As you can see from the timeline above the total number of credits and actor names shown during the opening is 26, main actors such as Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are given their own black screen isolated from the actions going on screen. This is because these are A class actors, the main actors and the company want to show the audience what type of cast they are getting in hopes of showing them the level of film they are getting. The credits then progress as normal showing the range of people important to the production of the film.
Typography
The style of typography used during the opening credits of SE7EN is very relevant to the genre of the film and is successfully executed through the use of editing. As seen in the picture below the letters of the words are have very sharp points and ends to them, are never seen written on a straight line giving it the element of unstability, reflecting the mind of the character shown in the opening. These effects make it feel as if it wasn't done with a pencil but it was done with the use of a sharp object (the razor shown further in the film) and scratched onto the surface. The use of editing is also prevalent in the text and typography used, the words are edited as if they are glitchy and jump about, giving it a type of warping feeling further reflecting the type of character we are going to be exposed too.
Genre + Mise-en-scene
The genre of SE7EN can be identified as a psychological horror, evidence of this is shown through the opening scene of the film through the use of visuals to sound. The opening of the film instantly conforms to the common conventions of a psychological horror, the use of a book or a diary (confirmed nearing the end of the opening scene) can be seen this is due to the diary being a straight relation to the thoughts and ideas of whats going on inside the mind of the killer. The colour of the scene is a more dark/grey hue throughout giving the impressions of death, evil and mystery. Often times the killer is shown writing in his diary, cutting out snippets and cutouts from the bible and other sources making his own type of 'bible' that he agrees with.
The killer is then seen using a razor (presumably the same ones to etch the names in the credits) to carve and cut out the skin on his fingertips (can be identified as male due to rough, calloused hands) this is to rid of the DNA evidence that can be left, reducing the chances of being caught and showing intent to cause a crime. Giving the impression that the killer is cunning and not a sociopath, as sociopaths' have the tendency to exert violence and killing mindlessly without thought for consequences. It shows that the killer is cautious and further heightens the unstableness of the killers mind, going through the pain for such goals.
Another common convention of psychological horros is conformed through showing the obsession the killer has to something; god. Presenting that the killers motive is a religiously driven on, he is seen cutting out the word 'GOD' from another book fuelling the idea further. there are many times where the references to the bible and the word god appear on screen, many times the killer can be seen blacklisting things that he dosEn't agree with and disapproves of. Often times with a single black line through the eyes of peoples pictures, almost as if its a hit list and just covering the eyes of a person removes their individuality generating a disturbing and uneasy feeling to the audience.
The opening progresses and the development of the diary or bible being made gets progressively faster along with the soundtrack as he beings to construct the actual book itself cutting wires, and the use of a needle to thread the pages together is just an eerie sight in itself as the one holding it is an unstable psychopath adding a sense of danger and invoking a sense of dread and fear. As the music gets faster so do the jumpy, glitchy edits wrapping up the ideas and moulding the idea of an unstable killer.
Sound
During the opening credits of SE7EN the use of non-diegetic sound is the only form of sound, only a soundtrack was used but the simplicity of it helps to emphasise the creepiness. The soundtrack is a synthetic made beat which immediately starts of the film with a loud, intense and eerie beginning. Having the music start of like this gives me the impression that there is no purpose to try and build the tension as it's already there. The soundtrack changes three times to make sure the same level of music isn't that same throughout.
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