The Dead ZoneBy Rebecca and Hajra

This wide shot of the house showing the full scale of the house shows that there is no people around which links to the thriller genre of the unknown. The lighting in this shot is very dull and has a blue tint to it creating a saddening mood to the atmosphere. The house looks sombre and chilling in the blue tint.

In this shot there is very little light, and the background is misty; you can’t actually see much in the scene, the enigmatic effect is established as not all is given away and the black shapes from the title text look random and unrelated, this entices the audience as they are forced to continue to watch to understand what they mean. The credits which are in white font stand out against the dark shot, creating a contrast gradient and further plunging the background into a murky mysterious darkness. As the title sequence continues and the shots cross dissolve into each other the slightly cryptic shapes remain exactly where they are they are, prompting further confusion as to what they mean.

This low level wide shot shows one setting in which the film is set in, the lighting is natural but the use of the sun on one side and a shadow on the other creates suspense. No genre is associated with the images but the sound track is minor key which often used in thriller films to create tension.

In this wide shot the colours and lighting contrasts to others as it is sunny and bright. This challenges the stereotypes of thrillers conventions as usually dark colours are used. The gradual build up of the black shapes appear more as the opening continues.

In this scene there is a bit more light, showing a park ground cast in shadow, which is a typical recurring thriller convention however there is sun light and you can see trees and sky. What is eerie about all of these shots is not only the fact that they are dark, there is also an absence of people or any movement at all, all the shots are static and completely motionless.

The road looks mysterious which makes it look inviting. It is dark and the fact that it is a road makes it more alluring. The black shapes are still there, confusing the audience and building up suspense for the climax when the actual title is revealed.

This high angle shot of the road again shows the town to be deserted leaving the audience questioning the opening. Again in this opening the lighting is low key creating a tense atmosphere.

This is the point where the audience begins to understand what the black shapes mean and the climax of the opening sequence is established, the audience can just read the title. The lighting is still minimal and the dark colours generally dominate the light colours.

This last shot of the title shows the build up of the jigsaw piece which creates ‘ the dead zone’. The mood created by this shot is dim and mysterious which is a thriller convention.The font used is strong and edgy which warns us about the danger within the film. The film opening doesn't reveal itself till the end of the slow paced suspenseful opening, which also isn't associated with thrillers as they are usually fast paced. This part, where it is zooming out on the text is the only moving part in the whole film which further emphasises its impression; and adds effect to the opening title.

2:58.0:00

0:44 Setting looks dark , bleak and black triangles look odd and confusing

1:06This is also a pleasant scene, however, the background is blurry and the black triangles somewhat disorientate the viewer, the lighting here is perhaps slightly blue tinted however it is not as shadowy as the other frames

1:29, the road looks alluring, mysterious as, there is an absence of cars or people, there is a dark setting

1:51, more black shapes are dominating this scene, and another road which looks eerie and dark and intriguing, dark lighting mixed with the sombre greyish tint, or perhaps desaturation

00:22Here, the mis-en-scene is strangely pleasant with natural lighting, no odd black shapes, it is a comfortable frame of a large, old fashioned house with a white picket fence, surrounded by trees in full bloom and green grass, this shot seems to defy typical thriller conventions however the lack of motion in the scene is eerily questionable

2:13, here it is finally revealed what the shapes mean, they build up the lettering of the film title, there is a gloomy blue tint used here, with a shot of another road, the scene is completely lifeless, hence corresponding to the film title ‘The Dead Zone