Thursday, March 12, 2015
Opening Series - Walking Dead Season 5
I analyzed the opening credit of the fifth
season of the Walking Dead. After watching the opening credit several times, I
added a “color” category because the dismal atmosphere all through the credit
seemed to be largely related to its color. The colors were mainly dark green
and dark grey. In addition to the gloomy atmosphere, all the objects and
buildings were representing the hopeless situation. Objects, such as knife, gun
and pocket watch, and a trail in the woods, walls and houses seemed to be
abandoned. A knife was pinned down on the ground and a pocket watch was
stopped. The grey sky and a lone tree with several crows on it were also part
of this atmosphere. There were a couple of shots, which were moving shadows and
a hand breaking out through the doors, that possibly indicated alive human, but
I could not be sure whether the moving shadow was a move of human and also whether
the hand reached out from the door was that of human or zombie. I could not see
the actual human until the end of the credit, and he was also walking alone in
a field at the far distance.
The opening credit began with a scene of
a big-closed door. Lights were entering through the gap between the bottom of
the door and the ground. Along with the lights, shadows of three objects were
lying over the ground inside of the door. Although the shadows were moving, the
moves were bumpy rather than smooth. Thus, those shadows did not look like
actions of the human. The second shot was a close-up shot of a pistol and a
knife. These seemed in a bag with other weapons but it was not clear because of
the close-up shot. The handle of the knife was swathed in a piece of cloth with
fingermarks on it. It showed that the knife had been used a lot. However, it
was not held in a human hand so that I could not interpret whether it was still
being used or not. These two shots showed what was happening or what had
happened in the situation.
From the third to the sixth shots, the
scenes depicted the desperate and hopeless situation. Everything was not clear,
people seemed to be separated, longing for each other. There was a silhouette of
something looked like a human in the third shot, but it was not apparent. The
silhouette was not a full image, and it was partly shown over something, which
looked like a spoke of a wheel. In the fourth shot, the blurry pocket watch,
hanging on a wall in a room, became clearer. The watch was stopped pointing at
five. Five o’clock can signify two different meaning. It may a start of the
morning as well as a start of the night. In the relations with other shots near
the fourth shots, I interpreted it as a start of the night because it coheres
with the meanings of the other shots, which provided the hopelessness as a
meaning. Also, the color of the lights entering into the room was dim, which
also can be associated with cheerlessness. In the next shot, there was a
burning object, which looked like a photo. In a movie or in a TV series,
burning of photos often represent a loss of love. Considering that it is a
zombie-drama, not a romance-drama, the loss of love might indicate someone’s death
rather than a broke of love. In the next scene, there was a huge wall. On the
wall, there were letters, “AWAY WITH YOU,” which also showed a longing for
someone. There were no live-human in the scenes, and I could only see these
representations of death. The hopelessness was the feeling that this opening
credit wanted audiences to share.
From the seventh shot to the tenth shot,
I could imagine of a battlefield. The seventh shot was of a building, which seemed
to be bombed that we have seen many times in a war film. There was no roof and
walls, and cloudy sky made the atmosphere further dreary. The eighth shot
passed too quickly to realize any images. I had to stop the scene to figure out
what it was. It was a slate-grey wall, and there were words on it. All words I
could see were “GO HO,” but I guessed it as “I WANT TO GO HOME.” This is
because the seventh shot reminded me of a war film, and soldiers in a war film
used to say “I want to go home” when they are dying. The ninth shot also
reminded me of a battle field. It was a close-up shot of a knife pinned down on
the ground surrounded by bushes. The knife was a small one, but the handle of
the knife seemed to be designed for a combat. There were holes for fingers on
the handle so that the user can grasp it tight. The tenth shot was also
similar. There was a cross made of woods, and the cross was pinned on the
ground. In a war film, soldiers bury the dead and stick a rifle or other
temporary marks such as the cross made of woods. Soldiers put the military-serial-number-chain
on the temporary marks. Similarly, there was a pair of shoes hanging on the
cross in the tenth shot.
From the 11th to 20th,
these shots made me feel running into and/or escaping from some situations. The
11th scene was a trail in the woods, which is an image we used to
associate with peaceful and carefree moment. However, this shot made me feel
tense by shaking the camera. Also, from this shot, a beat of the background
music got stronger than the previous shots. Our heartbeat gets stronger when we
are running or terrified. I interpreted this shot as a moment that brings
audiences into the show by making them running together and sharing terrifying
feelings together with characters of the show. The 12th shot was
inside of the tunnel. A tunnel connects from one point to the other point.
Perhaps, the tunnel in this shot brings audiences into the show. The next shot
is not clear but it looked like a ceiling of the tunnel. Lights were entering
through the gaps between planks on the ceiling. There were silhouettes moving
above (or outside) of the ceiling. From the 14th shot, the beat of
the music got faster, and it continued until the end of the credit. This shot
passed quickly along with the moves of the camera, which passed several ceiling
lights at a hallway. Together with the 11th scene, this scene also
made me feel traveling. The 15th shot was a close-up shot of
candles, which melted down on a table. It might not be just candles but I could
not interpret this shot although I watched this over and over. The 16th
shot was a metal door locked with a plank across the door knob. Someone over
the door jolted the door violently and finally pushed a hand through the gap
between doors. The next scene was a mansion, which was located above of the
stairs. The house looked old because paints on the pillars in front of the
mansion were peeled off. Again, the camera moved fast in the 18th
shot, which made me feel driving in a car across the woods. It was related to
the next shot, which was a close-up shot of a map. On the map, path and
destination were marked. In other words, audiences were traveling together with
the character in the show following the path on the map. The 20th
shot was a lone tree with several crows on it, and sky was cloudy.
Finally, I could see the first live
human at the 21st shot. It was a long distant shot, and the man was
walking in the fields. Then, the title was shown, “The Walking Dead.”
It was a descriptive analysis of the credit, which mainly showed how this 35-second video attracted audiences. I wanted to analyze it focusing more on the ideological operations behind of this video, but I did not have enough contextual knowledge related to this TV show or to the cultural associations. In my final paper, I will be able to relate this opening credit analysis to the episodes analysis.
It was a descriptive analysis of the credit, which mainly showed how this 35-second video attracted audiences. I wanted to analyze it focusing more on the ideological operations behind of this video, but I did not have enough contextual knowledge related to this TV show or to the cultural associations. In my final paper, I will be able to relate this opening credit analysis to the episodes analysis.
Shot #
|
Video
|
Color
|
#1
|
A big door; Lights are
passing through the gap in the bottom of the door and three shadows are
moving.
|
Dark Green
|
#2
|
A close-up shot of a
pistol and a knife; The handle of the knife was swathed in a piece of cloth.
Fingermarks on the cloth.
|
Mixed of real color and Green
|
#3
|
Unclear. It looks like a
wheel, and a human alike object is standing behind the wheel.
|
Dark Green
|
#4
|
A close-up shot of a
pocket watch. The watch was blurry but becomes clearer. The watch points at
five. Lights were entering through a gap on the window.
|
Background: Dark Green
Watch: Real color
|
#5
|
A close-up shot of a
burning object. It looks like a photo.
|
Dark Green
|
#6
|
A huge wall. Words on
the wall, “AWAY WITH YOU.” A gate and window are on the wall.
|
Dark Grey
|
#7
|
A building with no roof
and walls. Foggy or cloudy sky.
|
House: Dark Green
Sky: Dark Grey
|
#8
|
Very short shot passed
quickly. A slate-grey wall. Words on the wall, “GO HO.” It is not fully
addressed but looks like “Go Home.”
|
Dark Green and Grey
|
#9
|
A close-up shot of a
knife pinned on the ground surrounded by bushes. Small but the handle of it
seems to be specially designed for a combat. There were holes for fingers so
that the user can grasp it tight.
|
Green and Grey
|
#10
|
A cross made of woods
was pinned on the ground. A pair of shoes, which looks like belonged to a
teenager, is hanging on the cross.
|
Dark Green
|
#11
|
A trail in the woods.
Camera shaking. Beat of the music gets stronger.
|
Dark Green
|
#12
|
Inside of a tunnel. Spreads
of garbage at the sides of the tunnel.
|
Dark Green
|
#13
|
A window fenced by a
couple of planks. Perhaps, it is a ceiling of the tunnel. Lights are coming
through small gaps between those planks. Shadows are moving outside of the
window.
|
Dark Green
|
#14
|
Short shot passed
quickly. Camera passed several ceiling lights at a hallway. The background
music gets faster.
|
Dark Green
|
#15
|
A close-up shot of
candles. Melted down on a table.
|
Dark Green
|
#16
|
A metal door locked with
a plank across the door knob. The door is jolting because someone over the
door is pushing it. Finally, a person or a zombie put his/her hand through
the gap between doors.
|
Dark Green
|
#17
|
A mansion or an
apartment locating above of the stairs. There are pillars at the balcony in
front of the mansion, and paints on those were peeled off.
|
Dark Green and Grey
|
#18
|
Sun shining through the
woods. Camera is moving fast as if we are driving in a car crossing the
woods.
|
Dark Green
|
#19
|
A close-up shot of a
map. On the map, path and destination were marked.
|
Dark Green
|
#20
|
Several crows on a tree.
Above the tree, sky is cloudy.
|
Dark Green and Grey
|
#21
|
A man is walking in the
fields in a long distance. Dark woods are located beside the fields. He seems
like just came out from the woods.
|
The field: Real color
The woods: Dark Green
|
#22
|
Title shown.
|
Background: Dark
Title: Yellow
|
# posted by Unknown @ 6:55 PM 
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