Se7en

Darius Khondji pioneered the bleach-bypass photochemical process on Se7en, retaining silver in the film stock to create intensely darkened, high-contrast imagery that defined the film's 'color noir' aesthetic using Kino Flos and Chinese lanterns for motivated low-key lighting. Kyle Cooper's revolutionary title sequence — shot on film over two days and hand-assembled over five weeks using fish hooks, razor blades, and found objects — became one of cinema's most iconic openings. Rain machines were deployed on virtually every exterior to maintain visual continuity across Los Angeles locations standing in for an unnamed, perpetually drenched city.