'Se7en' Opening Sequence Title Research
- 1. This is the first text shown in the whole opening and is portraying the distributor 'New line Cinemas' which as a major company as it later merged with Warner Brothers. This suggests that, at the time, the film was fairly large and and had a big budget due to it's release being popular. Showing it first, also connotes that the company had a large contribution to the film. The font colour is white which connotes innocence, purity and naivety and contrasts with the dark and ominous feeling background. The colour therefore could also foreshadow the narrative with innocent people being caught up in horrific events. The white colour of the font is quite effective as it is almost luminous, casting a surreal and mysterious atmosphere. The contrast the white brings instantly draws in the audiences attention to the text, with it standing out so vividly, and then keeps the attention with the text being so aglow. The high-key lighting of the text creates questions as to the relationship of it in contrast to the low-key lighting and about it's meaning within the narrative. Strangely, at the beginning the text it tells us that David Finch created the film (from which we deduce he is the director) only it doesn't say his role, as that comes at the end of the opening, and so this suggests that they want to let the audience know straight away that he is largely involved ( possibly to draw in a secondary audience of those who are fans of David Fincher's work).
- 2. The first names shown are of those who are the main actors in the film and who also are the most famous and well-known in real-life. This results in the audience instantly being drawn in and intrigued to watch the rest due to their knowledge of other great films they've been. Showing them straight away also keeps their secondary audience interested and willing to watch as they may be watching only due to being fans of either of the two actors instead of the film and it's genre. The text is shown with only a plain black back drop which causes the information regarding the actors to be more prominent. The audience isn't distracted by anything happening in the background and thus their attention is completely on the text.
- 3. The title of the film is shown approximately 25 seconds into the opening sequence which increases tension and curiosity by withholding the information. However, due to it being shown slightly later on makes it more dramatic when it is finally shown. The positioning of the title, to the left, gives it a quirky and slightly more erratic feel, than if it was positioned traditionally in the centre, which is coherent with the rest of the film. The title starts off small and the same size as the rest of the text, causing it to appear inoffensive. However, the title quickly flashes across the screen causing the audience to see a glimpse of the enlarged title. This comes as a shock, builds anticipation and makes you take note of its significance. The letter 'V' is replaced by a '7', which could further foreshadow and provide insight into the narrative, and provides the film with a recognisable and distinct image.
- 4. All the text is in a font reflecting almost scratchy handwriting, which connotes the films hybrid genre of horror and physiological thriller, and also creates a sense of foreboding. There's almost a child-like feel to the writing which causes it to be eerie and sinister. All of the names displayed are that of the minor actors who don't have as big a part in the film and yet notable enough to be shown on their own. The movement of each piece of text is unique, but they all move and distort in some way. This is accompanied by ominous music that is mostly made up of creepy, non- diegetic sounds such as that of creaking doors and noises created by something possible identifiable as a razor? However, some of these noises could be diegetic due to bad visibility of what's happening in the background and the blurry, low depth of field.
- 5. Throughout the opening sequence you receive flashes of images or text that are mainly incomprehensible due to the speed and erratic way it is shown. The writing that is shown is that of a twisted nature, which suggests what may happen in the narrative, and is used both to shock and intrigue the audience. This makes them want to continue watching, so as to see what will unfold. These three names are shown grouped together due to their similar job roles being involved with the casting. Still in keeping with the rest of the film, the text is shown overlaid an eerie and disturbing picture with incoherent scratches and letters flashing over the top. An example of this, is the word 'warning' appearing on the screen so quickly the audience doesn't have time to consciously read it, however they do register the gist of what is says. All of this fits with the films genre by it being disturbing but keeping the audience gripped!
- 6. The next information shown is of the person who does the music. The text still holds the same connotations that the white colour brings but this is now particularly prominent because of the red background. The red connotes blood and horror but also is also identifiable as a 'dark room' which hints at the time the film was set in and evokes questions as to why and what is going on. The credits shown in the opening sequence are in an order of the different job titles (and their importance?) The name of the person is shown in the same font as the others have been previously but their job title is in a bolder font which pulses almost reflectively with the steady heart beat like drum included in the music score.
- 7. Next follows two of the important roles within a film, editor and director of photography. This means that due to their importance their names come later on in the opening sequence which seems to be a pattern among the majority of film opening sequences I have watched. This is also emphasised by the fact that they each have a screen to themselves, with nothing going on in the background, so that they have the audiences undivided attention. What stands out in this particular frame is that the font of the job title exudes luminosity and this high-key lighting both further connotes their importance, draws your attention but also stresses the eerie mysteriousness that is prevalent throughout the sequence.
- 8. Nearing the end of the sequence comes the larger, more significant roles in the film such as the varying different producers where their names are grouped together in accordance to their roles. The music in the background increases in tempo and intensity indicating you are coming to the end of the opening sequence but also builds anticipation for the actual film to start. What makes these frames interesting is that all the names have different positions and are all slanted in different ways. This makes the film seem unpredictable and hints at the protagonists character and personality.
- 9. The writing in both of these frames is nearly illegible however this makes it interesting as it really makes have to focus and try to work out what is going on. The erratic nature and brightness of both frames almost messes with your head and throws you off centre. It creates a sense of disorientation but also makes it difficult to look away. The depth of field is very low and the focus is very blurry which causes the words to jump out at you in a 3D like manner and further emphasises all of the above. These frames are made more unique due to the importance of the job titles.
- 10. The final frame is for the most important figure in creating the film – the director. The title is shown for slightly longer than some of the rest of the titles and creates a sense of coherency with the sequence starting and ending with the director 'David Fincher'. His name is shown with a back drop of black expanse which forces all the focus to be on the text. Despite this, the text is no bigger or any more prominent than any of the previous text, indicating he doesn't see himself as any more important than others involved with the film. However after only a couple of seconds the directors title is replaced by flashing images and words in a quick fire torrent (such as this). They are mostly unidentifiable although they are all of a disturbed and random nature. However if the audience is paying close attention there are hints at what may occur later on in the film. This last burst of colours and images is the final frame before the film starts and thus leaves the audience on edge and in anticipation.