Introduction to Opening Sequences

The opening sequence in a film will usually establish one or more of the following:

• Title

• A list of the most significant cast and crew

• Logos (usually 1 major studio and a few minor production companies)

• The genre 

• The location/setting  usually through the use of establishing shots

• Mood music/sound effects

• Characters antagonist and protagonist

• Sense of threat and danger, also tension

• Enigma (mystery where the audience wants to know what happens)

I am going to look at the opening sequences of 5 different films from different genres to get a better understanding of the conventions of opening sequences and to see if they are similar regardless of the genre they belong to.

The opening sequences which I will be looking at are:

1. 'The Dark Knight Rises'
2. '47 Metres Down'
3. 'The Hitman's Bodyguard'
4. 'Oceans 8'
5. 'Wonder Woman'

1.