Film

open

ings

By Mol

ly Stir

ton

What are they for?

Film openings are used to:• Show the audience where

the film is set• Introduce the main

characters• Reveal the genre of the film

and what it is about

Conventions

Most film openings include the normal conventions of film openings. They include:

Introduction of the main characters

Opening creditsFilm Company TitleListing of the producer, director,

etc.

conventions

Not all films use the conventional opening, however. Some directors prefer to have an unconventional opening to portray a sense of mystery or giving the film an artistic ‘edge’. Examples of Unconventional openings include:

• Lack of credits• Lack of establishing shot• Main characters are not introduced

Types of opening

Most film openings either begin with:

• An animated title sequence

• A Flashback

• A pan of the establishing shot

• A Flash-forward

• A compilation of photographs

• A close up/ tracking shot of a prop

• A Narration over any of the above

animation

Animation is used in film openings to portray the beginning of the film in a creative way. It also helps visibly show the difference between the film itself and the opening sequence.

Juno is a good example of combining an animated title sequence with stop-motion.

A flash-Back/forward

Flashback’s are used to give background information that is relevant to the storyline of the film, to help the audience understand the storyline. It can also be used to introduce the audience to the main character before they are shown in the context of the film itself. A good example of a film opening with a flashback is (500) Days of Summer.

Flash-forwards are a simple way to show the audience how the film concludes. This causes the audience to pose questions about what will happen, thus grabbing their attention.

Flash-forwards can also be set in present day when the rest of the film is set in the past, for example in Titanic.

A compilation of photographs

Blue Valentine is a good example of the use of a compilation of photographs in a film opening. The film is romantic and the photographs portray to the audience the theme of the film and the relationship between the couple.

narration

A narration is very effective in engaging the audience audibly as well as visually and telling the audience a background story, which is especially relevant in sequels. Blade 2 is a good example of this.