Seven David Fincher 1995

1. SevenDavid Fincher1995 ByPhoebe Farrington

2. Location(s)/Setting; There isn’t a clear setting in Seven’s opening title sequence as it’s conceptual in style, but the setting is in a dingy, dimly lit room which makes it look quite sketchy and scary. This is typical of the thriller genre because it creates an eerie atmosphere and adds to the enigma of the film. It gives us hints and clues that the character is a serial killer and psychopath which gives us an insight to the storyline of the film, and adds to the restricted narrative. This links to the purpose of the OTS because it doesn’t want to give away too much of the film, emphasising on that restricted narrative.

3. Lighting/colour stock; The opening scene is very dimly lit, dark and grey which creates a very chilling and creepy atmosphere. There are no bright colours, apart from red which again connotes blood and more gory meanings, which is typical of the crimes in thrillers. This is typical of the genre because it gives clues to the narratives that will be in the film. There are bursts of bright lights such as the titles (written in white), which stands out against the dark background, this suggest the importance of the opening credits. The bright opening credits also suggest that the names are innocent against the backdrop which is very sinister. The titles then fade to black, connoting the gradual pace in which the victims are slowly killed off.

4. Costume/Appearance; We never actually see the character, however you do see their hands which are very dry and they are peeling. This conveys a sense that the character doesn’t really look after them self or doesn’t know how to look after them self. It even suggests that they may be on their own and doesn’t have anyone to look after himself/herself. The characters hands are also very cut and have bandages and plasters wrapped around his fingers, this suggests that he may harm himself or what he is doing is harmful. It also implies that the antagonist has the mental health issues, creating a psychological element to the narrative. This automatically creates the impression of this character that he will be the antagonist in the audiences mind.

5. Props; • The main character is constantly using pens, sewing materials and writing into a pad. He is also sticking and cutting up pictures, suggesting that he is not mentally together, as sticking and cutting is associated with young children. The props are very dirty and old looking, this is typical of the thriller genre because it shows the props as dingy and dark and unkept, creating a dark atmosphere.

6. The needle that he uses to sew, has blood on it, which connotes that the character is potentially a murderer which is typical of the thriller genre, as it gives hints to what might happen. The photos shown in the opening scene gives us clues that the people in the pictures are the victims and what the murderer has already done/or how he plans to kill them. This raises questions and enigmas to hook the viewer, which is the purpose of the opening title sequence.

7. Actors performance; Even though we do not see the full character, we see his hands which are shaky, brittle and sore. By seeing his hands shaking this shows that the character is maybe obsessive and focused. It also tells us of his behaviour that he is maybe secretive as well, as we are very unaware of why he is doing what he is in the opening title sequence and therefore raises questions, like why is he secretive and why is he focusing so much? This tells us that the character may be unstable and of a low social status, as it connotes he is nervous and anxious. It also shows us that the character is introverted and isolated.

8. Images that give us clues to the narratives; The handwriting/font gives us clues because it is scratchy and looks untidy and brutal, which gives us the clue that maybe he records what he has done into a book and that is why his handwriting looks creepy and not very neat. There is also a lot of writing, which is quite dense, insinuating that he is obsessive.

9. The photos of the people, gives us hints that they are the suspected victims later in the film and it also gives us clues to how they are killed and potentially why he does it. The font style of the graphics is very sharp and rigid which is typical of the thriller genre and gives us clues to the narrative. The sharp fonts as is very eerie and creepy. At times it is also very child like writing which matches the craft props, that are also childlike.

10. Cinematography; The editing creates a fast pace and the shots are very quick, to really emphasise the eerie, unpredictable and conceptual opening title sequence. It uses a montage of shots, that are very quick and snappy, this may link to the mental stability of the antagonist. The shots dissolve quickly after one another to again express unpredictability. The shot types are mainly close – ups, to show what the antagonist is doing and what the props are showing, that gives clues to the rest of the film. Point of view shots are also used which gives us the chance to see through the eyes of the antagonist.

11. Sounds; The sound is mainly non-Diegetic sound, to reflect the scratchy noise of the cutting out and sticking, drawing attention to those specific props. It also creates an tense atmosphere and compliments the unpredictability that the shots create. The soundtrack is also very random, which I believe is similar to the objective of the opening title sequence. The soundtrack is called ‘Closer to God’ by Nine Inch Nails. The pitch is very high at times to emphasise the unpredictability of the opening title sequence. The pace is quite fast to match the montage of shots that change and transition very quickly. There are no lyrics which connotes the secrecy of the actors performance and the point of the opening title sequence, which is to have a restricted narrative, and to give little information away.