Before starting to come up with a film opening, it is reasonable to see some sample film openings that are in my chosen genre. This way I can have an idea of what approach my film opening should be.
Example 1: "The Karate Kid"
Film Opening: https://youtu.be/FwHq6hM3ILk?si=M1bL6fRKvlCR_k2T
This filming opening is approached by establishing the setting. It follows a car, which may hold the main character, as it travels across the canyons. Due to the representations of the town in the beginning and the journey through the canyons, you can infer that the characters inside the car seem to be moving away to another place. This approach leans more into the coming-of-age genre as the main character is going to try to fit in with their new home. Many establishing shots are used to let the audience know where the car is going.
Example 2: "Hoosiers"
Film Opening: https://youtu.be/r74qegjbF28?si=PawFdTFGCikGeogG
This opening also is approached by establishing the setting. You can see a car, driving through empty roads. Long shots of the car are displayed, some of them slightly shaky to resemble the bumpiness of the road. We see an old man that could be assumed to be the main character driving the car. They also develop the character of the man as we see him to be drinking a cup of coffee, glancing at two kids playing sports, and arriving to a building with many sports medals and trophies inside. The audience can infer that he could be a coach for a sports team.
(Both pictures from the "Hoosiers" film opening)
Example 3: "Kung Fu Panda" (I chose this example simply for the martial arts aesthetic)
Film Opening: https://youtu.be/6lT6PgFnNWE?si=CJZ4bLjNJqgX4TQq
This film opening has a slightly different approach than the other two examples, as it establishes a comedic and vibrant tone through the funny dialogue and and the pop of red and yellow colors. The opening was also used to develop the character of the panda. The dialogue was the main way the audience could interpret the character. The visuals included montages of battles and mysterious places that the panda had encountered. Other side characters are also developed throughout these scenes, including "The Furious Five". This opening also uses many diegetic sound effects to emphasize certain movements, such as foot steps and fighting.
(Both pictures from the "Kung Fu Panda" film opening)
Overview
I noticed how all these film openings included nondiegetic, instrumental music, in the background. I would like to include something like that in my film opening as well. I can find a non copywrite, calming, and maybe Asian style song to fit the martial art aesthetic. I want to create my opening more like the "Hoosiers", however I do not want to include a driving sequence. What I liked about this specific opening was that towards the end, the main character is observing trophies and medals. A scene like that would be great to develop my character. However, like the "Kung fu Panda" opening, I would like to add more action scenes to establish the sport and the skill of the main character. Additionally, I would like to incorporate diegetic sound effects to emphasize certain movements. For example, a kick or punch would sound stronger if a sound effect is included.
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