Structure of Film Openings

The structure of a film opening is very important within any film. There are three main structures of film openings these include;

1). A Narrative Opening,

2). A Discrete Title Sequence,

3). Credits on a Blank Screen.

Narrative Opening – A narrative opening is very common and tells the story straight away. it is simple and effective as it grabs the viewers attention right away. A narrative opening is more likely to reveal what the film is about and introduce the characters, setting, genre, etc. This is an effective opening for a thriller film because it gets straight to the point and attracts the viewers.

Discrete Title Sequence – This type of film opening is a lot more complicated and involves a lot of work such as editing, this is a long process but is very effective when used in the right context. This opening usually uses special effects to create emotion and build up in order to keep the viewer watching and interested

Credits On a Blank Screen – Credits on a blank screen is a type of opening that is usually followed by a narrative opening. Unlike narrative or discrete openings the titles are playing on a blank screen rather then while the film is playing in the background.