Se7en vs Zodiac
Shot length, color & pacing compared
Both films are directed by David Fincher, 12 years apart. Se7en and Zodiac cut at almost the same pace: 4.7s and 5.1s per shot on average.
Each stripe is the average color of a slice of the film, from the first frame (left) to the last (right).
By the numbers
| Metric | Se7en | Zodiac |
|---|
| Average shot length | 4.7s | 5.1s |
| Total shots | 1,607 | 1,899 |
| Cuts per minute | 12.7 | 11.7 |
| Runtime analyzed | 127 min | 163 min |
| Close-ups or tighter | 75% | 76% |
| Setup: avg shot | 4.6s | 5.7s |
| Middle act: avg shot | 4.9s | 4.6s |
| Final act: avg shot | 4.5s | 5.3s |
Shot scale mix
Se7enZodiac
What the data shows
- 01Se7en has 1,607 shots (12.7 cuts a minute); Zodiac has 1,899 (11.7 a minute).
- 02Both films use close-ups at a similar rate (75% and 76% of shots).
- 03The most common framing in both is the medium close-up.
- 04Zodiac is the brighter film overall: its average frame brightness is 24% higher than Se7en's.
- 05Zodiac has the warmer palette, with noticeably more red than blue across the film; Se7en sits cooler.
- 06Se7en keeps a steady rhythm across all three acts (4.6s, 4.9s, 4.5s per shot).
- 07Zodiac cuts fastest in its middle act (4.6s per shot) and slowest in its setup (5.7s).