Art of the Opening Scene Pt. 3 — 6 More Ways to Start a Movie, From Fincher to Villeneuve

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Opening Scenes Pt. 3 — we explore 6 more ways to begin a movie, including a newsreel, the crime, a tragedy, the setting, a day in the life, and direct address.

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro — Opening Scene Techniques
00:43 The Newsreel
02:56 The Crime
04:43 The Tragedy
07:09 The Setting
09:22 A Day in the Life
11:44 Direct Address

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Movie opening scenes have a big responsibility to set the tone, establish characters, and essentially convince the audience to go along for the ride. In the previous episodes of this mini-series on the opening scene, we covered techniques like introducing the villain or employing a flashforward. In Art of the Opening Scene Pt. 3, we’ll tackle six more opening scene techniques.

One way to begin a movie is to use a newsreel, or newscast, to present the audience with pure exposition. This is an opening scene technique designed to deliver as much information as possible, especially when dealing with a high-concept premise like Children of Men. In this opening scene, we hear two bits of critical information, setting us up for how they will inform the plot.

The next opening scene technique starts with “the crime.” Often a murder, this event is what kickstarts the plot and turns the audience into witnesses. For Zodiac, David Fincher and screenwriter James Vanderbilt go to great lengths to recreate one of Zodiac’s first killings. This thrusts us into the story and we understand firsthand what Graysmith and the detectives are up against.

You can also begin a movie with a tragedy. Usually, we see this in the death of a family member but no matter the event, the emotional impact will follow the character through the main plot. In Arrival, we see Louise lose her daughter to illness, so when she later encounters the aliens and starts having flashbacks, we start connecting the dots.

The first scene in a script can also establish the setting of the film, which often functions as a character of its own. Think of the ghostly tour of the Nostromo in Ridley Scott’s Alien or how we see the juxtaposition of two worlds (space and Earth) in WALL-E. This is a particularly effective option to begin a movie when the setting is much more than just a location.

You can also opt for opening sequences that follow a “day in the life” of the main character. Perfect for character-driven stories, especially those in which their routine is disrupted by the subsequent plot. For example, in Stranger Than Fiction, we get a precise, mathematical breakdown of Harold’s routine which sets a baseline for all the chaos that gets thrown at him later.

The final technique for an opening scene is direct address, otherwise known as breaking the fourth wall. Having a character speak directly to us collapses the distance between the world of the film and the world of the audience. Suddenly, we are part of the story and the hope is that our engagement is connected instantly.

These are just six options for opening scenes to movies that fit the story they’re trying to tell. With these options under your belt, you’ll be able to begin a movie with the perfect opening scene.

#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking

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♬ SONGS USED:

"Exit Strategy" - Alternate Endings
"Up With Titles" - Up OST
"Fragments of a Prayer" - John Tavener / Children of Men OST
"Blancs Tale, Pt. II" - Nathan Johnson / Knives Out OST
"String Quartet in G Minor" - Knives Out OST
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" - Donovan
"Aftermaths" - Zodiac OST
"Outlandia" - Falls
"On the Nature of Daylight" - Max Richter / Arrival OST
"War Dance" - Rhythm Scott
"Main Title" - Jerry Goldsmith / Alien OST
"Put On Your Sunday Clothes" - Walter Matthau, Michael Crawford and Louis Armstrong
"Space Dance" - WALL-E OST
"Coconut Island" - King Flamingo
"Suddenly I See" - KT Tunstall
"The Way We Get By" - Spoon
"The Dopeness" - Nicholas Britell / The Big Short OST
"Boring Old Banking" - Nicholas Britell / The Big Short OST
"Lewis Ranieri" - Nicholas Britell / The Big Short OST
"Big Timer (Instrumental)" - Marcus Meston

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