Research into Genre - Mise en Scene

Costumes & Make-up

Mostly all characters in apocalyptic horror films have torn and damaged clothing, some who have been close to zombies or suffered from an injury will have blood on them. In terms of makeup, zombies mainly have the most makeup put on them to make them appeal and for the audience to be convinced they are dead and rotting. Their faces are pale almost like a light grey colour to imply that they have no life. It is also common for zombies to have flesh on their face/neck and darkness around their eyes. One of the common things in zombie costume is contact lenses, which make the zombie look more gruesome and unappealing. 

Zombie make-up close up taken from 'The Walking Dead'

The photo on the left is an example of what sort of  make-up look we are going to attempt on our zombie actors. This make-up look consists of a greyish face and fake blood/flesh placed around the face. We believe this is the most believable look for a zombie, also it will appeal the most to our target audience due to it not being too gruesome or too immature.



Makeup for the main characters can vary depending on their situation and how they have survived. For the survivors who have had a rough time and have come across many zombie attacks, they will usually be filthy, covered in blood and have ripped clothing. Those who have found a safe place and are fortunate to have found running water, will be clean, may have bruises from previous zombie fights, but may still wear ripped clothing as they may not have spares to change into if it is ruined. 


The photo on the right is an example of what our survivors will look like. They are not clean and look like they have had a rough time during the apocalypse. They also have blood on them to imply they often come into contact with zombies.





Location & Props

Zombie films are normally set in derelict, isolated locations to show the audience how alone the characters are. Also, the isolation not only shows the empty world, but also how vulnerable the characters due to the overrun zombie world with not much hope of safety. 

Props in zombie-apocalypse films are mainly weapons to keep the survivors safe. This is also to show how unsafe the world actually is and helps the characters feel less scared. Furthermore, when the plot is focused on a family or someone who has lost their close family/friends they may have photographs that are often focused on throughout the film to show the great significance they have to the remaining characters. Also, to outline the loss of many people during the film. Other props may include religious props such as the Bible which greatly contrasts the whole idea of the film, as the dead have come back to life which seems unreal and not an act of God. The Bible may be used throughout zombie horror films to show characters still have hope that one day the world will return to its normal self, and also to pray to God for their safety.

Example of weapons used in zombie films