Conventions of a thriller opening

What are the conventions of a film opening


David Fincher on the opening of Zodiac-



Here you can notice how Fincher underlines the importance of setting the scene and creating the atmosphere within the opening few scenes of a film. 

David Fincher on the opening of Fight Club-

Noticeably Fincher says 'we probably spent $750,000 or $800,000 on the title sequence' and clearly does not underestimate the importance of a first impression.

Gareth Smith on the opening of The Ward-

What elements of this sequence are you most happy with?

What titles come up during the opening of thriller films-

Directors will, during the short opening sequence, name most actors and people who had a large role in the production of the film and leave the people with less important roles to the credits at the end of the film. Typically naming the starring actor first and finishing with the director. During this time the director can experiment and try and build an atmosphere within this time to match the mood of the film. Typically the shots are either extreme close ups of something to do with the story line, or a pan more so setting the scene 

From this opening scene above taken from The Spiderwick Chronicles we can see how the close up shots alongside the eerie music tie together nicely to set the scene whilst focusing on aspects of the movie crucial to the plot. We understand the rushed and ever tense nature immediately setting the mood, the shots are all low-angle and close up and quite fast paced adding to the rushed idea.

In contrast to the close up shots of The Spiderwick Chronicles, the opening scene to Forrest Gump shows a more delicate and subtle approach linking to the character of Forrest himself, we see a range of shots throughout this scene, ranging from pan shots, long shots alongside high angle shots with mid-shots also coming into effect. The music partnered with the innocence of the feather used to portray the simple mind of Forrest set the scene perfectly for the rest of the film.

Timings of the titles-

The timings of titles within the opening scene to films are generally quite similar yet there is a difference depending on the type of movie it is. Typically if its a fast paced or action thriller the titles will be more short and snappy and not fade out of the picture, this is to create the tension early on required to set the atmosphere for the movie, with more slow and intellectual thrillers the titles generally fade out of the screen to match the mood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEq-4fua3lM

This opening scene is a good example of how an intellectual thriller opening is tied together with the slow and fading titles to make the reader think about the situation and what is being said during the opening. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch the slow talking and lack of music does not create any tension and leaves it down to the situation to create the suspense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulaLzsv2htA

As the opposite the opening to se7en is fast paced, little time on screen for the titles alongside the fast paced music and close up shots all immediately create the suspense the movie is notorious for, there is no speech within the opening which i feel would make it feel slower and less intimidating.

How are characters introduced?

Similar to title openings, character introduction is also largely based on the type of film the director wants to portray to the viewer. There are also a lot of different things a director can do to effect how the viewer portrays a character by using a range of shots or different music to show the type of character fitting the atmosphere created.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWAr9MJO4Xc

The character introduction within Suicide Squad is less subtle and more so like this is who it is which is almost like a cartoon. Other films use a more flowing introduction to present their characters within the first few scenes and sometimes leave the star of the film to a bit later within the film to build suspense for their introduction.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPsifqZNhCc

The introduction of Leonardo DiCaprio within The Great Gatsby comes late into the film as the tension builds as to who Gatsby is as rumours fly around building suspense.

Opening scene to Mission Impossible: 5-

1.54

1.72

1.64

1.59

1.68

1.85

1.81

1.81

1.79

1.80

1.77

1.81

1.78

1.83

1.82

1.92

2.12

Summary: From the title lengths and the fast paced frames with a lot happening yet not giving anything away to do with the story-line it is easily recognisable the film is an action-thriller. Sparks and flames link to this suggestion and that implies danger and implements suspense. In the final frame they use a pan shot to set the location and time of day to engage the reader at the end of the title scene for the start of the film. The music throughout is fast paced linking to the overall theme of the opening,


Opening scene to Zodiac-

4.82

5.08

2.34

3.13

3.96

3.27

3.54

3.89

3.68

4.02

3.12

3.45

3.64

3.37

3.29

3.46

3.71

3.54

3.61

 3.42

3.73

3.86

4.28

Summary: From this title scene the scene is set at the beginning, characters are introduced and the storyline begins straight away. The introduction of a kid and his dad leads for a less fast paced start and therefore the titles last longer on screen. We learn of the fathers job and that the kid is in education. Despite the film being a thriller the start is very slow paced and seeming innocent in contrast to the storyline. Mainly using mid-shots the opening is almost passive and leaves the story-line open which could lead to added suspense.

Opening scene to Insomnia-

 4.50

 4.50

 4.50

10.0

 4.50

 4.50

 4.50

 4.50

 5.20

 4.60

 4.60

5.20

 5.20

 4.60

 4.60

 5.20

 5.20

 4.60

 4.60

 4.60

 6.10


Summary: The prolonged titles and extreme close-ups of fabrics and blood lead for a tense daunting opening to Insomnia, the lack of detail partnered with the rocky mountainous shots asks questions as to where it is being set. The feeling that something bad has already happened engages the reader with as to what has happened. The music throughout the opening is relatively slow and daunting as the unknown is the main theme.