Zombieland - Pre Title Sequence Analysis

• Straight from the start, hardcore music is used to suggest this is going to be an explosive film with plenty of action.
• Pure red block capitals with slightest hints of grey for the lining around the outside is use for the typography of this title sequence, the red in this title suggests there will be plenty of blood used in this film.
• Also the size of the writing suggests the amount of blood used in this film as it’s not small writing its big block capitals that stand out and this suggests to the audience that there will be plenty of blood and gore.
• For the visuals straight away you can see a man being thrown off a set of stairs in what looks to be a prison. I can tell that this is a prison through the costume and props used. The costume used for both characters in this opening shot is one is dressed in the traditional colour of what a prisoner would look like and then you have the guard in his uniform. Also you can tell this is a prison through the barbed wire on the fences and the watch tower in the shot, this suggests that one of the settings in this film maybe a prison.
• When looking at the typography, throughout the scene the titles seem to move with shot as in it seems like they are there whilst what is happening within the shot. As the first shot we see is a man being thrown or could be jumping over the edge and as he falls he knocks the typography away and then we are shown the next shot.
• Once again visuals are used in this title sequence to indicate to the audience that it maybe belongs to the horror genre, however the lighting suggests differently as there is a lot of high key lighting used throughout this pre title sequence and this aren’t the usual codes and conventions of the horror genre. This gives the audience a little taster of what is expected to come in the film.
• Throughout this scene there are nothing but slow motion shots used to show the visuals on this title sequence, this maybe so that we can concentrate more on the facial expressions of the characters then unlike traditional zombie horrors where they seem to flash by without the audience being able to establish what they just saw and the details of it.
• The audience are given some hint as to just how quick someone can become a zombie within this film as we are shown a shot of a wedding day and the wife to be has turned into a zombie, as she would have been normal when she got up to the isle, so the change from human to zombie must have been instantaneous.  
• When showing the title of the film in the title sequence there is a human who you can see hasn’t been infected yet but uses a crowbar to smash through glass and when this happens, the titles (name of the film) go with the flow and is also smash in two just like the glass, this is showing the fight back of the people who haven’t turned into zombies yet and are willing to fight them to the death.
• As you keep watching this pre title sequence the pattern that keeps on going on in my head is this urge to laugh at how some of the zombies are chasing the uninfected. Also with reference to some of the points I have made above such as the lighting not being like the traditional lighting that you would find in the codes and conventions of the horror genre, I think that this is a spoof of a zombie horror film as it looks to me as if they are trying to make the audience laugh by the way the uninfected are being chased down by the zombies, I think they are trying to communicate this to the audience before the pre title sequence has finished, so that the audience know what kind of things to expect in the film.
• The moment when I knew that this is a spoof of a zombie horror, is when the next to naked girls is chasing the man, when watching this I couldn’t help but laugh as the woman chased after the guy. I could tell as I never usually laugh at horror films as I’m always on the edge of my seat but here however I could not help but laugh at this shot, also indicates to the audience what is expected to come in this film.
• An intertextual reference as been used towards the end of this title sequence as in one shot there is a guy in a suit with what looks to be an AK47. This is an intertextual reference to the film Scarface, the scene that reminds me of this is were he says ‘say hello to my little friend’ if this is what the director has tried to accomplish in this scene, then he has done this well as he has made the props a costume more modern day compared to the costume and props used in Scarface in this scene. This indicates to the audience that there maybe more intertextual references towards other films throughout this film.
• Finally the typography is used to great effect in this pre title sequence as it always seems to blend in with what is happening within the frame (action wise). Also when ever something his thrown or is heading towards one of the titles, it disperses like it is part of the frame and I think this is very effective and doesn’t make the titles look odd just sitting in the corners of the screen.

In-conclusion, in my opinion the pre title designer is looking to communicate to the audience that this film will include plenty of blood, as well as humour and the title designer has done this through the use of visuals, typography and sound. The designer has done this through the visuals by the way he or she has used shots of funny ways in which the victims are chased by the zombies, also things such as the intertextual reference on Scarface also left me with tears in my eyes about this film as I couldn’t stop laughing, all of this and other visual examples have communicated to the audience that this is a spoof of a zombie horror film and that this is a taster of what is to come within this film. We can clearly see that his is a spoof film through the untraditional lighting used for the horror genre and also by the way the victims are chased by the zombies. The designer has communicated the fact that there will be a lot of blood in this film by not only the visuals but also the typography as thick, red, big, capital letter is used to suggest this to the audience. Finally sound has been used throughout this title sequence to suggest and communicate to the audience that there will be plenty of action and fighting and intense scenes during this film as the music is up beat and fast, almost like rock music but in an American sort of style.