Case Study - David Fincher

David Fincher Approaches his title sequence work by believing that "it's as much about it being a good title sequence as it is being a movie . This means he wants the title sequence to be part of the film. For example, his title sequence for Se7en provided important non-narrative information regarding the plot of the movie - such as setting and characters. He also believes they should almost be a sort of teaser into the film, enticing the viewer into the whole scenario. 

Examples of this include his work on title sequence for Se7en. The beginning of the sequence shows someone turning the pages of a book, which could perhaps reflect the beginning of a story. 

He also goes on to say in his interview, "I don't believe in decorative titles", and wants to make sure you get your "bang for your buck". This suggests he wants to provide action and get straight to the point, without the attractive titles or colours. 

David also states how his work has been influenced by Saul Bass, of whom we have studied previously. His work on "North By Northwest" really got him thinking about different ways in presenting information, which he states in his interview.

Se7en 

The first shot of this title sequence is a close up of an old, worn out book.

 This suggests there's a history behind the book, and there's perhaps more to it than meets the eye. Plus, the camera is focused on the book, as shown by the blurry background where only a silhouette of a hand can be seen throughout the shot. The connotations of this include mystery, which leads us into the thriller-style genre. The audio in the this scene is sustained and eerie which backs up the idea of a thriller genre.  The next shot breaks into a pitch-black background with rather disturbing fonts for the production details. This font seems quite disjointed and disturbing, plus it looks to be someone's handwriting, which leads the viewer think who the handwriting could belong to. Plus, the shot is backed up by the sound of thunder as the transition takes place. This sudden change in dynamic perhaps links to the film's unpredictability, and the sound of thunder connotes darkness and evil in present.

Then there's a cut to a pair of dis-figured hands on sheets of paper. The hands are extremely off-putting and gruesome, which again connotes darkness. The shadowing as well, on this shot, suggests there's perhaps someone there, but out of sight of the viewer. This leaves the viewer confused and perhaps disturbed that there may be someone there, but they are unable to see who.
The title sequence then goes on to show a montage of extreme close-ups of tools, but the cuts are so fast that we are unable to make out exactly what they are. This connotes mystery and suspicion as you are left wondering what this person may be up to, and why.
The disjointed and disturbing tone of this title sequence portrays a world of dark secrets and indescribable dis-comfort. The character is clearly troubled some sort of past event, which allows us, as the viewer, to predict what the film may contain.