Editing in a title sequence.

Editing within a title sequence is often bland as to not cause confusion to a viewer too early on in a film. Shots tend to be long but there usually is a variety so to establish some sort of theme and story line. The main aspect of editing tends to involve the titles. However, this is not the case for all title sequences. Seven involves very complex editing however this is done very smartly to mirror the mind of the serial killer who happens to be the main character.

The scene is very jumpy. There are many reflections and mirror images and, the shots are often shaky and distorted. These themes meet the denotations of a thriller genre perfectly. The affect that this scene has on the viewer is one of confusion and intrigue - by leaving much of the action in darkness an element of wonder is created for the viewer. Smart techniques include pages falling and changing to a black screen; this is smarter as it is almost seamless yet it still contains ominous elements and forebodes to the future. 

Often, the main character is seen holding a pen and writing. Smartly, the director has used a 'script' font for the title which is scribbly yet legible. This makes it seem as though the actor has written the titles himself. The font is also fairly shaky again mirroring the mind of the main character.


What does this tell me about editing within a film?

Editing is genre and story line specific. Different methods of editing is used in different films to set the story and stay within conventions. From this title sequence it is clear what type of themes will appear within the film. I now know to take into consideration what my film will be about when creating a title sequence.