Seven as a Buddy Cop Movie. Mark + Kwame

https://youtu.be/wkLg0uVMas4

For my Film Conversion project, I chose to adapt the Neo-Noir Se7en into a buddy cop film. I chose this because throughout the film there are several comedic moments in an otherwise dark film that could easily to be framed to be the focal point of the story. In one particular scene all of the characters burst out laughing because of the state of Detective Mills’s apartment. I wanted to see what it would be like to have a trailer to the film be focused on the lighter moments.

Noir films generally follow the story of a detective encountering the underbelly of society, while buddy cop films generally tell the story of an unlikely bromance forming. Seven is a synthesis of these two genres, featuring main characters exploring the nightmarish underbelly of society and becoming friends over the course of the film. The tone of seven is what separates it from both a noir and buddy cop movie, that of a serious and brooding psychological thriller. Adapting the tone was the greatest struggle of making the trailer, since it is so consistent throughout the entire film, as well as being so far removed from that of a buddy cop movie.

The first step in changing the movie was selecting the clips for the trailer. I chose to focus on more neutral and comedic moments, since these wouldn’t rely or extend the original tone. Then I laid out the clips in a cohesive order to tell the story of Mills and Somerset becoming partners despite their reluctance. I established the villian, their dysfunctional relationship, and how they could solve it. The trailer ends with the villain turning themselves in an event that's originally dramatic, but now comedic based on placement and timing. Finally I wrapped up the trailer with some light hearted music, something that could’ve been found in a comedy trailer. Music is an integral part of the storytelling process as well as carrying the emotional weight of a moment.