Key Conventions of Film Openings

Film	Genre	Conventions	Style of Opening	Narrative/ Storyline
Pretty Woman	Romantic Comedy	Name, music and logo of the institution Introduction of main character Establishing the genre Establishing context; rich, American mansion Introduction to plot Cliffhanger- where will Lewis find himself Music- King of Wishful Thinking by Go West, hit from the year of the film, helps give context Name of male and female lead Title of film Names of other main cast	Titles show over narrative, jump cut to pan of Hollywood landscape	Successful businessman Edward Lewis is supposedly hosting a party, but as his guests enjoy themselves he is upstairs on the phone to his girlfriend. She breaks up with him, claiming she spoke more with his secretary than with him. His character, a hard, dedicated office worker is stereotypical of a romantic comedy; the female lead normally shows his 'softer side'. He leaves the party and consequently finds himself in Hollywood. The iconic district is shown in a series of pan shots whilst the main titles roll.
Skyfall	Spy	Name and logo of institution  Establishing shots give context and genre Introduction of main characters Music builds tension of the chase, sounds effects (motorbike, gun, train) heighten danger Equilibrium- danger is normal for the agents, Bond's death is a key event and changes things Cliffhanger Names of main cast Name of film Names of main production team	Title sequence with elements of a fight or shoot out scene	Bond is on a mission to retrieve a hard drive containing information that could be of use to multiple terrorist organisations if it fell in the wrong hands. A chase commences and Bond is accidentally shot by a fellow agent before falling in a river, presumed dead. This fades in to the title sequence, with the famous theme "Skyfall" by Adele playing. The images used foreshadow events in the film and many have connotations of death and danger (guns, skulls, graveyards).
West Side Story	Musical/ Drama	Music and later sound effects layered (clicking) Establish genre Name of film Establishing shots/ setting Protagonists introduced Shows the equilibrium-things will soon change Unusual in that no institutions, cast are crew are credited at the start- it was later justified, there were too many names to fit in a short opening sequence	Overture into pan of landscape	Fade in to a series of abstract lines on a changing background while an overture plays, stereotypical of the musical genre. When this finishes the lines fade to reveal they were imitating the Manhattan skyline, giving context. The audience is introduced to two rival gangs, the Jets and Sharks in the opening number. The singing and dancing of groups of people unlikely to take these actions in real life again suggest the film is a musical.
Pulp Fiction	Crime/ Thriller	Introduction to plot Introduction of main characters Establish context Establish genre Cliffhanger Music (has become iconic as the status of the film has grown) Name of film company/ institution  Name of film Name of cast and crew	Narrative, establishing shots of scene in diner into title sequence	The definition of 'pulp' is shown before an adult couple are sitting in a diner, discussing robberies (establishing the crime genre) before deciding to rob the place themselves. As they hold up their guns, there is a jump cut to the main title sequence. The references and language suggest this is an adult film. There is the iconic theme music that cuts into "Jungle Boogie", again giving the film cultural context.
Reservoir Dogs	Thriller/ Crime	Institution name and logo  Establishing context Introduction of main characters Music Names of the main cast Title of the film Names of production team Establishing genre Introduction to plot	Narrative, jump cut to title sequence and then back to the plot	A group of eight men make conversation in a diner, with no clue as to what they are about to do (a planned diamond heist). This mystery keeps the audience intrigued. As they leave there is a title sequence/ montage to the song "Little Green Bag", which is very upbeat and positive, contrasting to the events of the film. As this ends, we hear a voice screaming "I'm going to die" and a jump cut to the next scene where one of the men has been shot.
The Number 23	Thriller	Name of institution Name of protagonist (Jim Carey) Film title Names of supporting actors Names of significant members of the film crew Music is haunting, riffs echo, minor key create negative effect Genre possibly established through style of sequence and connotations	Title sequence	The title sequence is told on a plain, paper background with typography in the style of retro typewriters. This is no longer used and would only be found in old documents kept because of importance, suggesting the significance of the number twenty three.The number is used to make abstract patterns in the background, highlighting this. Between credits, there are also facts displayed that are linked to the number twenty three suggesting that it has to do with these brutal events and does not have positive connotations. This could give away the plot of the film. The red splatters mimic blood, with connotations of violence and possibly foreshadow danger or death in the film. No characters or context are revealed in this sequence.
Scream	Slasher	Institution name, logo and music Sound effects- screaming, sets the mood and implies fear which foreshadows the events of the film Name of the film Establishing shots of house, sets the scene for the film (small American town) Introduction to plot Key event- Ghostface's first victims, disturbs equilibrium  Establishes genre Introduction to characters Cliffhanger No credits of cast and crew- straight to the plot.	Narrative	A teenage girl is at home alone, preparing to watch a horror film when the phone rings. She presumes the caller has the wrong number and hangs up but he calls back, growing progressively threatening, eventually revealing he is watching her. She tries to run and hide, but the killer is too quick and stabs her as her parents arrive home.
Halloween	Horror	Music, in a minor key, haunting riffs make audience uncomfortable Establishing genre Name and logo of institution Name of film Names of main cast Names of the crew in increasing significance Captions Non-digetic sound of chanting children Establishing shot of house, gives context	Title sequence, fades into shot of a house at "Halloween, 1963"	Title sequence uses dark colours, with bright orange text- normally happy colours but when put with the gradual zoom in of the Halloween pumpkin, links with the celebration and has connotations of fear. The music, in a minor key and layering instruments to build suspense adds to this. As the caption "Haddonfield, Illinois, Halloween 1963" appear, we hear children chanting a song. They represent innocence and life, which we can infer is lost throughout the film because of the juxtaposition with the music.
Final Destination 3	Horror	Name and logo of institution Dark music, prolonged notes create suspense Film title Main cast credited Sound effects; wind and screaming heard in the background Credits of the crew Establish setting/ context Establish genre	Title sequence	The credits roll on a dark background with light images of a fairground fading in and out. The typography matches the classical style used on fair rides and signs. This would normally connote fun and excitement however the dark lighting and the haunting music create the opposite effect, heightened when the sounds of whistling wind and screaming are layered. Some of the images used of the moving puppets and the fortune teller are a sinister style. This establishes both the setting (the fair) and the fact something there will go wrong (hence the music and screaming).
The Woman in Black	Horror	Institution music, logo and name Music, sounds like a child's musical box but the tune is minor and has a haunting effect, foreshadowing the fate of the girls Introduction of plot and characters Establishing shot of house infers context- Victorian era Sound effects as their toys are destroyed represent loss of innocence and suggest something is wrong.  Non-digetic sound of mother screaming is upsetting and unsettling. Name of film No mention of the cast or crew (despite well known lead)	Narrative fades into title sequence	Three young Victorian girls are playing dolls until they simultaneously look to the door, causing them to enter a trance-like state. They walk towards the windows and calmly walk out, falling to their deaths. This symbolises the loss of hope and gives the film context. This fades into a title sequence, where woven into the credits are clips of a bride at her wedding, and that she falls pregnant. The positive idea of a wedding, symbolising love and a new start, and pregnancy, suggesting innocence and joy. This contrasts with the atmospheric music and the deaths of the girls beforehand, which could foreshadow events in the film.