The different ways and purposes of a film opening

Hannah Scholefield

The purpose of a film opening is to attract the audience and to make them want to carry on watching. It usually establishes the scene and introduces the characters but the ways they do this differ from genre to genre.

The purpose of a film opening.

Elements

Certain elements of a film opening are changed to adapt them for different audiences and genres, these are:

• Lighting: This can be low key (which would be used to create a scary/mysterious feel) or high key (which would be used to create a happy/upbeat feel).

• Music: This can be up beat (which could be used to show the positive feel of the film) or down beat (which could be used to build tension and/or a negative feel).

• Representation: This can be used for characters and the location, This can be positive (which could be used to make them appear a hero and the location to appear safe and welcoming) or negative (which could be used to make them appear a villain and the location to appear dangerous and cold).

Here are some examples of different genre film openings to show how these aspects have been applied to make them effective.

Horror Film Opening: Prom Night (2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDhFMT7Z0Eo

• It establishes the date and location of the film (21st Century, America).• It includes low key lighting to show its genre of horror. • It establishes the killer and the victim right from the beginning of the

scene.• Music is put into the scene to increase tension. • Shows a murdered body at the beginning of the scene to show that it is a

horror.• Makes the audience ask questions, such as, who is the murder? And Why

does he refer to the victim as his? • Gives a brief outline of the main character by showing inside her house,

her talking about school to her friends and that she takes medication. This also helps the audience to instantly empathise with the character.

Action Film Opening: The Dark Knight (2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuUhHEGBz-w

• Establishes a location and time (Modern day, America).• It establishes the villain and the hero (Villain: The Joker, Hero: Batman)• Builds tension in the last scene as the violence grows from a few

random shots at the villains to explosions.• Music is put into the scene to increase tension.• The identity of the hero is not shown as he is wearing a mask which

adds mystery and makes the viewer want to carry on watching in order to find out who he is.

• Lots of guns, bombs and weapons are used to show off the content and show the films genre is action.

• Throughout the first scene there are mentions of the ‘Joker’ which makes the audience ask questions about him too.

Fantasy Film Opening: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQxcaq6vXzs • Establishes the time & location (Modern day Britain). • It establishes the heroes (the four main characters)• Shows the characters coming together making the audience want to find

out why.• There is low key lighting to show the low beat mood of the film.• There are wands being used to show it is a Fantasy film.• Makes the audience empathise with one of the characters, for example,

the female character leaving her parents and eliminating herself from their memory makes the audience feel sorry for her.

• At the start of the scene a character is talking about ‘dark times’ and newspapers with headlines such as ‘Muggle Family Murdered’, making the audience want to find out what's happening.

War: Inglorious Bastards (2009)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_0AE8Qst6s

• Establishes a location and time (World War Two, France).• Establishes the Villains (German Soldier).• Shows one of the main characters as he is shown as a powerful officer

(ordering other soldiers around).• There are old war time guns and uniforms (warn by the German soldiers)

to show the genre.• The audience empathise with the character as he is being forced to point

out the ‘enemies of the state’ in his house for their death.