Kyle Cooper - The Walking Dead Season 1 Analysis

 

This opening title sequence begins quit suddenly with the use of sound immediatley grasping the audience's attention as the violins create an impending sense of doom, raising the tension and creating an intense atmosphere. The first shot instantly prompts the audience to think of post-apocalyptic horror as it is stereotypical to the conspiracy and utilizes conventions of horror such as not giving away all of the information quickly but hiding it and revealing it little by little, keeping the audience in the unknown for as long as possible. The use of title's fading away over the top of broken picture frames perhaps foreshadows that they have lost their lives in a struggle and become zombies as they fade away rather than a harsh cut. The darkness that begins to come over these photos also suggests that there is a large force or power that is taking over the lives of survivors.

There is frequent use of fast tracking in and outwards as well as sideways, not only does this add elements of chaos to the already fast paced nature of the sequence but it creates the feeling that the audience are running from something, the constant movement indicating to the hunting for safety but also the moments of action and terror that will ensue. Additionally, the tracking shots jump around from various angles and directions, discombobulating the audience and contributing to the chaotic nature that is signature to Kyle Cooper's work. 

My favorite shot is the tracking backwards in the corridor with the title for Chandler Riggs. This is because the tracking backwards is extremely unsettling and ominous making me agitated as an audience member. This is because moving backwards in a dark tight space positions the audience to not know what is behind them as they move in that direction, making them feel out of control and disturbed. This works in tandem with the music to provide a sensory overload, forcing the audience to become cautious and on edge about the rest of the sequence. The use of the title in the middle of the shot makes it the visual focus, and the use of the last name being in bold next to the first makes it more prominent while adding visual interest and suggesting that there is two opposing forces within the show.