Genre Question and 'Shaun of the Dead'

Class-written example first paragraph:

Shaun of the Dead is a film that blends conventions of comedy (and in particular romantic comedy) and zombie horror (which is itself a subgenre of horror). In the ‘Don’t stop me now’ fight-in-the-pub scene, one microfeature used to combine conventions of these genres is lighting. The protagonists are lit in high key lighting, a convention of comedy films, which allows us to appreciate the humour of their actions fighting the zombies which are co-ordinated with the contrapuntal diegetic music ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, and also their facial expressions that show increasing enjoyment, in contrast with the violence of the zombie horror genre. Rapid editing cuts between this and the zombies who surround them and are lit in low key lighting, conventional of the horror genre, raising tension and presenting them as a threat. This juxtaposition between the lighting conventions of two genres and its contrasting effects can be seen in terms of Rick Altman’s theory of audience pleasures. The visceral pleasures of laughter (for the comedy genre) and fear (horror genre) are created simultaneously, generating a kind of surprise and excitement, as a tense situation unexpectedly becomes increasingly humorous, but with the risk that the threat of the zombies could shift the scene to violence at any moment.

Some more paragraphs:

Another microfeature of the scene relating to the genres is the mis-en-scene. The whole scene takes place inside a pub, the decoration of which largely relates to the horror genre - the stacks of chairs against the windows to try and hold back the zombies and the many empty bottles and packets on the table suggesting that the characters have been hiding out here for some time. Elements of the mis-en-scene also feature in the action of the scene throughout: with the characters using the Pool Cues and darts to try and fight off the zombies, and the music playing diegetically through the jukebox. This music's upbeat tone contrasts strongly on the otherwise horror-based scene. This contrast acts as a part of the film's hybrid genre nature which is, in itself, one of Metz's genre types as many of the rules of horror are followed but with the addition of the comedic elements.

Camerawork acts as another microfeature within the scene. For example, the use of a continuous, moving mid shot around the zombie in the pub as the others begin hitting him with pool cues works alongside the diegetic music to create a sense of comedy in this otherwise high-stakes scene: The nature of the shot somewhat gives the visual impression of this just being a group of people whacking a middle-aged man with sticks, the randomness of which combined with their hitting being in time with the beat of the music provides some amount of comical effect. The music and camerwork work together elsewhere as well, for instance the line 'I'm travelling at the speed of light' being exactly timed with a panning and consequently somewhat blurred shot of David running to the back of the pub to find the fuse box. These examples all serve in adding to the comedic aspect of the film in order to balance the horror aspects. As such, we can again see this as evidence of the film's hybrid genre nature, in terms of Metz.

Sound is a very significant microfeature here, thanks to the diegetic music ('Don't Stop Me Now') and the various other elements that are possible due to it. The music is synced to a number of different actions in the scene, such as the previously mentioned beating of the zombie; the first few flicks of the fuse box switches arguably being timed to the music and right before the zombie is pushed into the jukebox - stopping the music - the lines 'don't stop me' are being repeated. These comedic elements combined with the very horror-oriented nature of this scene work to strike the perfect balance of the two genres. In terms of Neale, this allows the audience to become familiar with the tone of the film thanks to the simultaneous following of certain conventions of both. Notably, pleonastic sound is also used, such as when Shaun - having been knocked to the ground by the zombie - spins his body around somewhat, and when Dianne is throwing the darts.

The editing is another significant element. The scene uses largely straight cuts as it takes place entirely within the same area and time frame, and after the initial few seconds the fast pace of the scene essentially demands it. In these initial few seconds, however, the editing is much slower to reflect the tense nature of the scene and, in terms of Altman, provide the audience with a due sense of dread. Continuity editing in the form of matched cuts is also used - for example after the zombie lays a hand on David's shoulder and he and the others quickly move away, the shot pans to follow them before cutting - while still moving - to an opposite and arguably point of view shot moving at the same speed before slowing to a stop on the zombie. Another point of view shot is used as the zombie approaches Shaun, Liz and Ed and they quickly discuss potential weapons. At the very end of the scene, the editing returns to its slower pace as - again in terms of Altman - the audience is left with the intellectual puzzle of how the characters will get out of this situation.