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Codes and Conventions, The Art of The Title Sequence.: by Lissie Archer

The document discusses the title sequence for the psychological thriller film "Se7en" and how it effectively sets up the conventions and narrative of the film. It analyzes how the title sequence uses disorienting and creepy imagery, strange mechanical music, and fast unclear shots of a man creating a scrapbook to immerse the viewer in the perspective of the killer and create an unsettling atmosphere of mystery and suspense without revealing any explicit details about the plot. This leaves the audience with clues about the seven deadly sins theme and the unhinged mental state of the killer character.

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Lissie Archer
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38 views

Codes and Conventions, The Art of The Title Sequence.: by Lissie Archer

The document discusses the title sequence for the psychological thriller film "Se7en" and how it effectively sets up the conventions and narrative of the film. It analyzes how the title sequence uses disorienting and creepy imagery, strange mechanical music, and fast unclear shots of a man creating a scrapbook to immerse the viewer in the perspective of the killer and create an unsettling atmosphere of mystery and suspense without revealing any explicit details about the plot. This leaves the audience with clues about the seven deadly sins theme and the unhinged mental state of the killer character.

Uploaded by

Lissie Archer
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Codes and conventions, the art of the title sequence.

By Lissie Archer

Need to demonstrate
Horror genre conventions Conventions of a horror sequence

First step to a brilliant title sequence.


Construct the entire narrative of the film Create the characters
Kyle Cooper, creator of the title sequence to the world famous American thriller Se7enSins said that The form should be born out of the content. Meaning that if he hadnt of watched the film through first it would have never as been as good. Making a title sequence that the audience to could relate to as the film progressed.

How is the genre of the film constructed.


The film is based on a two detectives working in a crime-filled city, who become indulged in a case involving a series of murders. Each murder corresponds to one of the seven deadly sins: Pride, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, greed and sloth. The genre being a Psychological thriller is constructed by the use of imagery, music and edits. For example, the flashing images used are very disoriented, creepy and rather immortal. They show us what the killer is seeing, and doing which automatically allows us to feel attached to him. This is because as he fills in his scrapbook with images and other objects the way the camera is filming his hands at work makes us feel like the killer. Although we are confused of his actions we some how understand as the scene goes on what is happening and who this person it. Which relates back to the Psychological state of a man being possessed by inner immortality (anger, killing). The music is rather strange and mechanical, as if this killer has the soul of a machine. The music starts of with one specific beat, but as the scene moves on, and the images become stronger, faster and more clear the beat grows and is added to. New rhythms come in, almost as if to show the killer adrenalin growing. Which allows us to see him as a psycho.

How is the narrative enigma created.


The narrative enigma is created through the suspense and mystery throughout the entire sequence. Nothing in the title scene is given away, nothing is shown obviously to us. For example, the man who is creating this scrapbook is never once shown on camera, the shots of the scrapbook are fast and unclear and no dialogue is used what so ever. The fact that nothing is given away to us makes the title sequence mysterious. The music helps to create the enigma as it is rather scary and sharp. The enigma mainly comes from the scene as a whole, as it is all very elusive.

The information provided in the title sequence.


The information provided in the title sequence follows the rules of iconography. What you would expect to find in a Psychological thriller is put across through the sequence. For example, relating back to the first question shows there are a lot of techniques used that make it a psychological genre. We know that he is sticking images into his scrapbook, creating a collection of his work. We work out that he is the killer, and those are his victims. We find out that he is rather alone as he is spending his time working on his scrapbook. We realise from watching it that the man is not all there, he is quite crazy. We see this from the things he draws; heads with needles, babies crossed out.

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