Film Openings

The first two minutes of a feature film is potentially the most important part of the entire thing. We may get to know characters, settings or foreshadowing may even occur. If a film opening is not as good as expected, it may leave the audience not wanting to watch the film, so making a good first impression on the audience is vital if you want the viewers to engage in the rest. One thing we may expect to see in the opening of a film is an introduction to the protagonist or background information about their life. An example of this is in 'The Shawshank Redemption' (video below).

From this very small clip, we can instantly know many things about the protagonist because of the gun and the alcohol. These props suggest that the man is having troubles or has just done/is about to do something bad. Another way that a film may open is in the middle of a situation or scene. An example of this is 'The Matrix' (video below).

As you can see from the video, the film throws you right in at the deep end with a captivating and thrilling start. The lack of dialogue and speed of shots can make the audience feeling very exited and ready for the rest of the film and it is a very good way of opening a film. This may then follow with a flashback to what has happened before and later on in the film we will return to this scene. My favourite way of opening a film depends on its ending. This is becasue I like circular narratives. This is when a film is opened and something is referenced that is also referenced at the end of a film. A well know example of this is the leaf in the film 'Forrest Gump' (video below).

I will not spoil more parts to the ending but if you know the ending, you will know that the reference of the leaf is visited again towards the end, giving the film its circular structure. This suggests that the story will forever be known and that the characters will live on to leave happy lives.

There are many more ways that a film may open but these are a few examples and I highly reccomend all of the films I have mentioned.