Opening Credits Analysis -Se7en (1995)

The beginning of the film watch until 2 Min's 30 secs

By the opening credits of the 1995 film Se7en we can quickly establish that the genre of the film is Thriller, as it has many conventions of a thriller by the props used. The sequence has been fast paced edited and many transitions have been used to move from the titles to the images rather quickly to give a sense of disjointedness. This makes the audience feel confused and intrigued about the film. Throughout opening sequence of the film it has been edited to a sepia effect, with some flashes of red which connotes danger blood or death. The images that have been cut out or drawn on have been in black and white, this lets the audience distinguish the era of which this film has been set in. This sets the atmosphere, tone and the setting of the film throughout.

The names of the producers and actors look as if they were handwritten which twitch and flicker in white and fade out in the background.(image 1) This may emphasise on the unsettling atmosphere and may emphasise on the unstable mentality of the character.

Extreme close ups of distressing images in between the credits and the images integrate what would be happening throughout the film. The extreme close up of the images show an indistinguishable view of who this character may be and this would also simultaneously intrigue the audience further. The second shot however is a mid shot of a pair of disfigured hands which may suggest disturbance.(image 2) Also another shot is of a picture of a male and a black marker pen has crossed out his eyes.(image 3) The black background is very sinister as it highlights the importance of the image. The use of lighting and shadows also creates a sense of enigma.

Sounds have been over-laid to the opening sequence to increase the tension and anticipation of the film. The diegetic sounds, sound like a scratching of a pen creating an eerie feeling, as well as the sound of a heart beat electrical sounds and sounds of chains being moved up and down. The non diegetic sound track has a slow pace to start off with and cleverly starts to pick up pace as we go further in to the opening sequence. The only words we hear from the sound track is ‘ you bring me closer to god’ (first hyperlink 2:00)while the word God is being cut(image 4) out from which looks like a dollar bill. This may show that the film has some relation to religious beliefs and the connection between the mysterious character and God.

The mis-en-scene looks of a place of study either a library or classroom or in a home as the props used are everyday objects that surround us. From what we have already seen in the images it shows that this mysterious character is some sort unstable. As everything being cut drawn and stuck on is kept in a book (image 5) which may imply that this is very important to the character. Everyday objects e.g. cut up newspaper, water, pens, wire, paper. Negative strips from a camera, photographs and a bandage, a book. Were used as well as sharp objects such as, scissors, needles, tweezers and razors. This may illustrate that the character feels trapped in their environment and everything they feel is being reflected in this book. As we go on to the first few minutes of the film after the credits we can see that the detective (Somerset) and detective (Miller) are in a poor area where they are investigating a murder enquiry. This suggests that the character we saw who is still not identified may be from a poor area. This may reflect his behaviour of where he has been brought up. As the people do not look friendly as we see someone walk past a detective pushing them out of the way. (image 6)
Images (1& 2) (3& 4) (5&6)

Opening Credits Analysis - Lolita (1962)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

It is these opening credits that many say contain some of the most overtly-erotic, idealizing images of the entire film - designed to set the tone of the film. After a fade-in on satiny drapes, a young girl's bare left foot and leg are ceremoniously offered up and a man takes it in his hand. The word 'Lolita' appears superimposed along the top of the foot. The cushioning left hand of a subservient, enslaved man cradles her foot and his right hand lovingly and devotedly paints her toenails with dark nail varnish (perhaps this is to suggest his corruption of her to mislead the audience) - at intervals, he wedges cotton tufts between her toes he does this again lovingly but it also appears fetishistic.

It is a close up the whole way through witch means that the audience doesn't yet know whose hand or who foot this is which allows the audience to ask questions of it. The first thing we notice about the hand of the man is that he wears a wedding ring leading us to question if he is painting his wife's toenails so carefully and delicately and if not then whose?

In black and white I believe you get a more concentrated vision of the use of light and shadow and in this opening sequence the light is both shining directly onto the foot and from the leg that we cannot see and the hand seems to be in more darkness.

The song is slow and romantic and ties nicely with the pace of the man movements on screen. The mix of note makes the song come across both happy and sad and so perhaps childlike and innocent.

Removed from context this scene conveys obsession and devotion, subjugation and tenderness, dream and nightmare. It is the only physical intimation of Humbert’s sexual enslavement by the 'nymphet'.

Opening Credits Analysis – I Am Legend (2007)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEKF80fCpjo

Editing: a typical convention of thriller movies is shadow and light, and this opening is no exception. We are introduced to the setting of the movie, and in the majority of the several shots shown of the deserted town, shadow and light is created by the sun shining and the shade made by the buildings (images 4,5,6 and 7). Another editing convention a thriller usually has is the opening credits, however there are no credits used at the start of this movie. This creates a sense of urgency - which then contrasts with the peace and quiet of the town. The only text used in this opening (not including the different 'picture' companies) is when 'THREE YEARS LATER' appears on screen (image 4). It may be a minor part of the movie and may only be on screen for a few seconds, but this editing also allows the audience to establish what kind of movie it will be. The colour of the text is white, which is usually a colour associated with peace and purity - which fits in well with the quiet setting of the movie - however the script/font of the text is very bold and masculine. These two contradicting features create a sense on uncertainty and confusion for the audience (just like the use of shadow and light). Contrasting clues/ red herrings are a popular device used in thrillers to engage and intrigue the audience.

Mise- en-scene: the only dialogue heard in the opening is the voices of the people on the television (image 2). Although the reporters are speaking for over 60 seconds, we only focus on what is said when the news report is visible on screen (images 1 and 2). During this discussion we hear the statement “if you can imagine your body as a highway…and you picture the virus as a very fast car being driven by a very bad man…imagine the damage that that car could cause. But then if you replace that man with a cop…the picture changes. And that's essentially what we've done”(image 3). Only a few seconds after this is said, we then see a man driving (images 7 and 8) very fast in a car (down a highway), so it makes the audience think about weather this man is good (“a cop”) or evil (“a very bad man”).

Camerawork: There are 7 shots shown of the towns landscape, and the majority of these shots (4 out of 7) are shots taken without any movement of the camera (images 4,5 and 6). This suggests that the town is deserted and isolated (so much so that nothing seems to be living). The other shots also add to this feeling of isolation as they pan the city very slowly, so slow that we expect there to be something/a clue on screen when the camera stops moving.

Sound: There is lithe beginning of this movie because of the lack of characters shown in the film, however the little sound used has a big impact on the atmosphere created. For example, the sound of tweeting birds creates an unsettling feeling (image 6). Because of the many cars we see on screen (as well as the news report and building that make us assume we are in a busy town in America), we expect to hear lots of different conversations and cars beeping in traffic (image 4), so for the setting to be so quiet that we can hear birds tweeting, the audience assume that something is wrong