ASSIGNMENT TASK 1 ZOMBIE FILM ANALYSIS ( Genre conventions)

The 3 long films 'Dawn of the Dead', 'Shawn of the Dead' and the short film 'Cargo' were all good zombie films. They all have good qualities to them and are all different but have some similarities which makes them all unique in their own ways. 'Dawn of the Dead' is the original film that made up the conventions for zombie films. The other films would be following some of these conventions but breaking others and making up new ones so that it's not a direct copy of 'Dawn of the Dead'.

Setting

All films start in very different ways, in 'Dawn of the Dead' we are introduced immediately to the situation of the zombie apocalypse  in the outside world as soon as it starts with loads of reporters in the studio arguing and running around like crazy trying to figure out what to and calling in people to kill the zombies. 'Shawn of the Dead' starts off very different, it starts in the home of the two main characters looking all sloppy and disorientated not knowing what happening in the world around them. It's the first time that we hear some of the most repeated lines going to happening during the film. 'Cargo' starts off in a car with the mum already a zombie and the dad covering from the crash.

'Dawn of the Dead' is set in the streets and building of urban America, this setting links into the idea as to whether the zombie apocalypse is in the rest of the world or just America. Another key setting in this film is the shopping mall. This is where all the survivor characters take themselves as they think that it is the best place to kill the zombies. Once they get there they hide out in an office space and plan out what they are going to do. One place in the shopping mall the go to is a big store where the take what items that they want, but also to lure the zombies to one of the shops bottom level doors so that they can get out from the top level to get back to the storage room.  

'Shawn of the Dead' at first is mainly based in the home of Shawn, Ed and Pete. We see that it looks like a frat house, where it's just messy and unorganised. Then we see the scenery from the house through the street and to the shop. We only see them in the house for for short when everything is normal and then we see the same scene when the zombie outbreak has begun, but this time when Shawn gets back, Ed finds that there is girl in the garden, that doesn't look quite right not realising that she is a zombie. When they finally realise what is happening. they finally hear what is on the TV and they hear they message.

In 'Cargo', the main setting is a forest. we see that they have crash into a tree in the forest but we don't see how it all happened for them to be there. Throughout the film, we see the dad and his baby walking through to get to an open space stooping just a few times to sort things out, like stopping the baby from crying by getting a balloon from someone's background as there was previously a birthday party going on. This is the only time that we saw another setting in the movie before they started of walking through the forest again. 


Narrative  
In all films there is a zombie breakout , but not all of the same seriousness in all 3 films. In 'Dawn of the Dead', it starts off being very dramatic because the zombie apocalypse is a new thing and no one has ever seen anything this serious. We first see a bunch of reporters in a television studio where everything is going a bit crazy. We see loads of broadcasts going out that something very serious is happening. It shows everyone arguing, which entails to the audience that the zombie outbreak has begun and we have been thrown straight into the it s everything is in chaos.  The main plot starts with some of the survivors teaming up to find a place of refuge - in this case, they go to the shopping mall. This little team of survivors become a family unit so that they all depend on each other to stay safe and look out for each other, also we learn that the main woman character Francine, is pregnant which means that they have to keep her even more safe so she doesn't lose the baby. 'Dawn of the Dead' is a linear film as there is no flashbacks or forwards, we just see it go from scene to scene. This film has an open ending as the hero and heroine leave the shopping mall in the helicopter but with not the much fuel, which entails that we would see them again in the aftermath of them running out of fuel.

In 'Shawn of the Dead', the zombie outbreak isn't as fast, but it doesn't show anyone being attack or turned in to zombies, we just see that everyone is a zombie at one time. We first see that Shawn is having another bad day but this time him being completely oblivious to the fact that the zombies are trying to come after him and he's  just thinks it's another ordinary oblivious day. We see Shawn sit down on the sofa looking tired and worn out maybe because of the night he had before might have been long and full of energy, which has now made him feel lifeless. After that, we see that he is still completely oblivious, this time to the TV as a message is said mainly to him while he is flicking through the channels. In 'Shawn of the Dead', there are no flash backs, however it can almost be considered as non-linear. We can sort of see that is non-linear due to the fact that Shawn sometimes has these moments where he plans out what he is going to do with his day. For example, when he finally realises that there us in fact a zombie outbreak, he finds out from his mum that his step dad is ill , so this makes him think that he is turning into a zombie himself, so he makes this plan to save him mum and kill his stepdad.

In 'Cargo', we start of with seeing the main man character all disorientated from a car crash and realising that something is wrong when he see that his wife is a zombie trying to get him. We don't see how the zombi apocalypse began but we do know there there is one somewhere, and maybe thats why they crashed because they were trying to get away from it not knowing that they were infected themselves. 'Cargo' is considered as a linear film because it all goes from one scene to another and we don't anything from before or after. The film I think is just about the daughter mainly, as she s the most vulnerable because she can't do anything for herself, and it is just her journey to safety

Characters 

In all 3 of the 4 films, there were the traditional zombies that we would see in zombie films, but in '28 Days Later' there are not. In '28 Days Later', the zombies were all raging lunatics that were running around trying to infect others that weren't. The raging zombies are the more threatening.  They all had the same type of effect, the slow walk, the growling speech and the torn out clothes. In 'Shawn of the Dead', the first we see of a zombie is the same man that was walking by his house we he walked out the first time, but this time Shawn being completely oblivious to him. We the start to see a lot more zombies trying to go after him to bite him and turn him into one, with him still not noticing. 

In 'Shawn of the Dead', we see that there are two groups of survivors, which we see throughout the film. The first group that we see is Shawn's group, which is him, Ed, Barbara, David, Liz and Dianne. After a while of them figuring out their plan of what to do, we see them walking through people's gardens so that they aren't seen by zombies on the main road, we see the second survival group which is Yvonne's group. We see that both groups have the same amount of people in them. The zombies in Shawn of the Dead, are the typical zombies that would appear any zombie film. We see that they just want to capture people and turn them into zombies. We see this when Shawn and the gang are trying to get into the pub to see refuge. When the get stuck on how to get in, Shawn make sure that only be is at the centre of attention to the zombies by screaming and luring them away from the rest of the gang. The zombies start to follow with their arms out trying to catch him and sound like they want to get him. 

In 'Dawn of the Dead' there is all different main characters with their own strengths. During this film we see that Peter, is the main hero throughout. He is the smart one out of the group of survivors. We see him always thinking things through before he does anything, like risking his own life to keep the rest of them safe. I think that the main heroine would be Francine. Throughout the film the viewers see that she is the strong one, as she is going through this zombie apocalypse while pregnant. The audience sees that she is an independent and strong character as she is the only female in the group of survivors. The zombies in 'Dawn of the Dead', didn't really have that dramatisation that you would expect a zombie to have. They weren't that believable due to them just walking as if they were pretending to be zombies. There not convincing enough.

The film 'Cargo' proves that the dad is the main hero. He see, even though he was turning into a zombie, he just wanted the best for his daughter. He knew that it would take long for him to transform into a zombie , so he wrote on him self the time it would take and how far he he would be able to travel until he would transform. We also see that when the baby is found, that he also wrote on her belly who she was so that when she was found the people would know. At the end of the film we see that main heroine is the woman who heard the baby cry and picked her up. We see her cradle her like she is her own baby, which shows to the audience that she will take care of her now that she doesn't have her parents. This gives the audience hope that she will have a good life after this moment. The zombies that we see in cargo are typical zombies. the first zombie that we see is the mum, and she is just trying to get to the dad and infect as well. She sounds like she is growling and trying to say things. I feel like when the dad turns into a zombie, he is still smart enough to know what to do. When he saw the human parts on the ground, he knew to put them in a bag and hang it in front of him to follow it and try and catch it to eat, this moved his attention away from his daughter to not try and eat her. This represents hope as well.

Technical conventions :

In  'Cargo', there are a lot of technical conventions. In this short film there is much dialogue going on, only music and sound effects and what is said is only speak from father to baby. The only thing he says in "bye mummy, bye mummy" when he hands her the sticker from the car tat is supposed to represent the mm. Having little dialogue is effective because it tells the story well even without it; it adds a lot more tension and mood.  The starting is introduced in with tension as the music sets the mood to be a little scary and dramatic. It starts with a slight bang, which instantly tells us that something has gone wrong that we don't know about. Then it goes on to have a spooky sound when we see the man coming back to reality after what has happened. Then we hear the wife growling at her husband trying to get to him so she can bite him. A key sound effect in the film is the crying of the baby. At the start and at the end, we hear the baby crying. I think this is a key sound effect because I think she symbolises different emotions. When we first hear her cry, she symbolises anxiety and fear because we just seen that there has been a zombie breakout and we don't want her to be captured by her mum. However, when we hear her at the end, it gives the audience that sigh of relief because we now know what her father has gone through to save her and the people have found her and are going to keep her safe. Throughout the film, the colour and lighting was bright. This is effective because it makes the audience not feel that edge that would usually be in zombie films. I think there is a underlying meaning to this. I think, although it was a zombie film and bad things have happened, it was always going to be a hopeful film for the baby.

In 'Dawn of the Dead' there is also a lot of technical conventions. In this film it uses a variety from props , costume, makeup, lighting , use of camera, and sound and music. By this film using all these conventions, it gives a more powerful effect on the audience. Many of the scenes in the film are mostly dark, this also gives an effect to the audience. The main prop in the film would have to be guns , as it is a good choice of weaponry within the film as it allows them to kill the zombies without them getting to close.  The costumes throughout the film on both the survivors and the zombies all symbolise what type of person they are or used to be. We see that the zombies look all worn out through their clothes, as they all have rips and blood on their clothes. the main make up in the film is the special effects make up that has been used to make the zombies look realistic. The make up doesn't really look hat realistic because it looks a very light red when in reality it would be darker. Also the colour of the zombie skin doesn't look like a realist dead person colour it just looks a bit weird. The lighting in 'Dawn of the Dead' is sometime set in a darker or dim tone to add tension, for example, when Flyboy was being hunted by the zombies in the pipe room. The sound effect and music was a good key aspect of the film. The music added tension when it was needed. It would be upbeat when the shooting was going on and downbeat in the aftermath. Some sound effects didn't sound that realistic, such as when they would shoot. I think it should have been in a low pitch for it to sound more realistic. When the gang had got into the storage room, the music went from being an upbeat tune to sounding like an orchestra, this replaced dialogue and gave a dramatic feel.

In 'Shawn of the Dead' we see that there are many different props that they use to try and kill that zombies. We first see Shawn and Ed just just ordinary things that you would find in your house, like a toaster. We see that they don't use guns that much in the film only one time when they are in the pub taking refuge. When the finally get into the pub they mainly use the pool cues to beat them, and they do in a fashionable way due to doing it to the music. The costumes that we see through the film don't really change. We see that Shawn stays in his work clothes throughout the film but we see that someone notices that she was has red on him and that become more and more throughout the film, it's the same for everyone else as well, they all stay in the same clothes. This may be because it's set in the course of two days and they have the same looking clothes. The dialogue through the film is sort of in joke terms due to this being a comedy and a zombie film. Witty things are said through the group such as "You're the one that's gone from being a chartered accountant to Charlton Heston".

Radio Production Roles/ Music and Sound

Radio commercials producer:
What they do:
Their job is to create the radio adverting to the right point that their clients want. They have to bring together high-level radio production skills with the creative potential of radio and audio content with the understanding that they have a market to sell products and services. They manage client briefings, generate and pitch ideas, and write scripts or work with writers.
What skills they need:
To be able to do their job right, they will have to have different types of skills, some will be: 

• be able to generate original ideas, and to think creatively about how to communicate them to audiences
• have the confidence to interpret a brief, and to pitch ideas to clients
• have excellent writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to tailor and adapt content for different audiences and platforms
• have strong IT skills, including word processing and data handling - and, ideally, audio editing and image manipulation software
• possess a comprehensive knowledge of the subjects relevant to the radio genre in which you wish to work

Radio broadcast assistant:

What they do:

Their job is to work in both speech-based and music radio, offering practical support to Producers and Presenters. Their job is to carry out a range of key administrative tasks to ensure the smooth running of live recorded radio programmes, and may also help with research. The duties of Broadcast Assistants differ between music and speech radio. The role also varies from station to station and programme to programme. They need to be aware of the characteristics of the target audience.

What skills they need:

To be able to do their job right, they will have to have different types of skills, some will be: 

• be able to work effectively under pressure, react quickly and meet tight deadlines
• have excellent communication skills, including diplomacy and the ability to build rapport and draw information from people
• have a basic understanding of the law, ethics and industry regulation as they affect radio production
• have knowledge of when it is necessary, and how to acquire, the relevant clearances and licences, including copyright and music clearances
• have strong IT skills - particularly Word and Excel - and, ideally, audio editing and image manipulation software

Voice actor:

What they do:

Their job is to interpret other words in order to to bring a script to life, and to make the character they are playing sound realistic. They are they face of a production, with representing other people and their work. They work across TV, theatre, film and radio, while some may work as voice-overs. For some roles, they carry out extensive research, for others their character is moulded and developed during rehearsals.

What skills they need: 

To be able to do their job right, they will have to have different types of skills, some will be: 

• be able to assume a different body shape or language
• be able to drive or ride a horse, or take part in staged fight scenes, ideally
• have singing and dancing skills, ideally
• have clear and concise diction, and be able to assume different regional and national accents
• be able to deliver lines at a specific pace and to precise timings, particularly when dubbing lines onto live action or animation

Radio sales executive:

What they do:

They are responsible for generating the income that comes into the radio station. They are expected to work closely with their colleagues involved in marketing and other stuff. They ensure that station output supports revenue generation and that clients receive a consistently high quality of service. Radio Sales Executives may work in a small team for a single station, or as part of a larger regional or national department, serving a number of stations or radio brands.

What skills they need:

• To be able to do their job right, they will have to have different types of skills, some will be: 
• be able to handle rejection
• have excellent writing and presentation skills
• have excellent communication skills, complemented by diplomacy
• be familiar with the potential of digital communication channels for advertising and marketing campaigns
• be able to think creatively and generate original ideas

Radio traffic manager:

What they do:

They only work in commercial radio and are responsible for scheduling the adverts and promotions that air. They run traffic teams, the purpose of which is to schedule commercial airtime and station promotions. Radio Traffic Managers work closely with colleagues in sales and marketing, sponsorship, promotions, events, publicity and programming. Also they are responsible for ensuring that all broadcast material complies with the law, regulation and industry codes.

What skills they need:

To be able to do their job right, they will have to have different types of skills, some will be: 

• have a good understanding of the radio sales process
• be able to use relevant traffic management and play out software
• be familiar with the potential of digital communication channels for advertising and marketing campaigns
• be able to work calmly effectively under pressure, react quickly, and meet tight deadlines
• have knowledge of the law, ethics and industry regulations around radio advertising

Session singer:

What they do:

They must be able to perform the music that they are given as god as they can and to the best of their ability. Most singers specialise in only one genre, but may work in other disciplines. Backing singers, or session singers, usually cover all styles, and may not always know in advance in which style they will be singing. Backing singers, or session singers, usually cover all styles, and may not always know in advance in which style they will be singing.

What skills they need:

To be able to do their job right, they will have to have different types of skills, some will be:

• be able to arrive ready to perform with your voice warmed up in advance
• be aware that different methods of warming up are required, depending on the time of day
• present yourself well - singers are judged by their appearance as well as their performance
• have some linguistic abilities in case you need to sing in other languages
• have a good knowledge of the phonetic alphabet

Prerecorded sound effects are useful in radio advert advertising because it makes it sound more interesting due to the fact that it put life into the advert so that it isn't just someone talking, also it makes it sound more realistic because, for example, if someone was making an advert that was set outside, having noise from a car will make the listeners think that they actually made it outside. Another reason is so that it sounds creative, this shows that they have good technical skills. Two websites that these could be found on are: 

• www.freesound.org
• www.youtube.com

There are many different types of styles and mood of music or stings you could use in a radio advert music bed, some examples could be: 

• Rave: this would give an energetic feel to the advert and make it more upbeat and sound like a party.
• Gospel: this may give the advert a church feeling to it and reach the audience of gospel singers and those interested in it.
• Reggae: this may give the advert a Caribbean feel and may make some people feel relaxed.