AH Technical Analysis

Dawn of the Dead (Snyder, 2004)

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For my technical deconstruction, I deconstructed "Dawn of the Dead" because it is a horror film with a montage opening, something which our group is increasingly leaning towards. From analysing this opening, I have learnt a number of things:

1. I now have a better understanding of the number of shots that are actually involved in making a two minute montage editing.
2. For horror montage openings, there is usually a high cutting rate and in this specific opening there are either 3 or 4 cuts per second at some stages.
3. The transitions and font can play a large role in allowing the audience to establish the genre of the film. In this case, the lettering is in red on a black background and washes away like blood giving connotations of the horror genre.
4. A number of both close-ups and extreme close-ups add tension and a sense of the unknown for the audience.
5. Lighting is particularly useful for horror openings as it can hide certain details or show them which can add suspense and horror.