Opening Scenes

Research:

     Research is the most important step in any project. Researching creates background knowledge and a sense of direction in which way you want to lead your production. In this blog post, I have decided to talk about the importance of opening scenes in any film and why having a good one is vital. 

Opening Scenes:

     Opening scenes of movies and shows are one of the most important parts of the films. Opening scenes give the audience a feel of what will be coming next, and if the beginning isn't interesting or eye-catching enough, many viewers may choose not to continue with the movie. The first scene also lays down the tone for the rest of the film. These are some reasons why opening scenes should be intriguing enough to grab the audience's attention.

     Especially with horror and thriller movies, hooking your audience in before starting the rest of the movie is vital to gain a large audience. Many horror movies start with a scare to give their audience a jump right into the type of movie they're watching. Others start calmly but later progress into a more gruesome and frightening intro.

Case Study 1:

     For example, in the opening scene of "A Quiet Place", the plot starts easily with simple shots of landscapes and a run-down town to show the setting. Then moving on to the main characters of the movie by showing them in a supermarket. The conflict of the movie is then revealed showing that sound is prohibited or dangerous in the world they live in.

     Later on, in the opening scene, we see the youngest son playing with a loud spaceship toy he found at the store. Before anyone could save him, he gets snatched by a large monstrous creature and presumed dead. This forceful opening shows how horrifying this world is and how little mercy the monster holds. 

     This film's opening is a great example showing a slow start turning into something much worse. This kind of opening gives the audience some time to watch the movie before jumping into the scariness of it. The beginning also offers a huge attention grabber as the viewer wants to know what happened to the son and why sound is prohibited in this world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_FdjXqSZlc

Case Study 2:

      Another good example is the opening scene of "Scream" (1996). The beginning is a very well-made, attention-grabbing start to the movie. It starts with a blonde lady making popcorn and receiving a phone call. She assumes it was a wrong number call as the man on the other side of the phone, doesn't know who she is. However, as he keeps calling her house over and over, she gets more and more annoyed.

  

      After a small chat, he clues her and reveals he is watching her as they speak. he keeps calling back as she keeps hanging up and every time she hangs up, he gets angrier and threatens to kill her. The pressure rises as the audience is waiting for something to happen. 

     Although the movie starts slow, every time the mysterious man calls the blonde character again, the pressure gets higher. This opening scene keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat waiting for more to happen and wondering where the story could go. This also gets the audience wondering who will survive in the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn5SkCvPEYo    

 The movie also uses stings to add to the creepiness and suspense the movie offers. The opening scene also uses close shots to show deep emotion in the character's face. The movie uses the popcorn on the stove to metaphorically represent the tension rising and to show how scared the girl is every time the man calls back.

   - Dana   

Sources:

Matt. “Screenplay Opening Scene Examples: Begin Your Script the Right Way • Filmmaking Lifestyle.” Filmmaking Lifestyle, 21 Nov. 2022, https://filmlifestyle.com/screenplay-opening-scene/#:~:text=Without%20a%20strong%20and%20engaging,TV%20show%20you%20are%20writing