Opening Sequences

What is an opening sequence? 

The main functions of an opening sequence are the production company logo, credits and the title of the film. It also establishes the tone or genre of the film. However each opening sequence is unique and follows a different form to each other as shown in the following 5 sequences.


Manhattan

Emily Carmichael:
In the opening sequence of Manhattan there are no opening credits and the logo of the production company is not shown. The title of the film is shown in flashing lights down the side of one of the buildings in the shot. None of the main characters appear in this first scene but there is a voiceover narrative of what the main character's story is. The only way of telling what the genre of the film is is through the music being played or by the narrative of the character. The whole sequence is filmed in black and white, which makes it seems mysterious and also makes the film seem older than the time period it was made in; it allows the viewers to know this. The whole sequence is establishing where the film is set. By these standards it goes against most of the criteria of what an opening sequence is supposed to show according to the functions we established.

Here is a frame grab of where the title of the film is shown-

The Bourne Supremacy

Emily Carmichael:
In the opening sequence of The Bourne Supremacy the first things that are shown are the production company of the film and then the title of the film. There is a narrative being played over the first scene of the film and the words being said are echoed, which along with the blurred, shaky shots and quick jump cuts creates confusion for the viewers. This is effective because the viewer will want to continue watching the rest of the film after only seeing a few seconds. The main character is introduced with a close up of him waking up with a distressed look on his face which tells the audience he was dreaming about what the viewers had just seen.
This opening sequence doesn't use credits which would normally be shown, however it does establish the genre of the film which is action, and the location is displayed in the corner of the screen to show where that scene is set.

Here are frame grabs of the production company's logo and the title of the film-

Up

Sofia Campbell:
The opening sequence of Up tells the love story of the main character without using any dialogue. This  is effective because it causes the viewers to focus on the actions of the characters and the settings. This is important because the house that the characters are clearly so fond of and the painting of the mountain on the wall become an important part of the film throughout. Sound is a dominant part of this opening sequence as it sets the mood from the very beginning of the film. When the song changes from upbeat and cheery to sad it causes the viewers mood to change along with it.  Although the music stays similar through the first minute or so of the film, it becomes slower and duller after one of the characters dies.
Time is compressed in the opening sequence by showing the male's ties changing until the ties switch to a bow tie to show he has become elderly. The characters shoulders also hunch as he becomes older. The change of season is portrayed through the tree on the hill. When the couple are young it is spring and as they grow older the season changes to autumn.
By giving the viewers an insight into the characters life story it acts as a trailer informing the viewer what the rest of the film will be based on which is effective as it makes them want to keep watching.
No credits are shown at the beginning of the film which goes against the usual form of a film opening.

These images show the example of time compression within the opening sequence of the film. (from wearing a tie when he's young to wearing a bow tie when he is older)-

The Dark Knight

Sofia Campbell:
The film opens by showing the company logo along with other production company logo's which follows the normal set up of an opening sequence. However the title of the film is not included at the beginning which is unusual for a film. To add to the dark colours and slow introduction of the logos, the audience hear a build up of slow pace music adding a certain fear factor to what will come next-
the ambient sound adds tension right away. This is effective as it keeps the viewers on edge ensuring they will continue watching. From the start the genre is made clear to the audience due to the music and  the grey colours. An opening sequence usually establishes the theme of the film which is what happens in The Dark Knight. The first shot of the film is an establishing shot that begins to zoom in to show the location of the first scene.

These images show the production company logo's-

Se7en

Sofia and Emily:
The opening sequence for se7en uses credits and the production company name but unlike most films the logo is not shown. The genre of the film is clear from the start due to the choice of background music and dark lighting and images. Immediately there is an element of mystery within the first few minutes of the film as the audience are only shown the hands of a character and the horrific drawings, however the face of the character is not revealed leaving the audience curious.
All of the the sound in the opening sequence is non diegetic, the sound contains a heart beat, screeching and unpleasant music that gets faster and gains more tension throughout. The sounds used are associated with the thriller genre and therefore gives the audience an insight into what the film is about and what it may contain.
The editing within this opening sequence is fast paced and uses strobe lighting; this is effective as it disorientates the viewer. Additionally jump cuts are used to show the audience quick glimpses of what the character is doing and to scare them.

These screen grabs show examples of production company name, credits and the characters hands-