Idea Bank for Opening Sequence
by Truc Dang
1. Horror
1.1. Foreshadowing - dark, gloomy tone
1.2. Dramatic irony
1.2.1. Creates anticipation for the audience, hence build up tension when reaching jump-scares
1.3. Symbolic colours
1.3.1. Black, red and white dominant theme
1.4. Iconic props
1.4.1. e.g. mirror, locked door, maze..
1.5. Poor, artificial lighting
2. Drama
2.1. A regular day or narration opening
2.2. May include spoken thought or soliloquy
2.2.1. To build a relationship with the audience
2.3. More use of dialogues for identities, introduction of characters
2.4. Soundbridge implemented to create rhymth & connection between the scenes
2.5. Point-of-view or over-the-shoulder angles
2.5.1. Portray the characters' development journeys
2.6. Midshots and close-ups
2.6.1. Reflect realistic, personal struggles
2.7. Include entrances / exits to establish plot
3. Thriller
3.1. Blatant opening - hook audience by an intense introduction
3.2. Fast cuts and transitions
3.3. Suspenseful music
3.3.1. Consider overlapping materials for uniqueness (e.g. mixture of rock and piano)
3.4. Consider investigating phobias => heighten anxiety
3.5. Vibrant saturated colours => eye-catching
3.6. Extreme close-ups to emphasise actions while keeping the audience 'blind' to the ongoing development
4. Crime
4.1. Flashback/ flashforward opening to have 2 storylines running simultaneously
4.1.1. => sense of time and growing tension for the audience as they have to keep up with both
4.2. Symbolic codes
4.2.1. e.g. handcuff, blood, mugshot, murdering weapons, sleuth