Opening movie structures.

Conventions of Thriller Openings. In order for my group and I to produce an opening sequence which is both effective and professional, we can only begin by studying and comparing previous thriller openings; from these we can establish the conventions that thriller openings are characteristic of. The use of mise en scene in thrillers to create suspense is approached in many different ways. The location/s included in the opening sequence can stand as a very important clue as to what the film is about, aswell as the music, actors and camera shots. In lesson 31/01/11 we studied how every film opens with either 3 structures. The are all effective in their own particular way. They are:

1. A narrative opening with the titles running throughout.
2. A discrete title sequence.
3. Titles over a blank screen, followed by the narrative opening.

We watched a few openings of films which were great examples of the different structured openings.

• A narrative opening with the titles running throughout.

I think The Shining's opening was quite suspenseful and creepy. I think the music allows it to do this and the titles run as the film begins, opening with the movie.

• A discrete title sequence.

A discrete title sequence is when the titles stand separately from the actual film. Seven's opening shows close ups of very mentally disturbed actions, such as a person scraping their own skin off their fingers using a blade and sewing paper. The titles are small and the font looks as if a child has written them so it relates to the film.

• Titles over a blank screen, followed by the narrative opening.

I think this structure is very plain and uninteresting, therefore it is the most ineffective structure. However, if the opening is short, like Donnie Darko, it still has a tense and eerie effect.

• Stylized editing.

These openings stand out and a lot of work is put into them, which means a lot of time is also put to them. An example is the Taking of Pelham 1, 2, 3.