The opening title sequence of Se7en sets an unsettling and creepy atmosphere through distorted images and increased shadows. Scenes show dirty fingers holding a razor blade, increasing tension. When the movie title appears, it jumps around erratically, disorienting the audience. Handwritten actor names continue the ominous feeling. Photographs and footage are cut up by hands in a book, revealing a mysterious person's sinister obsession and suggesting they are a serial killer, not just staying at home. Religious imagery hints their murders may relate to the seven deadly sins. The titles end by placing the unsolved mystery in reality with an image of New York City.

1. 9 Frame analysis
Se7en
The first scene shown is of an opened book accompanied by text, which then
begins to distort. The colour also is of an eerie look and feel with the midtones
more exposed and the shadows increased; this begins to set the idea of what
type of film this could be.
Several other scenes pop up in-between titles showing more distorted images
further emphasizing the creepy feel. In the scene above dirty worn out fingers
are shown holding a razorblade. This sets a more un-easy tension as the
audience will want to know more about what they are seeing and also be slightly
disturbed by what they see, which again is setting the atmosphere for the rest of
the film.

2. When the movie title comes up it begins to jitter and quickly jump to a larger
form of the text and back to its original style. This sets a sense of un-ease and
mystery putting the audience in a clueless and paranoid condition.
Actors are beginning to be introduced in a text of a handwritten style, which still
produces the un-easing tension. More is being shown of what’s happening during
the screen titles further explaining what possibly could be happen, the images
are also distorting as well which allows the audience to know whatever’s
happening is not a good thing.

3. More images are being shown revealing photographs and footage being cut up by
the hands shown at the beginning as they are stuck into the book that was
previously shown. Things start to sum up helping the audience understand
what’s behind the hands that are doing this. The atmosphere set buy the film is
rapidly increasing the tension as the mystery set by the opening title sequence is
growing.
Repetition is beginning to show as you see these hands performing the same
tasks over again, which gives the thought that this isn’t just a one off that
whoever is doing this does this frequently. This begins to further unfold whoever
is behind this is a strange and sinister character.

4. The repetitiveness begins to increase but at a much faster rate showing the book
to be almost finished. This scene, like previous, shows that again this isn’t a one
off and whoever is doing this has an obsession over making this book.
Gruesome images are now in show explaining that this person is now also a
murderer instead of just being obsessed with different individuals. The photos
also suggest that this person is willing to do this instead of just cowering at
home. The repetition still continues but the speed begins to increase even more.
A word god is also used bringing the idea of religion. This begins to sow loose
ends up as the word god relates to the word seven as there are seven deadly sins,
which begins to question ‘is this the motif for the murderers killings?’

5. This is pretty much where the titles cut off after revealing the director and
ending on a still image of New York. This brings the audience back into the real
world but the mystery still remains among the vast concrete jungle, which is
shown.