All you need to know about a film opening!

 

A film opening is the first 2-7 minutes of a movie usually after the displaying of the title sequence and the initial credits to the main team. It is basically a way for the director to familiarize the audience with basic information such as genre, plot, theme and if the first 5 minutes (on average) of the movie are detailed enough they also display the main character(s) and the major conflict the character(s) might be facing further on.  A film opening helps the audience with the basic plot of the movie or a tv show and gives them an idea of what to expect in it. It establishes the setting and tone of the program. Title sequences also play a major role in the film opening process. It may consist of live action, animation, music, still images, and/or graphics. Title sequences can take a variety of forms, incorporating different elements. A song that is used in the title sequence or opening scene may summarize the backstory or premise of the series. In some films, the title sequence is preceded by a cold open. some of the cold openings are:

• IT

LINK TO THE OPENING SCENE

• Conjuring

LINK TO THE OPENING SCENE

In these examples you can see that both movies are horror movies, and the genre, theme and basic plot is clearly shown with the first 5-10 minutes of the opening. In IT (2017) we see the main character in the beginning and towards the end we also witness the first murder of the movie. Along with that a recurring theme of the movie i.e., family, is also portrayed in the opening scene by the conversations seen between Bill and George. The conflict i.e., the clown, Pennywise, in this situation is also introduced to us in the opening scene giving the audience a basic idea of what to expect throughout the movie. Same can be seen in the other example of The Conjuring (2013). The movie begins with a shot of a creepy doll and then goes on explaining the demonic influence it has on the owners. Even though the movie is not about the doll it gives the audience a clear idea of the genre of the movie i.e., horror as well as shows us two of the protagonists in the movie (Ed and Lorraine) who will become a beacon of light in the movie and fight against the conflict that arises further on the movie.

These cold openings suit the genre of the movies very well and give a clear idea to the audience of what to expect while still creating curiosity by giving an abrupt end to the opening scene. With the dark mood and dramatic music, the audience is ready for the thrill and jump scares the movie would offer as it builds up the plot.