What makes a good opening sequence.

What makes a good opening sequence.

What makes a good opening sequence:
To make a good opening sequence there are a list elements that you need to cover. These being:

• lighting
• Camera shots
• Editing
• Sound
• Titles
• Characters/ acting
• Costumes
• Props
• Scripts
• location

Lighting
When making an opening sequence you have to think about what scene you want to set for your audience and how you would like them to feel when the film first starts. Lighting is important because it set the scene straight away. For example if we wanted the audience to feel happy we would use a bright lighting (daylight). Where as if we wanted them to feel more isolated we would have a dark lighting. We would do this because in daylight or a brighter light you can see what is going on around you but if it was a more darker light or night time you cant see as much. Dark lighting also connotes danger and fear.


Camera Shots
Camera shots are important to making a good opening sequence because you want to capture the right shots to signify what genre the film would be. We will need to make sure that the camera shots that we are taking are relevant to the genre of our film.  We would also need to make sure that we make the right decision in what camera shot and angle we use. Camera angles we could use are:

• Low
• High
• Eye level
• Worms eye
• Canted
• Bird eye

Camera shots we could use are:

• Very long shot
• Long shot
• Medium long shot
• Medium shot
• Close up
• Big close up
• Extreme close up

We will also need to make sure that the size of our shots capture every thing we want the audience to see. This is because they might not understand if we miss out a vital part of the scene. We will also need to make sure we have a steady shot and not shaky because it may not look professional.


Editing and Sound
When editing we will need to make sure that our opening sequence runs smoothly and not miss out big chunks of filming. When editiing we could also edit the sound. For example we could add relevent sound effects such as rain or an eery sound effect or even music that would build tention or set the scene. Music is a good way to start an opening sequence because it makes the genre very recognisable to the audience. For example the film Sweeney Todd the music starts off very deep and gloomy which signifies the film is going to be a horror where as a film that starts with a happy upbeat rythem would connote that it would be a romance or comedy. But sometimes a opening sequence sounds alot better with just a natural suroundings (but if it is to noisey you may not be able to hear the actors when they are speaking) depending on what genre your film will be. You can also edit the lighting or colour of the background to signify the genre of your film. For example a faded red to signify a romance film or a black shaddow to represent fear. You can edit things into your scenes aswell if they are important to your opening sequence.

Titles and Credits
The font of the title will depend on what the genre the film. For example a more swerly and delect front would signify that the film would be a romance, a horror film may have a more thick, bold font, a comedy would have more of a basic font. The colour of the title will also depend on the genre of the film aswell. For example if the film was a romance it would be a red or pink to signify love and hearts, if it was a horror it would either be a black or a red to signify blook and black to signify death and fear and a comedy may be yellow.

Characters/actors
It is important that the actors are right for the genre of the film and what we would like them to act. Which is why we would have to trial the actors and reherse because we would want it to look as natural as possible. For example if we wanted someone to fall over we wouldnt want it to look fake or if we wanted someone to be in love we wouldnt want it to look unrealistic.

Costumes
Costumes need to fit the charater and the genre of the film. For example if some one was acting as a murderer or a stalker we wouldnt want them to be in a school uniform because it wouldnt support who they are where as if they was dressed in all black and couldnt see there face that would signify who the character was.

Props
Props depened on what the genre is. For example in Annabelle the main prop is the doll Annabelle by having the doll it makes it clear to the audience what is going on and how it it relevent in the film. Without the doll there would be something missing in the storyline because she is the one that is possesed. But small props are also very important for example a picture could play a very big role in a film or a bit of paper because they may hold some information. In a whole props represent/supports what is going on in a scene or help the actors to represent something. 

Script
It is a good idea to make a script rather then making it up on the day. This is because we would need to know when the actor will be saying something and what they would need to be doing what they are saying that line. We would also have to know how they are going to say that specific line. When they will start talking and how.

Location
The location of a opening sequence should signify what the genre of the film is. For example if the opening sequence was set in a old warehouse i would instandly think it was a horror where as if it was set in a new house i would think that it could be a romance. It is important that we get the right location when making our opening sequence because it might not look as effective as it should or signify our genre. For example if our genre was horror and we filmed everything in school it wouldnt be very effective but if we set it in a old damp room it would.

To conclude there are many aspects that make up a good opening sequence and many details that you need to think about from what angle to hold the camera to what facial expressing the actor should be making. Theses all need to fit together and flow. For example you wouldnt have a happy upbeat song on a horror film because they wouldnt be representing the same genre.

By Chelsie.