9 Frame Analysis - Se7en Opening Sequence

Frame 1

In the first frame of the opening credits, the audience sees an open book and shows the first sign of writing. The font is scrawny - small, sharp letters, generally what you'd expect from a thriller film in the titles.

Frame 2

Throughout the sequence, close-up quick images are played, giving the audience just enough time to register what object they're seeing before it changes into something else, related to the previous scene.

Frame 3

When the main title of the film comes up, it changes rapidly - in pretty much less than a split second - into a much larger verison of the word, and then back to a small font again and it sort of jitters too, creating a sense of no direction and mystery even within the first minute or so of the film.

Frame 4

As the close-ups progress, we - as the audience - get to see more and more of what the film's about. There are many effects used: jitter, grain etc but in the scene above, we see a jittery overlap of the same image being played.

Frame 5

There is little amount of colour used throughout the title sequence. Black, white, grey and cream are the main palette of the piece, but occaisionally, we see red shine through, which can depict and/or suggest blood, giving the audience an insight into the sort of story and film they are about to watch.

Frame 6

Occaisionally, you get to see words and writing, such as in the scene that flashes above. Certain words jump out at you such as in this scene: 'Marry' 'children' 'female', which all try to give a glimspe of insight into the film.

Frame 7

There are only a few actual images and pictures shown in the opening sequence, but the few that are shown depict very distinct images such as the one above - showing a human head with a pen line drawn over and across the eyes, symbolizing whatever the image is supposed to.

Frame 8

In this frame, another distinct image is shown. This impies the idea of death and operations and physical harm, to give the audience another nugget of info on what the film will entail, provided they keep on watching.

Frame 9

Another idea surrounding the film is religion. In this frame, the word God is being cut out of a paper. And interestingly enough, over the footage the voice of the song sings "You've got me closer to God", the only line in the entirety of the song, symbolizing perhaps its importance in the rest of the film.