Research Into A Thriller Opening Scene

I am researching the opening scene from the film Seven which is a thriller. It was released in 1996 and directed by David Fincher. Arnold Kopelson Productions produced the film and it includes the cast of Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey.

The opening scene begins with Morgan Freeman playing Somerset in his home. We can assume he lives by himself as to how tidy it is however this creates a sense of vulnerability and loneliness. He is presented as a caring man through his dialogue when they approach the murder scene and he asks if the kid saw what happened. The diegetic sound used of sirens sets the location of a busy city but also present an element of crime and mystery. The blood all over the floor in the crime scene conveys a murder which

leaves the audience with many questions. This opening scene also introduces the character of Mills played by Brad Pitt who’s character is very different. He is presented to be more of a cocky and arrogant character which is conveyed through his body language and confidence. This opening scene, therefore, establishes characters, location and sets up the protagonist. 

We are then presented a montage that displays the credits. The soundtrack used is eerie and makes the audience feel uncomfortable portraying the thriller element. It includes a variety of quick cuts combined with shadows and dim lighting emphasising the thriller genre. The lighting used also distorts the hands in one shot creating shadows as well as making the audience feel on edge. The quick snappy shots used create a sense of unease. The montage shows someone creating a file however we do not see who this person is due to the extreme close up shots used creating suspense as the audience does not know who is doing this. The montage also includes a variety of disturbing images which make the audience feel

uncomfortable. There is an extreme close up shot portraying a person cutting their fingertips with a blade. This leaves the audience questioning who this person is and why they are doing this to themselves. From this montage, the props used convey that the plotline is going to include an element of crime and mystery due to the books, files, pen, paper and photos being objects we associate with detective work. The colours used in this montage are white, black, grey and dark red connotating danger. The pace of the montage increases towards the end conveying suspense and tension but also setting the tone for the rest of the film. The identity of the
person creating this file and the location is not revealed in this opening montage emphasising this tension linking to the thriller aspect.

I believe this is an effective opening scene for a thriller as it has a simple, direct narrative for the first scene, followed by the montage after leaving the audience wanting to know more. The sound used portrays the thriller genre through the use of eerie soundtracks, non-diegetic police sirens and pleonastic heartbeats. The opening scene effectively introduces the characters and location whilst conveying suspense and mystery.

Research Into an Action Opening Scene

I have researched the opening scene from the film Watchmen, by Zack Snyder and made by Warner Bros. It came out in 2009 and is a drama film which includes the cast of Malin Akerman, Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley.

This opening scene begins with the soundtrack of Unforgettable by Nat King Cole playing whilst we see a man smoking a cigar watching tv. The camera then cuts to a slow zoom on the door of his flat telling the audience the location whilst also creating suspense. The audience then sees a quick shot which has the right side of the mans face in the foreground and the background we can see a shadow standing at the door building the tension even more. The door gets violently kicked down portraying the action genre of the film and we see a man dressed in all black whose identity is hidden conveying an element of mystery and suspense. This man

whose costume is all black, we can assume is the villain due to his hidden identity and colours connoting death used which is a common convention of an action film. When the man dressed in all black clenches his fist, it hints that something violent is going to happen such as a fight or even a death. The pov shot of the pistol shown on the table also conveys this action genre and how something dramatic is about to happen. The slow-motion shots used in this fight scene which sets the audience up for what to expect for the rest of the film are common conventions of an action film to make it more effective and interesting to watch. When the man is covered in his blood, he says the line, "Mother, forgive me", which makes the audience question what has he done for this man dressed in black to murder him during this fight and who is this man who has intruded into his house to then kill him which sets up the mystery that the plot is based around in this opening scene. 

We are then presented with a montage displaying the credits which address many different themes such as political progression, sexuality and time which perhaps are common ideas portrayed throughout the film. It sets the mood for the rest of the film whilst portraying an element of mystery making the audience want to know more.

I believe this is an effective opening scene as it sets the location and introduces us to two characters during this opening fight scene. This fight scene immediately engages the audience and conveys the action genre whilst portraying a villain who we can assume is going to be an important character in the rest of the film. The montage following the fight scene hints at the storyline whilst presenting a range of different ideas which perhaps are going to become more apparent throughout the film. It sets up a suspenseful mysterious element to the film which leaves the audience with questions wanting to know more such as ‘Why has this man just been murdered by the man dressed in all black whose identity is hidden?’ and ‘Why is his identity hidden?’.

Research into Sci-Fi opening scene

 I have chosen the film The Matrix to focus on and how it is an effective Sci-Fi opening scene. The Matrix was made in 1999 and directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski. It includes the cast of Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Laurence Fishburne. 

This opening scene sets the style and tone of the film and leaves the audience wanting to know more whilst showing an exciting chase. The visual style of the film is established in this opening scene with the chiaroscuro lighting, straight vertical lines and exaggerated shadows. The opening scene is ambitious and reveals different clues throughout preparing the audience for the rest of the film. It begins with two people speaking cryptically whose dialogue is about watching him and going to kill him. This makes the audience want to know more as we don’t know these two unnamed people, who this man is and why they are going to kill him. The computer codes and transition into the next scene convey the Sci-Fi element to the film. The soundtrack used as the camera zooms in to the 0 on the code gradually gets louder hinting to the audience that something dramatic is about to happen. 

In the next scene, the police officers have the job of arresting this woman, Trinity, who is dressed in all black which we can assume is the woman on the phone call. She is sitting at a computer and when the police violently kick down the door she does not flinch. This makes the audience want to know more about her character and why she seems so powerful. The police are shown in the darkness and lots of snappy shots whereas the woman has a long shot duration where her face is well lit in a close up conveying, she is the protagonist. The crazy visual effects showing off Trinity’s superpowers combined with her shiny leather outfit engage the audience. The dark psychological thriller element to the film makes increases the audience to how this will link to the sci-fi genre. We are also introduced briefly to the agents whose costume consists of suits and sunglasses despite it being nighttime. This is similar to Men In Black which we associate government agencies combined with aliens foreshadowing the sci-fi element of the film. The simple yet exciting narrative of this opening scene where we hear the mysterious phone call, see Trinity get chased and then see Trinity escape using her superpowers leaves the audience with many questions. For example, ‘Who is Trinity? ‘How does she have superpowers?’ and ‘Why are they trying to arrest her?’.

To conclude, this opening scene is effective as it portrays the sci-fi genre through the use of mise-en-scene, special effects and also Trinity’s superpowers. The storyline of just the opening scene is easy to follow and understand but exciting to watch as an audience as well. It engages the audience thoroughly and leaves them wanting to know more. 

Research into Drama Opening Scene

 I have chosen the opening scene for the film Trainspotting to analyse as a drama. Trainspotting was made in 1996 and directed by Danny Boyle. It includes the cast of Ewan McGregor, Johnny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Robert Carlyle and Kevin McKidd.

This opening scene portrays a non-linear narrative and the target audience for this film is adults which are conveyed using drugs presented in this scene hinting that this is going to be a key theme throughout linking to addiction relating to heroin. The drama genre of the film is presented in this opening scene by making it very plot-driven with many different scenes in a short amount of time and the chaotic tone of the film is portrayed using short-duration shots combined with the crime element to the first few minutes of the film. The setting and characters of this opening scene are realistic and the immediate chase at the beginning grips the audience.

In this opening scene, we are presented five characters, Renton, Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy. The first shot the audience sees is Renton running from security conveying that there are going to be themes of crime and conflict throughout. The non-diegetic use of the soundtrack of ‘Lust For Life’ combined with the voice-over of Renton making an inspirational speech about morals and success creates a sense of excitement and chaos. When Renton gets hit by the

car, he gives a crazy laugh combined with wide bloodshot eyes hinting that he is perhaps high and doesn’t care about the events taking place portraying that this is going to be a high-intensity emotional drama.

On the words, ‘choose good health’, said by Renton in his narration, he is smoking which is ironic emphasising how unbothered he is. The abandoned house which looks unhygienic makes the audience question who this man is and why he is giving this ironic speech because of the contrast of his actions. The opening scene takes place in the early 1990s which is conveyed through their costume and the location of modern Edinburgh. One of the characters, Begbie, smiles as he attacks one of the players from the opposing team in their sports match which makes him seem like a violent character enhancing the drama aspect of the film. Renton’s heroin use makes the audience assume that he is unhappy with his life conveying perhaps high-intensity emotions that will become more apparent in the film linking to conventions of a drama genre. The fast-paced short,

snappy shots in this opening scene portray elements of chaos and commotion foreshadowing further events in the film. 

I think that the film will be about Renton’s struggle with using drugs as the scene ends with “Who needs reasons when you’ve got heroin?” conveying that this is going to be a key theme throughout. The audience is engaged immediately through the rapid exciting chase combined with the upbeat soundtrack. I believe this opening scene is very effective as it engages the audience and hints at the storyline of heroin addiction portraying the genre of drama. 

Research into a Horror Opening Scene

The film I am looking at is Jaws directed by Steven Spielberg in 1975. It includes the cast of Roy Schneider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw and was produced by Universal Pictures. The opening scene of Jaws has a linear narrative which is split up into three different sections where the big event takes place in the middle scene. The beginning and ending both portray a sense of tranquillity and peace which is an effective way of starting a horror film. However, the dramatic shark attack that takes place straight away engages the audience and portrays the genre through the conventions in this opening scene. 

For example, the use of the the non-diegetic soundtrack as the 'creature' (which given the location and tile of the film we can assume is a shark) approaches and kills its victim along with the night time setting and young lady dying are all conventions that help to identify this as a horror film.   

The target audience for this film is older teenagers and adults who enjoy horror films as in this opening sequence there is a gruesome death which hints to the audience that this will happen throughout. The tracking shot using a variety of different camera angles introduces the characters Chrissie, the boy she is with and the setting of the beach. 

In this opening scene, a POV shot of the shark’s view is used to show underwater in the sea creating a fear of the unknown when displaying the credits. The use of the non-diegetic soundtrack when showing these credits portrays a sense of danger and creates suspense for the audience. The opening scene then cuts to teenagers who are drinking on the beach at night time which seems like a friendly safe environment that contrasts with the events about to take place. The use of lighting is effective as it is dark portraying a sense of danger and hinting at death following conventions of a horror film. The wide-angled establishing shot emphasises Chrissy’s vulnerability and worries the audience as we know something bad is going to happen. The soundtrack mirrors the storyline in this opening scene as it starts and finishes at a sense of calmness however it builds up as it starts slowly but then gets faster and louder creating tension and signifying danger to the audience as Chrissy is unaware of what is going to happen next, but the audience is. When Chrissy is being attacked by the shark, the shot duration is longer allowing the audience to see her struggle above water. However, the editing slows down even more engaging the audience as we know the shark is about to attack her. The juxtaposition of the sound used when Chrissy is being dragged underwater and she is gasping for air compared to the boy asleep on the sand shocks the audience as they are made to watch her violent death whilst he is asleep frustrating the audience. The silence in this opening scene at the end is an effective way of conveying death which contrasts with the intense soundtrack and diegetic screaming of the girl.

I believe this is an effective opening scene as it engages the audience straight away using the suspenseful non-diegetic soundtrack and the gruesome death that occurs in the first five minutes of the film. It also hints at the storyline and introduces us to the main location used throughout. It portrays the horror genre using death and the use of dark lighting hinting at danger.