Analysis of Film Opening Sequence 2

World War Z

The title sequence opens up with institutional information for example the company that has made the film (Paramount). This information is in white writing on a plain black background.

The opening shot for the title sequence is of a calm natural shot of a beach at the shore. This signifies a normal average day, the lighting added which is a red-orange colour shows it to be the beginning of the day as a sunrise but could also be seen as a sunset suggesting an end to the day, which could be portrayed as foreshadowing the events in the film a.k.a end of the human race.

The next shot is a long shot of a town that is blurred out apart from a triangle moving in the frame which focuses the shot under it. This gives an uneasy feel to the shot resulting which has synergy to the film during the beginning of the virus outbreak where everyone starts worrying. The setting on this

seems to be of some slums or somewhere in Asia. This is also where the music kicks in, this music is the theme tune for the film, which will be heard throughout the film.

Next part of the sequence shows a home with the same blurred type image over the top of it. This yet again makes us feel uneasy, however, there is more than one triangle and are in an odd orientation which adds more emphasis to the to the uneasy feel as if this is where it starts; in society. The lighting has synergy with the first shot showing it to be the morning of the day.

The next shot is of people getting off a train in a synchronized fashion as if they are following nature or working together which can be assumed as foreshadow of what they are to become which is a virus. In this image the burred shot is seen again however it is over the people and follows them

which is to make it prominent that this is the centre point of the uneasy feeling.

The next part is a long shot of an airport when a plane takes off, later on in the film we find out that planes were the perfect transport for the virus to spread around the world. This shot does have a blurred triangle but is fade in with the background. The lighting again resembles a beginning

which could link with the narrative with it being the start of the outbreak.

The next frame is of a news report which has a voice over of the news reporter this leads into different frames of real life TV shows which links with the setting suggesting that it is during

present day. The report is about the disease and how it has spread to animals.

The next couple of shots is montages of TV shows during the present day and contains more voice overs switching from reports from news channels to random chat shows. The effect of this is like

someone is switching through channels skipping over the warnings (news reports) this relates to the narrative as no one knew it was coming apart from the ones who listened to the warnings.

One of the news reports after confirms that the outbreak has started and looks to be in an industrialized area which means that a lot of people are at stake. The voice over talks about the government being aware and not doing much about it which links in to the previous statement about the other news reports where everyone ignores the signs of what is happening.

The next half a minute is a montage of animals and bugs hunting their prey the scenes increase in switching to one to the other and sometimes come back to the clips but closer up, this would show that the outbreak is acting like hunters after prey which would eventually foreshadow the future of the film and how the beginning of the film starts. The end of the montage shows the title of the film with all the clips within the writing.