World war z research

1. Shot number - 11
Camera shot – Wide shot
Sound – Backing music continues
(Non diegetic) multiple voiceovers
overlapping with one another (Non
diegetic)
Content – A flock of birds flying in
the sky all in the same direction
Shot number - 13
Camera shot – Wide shot
Sound – Backing music continues
(Non diegetic) Female presenters
singular voiceover (Non diegetic)
Content – A news broadcast has
been interjected into the shots
This shot highlights the idea that a group of the same species (birds) are all heading in the same direction as
if fleeing away from something. With this, the birds could be posing as the humans on earth who are trying
to get away from such zombies that are invading the world and hence all relying on each other to stay safe.
This builds up the suspense within the filmand prepares the audience for a tense forthcoming narrative. The
light orange block background highlights the shapes of the birds and thus how they are all travelling as a
group. By travelling in a group it suggests that people are reliant on one another and that everyone must
stay together and likewise work together. The calm and collected melody from the soundtrack of
Philadelphia, contrasts with the implicated sense of panic from the looks of their disjointed and messy
formation. Therefore, subtly hinting to the audience that there is something that will cause complete
mayhem and panic in the narrative ahead.
This image juxtaposes one of its previous shots in terms of their content. In the previous shots, for example the
shot above, in one way or another, the concept of life is projected. The white snow taking up the background of
this shot is very subtle and thus highlights the foreground which includesa very graphic and distinctive image of
dead dolphins.Additionally,the prominent red colour from the blood on the ground becomes a focal point of the
shot and stresses the thoughts on harm/danger/death. This explicitimage gives the audience the impression that
what is to come is bloody, dangerous and precarious. The colour red has two typical connotations, both love and
dangers, in this case we’re predominantly beingpresented with this idea of sheer danger. The bottom perimeter
of the shot includes the heading ‘DOLPHINS STRANDED’, the initial set up of these headings give the impression
of a news report, therefore further inferring that this issue must be very important and that it is vital for a broad
audience to see. Over the top of this shot there is a non-diegetic voiceover, presumably a female news reporter,
talking about this ordeal.

2. Shot number - 14
Camera shot – Close up shot
Sound – Backing music continues
(Non diegetic) Piers Morgan’s
speaking (Diegetic)
Content – Piers Morgan, TV
presenter, talking with a serious
tone and almost worried facial
expression
Shot number - 24
Camera shot – High angle shot
Sound – Backing music continues
(Non diegetic) Singular female
presenter’s voice over the
broadcast (Non diegetic)
Content – Another interjection
from a live news broadcast.
This shot links with this concept of something being unknown, like the shot of the dead dolphins. This is
because only half of this shot actually has any physical content, being the left side with Piers Morgan and
the other side being completely blank. This shot gives the sense that something is hidden/unknown and that
there is another side to whatever the story. In watching the complete filmyou understand that the
narrative includes this idea of something unknown causing a possible apocalypse. Therefore this shot subtly
hints to viewers about the forthcoming narrative. Both the subject’s facial expressions and tone of voice are
considerably uneasy and come across as anxious and concerned, hence promoting the fact that something
life changing is in cue to happen.
The foreground title – ‘CALLER: …ON TOP OF THE MAN, BEATING HIM, THE MAN IS BLEEDING’, holds as the
focal point of this shot as it is most defined and clear in comparison to the behind blurred image of a man
being beaten to death. The lighter focus on the man being attacked focuses viewer’s eyes on what is
happening. The fact that this is a shot of a news report suggests that there is something significant
happening in the world of this film. Consequently, something that affects an extremely large quantity of
people.

3. Sound:
There is a lot of synchronous sound used within the shots, meaning sound that matches
what is presented in the film. However there is also asynchronous sound used when the TV
and Radio News vocals are being played over the top of irrelevant shots that do not match
and the sounds don’t have a visible source.
 Diegetic sound – Waves crashing, birds chirping, noises from train station, aeroplane
taking off, presenters speaking, noise from traffic
 Non- diegetic sound – Voiceover from TV and radio news, backing music throughout
entire opening (Philadelphia)
Both have been used to create verisimilitude.
 Music used: Philadelphia – Marco Beltrami
The audience expects piano music to be calming and relaxing. However, when this music is
placed in a thriller /horror movie with deepened notes and faster paces, it automatically
becomes quite unnerving, especially in this situation. The volume of it gently eases the
audience into the movie without giving them too much too soon. As the audience gets more
into the clip, the music gets slightly faster, this builds tension for the audience as they don’t
know what to expect or when to expect it.
The voiceovers interjected within these first two minutes consist of both male and female,
presumably news reporters. The input of news reporters suggest that there is importance in
what they are saying and possibly that something ‘news breaking’ has occurred.
Additionally, adding a sense of formality and authority, this is because news reporters are
renowned for their knowledge of current affairs and news, thus worldwide audiences watch
their programmes in order to gain such information. From shot 7 onwards overlaps of
different news reporters begin to talk coinciding with each other, making it difficult to
understand. This gives an impression of panic and confusion hence subtly hinting parts of
the narrative.
Nearly all of the sounds used bridge across the shots of the different areas. This suggests the
coming together of these vastly different communities that are being shown and the joint
desire in overcoming this apocalypse and how it is affecting everyone.
Editing:
Montage editing has been used to give the audience a diverse range of views from different
locations within the world and thus demonstrate juxtaposition. The variety of images evoke
different emotions in the viewer and hence allows viewers to begin to think of the possibly
narrative/ storylines to the film. Thus the use of montage editing has been used to
consciously convey subjective messages through the juxtaposition of the shots used.
Straight cuts have been used to allow a professional, clean cut look. The use of straight cuts
allows for an easy watch that is aesthetically pleasing and thus fluent through the shots.
Cross cutting has also been incorporated to simultaneously show different shots.
MIRCO ANALYSIS

4. Mis-en-scene:
The opening scene of this filmshows the tranquillity of our world, which is then starkly
juxtaposed with the issues we face in today’s society. It then shows the common problems
we face every day like medical and environmental issues as well as reports about feral
animals, dead dolphins and rioters. After giving the audience something to think about, the
setting then shows trees in the morning sun which contrasts with what we’ve just seen. It
also links back to the beginning of the clip which introduces a cyclical effect that can then
foreshadow a turn of events that is later to come in the film.
The letter Z is presented in a bigger font than the rest of the text. This could be to symbolise
the zombies that try to take over eventually dominate the city in the film. The red and
orange colouring of the letter Z stands out against the bleak background and can symbolise
war, fire and blood. Just from this we get an idea of what the film is going to be about
without it giving much away.
 The costume and make up is very 21st century and modern immediately implying the
time period of the film – 2013.
 Within all frames there is a constant aspect of ‘lifestyle’ and every day, common
things that we all do, suggesting that the narrative of the film vitally affects the
entire world almost.
 High key lighting is used throughout the first two minutes of the opening scene. In
using high key lighting we, as viewers, are given the impression of normality, and this
idea that everything is fine and coping well. Therefore, contradicting the narrative of
the film, hence intriguing viewers and slightly confusing them.
 The long shots interjected within this opening sequence of both, presumably, third
world countries and developed wealthier countries; indicate that something is going
to affect everyone worldwide, both the poor and rich. Suggesting that no one is safe.

5. Camera Shots:
A variety of shots have been used within the first two minutes of World War Z in order to
achieve this montage editing approach.
 Close up shots – These are used to focus in on the subject of each different shot.
In this case, close up shots have been used to emphasise the facial expressions held by the
numerous new reporters. Thus enforcing this idea that the worried facial expressions being
possessed by the news reporters is due to something dangerous having occurred , that will
or already has, presumably, affected many people.
 Mid shot – These are used to clearly show the subjects facial expressions in the
context of their body language.
Here mid shots have been used in order to highlight the different subject’s body language,
additionally showing what they’re doing and who they’re with. This then stresses the idea
that the people being shown – for example in shot 21, are in panic, unknown on what to do
and trying to protect themselves.
 High angle shot- A high angle shot is an angled shot positioned high on the vertical
axis, looking down. These are used to typically give the impression of the subject
being ‘swallowed’ up and weak.
High angle shots have been used in order to give viewers an overall outlook on the situation
and thus give them a sense of safety. This is because due to the viewers looking down at the
included subjects within the shot it’s as if they are safe and protected in comparison to the
characters who are intimately involved with this worldwide crisis and in danger. In all of
these shots, they are shown to be in less economically developed countries in the far east.
The type of angle shots used in these places suggests that the people who live in poorer
countries have less power.
 Long shot – These are used to typically show the entire object or human figure and
are usually intended to place it in some relation to its surroundings.
Long shots have been used to primarily show viewers the diversity of the locations and
surroundings. In using long shots within the first two minutes it gives the impression that
there is a long journey to something better, as if there is time to pass and that there is a
long way to go until things are resolved. Long shots are used to show large amounts of
people scurrying around in not much space which shows overpopulation being yet another
issue.
 Establishing shot – These are used to usually the first shot of a new scene, designed
to show the audience where the action is taking place.
Establishing shots have been used to convey positive thoughts about our world before
moving on to notify the audience of the complications we face in modern society. However,
there is one establishing shot of the slums which differentiates from the establishing shots
we are being shown. This makes the audience think about the positive things as well as the
negatives to do with today's society.

6. MACRO ANALYSIS
Representation:
Throughoutthe first two minutes of World War Z we, as viewers, arebombarded with images
that solely involve the simple concept of life. This instantly suggests the main focus of the film
– the world and its population inhabiting it. There are multiple images shown that
concentrate on the smallthings that go unrecognised in everyday life, for instance the shotof
the crawling ants and insects, again implying that there is something in the narrativethat
affects absolutely everything, big and small. The purposeof this is to engage the viewers and
hence get them curious and thinking on whatthe film is about as a whole. The letter Z in the
title of the film could represent ‘Zombies’. Itdoesn’ttell the audience whatit actually stands
for which creates an element of mystery. Fromthetitle and fromthe opening scene, you
wouldn’tknow whatthe film was about other than the clue ‘world war’ in the title and from
watching the trailer, therefore making the film context dependent.
Genre:
 Action/Thriller
Within the firsttwo minutes of the film we aren’t presented with many common conventions
that action and thriller films are renowned for and are instead reassured on the genre
through the type of backing music used. The soundtrack helps greatly in finalising the genre,
this is becausethe backing music incorporated sounds relatively suspicious, giving that sense
of curiosity and also becomes moreupbeat the further you get into the film, possibly
connoting the action that takes part in the film and the high speed escaping fromwhat is
going on. No special effects are used in the initial two minutes of the film implying the
naturalistic portrayalthat the film is aiming for. This type of genre film is aimed at anyone
12+, who understands its fiction and is not held back by its violence.
Narrative:
The diversity of shots used and their content implies the subjectmatter has a great deal to do
with the world together with its population of people.
 Life for former United Nations investigator Gerry Lane and his family seems content.
Suddenly, the world is plagued by a mysterious infection turning whole human
populations into rampaging mindless zombies. After barely escaping the chaos, Lane is
persuaded to go on a mission to investigate this disease. Whatfollowsis a perilous trek
around the world whereLane must bravehorrific dangers and long odds to find
answers beforehuman civilization falls.
The opening of the film ‘World War Z’ shows how life is now with the transport, the
environmental issues and the technology. The opening scene is communicating to its
audience all of the problems we face in modern society. This therefore gives us an indication
that something will happen in the future of this film which will then make the audience
question whether or not it could actually be true.