Analysis Of Opening Title Sequences

Dexter

LIGTING: The lighting for the entire opening is mostly light and bright. It is also kept very simple and natural i.e. effects or techniques are not used. This is to give the atmosphere some reality.

CAMER ANGLES/SHOTS: For most of the sequence the camera is close up or extreme. This is to show only what we need to see with the smallest detail; for us to connote the suggestion. Also at time the camera slides into focus to give a significant shot for example the blood against is skin.

SOUND: The backing track is ironically very rhythmic and upbeat. It gives a completely sarcastic effect from other thrillers. The music at some points is upbeat then slows down to again retrieve pitch.

EDITING: The shot of Dexter eating breakfast or freshening up in the morning as a daily routine are cut together to portray a normal yet sinister image. The snapshots of him waking up are edited together to form a slideshow of his morning. This technique was used to keep us guessing to what is actually happening and is more of an oxymoron.

Dexter fits the thriller convention by using daily routine seem like something much more devious. For example the razor cut with the blood dripping is something ordinary yet looks frightful. Also the strange shots when the camera is not focused give the mysterious effect that something is out of place. We see an ordinary routine foreshadow the truth behind this character that seems like someone we could relate to.

Vertigo 

LIGHTING: The lighting is dim and dull most of time and in some shots a spotlight is used           to show significance of one particular thing. Also the lighting is in intense colour such reds and pinks this is to reflect the apprehensive atmosphere.

CAMERA ANGLES/SHOTS: The title sequence opens with a montage of extreme close up i.e. the eyes and lips. These shots of the face’s feature are used as signifiers to express emotion and inner anxiety. The shots then lead into rotating shapes and images creating a sense of curiosity and suspense. The rotating shapes are shown in medium, close up, headroom and zoom shots to really emphasise their effect.

SOUND: The backing track of Vertigo is very conventional its start slow then builds up parallel to our tension. There is appoint in the track that it keeps building up and we expect a climax to be a bang however the music just changes to an even more mysterious tune.

EDITING: The editing is cut from the close ups of the girls face to the shapes against the black background to seem like its the inside of her eye. This gives the impression as if thought we are being given an insight to her. Reference to the saying the doors to someone soul is their eyes. The shot is portrayed by using the headroom shot them the shape circling her pupil.

Vertigo fits the thriller convention by using such abrupt and sudden close ups also the backing track is very typical of the genre. It is typical because it builds up the suspense and is very deep and vibrant the kind of music you would be likely to flinch to.

 

Se7en

LIGHTING: The lighting is very light yet abrupt sing more sepia tones adding to the effect of a rusty atmosphere. The lighting is often flashy and badly presented to give the shots more of a realistic viewpoint.                                                                                                                                           CAMERA ANGLES/SHOTS: The camera shots are for most of the sequence in close up or extreme. The shots are of his hands or objects in the surrounding as if to give a clue to what’s going on without giving too much away. The close ups are off him constructing something in which we can see him analysing news papers, writing, sewing and constructing a book. All of these seem very ordinary yet are shown in a sinister way due to the rusty hands and surrounding. Finally, the shots go back to the first few shots this is to represent some kind of circle as we can interpret repetition as significance to theses shots.                                                                                                                                              SOUND: The backing track is sinister and slow, it is very vibe and technical. It starts of slow then the pitch reaches its peak to again retrieve to normal pace. There is a point when the music suddenly changes to more of an abrupt tune and becomes very string and deep. This gives the impression it is building up to something.                                                                                                                                      EDITING: The editing is quite straight forward as each shot is show in a kind of flash which then flashes back in to the credits. We are shown a close up then it flashes to the credits this is to make it seem like they are hiding something. This technique lures us in and makes us what to know what we are missing. The editing adds to the suspense and gives us a thrill.                                                                                                                                    Seven fits the conventional genre as it very strong and mysterious it draws us in even though we are scared. It is very typical with the deep music to add to the thrill and the strange shots make us wonder what the movie is about. The opening raises so many questions in just a few minutes. Furthermore the occasional creaking in the background makes us shiver and scares us.