Dymioti, Opening Sequence Comparison

Opening Sequence Comparison: 'Legally Blond' & 'Seven'
Legally Blond
Shots
Use of CUs on main character getting ready allows us to see the attention to detail she pays, and how important it is to have appearances perfect.
CUs at the start make it obvious that she is in fact the main character.
Tracking steadicam shot allows us to see the environment they live in and importance of materialistic things and what their main priorities are.
Opening establishing shot of the girl on the bike allow us to see the campus itself, it shows everyone as being wealthy due to the pristine surroundings.

Character Information
Stereotypical girl, obsessed with shopping, hair, make-up nails etc. Matched with the stereotypical boys outside wrestling, all perfectly toned, tanned and groomed. Intrested in the tall blonde girl with small skirt.
No one on the campus appears to be studying showing it is a bit of a party campus.
Her popularity is obvious, she is prom queen, everyone wants to get their name on the card and the card is passed through the ranks of the girls to eventually reach her closest friends, like an order of hierarchy has to go through each level.

Narrative Expectation
The use of bright pinks and different shades of pinks suggests that this is going to be a bit of a chick flick.
The photograph of male character on her dresser suggests that there is some kind of relationship between the two. The fact that the end of the sequence ends with a close up of this photo we can see that he is a key figure in the film.

Seven
Shots
Establishing shot of Freeman in opening shot show us he is a solitary person.
The CUs of him getting ready and picking up his equipment show he is set to a routine and almost old fashioned.
LA shot of conversation between Freeman and Pitt highlights it as important.
LS of Morgan Freeman sitting in bed shows that he isn’t necessarily happy, and creates a sense of loneliness.

Character Information
Contrast of Pitt; young, new look, enthusiastic. Freeman; old, experienced, methodical.
Freeman like to completely close a case, his colleague wants to get the job done to the minimum fulfilment.
Freeman is retiring in a week.

Narrative Expectations
‘Monday’ signifies that something is starting, and also makes it clear that the film takes place over a week.
The ticking just before the opening titles shows that something is about to happen.
Images of a precise action taking place during titles, showing that someone is taking real care about information of other people, we are lead to believe that this is a psycho killer of some sort by the crossed out eyes and images of young children.