Opening Sequences Analysis and Evaluation

i) What forms can opening sequences take? Can you list the conventional features of opening sequences?
Opening sequences are unique to each individual film as different directors and different narratives result in lots of variety of the openings. However, there are several conventions which all opening sequences of different films of different genres share. Certain elements such as shot types, music, lighting and pace and overall the mise-en-scene help to represent the genre in which the film as a whole is classed in. And inspecting in deeper depth they can also betray certain parts of the plot which will only later become apparent in the film. For instance, in Legally Blonde, the upbeat music, fast pace and bright lighting show the audience that the film will be a light hearted one. The overall colour scheme of pink implies that the film will be targeted towards girls and women and be about a girly-girl. And finally, the shot of the protagonist and her partner show that the film will be about the protagonist's relationship with her boyfriend, and possibly another man as the audience cannot expect the relationship to be perfect through to the rest of the film.
Characters, the plot and the setting are always established in the openings of films. However (taking Todorov's classic narrative pattern into account) these three elements will suffer some amount of disruption, throwing the initial equilibrium out of balance. This is sometimes revealed at the end of the opening sequence.

The opening of a film is an essential tool in setting up the tone for the rest of the film and also starts to formulate ideas about the rest of the film in the audience's mind. The setting up of a seemingly normal scene will have the audience guessing what will happen to throw the current situation out of balance, whilst already showing a disruption in the equilibrium will have the audience guessing how order will be restored.

ii) What narrative functions of opening sequences can you identify?
- The complete narrative of a film is never fully revealed to the audience, leaving them guessing throughout the rest of the film but certain elements (props/ dress/ mise-en-scene) can hint to what is to eventually come.
- Some background information is revealed though enough to keep the audience on tenterhooks.
- Music, lighting and shot types used can set up a tone for the rest of the narrative for the audience.
- The order of shot types also sets the tone for the rest of the narrative, for example, jumping from an MS to an ECU can throw the audience out of balance to create mystery/ discomfort/ tension.
- Important information about the characters can be revealed, but sometimes this can be misleading to surprise and shock the audience later in the film.

iii) What do audiences gain from watching the opening sequence?
The narrative sequence can help set up mystery and an enigma for the rest of the narrative to keep the audience guessing. Also from this, excitement and tension are built up as the audience will be keen to know what happens in the rest of the play. Knowledge of the characters is usually provided and the tone is set for the rest of the film, so the audience will know what to expect. The opening sequence can also act as a first impression for the film, and from this the audience will decide whether they will like or dislike the rest of the film.

iv) What do film-makers gain from including an opening sequence?
An opening sequence acts as a stepping stone for film-makers and allows them progress steadily to the themes they want to introduce for the rest of the play. A good opening sequence can hook the audience in and make it easier for them to understand the themes which will become apparent in the rest of the film. This is not only crucial to the audience, but also to critics as a bad opening sequence may affect their judgement for the rest of the film. This not only reflects badly on the film-makers, but also on the actors who have put their reputation on the line when participating in the film. By filming and editing an opening sequence well, it shows the audience and critics that the film makers are capable of reworking a formula that has been overdone.