Film opening Analysis

  Film Openings Analysis

Hi! my name is Valeria and this is my analysis of film openings

Key Elements:

1. Introduces the protagonist in a way that communicates their main skills, qualities, quirks, and weaknesses efficiently and visually.

This one is very common for scenes that feature the protagonist. By the end of the first scene, the audience can often see the good and bad of this character and is already getting an inkling for how they are going to screw things up and why they need so badly to change (which they may or may not ever successfully do, depending on what kind of story you’re telling).

2. Introduces the world.

Where are we? When are we? If it’s a period piece, indications of the time period are introduced in the first scene. If the world has a geography that the viewer needs to understand (even if it’s just the hallways of a high school), the first scene will sometimes intentionally orient the audience to this map. If there’s magic in the world or strange rules or customs, we’ll likely see those right away too.

3. Offers audiences a “before” picture to later compare with the “after.”

Some screenwriting gurus will tell you this is required, but it’s not. It is common though. Very often the first and last scene of a movie will mirror each other in some way to illustrate how the protagonist has changed. So if you know how your movie is going to end, that might give you an idea for how it should start.

4. Presents a “save the cat” moment for the protagonist, even if it’s very subtle.

You’re probably familiar with the concept of “saving the cat,” which comes from the late Blake Snyder. It refers to a moment in many movies in which the protagonist does something kind or selfless (like saving a cat) to show the audience that they are a good person, even if they otherwise act like an entitled jerk. About 27% of the opening scenes I watched had a moment like this, even if it was very subtle.

For example, in the opening scene of Baby Driver, Baby is literally a getaway driver for a bank heist — not a noble occupation — but there’s a brief moment when he lowers his sunglasses to get a better look through the window at the heist because Griff is waving his gun around and you get the sense from Baby’s expression that he might be concerned about the hostages. It’s quick and subtle but it’s enough.

5. Tense and suspenseful.

Over half of the opening scenes I watched (even some quiet indie dramas) were tense, suspenseful, or dramatic, but what’s really surprising is that almost half of the scenes were not tense and suspenseful! Opening with a scene of conflict or danger can suck people into your story quickly, but it’s not the right start to every movie.

6. A surprise or big reversal.

It’s common for opening scenes to contain at least one surprising revelation or an unexpected reversal of fortunes — a character isn’t what she seems, a character seems like he’s going to get what he wants but then he doesn’t, etc.

7. Sets the tone and genre of the film.

Almost all opening scenes I watched established the tone and genre of their film but occasionally you’ll see one that doesn’t. Two examples I can think of off the top of my head are Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Logan Lucky (2017), both of which have opening scenes that don’t really reflect the genre and tone of the rest of the film

 

The opening scene is one of the most crucial in your novel. It must engage readers while introducing the most important aspects of the story. I know that’s a lot, so let’s go over the five big things you need for a good opening scene: main character, tone, world, foreshadowing, and conflict.

Characters:

Your main character is obviously an important part of your story. It’s vital to introduce them as early as possible, so your readers can get to know them and root for them quickly. People tend to get attached to characters they meet in the opening scene, so make sure that character is your hero and not a random person who barely shows up

Tone:

The second important thing to remember in your opening scene is tone. Tone is the overall feel of your novel. For example, a crime thriller will probably feel dark and gritty, while a contemporary romance will have a lighter, happier air. Tone is one of the trickiest things to work into a first scene. If you’re too subtle, the scene can become bland, but if you go overboard, it’ll be obnoxious. You have to find that special balancing point, and that spot will be different for every story. The best advice I can give is to work it until it feels right.

World:

You should at least hint about your world. If it’s sci-fi, show some planets out the window or two suns in the sky. If it’s fantasy, add some fairies or magic. You want something that says to readers, “This isn’t the world you know.” (Unless, of course, it is the world they know.) Establishing the world is especially important because book covers and synopses can be misleading. Slowly trickle in the details where it feels realistic. Give enough facts that readers know what’s going on, but don’t overwhelm them with pages of description. Carefully build up the world and they will love it.

 

Foreshadowing:

You know that sense of foreboding you get at the beginning of a horror novel, that niggling feeling that something’s not right? Or when you get to the middle of a book and realize that something you learned in the beginning just became important? Those hints of what’s ahead are called foreshadowing. Most opening scenes won’t have a lot to do with the plot. Instead, they introduce the whole story. That’s why foreshadowing is important in scene one. It not only helps readers know what to expect, but it also helps build anticipation. To properly use foreshadowing, you need to know what’s going to happen later on and which of those elements are important enough to include in your first scene. Plot, primary characters, and even important objects could all be hinted at in scene one. But be sure not to smack readers in the face with things. It’s supposed to be a taste, not the full-blown meal.

 

Conflict:

Conflict is the final element that is vital in your opening scene. Why? Because no one wants to read a whole scene about your character quietly reading the newspaper. But make the scene about your character quietly reading the newspaper while the upper half of his apartment is on fire, then you have entertainment. Conflict doesn’t have to be drastic fight scenes or life-threatening situations, either. It can be as simple as two characters arguing or your main character losing their school presentation. All we need is something that creates friction and gets readers asking questions.

5 type of Opening scenes:

1. Prologue
2. Inciting incident
3. A Day in the Life
4. Cold open
5. Flash Forward

Prologue:

A montage or scene that’s meant to succinctly communicate important backstory that occurred before the events of the film.

• Prologue montage with voiceover: Prologue montages with voiceover are especially common in fantasy movies and epics.
• Prologue scene without voiceover: Prologues don’t always have voiceover. Sometimes instead it’s a flashback scene that reveals a pivotal moment in the past (usually childhood) of an important character.

Inciting Incident:

In many movies, there are about ten minutes or so of setup before the movie’s inciting incident. Inciting incident is the first event that kicks off a profound change in the protagonist’s life. In some movies (more than a quarter of the ones I watched), the inciting incident happens on practically the first page.

A Day in the Life:

A Day in the Life opening scene is a scene that introduces the main character, usually revealing a key strength and key liability, and shows what their life is like before it’s changed by the events of the film.

• Exciting Day in the Life: Some movies open with our main character or characters in media res in an exciting situation that is typical for them before the events of the film change their life forever. It’s an especially exciting or dramatic moment in their everyday life. Sometimes this scene will turn out to tie in with the larger plot of the movie but often it has no relation to the main plot, or has only a tangential connection. You most often see these types of scenes when the main character has an exciting job: a spy, a cop, an assassin, a bank robber, etc., but not always.
• Uneventful Day in the Life: A movie opens with a “day in the life” scene that’s not that dramatic or exciting at all. The key to making these scenes work is to have something fresh and unusual about the setting, situation, dialogue, or characters.

Cold Opens:

When we think of cold opens, we usually think of television. A cold open in television, sometimes called a teaser, is the section of an episode that’s shown before the opening credits. (Not all episodes have a cold open; some start with Act 1.)Most common in horror movies, crime thrillers, and action flicks, the main purpose of a cold open is to grab the audience’s attention and establish genre elements before beginning Act 1.

Flash Forward:

A “flash forward” opening is when a movie starts with a scene in the present (or at least the “present” in the timeline of the film) and then the rest of the movie (or most of it) takes place in the past leading up to that opening moment.