Structure of film openings

There are for different types of film openings, the names of which are a Discrete Title Sequence, a Traditional opening, Credits over a blank screen and Stylised editing. A film should follow a conventional structure in the way it chooses to incorporate the title credits and give information on the films plot. The film opening will usually be structured in one of the four types of openings mentioned above.

1 - A Discrete Title Sequence:

This type of opening will show a number of different images and show from the film which can foreshadow what is going to happen later on in the film. This may confuse the audience as the shots can be displayed quite randomly and quickly which may lead them to have a number of questions about how all these images and shots are going to connect. This gives the film a good bases as it can answer all the audiences questions that they might have. This can also help introduce characters and the setting and can help build the mood and tone of the film. 

An example of a film that uses a Discrete Title Sequence is "Enemy of the State" we can see in this screen shot one of the random images that flicks across the screen causing confusion for the audience. We can also see here the credits over the screen that appear in a clear legible font. 

2 - Traditional film opening with titles rolling through out: 

The second type of opening is the Traditional film opening. I believe that it is given its name because many great films have used this method as their opening. This opening can perfectly introduce everything required for the audience to know. This type usually starts with an establishing shot which will set the scene and allow the audience to get an idea of the location. We will then be swiftly introduced to the main characters which could be done in a number of different ways depending on the film. This is a simple standardised way to start a film as it allows the audience to understand completely what kind of film it is going to be. The titles will roll over these shots. 

a film that uses s traditional film opening would be "The Shining" above is a screen shot taken from this film of the establishing shot which is commonly used in this type of film opening.

3 - Credits over a blank screen: The third opening type is Credits over a blank screen and its name simply reflects what it is. This is possibly the most simple type as the credits are shown over a blank background (usually black) and the credits will be written in a clear legible font. They don't always necessarily have to appear on the screen in a boring way, sometimes they can enter and leave the screen in a number of different unique ways but as long as they appear over a blank screen then  it will fall under the category. Afterwards they will usually fade out into the opening shots to introduce characters, setting ect.

a film that uses credits over a blank screen is "Psycho" the screen shot above is take from this and we can see that the titles are not just boring being appeared on the screen the are entering and leaving in a number of different interesting ways. For example here we can see loads of lines coming in a chopping up the words that appeared. This can also be used to foreshadow that events that may occur later on.

4 - Stylised editing: The final type is stylised editing, this is arguably not classified a type however i believe  that it is as it normally uses the methods and conventions of a Discrete or Traditional opening but it is heavily edited so make it different from those types. It usually is aesthetically pleasing for the audience as it gives a stylish unique look. It doesn't follow the standardised rules of the other categories however still follows some key conventions that are vital to any opening. This is contemporary and unique  as it can be made your own and it doesn't have to follow any strict rules.

A film that uses stylised editing is "Mezrine" here there is a split screen and it both parts we see the same woman but of her in different angles. This is stylised as it is not using one of the other standard ways.

My thoughts: 

The type of film opening structure that I like best is the Stylised editing. This is because I feel that by using this one, your opening can be made more personal and unique so it won't be like anyone else's because it doesn't have to follow any rules as such. I think that this type of opening may be good for my group to consider using as we could edit our opening in various ways to give it a unique contemporary feel. However i also liked the Discrete film opening as I feel that this is a good way to entice your audience to want to watch more. I believe this because it will arouse the audiences interests as them seeing random different images and shots will make them question how they could be connected. This could mean that the audience will be keen to watch on so their questions can be answered, therefore I feel that it is excellent at making the audience want to stay on and watch more. In a Discrete film opening, it is also usually good at setting the mood of the film which I believe is essential in a thriller film as one needs to give off the correct vibes of fear and anxiousness and suspense ect. and therefore it would be silly for it to give off happy vibes when it is going to be a thriller film.

Analysing different types of film opening structures has really helped me to understand that there are clear difference between each one. Choosing what type you want t use can give a good starting point to work from. I feel that this will help my self and my group because we will now be able to decide together what type of film opening we like best. As I have analysed all the different types I think that this will help me understand the correct methods and conventions to use and that need to be added into out film opening in order to create the desired effect.