Fonts

Fonts

Fonts say a lot more than you would first perceive about a film, it sets the tone and general conventions of the film without you seeing any actual footage.
 

 SE7EN

In the film 'Se7en' the opening credits display what seems to be a handwritten, sans serif typeface which immediately creates an eerie feel to the film as it is evocative.In addition the words are slanted up which adds to the handwritten concept. This typography connotes mystery and uncertainty. The audience instantly know that its going to be some sort of mystery film as its very unlikely to be a romance or an action film due to point size and kerning of the font. Furthermore, the opening sequence uses a reverse type to grab the readers attention and immerse them into a normally boring part of the film. The proportional spacing of the typeface plays along with this idea that it is handwritten. Also, the colour of the text is white which connotes simplicity and purity.

Later on in the opening sequence the audience is presented with the title of the film, once again we see a reverse type and it is in uppercase block capitals. Secondly, we see someones hand with bandages over their fingertips and prior to this screenshot we saw someone, presumably the same person cutting their fingers off with a razor blade. With the idea of the typeface being handwritten and the person removing his fingerprints we can interpret that this film is going to be a crime thriller or possibly a horror. Supporting this is the font of the title 'Se7en' as it seems to be smudged and slightly static creating a sense unnerve. On both the screenshots of the opening sequence the typeface seems to be placed on a black background out of the way of whats going on in the scene.

 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4

The opening sequence to the film 'Mission Impossible' displays sans serif typeface much like 'Se7en' however it is extremely different. The font shown here is much smoother and easy to read, it is also all in uppercase which is used to grab the audiences attention. The typography makes it very easy to identify that this is in fact an action movie, this is evident due to the fixed pitch and point size. The font in this sequence is reverse type and white in colour, rather than done to connote emotions it is done to emphasis and make the writing bold. The way the typeface fades in and out of the sequence in a fast paced manor associates it with an action film. If it was to be a romance film the writing would be much slower and calming. The movement of the text instantly introduces us to the fast paced nature of the film and the 'Mission Impossible' franchise.

In this screenshot the title of the film is being presented through flashing sparks which we associate with the action genre. Furthermore, throughout the opening sequence of the film we see action packed freeze frames which reinforce the action feel.The opening sequence has all of the basic conventions of an action film such as guns, skyscrapers, an attractive women and danger. The typeface follows the fuse along and the pitch stays fixed throughout.