(0.00-0.06) Extreme close up of a book in shallow focus, the pages being turned by a mysterious hand.

The lighting is luminous in the dim setting enhancing the obscurity created by the camera shot. The lightening highlights the book in focus making it the details stand out. The credits appear to the bottom left for New Line Cinema Presents, the writing is disjointed and almost written vertically making it out of place and strange. The words blur as if they were part of an old film.

0.00-0.15

(0.07)The credits for An Arnold Kopelsan Production appear suddenly against a black background once against asserting that the opening is part of an old film reel, making it seem archaic and eerie. The words flicker backwards and fade into the next shot connoting careful precision and mysterywhich allude to the antagonist.
An overhead shot of a book and a picture of wrinkled hands takes up a portion of the frame as though only some light is cast over it. This, and the fact its a close up once again adhere to the obscurity and mystery of the opening.

The credits for A film by David Fincher fade in, they are once again disjointed and flicker ominously. The name David Fincher appears to be handwritten which adds a personal effect to the credits which is unnerving since we havent yet seen the antagonist within shot, only his work.

The sound that begins at the start of the opening is high pitch and screechy and reminds the audience of machinery in a factory, its unnatural alluding to human suffering that may take place or that the antagonist may be planning something dangerous. The sound, like the editing and typography of the clip is disjointed like a film reel and mismatched. This could be in reference to the antagonists frame of mind or the film itself.

(0.11-0.13)There are quick shots edited together, all close ups of metal and machinery being handled of what appears to be a gun, this adds a sense of danger and the duration of the shots creates mystery.
(0.13-0.15)The credits for Brad Pitt are shown against a black backdrop, appearing in the same fashion as those before it. The words are disjointed and again handwritten, the odd space enforcing the idea that the antagonist who presumably wrote them is unpredictable and does things without reason.

0.15-0.30
(0.16-0.18)Jump cuts in quick succession of a razor blade cutting skin from finger tips are shown through extreme close ups, creating the idea that the antagonist is concealing his identity and this will pose as an obstacle. The light backdrop in this shot serves to highlight the darkness of the razor blade, the contrast creating focus on the object as it connotes danger and suffering. The fingers themselves are cracked and dirty creating a sense of fear as the antagonist seems isolated and doesnt take care of himself. (0.18) The credits for Morgan Freeman are shown in a similar style to his co star, flickering and blurring back and forth. (0.20-0.22)Paper is shown being dipped in water through an obscure extreme close up. This is cut with the flash of a grotesque picture of a womans face, creating fear and foreshadowing future suffering and the antagonists derangement. (0.23-0.25)The title card for SE7EN is shown, flickering with the grain and lines from an old film and changing in size. The use of the old film creates a sense of realism and carries onto the next shot emphasizing the titles significance not only in the film but the opening credits. (0.25-0.29)Blurred and overlapping shots of books are shown through a close up, the angle in the third shot of this Is akin to the first shot of the opening, creating the idea of repetition of documentation in almost an obsessive manor giving the audience some insight into the antagonist. The black colour is used to empahsise the faded yellow tones of the book and highlight the mysterious hand turning them in the background. The credits for Gwyneth Paltrow appear over the book in the same handwritten manor of its predecessors, flickering and moving in the same way.

0.30-0.45
(0.30-0.34) there is an extreme close up of a book with the Antagonists hand writing in it, the hand doubles and fades which alludes to the killers deception and ability to disappear. The shot has scarce colours and tones and dim lighting adding mystery and elements of fear. The colour and lighting could be in reference to future death and despair at the hands of the antagonist. Credits for Richard Roundtree appear in the top left and while they are in the same sketchy hand writing, they are removed from the main focus of the shot, making them less important than the leading actors names. (0.35-0.39)The editing is disjointed and there are flashes of writing and the colour redconnoting danger and the colour of blood foreshadowing death. The credits for R. Lee Ermey feature against a black background and flicker like a film reel, adding to the fragmented effect. (0.40-0.42)There are several brief shots of film and pictures being cut up shown through an extreme close up, contrasting monochrome colours are used to highlight the antagonist's actions connoting their significance and furthering theme of concealment and how the film conforms to a 'detective thriller'.

(0.43-0.44) Credits for 'John C. McGinely' are shown against a black background. The fact that none of the names are credited on their roles adds to the realism of the opening as it doesn't break you out of the film.
(0.44-0.46) Quickly cuts extreme close ups show the antagonist sticking down images with tape, these jump cuts follow from the cutting of the previous shots and are proof of continuity editing. This shows the antagonist has a clearly thought out plan, making him all the more threatening. He is also shown cutting a dollar bill, which shows the antagonist to seemingly have no need for material goods emphasising his removal from what is considered normal.

0.45-1.00
(0.47-50) Julie Araskog and Mark Boone Junior are credited, the text blurring and melting. They fade into the next shot which gives a more natural effect to the opening making it seem as if this is the norm for the antagonist.
(0.50-0.52) There's a broken shot of the antagonist smoothing a picture down as he sticks it, the extreme close up is cut with a quick flash of an image of writing stuck in a book. The fragmented shots further the realism created with the film grain and construct confusion and disorientation. (0.52-0.54) There is a slower shot of a book page being turned, the extreme close up of the pages and pages of writing gives the audience an insight to the antagonist's obsessive nature. The contrast of the colour white when the majority of the opening is presented in darker tones, and the longer duration of the single shot draw attention to the writing and assert it's significance. (0.54-57) John Cassini, Reginald Cathey and Peter Crombie are credited against a black background. (0.57-1.00) Hawthone James, Michael Massie and Leland Orser are credited in the same way- the use of the prolonged credits builds up tension for the next series of close ups and marks their significance.

1.00-1.15
(1.00-1.04 )There are several extreme close ups of different durations where words are being blotted out with a pen or the killer's finger. The close up gives the sense of a POV shot creating an eerie personal atmosphere. The action highlights the theme of concealment and the antagonist's mental instability, creating tension. (1.04)There is a jerky cut to the already seen close up of the book over cut with some pages of text, this adheres to the realism of the grainy film as well as the scratches that appear over the shot much like a disintegrating film. (1.05-1.07) The film credits Richard Portnow, Richard Schiff and Pamela Tyson. (1.08-1.11) There is a longer duration shot of words being blotted out, in the extreme close up the killer's hand blurs and doubles further suggesting his mental instability. This is further shown through the focus of the word 'Fantasizing' on the page due to its central position. (1.12-1.15) The film credits Casting by Billy Hopkins. Suzanne Smith, Kerry Borden. This takes up the centre of the frame while the polaroid like image of a boy with his eyes blotted out is skewed to the top left, the position gives the impression that the antagonist see's his suggested crimes as not a big deal or problem, thus giving the audience insight to his psychopathic tendencies and portraying him as a bigger threat. There is a jump cut to the boy's entire face being scribbled out, highlighting the antagonist's unpredictable and irrational nature.

 (1.15-1.16) There is are several extreme close ups of writing and the repeated on of the book, they begin to blur together and overlap, this signifies confusion and things beginning to fall apart. (1.17-1.19) There is an extreme close up of two shots merged together, the top is of a picture being stuck down, the bottom is of a pen writing. This follows on from the idea that the film is beginning to break down and can be symbolic of the antagonist's mental state. The top half of the shot is red and has connotations of danger and death. In this shot the film credits Music by Howard Shore, and is blurred out slightly by the words Costume Design, this is further evidence of the film breaking and becoming fragmented. (1.20-1.23) There are extreme close ups of films being held and stuck, the colour black is delivered in the background blocking out any other information furthering the idea of of concealment in the opening and highlighting the actions in the foreground. Costumes Designed by Michael Kaplin is credited (1.23-1.26) Edited by Richard Francis-Bruce is credited as the film lays over a flashing blue light contrasting to the black of the background fabricating further confusion. (1.27-1.29) Production Design by Arthur Max is credited while the background shows the killer's hands holding down several pins in an extreme close up. The brighter more luminous lighting highlights his dirty pale fingers emphasising the idea that he is isolated and doesn't take care of his appearance. His actions create confusion and portray the antagonist as precise and meticulous, which suggest he is intelligent and therefore even more of a threat.

1.15-1.30

1.30-1.45
(1.30-1.34) There are a series of extreme close ups of the pages of the books, these shots transition is to fade into one another giving the impression that the audience is looking through the killer's books thus giving them in insight into his mind, creating mystery and tension. (1.35-1.37) Director of Photography Darius Khondji is credited as the sketchy handwriting flickers up and down and the black background fades to the repeated book shot and back again, this is further evidence of film breaking down through the repetitive shots. The fade makes the change seem natural as though the antagonist is used to this disjointed way of thinking and acting. (1.37-1.39) There are extreme close ups of the antagonist's fingers threading a needle, cut with him sticking down a photo and turning a page. The effect of putting a shot in between the two of the needle and thread allows the opening to show the pace getting faster and remain fragmented. The music at this point retains more of a beat and rhythm and is evidently a remix of Nine Inch Nail's 'Closer'. This goes hand in hand with the faster pace to show the rise in tension as the opening begins to end. (1.40-1.42) Co-producers Stephan Brown, Nana Greenwald and Sanford Panitch are credited. (1.43-1.45) There are extreme close ups of the book and pages being turned, these shots are quicker than those previously shown and serve to raw attention to the slower shot of the needle and thread that follows.

1.45-2.08
(1.45-1.46) Co-Executive Producers Lynn Harris and Richard Saperstein are credited against a black background with a blue light that goes over it like a torch, this adheres to the detective thriller genre as it connotes looking for evidence. (1.47-1.51) The credits fade into the needle and thread sowing up the spine of a book in a controlled fashion, this, and the longer duration of the shot despite the fast pace of the non-diegetic music convey that this is not the first time the antagonist has done this and it is the norm for them. (1.52-1.54) The film jerkily cuts to crediting the Executive Producers, Dan Kolsrud, Anne Kopelson and Gianni Nunnari, the difference in editing signifies how the film is breaking down. (1.54-1.56)The film cuts in the same manor to crediting Andrew Kevin Walker, the writer, the film is shown to be breaking down further by the abundance of scratches and grain. The black background changes to showing the many many books the audience after watching the opening presumes the killer has 'made'. This further highlights his obsessive nature and mental instability. (1.57-1.59) The editing slows a little as there are a series of close ups at a slower pace showing the antagonist using tweezers on some hair, the turning of pages, and their fingers picking at cotton wool. These actions are very precise and represent the 'fine details' of the killer's plans creating tension as the audience are aware that the he is almost finished. These close ups use the colour black to highlight the foreground actions and use the colour contrast to conceal background and unimportant information.

(1.59-2.01) The Producers Phyllis Carlyle and Arnold Kopelson are credited and presented using a dissolve transition, this is an indicator of the opening sequence coming to an end since it does not conform to what we have seen before.
(2.01- 2.02) The final extreme close up is a series of jump cuts of the antagonist cutting the word 'God' out of a dollar bill while the audience hears the lyrics 'You've got to be closer to God' this suggest the religious role the antagonist will play in the film and his belief of faith over all else, indicated through his treatment of money. (2.02-2.04) A POV close up shows once again the many rows of books made by the antagonist, asserting a final time to the audience his mental instability, creating tension. (2.04-2.08) The film finally credits David Fincher as the Director, this text flickers and blurs vertically more violently than those before it and finally turns into white film grain as the reel disintegrates.