Title SequencesANALYSIS – SE7EN

Analysing Title Sequences

Title sequences are important parts of the opening sequence of a movie.

There are many different ways of constructing a title sequence Titles over the narrative

“Montage edit”

Looking at title sequences for similar films will benefit my work.

Se7en (1995)Techniques used in Se7en’s title sequence

Montage edit Pulls audience away from action.

Dark, Grisly themes (e.g. Cutting off fingernails, bloody text) Emphasizes the dark nature of the movie

Shots are oblique and extremely close up Keeps the scenes mysterious, doesn’t give too

much away from the audience

Scenes relate to the story Because the scenes relate to the story it is still relevant to what’s

going on, it also allows the audience to start thinking about what’s going on and what may be happening, getting them interested

Colours used The colours used reflect the tone and feel of the story. The lighting is

very dark over reds, blacks and greys. These colours have connotations with dark places, situations and even things like blood and murder.

Se7en (1995)Techniques used in Se7en’s title sequence

An example of a different style of opening sequence

In Stephen King’s The Shining, the opening sequence is one long establishing shot over rolling hills and mountains following a car.

While this sets the scene it does nothing for the narrative, however the music and other sounds give this introduction an extreme sense of foreboding, giving it a scary feel in a contrapuntal sense.

Classic layout for thriller / horror film

For the majority of thriller / horror films I have studied, I have found the following parallels: Montage sequence of scenes relevant to the film (Se7en, The

Butterfly effect)

Dark colours, grisly themes (Se7en, The Woman In Black)

Oblique shots, obscuring the true nature of the content ( , Se7en)

Long: Unlike some other film genres, the title sequences are almost always long and drawn out. This increases suspense for the viewer.