Post-Apocalyptic Film Openings

Resident Evil (2002) (Zombie Apocalypse Scenario)

When the film first starts we see the Umbrella Corporation logo, which ties into the games as most fans will know that the film is an adaptation of a game based around a zombie apocalypse. During this time we hear a narration of the back-story of the Umbrella Corporation. The narrator tells the audience that almost every home has a product from Umbrella in it. It also tells us that “It’s political and financial influence is felt everywhere” this already tells us that Umbrella will have some part to play in the story. After this short introduction we see the title Resident Evil slowly fade in and out which is accompanied by non-diagetic music which can almost be described as techno, this could tell the audience that the film is very science based or involves a vast amount of technology, which already sets the scene for the viewers.

We then see a zoom into the actual framing and scene itself, which is rather odd to see in any film. Once in the scene the camera zooms into a man wearing what looks like protective clothing. The man is also handling some chemicals from behind a sheet of glass via mechanical arms. This use of mise-en-scene already gives the audience the impression that the time period the film is in is almost futuristic.

We are then treated to a series of close ups of the mechanical arms handling the chemicals. We see that the chemicals are then placed into a metal briefcase and locked automatically. This process alone automatically indicates that these chemicals are important for the plot of the story. However fans of the Resident Evil series will already know what these chemicals are. I do not feel that this opening is effective in explaining the story to newcomers to the series as it keeps the audience asking questions such as where, why and what.

We then see a close up of a man tripping and accidentally dropping one of the chemicals on the floor. We then hear the diagetic sound of sirens, which indicates the chemical was hazardous to humans. We then cut to an extreme close up of our characters eye. In turn this signifies the start of the main story. It could also give us the impression that she is waking up from a dream, and what we have just seen is the dream.

From watching the opening of Resident Evil I have learned how to open a story to new viewers and how not to raise too many questions that will confuse the audience. I have also learned how the environment, costume and sound are vital to setting the scene and atmosphere which in turn will hopefully grasp the audience.

Shaun of the dead (2004) (Zombie Apocalypse Scenario)

Shaun of the Dead opens up on a mid shot of our main character Shaun, who is wearing what looks to be shirt and tie, showing he has just been working, drinking and smoking in a pub, looking rather zombie like himself, already giving the idea that the protagonist isn’t that clever either. We then see a mid shot of him and his girlfriend talking about how they never spend time together. While this is an odd start for a post apocalypse story, it shows the main characters life before the event, giving us a backstory behind the characters and how they know each other. The opening scene is used to let the audience know about the characters and the problems they are having before the event which causes the post apocalyptic situation. This could put the audience in the story and ask the question “What if?” as the scene we are seeing could be seen as an everyday situation.

After this scene we enter the opening sequence which is accompanied by some none-diagetic music which is rather upbeat. We then see various images of people working in factories simultaneously or businessmen answering phones at the same time. This could be a small joke at humans as it depicts us as all doing the same thing without any thought, almost as if we are already zombies. The title Shaun of the Dead then appears on the floor of an alleyway. During this time we see a panning shot with a crowd of people walking towards the title at the same speed in the same walk, again poking fun at the audience.

After this sequence we then see a close up of two feet almost dragging themselves across the floor. The camera then pans up to the face of the character, we hear a moan which the audience could relate to a zombie if they have watched other movies with zombies in them, however, we then see that the character is actually Shaun, again this is poking fun at the audience saying we are already like zombies.

The film itself is quite interesting in the sense that it is a post-apocalyptic horror comedy. The mix of the three creates an almost uneasy atmosphere as once something shocks the audience the characters will make a joke about what they had just witnessed. From this I have learned how contrasting genres, music can be used effectively.

2012 (2009) (Global Catastrophe Scenario)

The films opens up with various shots of the planets accompanied by some eerie music to set the scene and add mystery. Between each shot we see credits with a fade in and out transition. This is good in terms of an opening sequence in my opinion as it keeps the audience gripped to the action. We then see a shot of the edge of the sun, in front of this we see two planets that are aligned, this already gives the audience some idea that the story that take place has something to do with the events in space, also because the planets are aligning, the sheer size of them already gives the idea that something big will happen. We then see flames shoot up from the sun engulfing the shot. The camera then pans down to a shot where another fire blast is seen which is used as a transition to the next part in the story. This title sequence alone already sets the scene for the story as we know it will be dark because of the music. The idea of a huge event in space, which is obviously out of humanities control, indicates that something is going to happen.

We are then jolted back down to earth, in India where it is raining heavily, this is already significant in terms of odd activity, stereotypically, India would be seen as a hot country. The idea that the weather is odd here would already arouse questions with the audience. We then join two characters inside of a car. We see a mid shot of the front seat of the car. The shot looks as if it is seen from the view of the passenger in the back seat. This puts the audience in the characters shoes. This would be crucial in a movie such as 2012 as the director would want the audience to feel like they are part of the film so they feel maximum impact when certain events unfold. We now see a long shot of the exterior of the car. This shot is also tracking the movement of the vehicle. During this time the car goes through a large puddle splashing someone sitting on the side of the road that is holding a toy boat which holds a shocking resemblance to the Titanic. The man then drops the boat in the water out of shock. The boat then turns on its side as if it was sinking. This shot has an iconic reference as the ship Titanic sank, thus giving the idea that something bad will happen. Small hints like this are given during the opening scene, such as the weather.

The two characters then get out of the car. They are dressed in smart casual clothing; this could indicate that they do not have a high ranking status.

This opening scene creates questions for the audience to ask. I feel this is effective in keeping the audience interested in the movie. I have also learned that the use of iconography can be used to represent a coming event in the plot.

Image of Skyscraper (Before and After Photoshop)

Detailed Story Treatment

The film opens up on the three characters Jacob Lexis, Terry Colby and Sam Appleby. The characters will be dressed in mostly dark clothing to represent that the characters are almost missing something, that something could be their old lives or home. They are surrounded by a vast desolate environment; this location could represent or connote the loneliness the characters are feeling as they well could be the last survivors after the nuclear attack which is the stimulus for the story.

We then see a mid shot of the characters walk up to a rock where Sam sits down and takes off his backpack. The backpack itself could connote the idea that the friends have left home and are forced to survive on their own. Then Sam exchanges dialogue with Terry about how they have not taken a break. A small argument breaks out, this could represent the break down of society or how friends can turn against each other in desperate times.

A quick cut to a close up of Sam occurs who then continues on with the argument. Terry then talks about how just only a month ago he was studying for his A-Levels and now he is forced to try and survive in the post-apocalyptic environment. This line of dialogue represents how fast things change and how everyday people, possibly the audience are forced to change their everyday lives, it could also add some realistic traits to the character and the film.

We are then treated to a mid shot of Sam drinking water from a bottle, while this is happening, off screen Jacob calls over to the two friends, the film then cuts to a mid shot of a broken down skyscraper which has been almost destroyed by the disaster behind some trees, the building symbolises and connotes the idea of a broken down society. This idea could also be seen with the three friends as they have previously argued showing the split between them and the breakdown of their friendship.

We then see a mid shot of Jacob walking back over to the rock where the other two characters are sat. We then see a shot of the characters with their back towards the camera facing the skyscraper, because the building is so large it almost shows the characters reality and how quick things can change. It could also make the audience question “how?” and “why?” as of at this point we have not told the audience how the world came to be like this.

The camera then zooms towards the building while the framing stays the same, the timeframe has obviously changed as there is less greenery on the building and now we can see flames coming from inside the building. We can hear the sounds of burning and people screaming. The scene is of the initial attack which threw the world into chaos. During this time we can see the breakdown of society. There is a transition at the end of this fading through white, this indicates that time is passing.

We then see a close up of Jacobs as he turns away from the building and looks at the floor. Jacob then looks beyond the camera, as if he is looking at something or remembering something. He then sheds a tear, as this happens the camera blurs almost mimicking Jacobs’s action which will put the audience in the characters shoes once again helping them develop a relationship with them. It could also help the audience get into the mind frame that there really is nothing left for the characters. There is then a transition of fading through white; this indicates the changing of scene and time.

The audience is then flung into a montage of new broadcasts; this montage is crucial to the story as it creates a back-story and gives the audience an idea of the events that led up to where our characters are. We will then hear the voices of various news reporters will fade in and out giving the impression that there is a lot of action in such a small period of time. We will then be treated to a shot of a man running with a handheld camera who then tramples over the American flag, this is iconic as the American flag symbolises freedom and democracy, the shot of the man trampling over the flag connotes that these ideas are no more. This shot will be accompanied by the voice over of the news report. The idea of the handheld camera shows that the man is confused or panicking as the camera will be shaking.


The montage of news reports is then silenced by an address given by the President of the United States via the Emergency Alert System. The president then urges the public to remain calm and stay at home, while this is happening the scene is overlapped by various shots of mushroom clouds in different places showing that what the President is saying does not help with the reality of the situation, it could also connote the fall of man as the President cannot control the situation. The president then says “God Bless....” and where America is meant to be said the scene is then cut short by the EAS logo being shown again. This could convey the idea that now humanity has no government causing chaos and anarchy. The montage then ends and there is a transition of fading though white.

We then hear a voice in the background which is slightly muffled, this could give the idea that Jacob is just coming back to reality as if what he was remembering was the news broadcasts. It could also give the idea that he is confused about what is going on and is not able to process it. About two seconds pass and the sound becomes clearer. Jacob now realises that Terry is calling him over.

We then see a mid shot of Terry kneeling over the body of Sam; he explains that Sam has collapsed. This would have clearly happened during the montage scene as that scene would have been the memory of Jacob so he would not have been focused on the current situation. We then cut to a long shot of Jacob rushing over to Terry kneeling at the opposite side of Sam. Jacob then grabs Sam’s wrist to check his pulse and at the same time notices there is something on the palm of his hand, Sam then looks very shocked and concerned about the welfare of Sam. He then puts down Sam’s hand so Terry can see his palm. Dialogue is then exchanged and Terry asks if Sam is infected. Jacob then closes his eyes looking sad which confirms what Terry already knew.

We then see a jump cut to the Death³ logo but only for a few seconds, the logo then disappears and the screen turns to static, connoting the loss of connection within society. It also tells the audience that the first sequence is over.

The History of the Post-Apocalyptic Genre ( & Changes to Conventions)

The post-apocalyptic scenario is a sub-genre of science fiction. We normally imagine science fiction to be full of aliens and other paranormal monsters or technology, however, this sub genre focuses on one area of science fiction which has interested many over the years, the post-apocalyptic genre focuses on the downfall of civilization and what would happen to the survivors and how would they cope?

The post-apocalyptic genre can be traced back to biblical stories such as Noah and the Ark, the story describes a man being told by God that he will flood the world to wash away those who have sinned, in other words, he will start anew. An obvious post-apocalyptic situation as those who were aboard Noah’s Ark were the only ones who survived. The first modern pieced of post-apocalyptic fiction was The Last man by Mary Shelly. The novel tells the story of a future world which has been ravaged by plague and there are few survivors, each one is slowly killed off (this convention can still be seen today in modern works of the post-apocalyptic genre). The story ends in 2100 where only the last man is left alive. Most post-apocalyptic publications often spoke of current threats, so during this time, people would have taken interest of this book as it contained an almost factual element which was the plague at the time. Through time however, pandemics have come and gone, such as meteors and wars. A novel has been written for almost every possible scenario, this shows how the conventions of the genre will constantly change through time, this also shows how limitless the post-apocalyptic genre really is.

Changes to the conventions were starting to emerge during the cold war, where stories of nuclear war and global annihilation were written from the inspiration of the war itself, because of the interest within this scenario stems came into the post-apocalyptic spectrum, such as extra-terrestrial invaders, which can be seen in the works of H.G. Wells in War of the Worlds. This is where most modern conventions of the genre were being created.

The idea of a global pandemic has always been the case within the post-apocalyptic genre, this scenario can be seen within The Last Man, and in the more the more recent film Resident Evil (2003) which sees the world overthrown by zombies because of a special serum entitled only as the infamous ‘T-Virus’. The idea of a global pandemic means that the majority of the worlds population is wiped out, and the story is set around a small group of survivors, this again can be seen in The Last Man. Where the group is slowly killed off, this convention has not changed over the years as it remains a critical aspect of the post-apocalyptic genre to add suspense and the constant idea of loneliness and isolation. Resident Evil grossed a total amount of $102,441,078 worldwide, this total alone clearly shows that although there have only been a few changes to the convention of the post-apocalyptic genre, the genre itself is not going to disappear any time soon.

The genre itself has now found itself into different types of media such as video games, but it still keeps the same conventions, however, this gives the producers to show the genre in a different light, for example Destroy All Humans! (2005) gave players the chance to play as an alien with the instruction to…well, destroy all humans. Showing the genre on different platforms has opened up the genre to a wider audience which gives filmmakers the chance to create an endless amount of scenarios tailored for any audience be it teenagers or adults, whilst still keeping to the roots of the genre conventions created by the cult classics such as The Last Man and War of the Worlds.

Our group is actually focusing on a sub-genre of the post-apocalyptic scenario, which is entitled ‘cosy catastrophe’. This genre first saw light after the end of World War 2. This sub-genre normally tells the story of a group of survivors who are trying to rejuvenate civilization after a world wide pandemic or catastrophe, for example, a nuclear war. While the films do no show the characters actually rebuilding, it gives us the hint that this will be done after the film ends, for example the ending of The Matrix Revolutions (2003) the real world is left battered and destroyed, but as there are survivors we are hinted at the idea that they will try to rebuild after the war is ended by the protagonist of the film Neo (Keanu Reeves).

Throughout time the conventions of the post-apocalyptic genre have been moulded to suit the time period it is in, for example most recently we are seeing films such as The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and 2012 (2009) which can only be described as natural disaster films, due to the growing interest in global warming and the Mayan calendar conspiracy theories. The release of these two films show that the conventions are being changed once again to suit the time period, it also shows that the genre will constantly change throughout time, proving that the post-apocalyptic genre is truly limitless.

The History Of Film

Film over the years has changed in various ways, from the introduction of the first black and white silent film, to colour, then later to add sound. However, in terms of time, all of this happened within the last 100 years, which is really quite amazing considering how far we have come within the last 5 or so years with the introduction of high definition media. But where did it all start?

The earliest surviving film was shown on the 14th of October, 1818, the film was entitled Roundhay garden scene. This would mark the start of the silent era. This is because of the fact that films at this time did not include any sound. Cinemas and theatres showing films would have a pianist playing music suited for the film. After the breakthrough of film technology was becoming more updated in terms of what they could produce, for example in 1918 Cupid Angling was the first film to be shown with full colour.

Soon after this, the world would see the end of the silent era, as sound started to find its way into the cinema and into films. Although this was not the first time the world had seen ‘talkies’ or ‘talking pictures’ it was the first time it had been shown commercially to the public, the first known public exhibition of sound films was in fact in 1900, which took place in Paris. However, these films were not fully synchronized with the sound. The first Synchronized ‘talking picture’ was shown in New York City in April 1923. The ‘talkies’ would then go on to secure Hollywood’s position as one of the worlds most powerful cultural systems. While this appealed to the majority, a small minority thought the addition of sound would destroy the “unique aesthetic virtues” of silent films.

In February 1927 the five leading film production companies which included the likes of Paramount, MGM and Universal Studios signed an agreement detailing that they would collectively select one provider for sound conversion, this created a standard for the use of sound within the film industry. Later on October 6th 1927, Warner Bros’ The Jazz Singer was premiered. The film was an instant success, with a gross amount of $2.625 million in just the US alone. The profits from this film proved that the technology of sound was something worth investing in. Although this film did not affect the film industry immediately in May 1928 four film studios including United Artists signed with ERPI for the conversion of production facilities and theatres for sound within film. However, while the technology was there, most Hollywood production companies were slow to produce their own ‘talking picture’ until June 17, 1928 when The Perfect Crime premiered which was produced by the Film Booking Offices of America, this production company was later merged with the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theatre chains to form RKO Radio Pictures in October 1928.

However during the spring Warner Bros’ had produced three more ‘talkies’ all of which were profitable. In fact, they gained an amount comparable to The Jazz Singer. Then on July 6, 1928 Warner Bros’ released the first all-talking feature film Lights Of New York. The film only cost a measly $23,000, but grossed a staggering $1.252 million. This then completely overthrew the gross earnings of The Jazz Singer. 1928 was an exciting time for film; the first animated cartoons were introduced with sound, for example Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie which introduced the iconic character of Mickey Mouse.

After this the world was amazed and intrigued by the addition of colour and sound to their films. After so many years the technology became more advanced, and the quality of film became more defined and detailed, for example the use of a green screen like technique was introduced during the 1930’s at RKO Radio Pictures. The green screen technology was used to create special effects for films such as The Thief of Bagdad (1940). The evolution of this technology has enabled us to create stunning films with almost realistic effects. Without these films, that constantly changed the conventions of how moving pictures were produced we would not have the ‘talkies’ we have today.

Post apocalyptic Genre Conventions

The ‘post apocalyptic’ genre has changed in a variety of ways since its first appearance in film. One major part of the post apocalyptic genre is how limitless it is with the amount of scenarios, one which is favoured by directors is, what if humans survived the apocalypse and what would life be like, certain scenarios could erupt, for example: a zombie apocalypse (Resident Evil 3: Extinction (2007), the failure of modern technology (The Matrix (1999) or even extraterrestrial catastrophes (War Of The Worlds (2005). These are just a small handful of scenarios.

Conventions usually seen within this genre are seen almost, there are themes of desolation and isolation, and this can be seen in many films, which are aimed at a variety of different audiences, for example: Resident Evil 1,2,3 , I am Legend (2007) and Zombieland (2009). However, some films do break the conventions of the genre by adding a less serious side to the story, in films such as Shaun of the Dead (2004) where a more comical approach is taken to the idea of a zombie apocalypse. Shaun of the dead is clearly a play on the title of the film Dawn of the Dead (1978, 2004) which is a cult classic of the genre. The start of the film Dawn of the Dead shows a ‘bleak’ news-video montage depicting swarms of zombies overwhelming the human civilisation.

The film genre has spawned a series of different types of media; one example would be computer games. A perfect example of this would be the ‘Fallout’ video game series, where the game takes place after an event entitled only as “the great nuclear war”. The game includes many of the original genre conventions such as desolation and depicts a destroyed Washington D.C where the player must navigate through the ruins of the city. The game also includes the scenario of mutants, altered by nuclear radiation. Because of the new craze with post apocalyptic games, the genre has opened up to a wider audience from teenagers to those in their late 20’s.

Synoptic Treatment - Death3

Death³ is a Sci-fi Thriller that will hit close to home with an audience of teenagers or young adults, we feel it will attract this audience because of the growing interest with the 2012/Mayan Calendar conspiracy theories, films such as ‘2012’ which is due to be released in cinemas in 2009 only show the natural disaster side of the genre with no character story to follow, Death³ changes that by making the film revolve around three teenage friends who have to make life changing choices throughout the film. This will make the audience realise the threat and how close to home it actually is as we are changing the conventions of the normal disaster film by giving a face to the survivors and putting them in a real life situation, which poses the question, where would you be and what would you do if this happened to you?

The film starts with the President of the US giving a televised speech on the current global resource race. During this the image will almost lose signal and in between losing and regaining signal the title sequence will begin. The idea of the signal breaking is there to represent the loss of signal between the audience and the rest of the world, and the friendship between the three characters who are introduced later in the film.

Our story starts with the three friends at school who bare witness to an array of nuclear attacks. This plunges the US into a post apocalyptic environment. Other television shows such as ‘Jericho’ already have similar storylines which predominantly revolve around the survival of humanity. Death³ takes this theme to a whole new level with unlikely twists and choices shown through a microcosm of the three characters.

The school is then evacuated; however, the classroom the trio are located in is not notified of the evacuation. This is where the theme of the film comes into action. The idea of the breakdown of society comes into play. The three main characters must work together to survive and come across an antidote for the toxic fumes of which the characters started inhaling after they stepped outside the classroom. While this may seem like the easy way out there is only enough antidote for one of the three, creating the problem of the film, and creating choices.

The first half of the film will not be shot in real time; this is because this time is only needed to set the back-story of the film. The last hour will be shot in real time to show how long it could take before greed sets in between the trio and on a whole how society can breakdown in just a few hours, no matter how large or small the scale.

The trio eventually end up fighting over who is able to use the antidote, killing each other in the process. Of course, every good film needs a moral. Towards the ending of the film the vial containing the antidote falls over revealing a note with the location of more vaccines. This shows that if the trio had worked together they would have all survived. This can also be interpreted to humanity as a whole, as the vast majority would try to save themselves first, which again could hit close to home with the audience.

Opening Techniques

A director is open to a wide range of choices when editing a films opening sequence. Many films from different genres will use an array of techniques to set the scene. For example the opening scene in Sleepy Hollow (1999) uses a series of close ups and extreme close ups to help create a sense of mystery for the story. However, opening a films with close ups could potentially confuse an audience. This is where another technique would become useful. This technique is the use of sound. The sound, which could only be described as spooky and mysterious keeps the audience gripped throughout the sequence.

Other films can open to confuse the audience. Analeptic openings or dream sequences can be used to show characters past or give the audience an important peice of information that will be relevant later on in the story. Openings like these can be used in a variety of genres from horror to comedy in films such as Shrooms (2007) the film opens with the main character running away from something. This sequence becomes apparent at the end of the film. Other films such as Kung Fu Panda (2008) use different animation to represent the dream sequence. Films could use effects such as muffled audio and add hazy visual filters to create the dream effect.

The Film Flags Of Our Fathers (2006) used misé en scene to show the dream sequence by including smoke, an empty and desolate wasteland, Eastwood also incorporated the use of muffled sound to make the audience question the sequence more, as the film does not actually tell you it is a dream until the end of the sequence when the character wakes up. The use of this technique could be used to open a film as it keeps the user gripped as it almost forces them to ask questions as to why the character is in a desolate environment and why you can hear the non-diagetic noises of people crying, even though there is only the main character there.

More recent films such as Drag Me To Hell (2009) have dedicated title sequences which actually drops hints as to what the film is about, the title sequence shows words and phrases such as '3 days' and 'curse' it also depicts images of the devil and shadows, the film can sometimes later reveal that these images are actually to do with the story and not purely aesthetic, but during the opening sequence these images will raise questions within the audience, this will keep them gripped throughout the film, seeing if those questions will be answered.