Inspiration for our thriller opening credits

Se7en

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY

We gained inspiration for our thriller films opening credits sequence from the opening credit sequence in the thriller film Se7en. We thought that lots of close-up clips and quick transitions form different scenes would draw the viewer into the film. We have left loose ends to s of the clips this would entice the viewer to carry on and watch the film in order to try and find out what the answers to the mysteries are.

Dexter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8-Rqo-VT4

Dexter also played a big part in our inspiration for our thriller opening credits as is shows the actions of everyday activities such as having a shower, flossing teeth and making breakfast. However it is filmed in an extreme close-up and a variety of angles to make it look as though Dexter is going to use that object as a murder weapon e.g. floss or blood e.g. tomato sauce splattered on the plate or the cutting of flesh e.g. when Dexter is cutting some meat In half for his breakfast.

Camera angles research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xG5hSOMGn0

In Se7en ending scene is shows many examples of camera angles used to disorientate the viewer as it is a panic stricken scene. I chose to use these scenes as they show examples of good use of camera angles and they portray them in a way in which they create suspense in the scene. There is also a good use of light in this scene. These are the kind of qualities we would like to include in our thriller film opening.

At the beginning of the scene it shows the villain on a low angle shot, this shows he is superior to the detective at this point in time as he is playing with the detectives mind and interrogating him. This scene also shows the villain with light around him, this makes his face darker, however not too dark in order for the audience to be able to see his facial expressions. His facial expressions is important in this scene as he is given a lot of camera time, this is unusual as the protagonists do not usually get much camera time focus on them speaking and to explain why they have done all the bad things they have done.

When the criminal has got detectives attention the camera focuses on the expression of the criminal, as this imitates the way in which the detective is transfixed on what the villain is saying.

This is a bird-eye view and establishing shot, they have also edited the image to look like they are looking through a telescope by rounding the edges of the frame.

Se7en opening scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY

Dexter opening scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej8-Rqo-VT4

These shots are taken from the opening scene of Se7en. I picked this particular scene as it is a good example of the kind of shot we are aiming for with our book scene. This shot of the book being flicked open fits in nicely with our idea in our opening. We like the use of the light and dark contrast on the pages.

I like the various styles in which the credits appear on screen. They fit in with the story line of the film as they are dis-orientated – could also symbol confusion, they do not appear the same as a another set of credits at any one moment, always different - this could symbolise nothing is every laid out permanently - the character/story is ever-changing. The font of the credits also give the viewer an idea of what the film may be about or the mood of it, as it is a mixture of bold, italic and normal fonts. The size is the same size all the way through, this would mean the viewer would not get confused or distracted from the more important aspects of the opening.

I like the way in which the writing in the notebook scene has a double image and an extreme close-up, which again creates the sense of dis-orientation and un-familiarisation, however at the same time the viewer is also aware of what is going on in the scene. Layering the credits on top of the image will also make the image more interesting, the text is not animated as much as the credits that are on the black backgrounds as it would distract the viewer.

Dexter opening credits are compiled together to make it seem as though an everyday morning routine is a murder weapon or is violent. I like this idea as the shot angles keep the audience on the edge of their seat as they are not sure what to expect when they see some shots.

This is an example of many of an extreme close-up that is used in the opening scene of Dexter. Thriller films tend to use close-ups and extreme close-ups a lot, especially in the opening scene are scenes that are there to encourage the viewer to feel scared or curious as it is unnatural to the eye to witness something so close, therefore creating a sense of unfamiliarity and disturb the ,.

The scene of Dexter cutting up some meat for his breakfast interprets that he is in fact cutting up human flesh. It is filmed in this way to again create tensions and makes good use of extreme close-ups and quick angle changes. The quick angle changes would help to speed up the transitions and keep the viewers’ attention and keep them guessing.

These are examples of the quick transitions. There is 1 second between each transition. This captures the viewer’s attention and makes the viewing of the sequence more interesting and amusing. In our film we are going to use this idea, as we think it is a very effective to keep the viewer’s attention and also create the tension in the atmosphere of the film.