in almost unimaginable situations. My narrative is set in a post-apocalyptic world where two seemingly normal, unassuming and ordinary characters have somehow managed to fight against in their hour of need.This narrative appeals to certain section of the audience because not only is the director trying to communicate an incredible and complex idea, of the world and everything we know about it, becoming alien, but also in the process, attempting to make the audience laugh.
I identified with "Shaun of the Dead" as a director because of its editing style and its narrative.
The narrative I shall use will also use ordinary characters who are in almost unimaginable situations. My narrative is set in a post-apocalyptic world where two seemingly normal, unassuming and ordinary characters have somehow managed to fight against in their hour of need.This narrative appeals to certain section of the audience because not only is the director trying to communicate an incredible and complex idea, of the world and everything we know about it, becoming alien, but also in the process, attempting to make the audience laugh.
I have taken inspiration from Shaun of the Dead's narrative of the classic equilibrium, dis equilibrium, equilibrium again with a twist. As my storyline will take place at 'the end of the world', the normality of the narrative will be turned on its head.