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Film Openings

 Film Openings:

Film Openings are made to engage the audience. 

But more importantly, they credit the class and the crew, as well as give the film's title and might hint at what the genre may be.

The purpose of film openings are to create an emotional connection and reaction towards the audience. They also build up some anticipation and might reveal some of the characters characteristics. 

During an opening scene it also hints at some of the scenes and some of the challenges the characters might face during the film.

The primary function of opening films are used to set the tone of the movie your about to see.

Some of the key characteristics of an opening scene is:

  • Typography
  • Color Palate 
  • Texture
  • Lightning
  • Camera/movement style 
  • Editing
  • Imagery 
  • Styles/techniques 
These key characteristics are used to make a statement about the look and feel of a film, and how it would affect the audience's emotional reaction.


Types of opening scenes:

Prologue: 
Is an introductory scene of a film that introduces the audience to the film, it characters, the tone, and themes.

Teaser: 
Tell the audience about a movies content other than letting them know that the movie is coming up in the near future.

Cold opening: 
That immerses in the stories action from the first shot.

Inciting Incident:
Is a plot or even that hooks the audience into the story.

Montage: 
Is when a series of short shots are sequenced to condense space, time, and information.

Methods used in a film:

Metaphor: a means of understanding and signification in film.

Character Placement: it helps develop a scene, it explains a lot about the characters without them saying anything.

Dreams: the dream might show what a character wants or desires. 

Flash-forward: when a future event or scene takes a narrative forward in time from the current point of the story.

Genre Specific Conventions:

Cold openings: that immerses in the stories action from the first shot.

Prologue: is an introductory scene of a film that introduces the audience to the film, it characters, the tone, and themes.

Exciting Day in the Life: showing someone happy for someone or something. (expecting a child, wedding)

From the genres I have watched, Their similarities lie that in the opening scenes the beginning was a blank title screen that then cuts to the opening.  

Similarities in opening scenes:

Romantic Comedy: 
The conventions in a romantic comedy are boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, with the inverse being true as well. They both overcome and face challenges throughout their relationship but still end up together. The sound catches the attention of the person watching the movie. It sets the tone. Based on both the visual and auditory it develops the characters purpose and meaning in the movie.

Drama:
The conventions in a drama are to provide a means for a society to reflect upon itself and it's beliefs. The sound is composed of tones and silences, which are used to convey emotions and ideas. A drama develops a character by having both a major and minor character, in the role of the story. 

Fantasy:
The conventions in a fantasy is having a story that incorporates magic and fiction into the narrative. Fantasies are fictional but still contain elements that resemble the real world. A fantasies character is imaginary and might have unrealistic elements such as super powers. In fantasies they use orchestral timbres of classical Hollywood music, and ambient sounds. 

Sources:




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