Director Case Study: David Fincher

David Andrew Leo Fincher was born ont he 28th August 1962 in Denver, Colorado. At the age of 18, he worked for John Korty (american film director) at Korty Films in Mill Valley. He then went on to work for Industrial Light and Magic in 1981 for 2 years. After leaving ILM in 1983, Fincher signed with N.Lee Lacy in Hollywood and began to direct TV commercials and music videos.

He's directed TV commercials for clients such as

·      Nike

·      Coca-Cola

·      Budweiser

·      Heineken

·      Pepsi

·      Levi's

·      Converse

·      AT&T

·      Chanel

And directed music videos for Madonna, Sting, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, George Michael and The Wallflowers to name a few. He has been very successful in the following films Se7en (1995) ), Fight Club (1999) and Panic Room (2002).

Se7en

In seven you are immediately welcomed with distorted background music that starts of low and increases in volume. This gives off the impression that the film will be full of mysteries. There is a range of images shown from, photographs, books and files to blades needles and fingers. Overall, the opening sequence looks as if someone is gathering a range of evidence from many different sources to end some up an end result.

 

Fight Club

 

The opening sequence to Fight Club is created to build up excitement through the loud music and the special effects. The background colour is black which allows you to focus on the blue writing that contrasts with the background and makes it stand out. The special effects used are very appealing to the eye and makes you think about what the film will actually be about. They appear on screen in a way that makes it look as if they are coming out at you. Despite the title being Fight Club the moving images shown have no relation to fighting. Eventually the camera zooms out to show parts of different objects clearly. For example hairs from a head are shown which is emphasised by only a few hair strands and sweat being shown. The way in which this is done however, allows you to think of what the other various objects could be – which is revealed at the final point whereby you see a close up of a man’s face. He is seen to be sweating (emphasised by it trickling down his face), shivering and has a shocked look on his face which is emphasised by the widening of his eyes which makes the audience wonder what he is actually shocked about. This becomes known to the audience when a man is shown with a gun in his mouth looking extremely frightened and slightly shaking. The gun is __________________ back which builds up even more intensity.

 

Panic Room

The opening sequence of panic room shows various wide shots of a city with slow transitions and credits. There is a low violin playing as background music, which begins peacefully. However, the audience is made to believe that something is going to happen next by the increase in volume of the orchestra and the repetitive ticking.