The opening sequence of Se7en establishes the main character as a respected detective through shots of him getting dressed professionally and having a neat workspace. A murder has taken place, shown by a body on the floor, setting up the crime thriller genre. The detective examines the crime scene authoritatively while another detective looks on weakly. When a third detective arrives, it is clear they will work to uncover a mystery. The sequence uses camera angles, lighting, and diegetic sound to set a dark, realistic tone and build intrigue around the detective and the crimes he must solve.

1. Se7en
At the start of the movie we can already hear police sirens so we know the narrative
is going to be focused on crime and that the story is established in a city. We then see
a wide shot of a man in his kitchen cleaning up after breakfast he seems to be very
affluent.
This is confirmed in the next shot when we see a close-up of him getting dressed in an
expensive suit, followed by a close-up of his face which is very stern and tells us he
takes his job seriously.
He also seems very organised because in the next shot we see a close-up of his desk
and everything is in one line and placed neatly, also he's very careful of his clothing
as represented in the following shot when he scrapes off dust from his suit.
We can tell he's going to be one of the main characters in the movie.
Subsequently in the following shot we see a dead body lying on the floor with blood
and we know that a murder has taken place, signifying the film is a crime-thriller this
is another common convention which is also used in other thriller films such as The
silence if the lambs.
Also there is only diegetic sound in the opening sequence this makes the setting more
realistic and natural. In the next shot we can tell the detective is respected and has
been in the business for a long time, this is portrayed by the way he walks and
observes the scene of the crime. Additionally when he stops walking he's in the
shadow and there's light reflecting on his face which makes him look sinister, also the
camera is at a slightly low angle which makes him look more powerful.
Another reflection of his authority is when he bends down to examine something, we
see the other detective in the background faintly this makes him look weaker.
When the third detective arrives again we can see he takes his job seriously and that
there is a mystery to uncover.
Furthermore in the next shot the camera is placed in a low angle signifying their
power and strength and the bad weather can symbolise how there are worse things to
come.
Another good use of the camera is when they are walking the camera is tracking
along with them this makes the audience feel more involved and like we are there at
the same time.
In the next scene there is a wide shot of the detective’s bedroom with him lying in his
bed by himself which could signify his loneliness. There's a use of silence in this shot
which again is used a lot in thriller movies. Then there is a close-up of the mans
glasses which could represent a part of his identity. Straight after he turns on his
metronome which produces regular ticks. It’s unclear why he turns it on but it makes
the audience curious as to what he needs it for.

2. After there is a wide shot then a zoom in on his face and we can just hear people
arguing outside which confuses the audience more, which is what thriller films aim to
do. Lastly there's a close-up of the metronome and the voices outside seem to be
getting louder and then there's suddenly a ticking of a clock. This may be trying to
reflect that the narrative is closely linked to time and numbers.