Different Types of Structures of a Film Opening

There are 4 different types of structure to a film opening. There are 3 basic structures which are A narrative opening with the titles running throughout, A discrete title sequence and Titles over a blank screen, followed by the narrative opening and 4th style which is a bit more complicated which is a ‘Stylized Editing’.

A Narrative Opening with Titles Running Throughout

An example of the type of structure of a film opening would be ‘The Shining’ (1980) and ‘Panic Room’.

In The Shining viewers are unsure what is going on but they know the people in the car are going to a very remote location. There are no effects used in this type of style for film openings because it goes straight into the film. The opening links to the genre of the film because it made the viewer aware something is wrong and something bad will happen and that what happens in Thriller genre films. The opening of the film uses rolling credits going up.

So with this structure of film openings there are very little effects and narrative because it goes straight into the film.

In Panic Room the film goes straight into the movie. The audience knows the film is set in the city which is New York because the location / setting are the first thing seen. The audience is introduced to the characters and the characters narrative gives some information to the audience. The genre of the film is indicated through the music and camera work (lighting and angles) so the genre links the music. The titles shown are almost like part of the buildings (the mise en scene).

A Discrete Title Sequence

A discrete title sequence style is visually exciting and they are heavily edited.

The characters are not often introduced. The geography / location are not clear. The audience doesn't get a sense of narrative. These factors make it hard to know what the genre of the film is, so the genre is not a clear give away but the sound (music) can hint the genre.

The style of title sequence has slow / fast pace editing so there is a manipulation of time. Sometimes colour filters are used. Moving hand held cameras are used and during editing they show over taping of images so the capacity has changed because the images are layered.

An example of this structure of a film opening would be ‘Enemy of the State’ (1998), ‘Arlington Road’ (1999) and 'Seven' (1995) which I have looked at in a previous blog.

Here is the discrete opening of 'Enemy of the State'. The way the opening is linked to the genre because the opening is discrete is by the fast speed of the opening. The devices / effects that are used to show this is by the diegetic sound and fast / slow motion. The thing that is missing from a discrete opening is narrative and introduction to characters.

‘Stylized Editing’
The structure of this opening is very stylized. For example in Taking of Pelham 123 opening (2009 - Stylized Editing Structure for Opening) starts off quietly with little sound with slow titles rolling on to the screen with the camera filming around buildings slowly and then it cuts to fast motions and cuts with louder diegetic sound (music), the titles are changed to a different colour and text also there are a lot of different camera angles and locations seen. The opening it a bit shorter then the other different film opening structure. A stylized editing opening is very interesting and will take a long time in post production meaning a stylized editing opening must be planned very well.

Titles Over a Blank Screen

Is the structure of a film opening when the screen is blank and only the titles can be screen. So in this structure of opening there is no narrative, no introduction of characters and no sense of location. But the genre will still be given away. This is by the sound and titles. The type of music / sound used for the opening will relate to the genre of the film. Also the font of the titles as well as the colour, the way and speed of how the titles appear will also let the audience have an idea or now the genre of the film. I think this structure opening goes really well with films that have the genre of horror. Examples of this type of opening structure in films are 'Donnie Darko' (2001) & 'Dead Calm' (1989)