se7en

Info on se7en

Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Release date: 1995
Actors: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow

Synopsis: A film about two homicide detectives' desperate hunt for a serial killer who justifies his crimes as absolution for the world's ignorance of the Seven Deadly Sins. The movie takes us from the tortured remains of one victim to the next as the sociopathic "John Doe" sermonizes to Detectives Sommerset and Mills -- one sin at a time. The sin of Gluttony comes first and the murderer's terrible capacity is graphically demonstrated in the dark and subdued tones characteristic of film noir. The seasoned and cultured Sommerset researches the Seven Deadly Sins in an effort to understand the killer's modus operandi while green Detective Mills scoffs at his efforts to get inside the mind of a killer... Written by Mark Fleetwood

Titles
the titles for Se7en are very effective. they remind me of a horror because of the codes and conventions used. They are black and white. You can definatly tell from them the story will be based on crime.

Shots
Point of view
Two shot
Worms eye
Low angle
Mid shots
Long shots
Close ups

Camera shots
Tracking
Crab
Alot of the camera movement is slow

Genetic themes
Crime
Existentialism
Crime
City

Sound
The sound is non diegetic
Police sirens
Rain
City sounds
All these sounds build tension and give you an insight to the rest of the movie for example rain gives a negative feeling.

Mise en scene
Naturalistic
Morgan Freemans flat reflects on his personality and life
Rain shows little hope
The sound shows that there is alot of crime, action and problems

Thrillers

Thrillers keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot can be confusing because thrillers dont just use action (violence ect) to create suspense. they are full of twists and red herrings, endings are mostly unexpected and shocking.

...a broad genre of literature, film, gaming and television. It includes numerous, often overlapping sub-genres.
Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively."

Codes and conventions


Suprises & Twists
Plays With Viewers Mind
Quick Cuts & Change Of Camera Angles
Music To Add Tension
Use Of Lighting To Create Shaddows
Mirrors
Stairs
From Killers Point Of View
Flash Backs
Pass Of Time Sequences
Make Audience Think
twists and lots of red herrings
intellectual

Thrillers are often sub genre for example:
action thrillers
Crime-caper thrillers
conspiracy thrillers
phycological thrillers
eco thrillers
spy thriller
Film-noir thrillers
Even romantic comedy/thrillers
Another closely-related genre is the horror. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations. They are types of films known to provoke suspense, suspense, anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension.

se7en trailer

Se7en opening titles

starting filming

We started using the cameras today. This was a very exiting and educational experience. We were told to make a short journey using all the shots we had learnt in the previous lesson. Before we went we were briefed on how to use the cameras and tripods. I already knew a bit about the cameras so I had an advantage.

We set out and decided to show the journey of gervais escaping from a makeshift prison. I believe we worked well as a team as we all had our fair share on the camera. We used many shots which were effective and set the tension. I think they all work well together to make a good end product.

There were a few mistakes which could easily be edited out. They were many due to acting and laughing and the lack of timing. There were a few shots were the camera wasn’t very steady this is because they were hand held shots. It made me think how hard it is to film anything professional and how long it would take. As it took us 45 mins to film 3 minutes.