Analysis of the opening title sequence of SE7EN

We chose to watch and analyse crime thriller SE7EN as we thought the opening sequence followed the typical thriller conventions which made it effective, influential and memorable.



The first shot in the opening is an extreme close up of a book with the camera set at a low angle to show is has a sense of importance. The pages then start to move with a glimpse of the hand moving them which makes the viewer wonder who it is that is creating this movement. 

This grabs the attention of the viewer already within the first few seconds of the opening sequence.

Extreme close up shots are used continuously throughout the opening credits to allow the audience to recognise the detail in the shot; however a variety of other shots have been used in addition including high angled shots to create vulnerability on whatever is being filmed, for example every time a picture of a past victim is filmed high angled shot are used to represent their weakness. In comparison, when the hands are filmed a low angled shot is mostly used to show dominance, which lets the audience see a clear contrast in importance between the two. The editing used in the opening sequence is all extremely fast pace leaving the viewer enough time to see the shot but not too much of what is happening; which builds up suspension and allows the films to still feel mysterious. Fade to black editing and red, black and white and dull filters are also used to represent death, danger and mystery.

The opening sequence provides information about the production of the film including the production company 'New Line Cinema' (which has produced other thriller/crime thriller/horror films such as the Final Destination series, the Rush hour series and Friday the 13th suggesting to the audience this film will be successful because of other hits they have created) as well as the director David Fincher and actors such Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow; all highly famous, skillful actors/director reinforcing the suggestion of the film being successful. Each set of text is the same size and style of font and is only shown once, however the title of the film flashes several times in a variety of different font sizes to ensure no viewers miss the name of the film. In between each of the shots the screen fades to black to create a sense of mystery, on each black out shot this is where the text with the information regarding the actors, producers and directors is shown, this is practical because it allows the viewer to read the text with ease. The text used has been edited so it has a scratched and distorted appearance which creates a mysterious demeanor and also links to the dark shade of colours used throughout.

The mise-en-scene is not clearly shown in the opening sequence as most of the shots are filmed too close up to the action to show what is set around it, this creates a sense of mystery, a theme repeated throughout the credits. However the props being used in the credits suggest a stalker or killer with the dirty razors, pictures of previous deaths being repetitively shown, books of endless texts being wrote and read and items being cut up and stuck down in different places or forms to which they were before. The intense amount of research being done by the killer that is being presented in the opening shows he's not a menace killing for selfish reasons but is planning and plotting who to kill carefully and has reasons for doing so, making the audience wonder why he is doing this.

The music in the opening sequence features both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds; the main diegetic music chosen compliments the scratchy, distorted images and text used as it sounds rough and edgy and as if one or more songs are being played over each other to create a mixture of sounds. The non-diegetic music consists of noises that sounds as if they are being created by the movements of metal chains or manual items like machinery. There is no continuous vocal speech used throughout the opening sequence apart from one line; towards the very end of the credits when the word 'God' is being sliced out of a book the words "you've got me closer to God" are used, this suggests that the film may contain biblical references which links to the seven deadly sins represented in the film title and someone being 'closer to God' also suggests death, which gives us an insight to what the story line is about.

                                    

Props Theory

Vladimir Propp developed a character theory for studying media texts and productions. Prop discovered that all characters fall into 7 broad character types, all of which can be found in a variety of different media. 

The Seven Character Types of Vladimir Propp:

1. The villain: Locked in a constant struggle with the hero, often trying to harm princess. 
2. The donor: Gives the hero an object or a piece of information that helps them prepare for what is to come. 
3. The helper: Assists the hero with their quest, often referred to as their 'sidekick'.
4. The princess: Needs assistance from the hero, usually because they are in some form of danger, typically the princess is the victim within the narrative. 
5. The dispatcher: Is the character who sends that hero on their mission or quest.  
6. Hero: Reacts to the donor and saves the princess, often resulting in them falling in love with the princess. 
7. False hero: May appear good but has an ulterior motive, or attempts to take credit for the hero's actions. 

Todorov's Narrative Theory

Todorov's theory is a theory created by a bulgarian structuralist called Izetan Todorov, Todorov suggested that at the start of films there is an equilibrium where everything is as it should be, this is then followed up by a disequilibrium where something goes wrong and takes a turn for the worst, and finally by the end a new equilibrium is created to resolve any previous disruptions. This theory is used in many films to help the audience break down the structure of the film.

Todorov states that there are five stages in the narrative:

• A state of equilibrium 
• A disruption 
• A recognition that this disruption had occurred 
• An attempt to repair this disruption 
• A creation of a new equilibrium

Todorov states the narrative doesn't need to be linear,  but is circular.

Thriller Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions differ depending on what type of genre the film falls into; the thriller genre has a main focus on shadows and lighting, using a variety of effects including fade to black, artificial lighting,filters and natural lighting. These are all used to create tension and suspense which is extremely important within the thriller genre. Black and white are the main colours used in thriller films as this helps it seem mysterious and is usually used to represent the past and the dead, however when colour is used in thriller films, it will usually represent the present and the action.

Editing and sound would also be two main types of  codes and conventions within the thriller genre. These help create an atmosphere for the storyline in the film, for example if someone is getting chased, fast paced music would be added for effect, and if an explosion was added to the storyline they would add sound to create realism and to create a more effective response from the viewers.

The camera angle is generally moved at a fast pace in thriller films, as this helps create mystery for the viewers, with them not having a lot of time to see what is going on. Thrillers usually add action to the film, created by landscapes or cityscapes being added in the background; this demonstrates danger.

Props such as mirrors and stairs are regularly added to thriller films, as they can be used for various things whether this being to create confusion or to create action. The image below is a shot from a thriller film through a mirror. Mise-en-scene is extremely important within thriller films. This is because it helps the viewers identify what genre the film falls into within the first few seconds.

Music is essential within a thriller film, as it helps create the atmosphere and helps create suspense. A good example of this would be in the last scene of seven, when Detective Mills is about to shoot the killer (John). The tempo, pitch and dynamic of the music increases and decreases, this allows the audience to be more engaged with what is happening in the storyline.this is because it is allowing the audience to be more engaged and to feel the tension that is being shown.  

The Thriller Genre

The thriller genre is extremely popular.This is because it consists of tension, suspense and excitement. It is one of the only types of genre that can cause a rush of various emotions and moods.

Thrillers are extremely known for keeping the audience guessing on what going to happen next.The protagonist in thriller films are set against a mystery, a mission or an escape. Throughout the film, the main problem has tension building onto it, this makes the viewers more interested and it is also one of the main aspects that places specific thriller films into the thriller genre.

Thriller films such as The Silence of the Lambs, Inception and The Great Escape are excellent examples of successful thriller films. Each one of these films have twists, which are good to use when making a thriller film, due to it surprising the viewers and creating a sense of action and excitement.

In the thriller genre there are several different areas what each film cover, placing them into a specific type of thriller film. The different types are Action Thriller, Crime Thriller, Film-Noir, Phycological thriller, Science fiction thriller, and religious thriller.

Action Thrillers are usually very physical, containing stunts, chases, flights, races and fights. They also use props such as guns, bombs and knifes. Die hard, Kill bill, The Bourne Identity are extremely popular Action Thriller films.

Crime thriller plots usually insists of, serial killers, murderers, robbery or manhunt. The storyline also focuses on both the protagonist and the crime. The use both physocoligical aspects and action. Jagged Edge, The Fugitive, The Usual Suspects, these where all successful Crime thriller films.

Film-Noir is characterised by using black and white lighting effects, its was extremely popular in the 1940s and 1950s. the main character tends to be a cynical hero. Popular film that use this are The Maltese Falcon, Sweet Smell of Success and Sunset Boulevard.

Science fiction Thrillers insists of science based themes in them. They are noticed for using the typical villain and hero characters throughout the film using various of unexplored locations. Popular Science fiction thrillers would be Aliens, District 9 and Inception.

Thriller mood board

We have collected a group of images that we feel represent the typical conventions that you would find in the thriller genre and presented them on a mood board, these includes weapons, police equipment and evidence, victims, killers and several others.

we also looked at existing thriller films and created another mood board presenting the ones we though were successful. 

Welcome

Welcome to Paige and Leah's blog; we are currently studying AS Level Media and are researching into the codes and conventions of Thrillers. Our blog will provide you with information about this genre of film including several analysis's, animated mood boards, embedded video clips and general information.