Film Case Studies

Genre: Thriller.




Se7en (1995)

www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en

Se7en's title was made by Kyle Cooper and was considered a game changer in the world of title sequences and heavy influences title sequences for shows such as 'American Horror Story.' The sequence itself looks very dark and grainy, with many clips montaged together consisting of many vague extreme/close ups, it connotes that the character's mind is a mess and in a state of chaos. It also presents him as the antagonist by keeping his identity hidden; this is narrative enigma as the audience does not know who he is. The typography is hand-written making the audience feel more involved. The sharp cuts and soundtrack make the viewer feel uncomfortable and sets up the tone for the film showing the genre. 

American Psycho (2000)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQCVALybTek

American psycho is minimalistic and has simple shots that trick the eye at first. With raspberry sauce looking like droplets of blood and someone’s arm cutting meat looking like someone cutting a body part, which confuses the audience but pulling them in more. These close ups lead to different types of food being served. The bright lighting and simple but calm soundtrack contradicts to the word 'psycho,' but could hint protagonist is neat and strategic. The title sequence also leads into the film in a very sleek way, making the title sequence blend in with the rest of the film

Dexter (2006)

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/dexter/

The opening credits for Dexter focus on the protagonists morning routine from when her wakes up to when he leaves. This gives the audience an opportunity to meet and understand the character. There's a running theme of blood drops throughout the sequence which suggests the genre. However contrasting to this, the soundtrack is very light-hearted and easy to listen to, it does not hint that the protagonist is a serial killer. The sequence also uses close ups, similar to American Psycho, which gives everything the protagonist is doing a murderous intent to it; especially when he is cutting and squishing the orange. Near the end of the title sequence, the protagonist breaks the 4th wall and makes eye contact with the audience, this is effective as it adds an intense atmosphere and makes the audience feel like they're being watched.