1. J E S S I C A T I P P E R
CONVENTIONS OF A
FILM OPENING
2. KEY CONCEPTS
• Film openings are designed to draw in the viewer and
introduce key ideas and motif’s that the film wants to
carry through.
• Additionally, film openings take the chance to credit the
producer, director and stars of the film.
• They can be up to five minutes long before introducing
the main narrative.
• The main antagonist or protagonist may be introduced
as well as the setting of the film.
3. THEMES AND GENRE
• The arrangement will make the genre very clear to the
audience. The use of tense music, dark imagery or
distinct editing could make a film opening very clearly a
thriller.
• Additionally, the use of key images that reoccur
throughout can help establish a theme, for example the
use of clown and circus imagery can show the viewer
that the main themes will be to do with the fear of clowns
or the circus.
4. CHARACTERS AND APPEARANCE
• Presentations of characters vary in film openings. Their
appearance may be obscured to maintain ambiguity or in
contrast they may be fully featured to show the viewer
their true nature or looks.
• The credits may be in tune with the appearance of each
character.
• Relationships between characters may
be introduced to draw intrigue toward their interactions.
5. IMAGERY AND EDITING
• Film openings will usually introduce large amounts of key
imagery and some times heavy amounts of editing to
create a specific look that helps establish a direct
message to the viewer.
• Animation can also be a key part of the opening imagery,
for example the opening of a James Bond will always
include animation that flows with the credits and music.
This is often included with credits to draw the eye to the
name.
6. TITLES AND CREDITS
• A film’s title can say a lot about its style and genre. Fonts
and backgrounds draw the eye to the title.
• The credits are key to a conventional film opening. They
can feature animation, or interesting designs that creates
a distinct look. They can also be discrete to purely credit
the cast without drawing the eye from the main focus in
the film.
7. SOUND AND MUSIC
• Non-Diegetic sound can be central to a film opening.
This is the sound such as the backing music that the
characters on screen do not hear.
• This can be an opening narration that sets the scene of
the film or the soundtrack that establishes an
atmosphere.
• Diegetic sound can be important as well and can
sometimes draw a viewer into the situation of the
characters.
8. LIGHTING AND CAMERA ANGLES
• Dramatic Camera angles portray distinctive messages
and perspectives for the viewer. For example using a low
angle can give the impression of an imposing person.
• Lighting can obfuscate or accentuate the appearance of
the setting, for example using dark lighting or silhouettes
can create mystery and tension.
