Look at other genres to see how generic conventions are shown in film openings.

Most films openings use certain conventions regardless of their genre.

• Studio production logo
• Establishing shots
• Titles
• Theme
• Introduce characters
• Narration
• Action
• Non-diegetic music
• Enigma

Most film openings start with the logo of the production company. This acts as an advertisement for the company and is often adapted for the specific film.

Establishing shots often set the scene for the film.

Titles are the opening credits which give a list of the important members of the production crew, the title of the movie and the cast. They can also give information about the topic and theme of the film. They are often displayed in a similar order within every film.

The theme of the opening scene will extend into the film itself. It leads the audience into the film. For example in Love Actually the theme of love is shown immediately in the airport with people hugging.

Main characters are introduced in the opening scene. This shows their importance in the film and gives the audience the chance to get to know a little bit about them.

The narration sets the scene and lets the audience know what is going on in the film. The narration can be spoken or written.

Through action, a little bit of the story is given in the opening scene.

Many opening scenes use non-diegetic music and the type of music will depend on the genre of the film. Certain sounds can be associated with certain genres, for example gun fire associated with war films. Diegetic music can also be included.

Enigma involves the raising of questions which makes the audience think about what is going to happen in the play. It could be questions about the characters, the setting or the action.

Different genres all have different conventions to set the mood of the film and help the audience understand the film. 

Horror

The sound in horror films is used to scare and give an atmosphere of fear. The soundtrack will have an uneasy feeling, and there may be screams and bangs in the scene. The pace of the music tends to increase as the tension rises. Titles are often portrayed as red on black connoting blood. The lighting is often dark, sometimes at night, sometimes in dark unlit areas such as woods, dark streets, churches or haunted houses. Props often include guns, knives and maybe torches.

 

Romantic Comedy

The rom-com often features a couple and aims to give a perfect picture of love. Often there is the idea that the two people need to overcome an obstacle if they are to live happily ever after, They are often shown as normal people going about their everyday lives. The non-diegetic music usually consists of modern, upbeat love songs. The symbol of a rose is common. The titles are usually quite plain as it is the characters that are important. The lighting is bright giving a lively, happy atmosphere.

 

Action

The music used in action genre is often tense orchestral music. This adds tension and captures an audience’s attention. It rises and falls, building in peaks to add tension. There is a goodie and a baddie who fight to overcome each other. It is often set in a city, full of hustle and bustle, and often involves car chases through crowded streets. There is often a female character who might be in trouble and adds romantic interest. Long shots are used to create atmosphere. Titles are often plain.

 

Thriller

There is often a use of montage in thriller genre to create enigma and suspense.  Non-diegetic sounds often include screams, moans to connote death and mystery. There is often an intense thudding beat to music. Masks can be used to hide faces and give anonymity.