Se7en Title Sequence – David Fincher / Kyle Cooper

If you haven’t seen David Fincher’s Se7en, you’ve probably been living under a rock for the last 20 some odd years. Yeah maybe it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and maybe not everyone has the stomach for it, but it’d be worth your while to watch this film. In my opinion, the film laid the foundations for the increasingly graphic thrillers we so often see today. Anyways, as much as I’d like to discuss the elements of the film itself, I’m just here to talk about the title sequence. Don’t get me wrong, the titles are damn cool. At least in my books. So while the title sequence isn’t as dynamic (with regard to typography) as some others are, it uses type in a very original way. Kyle Cooper is a master of title sequences. And a pioneer, he’s also a pioneer. I guarantee you’ve seen at least 5 of his title sequences in various pictures from the mid 90’s up until today. Anyway back to the thing. The base of the title sequence is a series of gritty extreme close ups interlaced with frames of black containing the titles (I feel like I’ve said that word 18 times now.. titles). Rather than simply overlay the names and headings over the imagery, Cooper physically scratched them into the celluloid by hand. He pairs his hand scratched lettering with what appears to be some American Typewriter variant. Actually, it’s definitely closer to Impact Label, but still, detectives label things. Being a crime thriller centered around two detectives in a noir megapolis, the typewriter font aligns well with the film, because detectives use typewriters to, you know, type things. Come to think of it, the type choices may have even been representative of the protagonists/detectives (Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt) and the antagonist/serial killer (Kevin Spacey).  The jumpy frame changes and erratic music paired with the subtle quavering of the type elements create an unnerving experience that’s for sure. Oh yeah, and the imagery of Kevin Spacey (presumably) cutting off his fingertips. That helps. Overall, Cooper’s experimental splicing techniques definitely succeeded in communicating a particular tone and setting the stage for the film.