Opening Sequence Analysis

ASSIGNMENT #6 MARIA YOUNES

SE7EN

SE7ENGenre and conventions

Seven is a 1995 thriller movie. It also has horror and neo-noir elements.

The opening sequence of seven meets the conventions of the genre thriller, because mostly in a thriller movie it will focus on a crime. In this scene

in the opening sequence, he is cutting of his fingerprints. This suggests that a crime is involved and he is taking of any evidence which will lead to him.

Opening sequence This is the opening sequence of “Seven”. http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY

Font/Titles

The font was very inconsistent and jumpy. This may suggest the physco view of the serial killer in the movie.

The font is like a child’s handwriting which gives us the sense of vulnerability. Also they use a dark coloured background and a white font to make the font stand out.

Camera shots

There are a lot of close up shots. These keep the audience not knowing who the character is and leaving the character anonymous. In this particular scene we see him taking off any traces his fingerprints.

P.O.V

Point of view shots. This gives us a full view of what the character is up to. This shot does not give is the opportunity to see the facial expression on the characters face. It gives us an idea that we are experiencing this ourselves. But by the way he is crossing things out will give us an idea that the character is angry or mental.

Camera angles

Over the shoulder angle. You have a very good view of what the character is getting up to and the things that they do.

High angle. This shows all the detail of the scene.

Camera movement The camera mostly focuses on the hand and

fingertips of the character. Mostly the important things in the movie, which represent the character at their most.

In this scene the camera movement is going from left to right to show the row of books.

Sound The sound is non-diegetic. The music is very dark

and mysterious. By only putting in music and no voices this limits the information that we get.

The sound track is the remix of ‘Closer to God’, By this choice of song it is ironic because since there is a murderer involved that makes you further away from God.

Special effectsThe red in this scene signifies danger. Also by blurring out the picture we cannot see It clearly and would make the audience try to work out what the picture is.The special effect in this scene is the overlapping of two scenes and also the overlapping of the two colours. One is the normal colour and the other is the red.

Transitions In the opening sequence of seven there is a lot of

jump cuts. This shows discontinuity.

The scene jumped from this one…

To this one.

…

In this particular overlapping scene, we see the text of what the character is looking at. There are words which are ‘transsexual’ and ‘homosexual’. Which may give us an idea of what he is up to.

Denotation & Connotation

The denotation is that we see pictures of people.Connotation is that we know that he is planning a murder or some sort of physco move on them.

THE RING

Genre and conventions The genre of ‘the ring’ is horror. It meets the conventions in the opening sequence

because it builds up tension and the feeling of not knowing what is going to happen next. Such as in the scene where she was going to open the door and we do not know what is on the other side.

Font/Titles The font in the ring can relate to the film “se7en”

as it is also child-like which gives the sense of vulnerability.

Also every time the font fades out there would be a shape of a ring left. Which represents the movie.

The background is black and the writing is shining white. This makes the writing stand out more.

Camera shots

Extreme close up shot of her face shows her exact facial expression. This is effective because we cannot see her body language but we can see her face and just how scared she is.

We then can see her hand and can clarify that she is trembling and scared. This is another extreme close up shot of the door knob. This builds up the anxiety of the audience and the not knowing what is on the other side feeling.

Camera shots

In this wide shot we can see the room in every aspect of it. The room looks like it belongs to a teenager and it meets the conventions of the girl opening the door. So we know that this room belongs to her.

Camera AnglesThe low angle here only shows the bottom half of her body. This does not show her face and only her body language and how she is hesitant while walking. This is ironic as it is a low angle shot because usually it means that the person is powerful or dominant. Whereas later on we realise that she is the victim.

The birds-eye view shows us everything that the little boy is drawing. This can also refer back to the font and that it is child-like and here we see him drawing. We can also see just how unusual the drawing is, as there is a house floating and someone falling out of it. This is not usually what we see little children drawing. Also on the side there is a lot of rings which may represent “the ring”.

Camera movement The camera mostly stays still and does not move a lot. As she is walking towards the

door the camera stays still as she walks.

There is a zoom in the beginning of the opening sequence.

The camera zooms out of the television…

Then zooms into her face.

Sound: Non-diegetic The music at the beginning is like a nursery

rhyme. This can also relate to the child like handwriting. The nursery rhyme has a twist to it as Its sound is deepened and it sounds more mysterious. It is like bedtime music. In the background you can hear a swing. You can also hear a television sound messing up. The music is then changed into kind of CSI music, and is completely different to the nursery rhymes.

Diegetic At the beginning you can hear the television:

Special Effects

As the camera zooms in the girls face turns into what the girl in the ring is.

Also the colour effect here is blue. This represents coldness and death.

Editing pace

There is a lot of fast forwarding in the scene of the blood in the cup. Also it rewinds too, but very fast. The fast pace confuses the audience and makes you pay attention more to what you are seeing.Also the chair which is spinning on the top is fast forwarded. And the random images of the blood in the cup and the chair creates enigma.

Transitions

The camera is really shaky which gives the sense that the camera is hand held and a documentary feel to it.

Here we can see the same image but its like three different scenes into one scene.

Mise-en-scene

The close up of her face shows the paleness and the frightened look on her.

The light or the circle next to her, represents the ring and can therefore give us an idea of what we are expected to see on the other side of the door.

Denotation and connotation

Denotation is that the child is drawing. Connotation is that we know he is drawing something unusual and has watched the ring on the television.