The Opener

I posted this on Facebook for the Covenant College Film Club, but for those who can't access it due to anti-Facebook sentiments (namely Drew), I am posting it here too.

Opening Scenes: They Are Important
By: Grant Withington

Your opening scene, much like the opening sentences of such great novels as Anna Karenina and David Copperfield, must be solitarily striking. An intentional, direct statement that is confidently set before the viewer demands attention. If you can rope an audience in right off the bat, you won’t have to work as hard at winning them over during the course of your movie due to a poor start. By establishing a solid opening sequence you automatically establish the audience’s trust, and even if the rest of your movie is not as good as your introduction (which hopefully is not the case) you will have an easier time holding their interest because they will know that they are in capable hands. The opening scene is also important because it is a chance for you to make a thesis statement that says what the main themes of your film are. A filmmaker who can sum up what the entire story is about in a matter of the first three or four minutes of screen time (give or take a few) is someone who knows what he or she is doing, and in most cases you can rest assured that the rest of the film will follow suit both in terms of being concise and precise. To pull this off the scene must be terrifically written. Top notch writing is essential. You do not have time to ease your audience into brilliance. They need to be smacked in the face with genius immediately. You want those first frames to be some of the most memorable from the entire film, if not the most memorable. The goal of the opening scene should be to make it impossible for anyone to stop watching your movie. It needs to make them want to watch more.

Here are fifteen examples of what I am describing. They are helpful in showing how such a feat is effectively executed.

1. Manhattan (Written and Directed by Woody Allen)
2. Adaptation (Written by Charlie Kaufman, Directed by Spike Jonze)
3. Magnolia (Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson)
4. Vanilla Sky (Written and Directed by Cameron Crowe)
5. Match Point (Written and Directed by Woody Allen)
6. American Psycho (Written by Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner,
Directed by Mary Harron)
7. 8 ½ (Written by Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, and Brunello Rondi,
Directed by Federico Fellini)
8. Annie Hall (Written and Directed by Woody Allen)
9. Blood Simple (Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen)
10. Citizen Kane (Written by Orson Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz,
Directed by Orson Welles)
11. High Fidelity (Written by D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, and Scott Rosenberg,
Directed by Stephen Frears)
12. Touch of Evil (Written and Directed by Orson Welles)
13. The Player (Written by Michael Tolkin, Directed by Robert Altman)
14. Stranger Than Fiction (Written by Zach Helm, Directed by Marc Forster)
15. Trainspotting (Written by John Hodge, Directed by Danny Boyle)

Manhattan (1979)
If you are going to make a movie entitled Manhattan, what better way to open than to unabashedly show how magnificent a place it is through a shot sequence comprised of nothing but the city itself? Allen shot the film in black and white to give it a classic, somewhat timeless feel. His picture is backed by Gerswin's Rhapsody in Blue adding to its nostalgic quality. Finally, his use of voice-over not only lets the audience know that this film is a comedy, but informs them of the kind of a person his main character is. The opening serves as both a spectacular tribute to Manhattan Island and an indicator of what the tone of the piece will be.



Adaptation (2002)
Adaptation uses the titles sequence to orient the viewer with the mind of the main character. The simple use of a well written monologue (softly spoken over a black screen with small typewriter font credits at the bottom of the frame) sticks in the viewer’s head. While Kaufman repeatedly talks to himself in this fashion throughout the film, this opening is probably the most immediately memorable. This method also shows that the focus of the film is on the craft of writing, and draws attention to that by shining the spotlight on the monologue itself. It is a film about screenwriting and therefore the first sentences must be superb.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLLihqJ22Vo&feature=related

Magnolia (1999)
The opening sequence should in a way prophesy about what kind of film you are about to see. Magnolia's preface is six minutes long. During this time none of the main characters are introduced, nor are any of the story lines that are to follow. It is there purely to present the main theme of the movie. It is a thesis statement that says, “This is a film about Chance vs. Providence.” If it seems a little self-indulgent for an introduction to run so long, the film's three hour running time will likely feel the same. But for those who enjoy Anderson's full throttle style, this introduction perfectly prepares the audience for the incredible events that transpire later in the film which might otherwise have been difficult to accept. Despite its length, this narration flows so smoothly that it feels shorter than it actually is.



Vanilla Sky (2001)
Sometimes you might want to 'wow' your audience with an opening that contains almost too good of a visual idea. Cameron Crowe does this in Vanilla Sky by shooting Tom Cruise running through an empty Times Square in the opening dream sequence. While this stunt calls attention to itself and initially caused everyone to say, “How did they do that?” somewhat taking the audience out of the narrative, it effectively communicates everything we need to know about the main character's mental state. The thesis statement is clearly stated in this first section. Not only is the Times Square sequence a mind-blowing visual stunt, it tells the audience a valuable piece of information and doesn't compromise the integrity of the film with what otherwise could have been interpreted as cheap gimmickry.



Match Point (2005)
Once again Woody Allen shows his abundant skill through his minimalism. With a single shot, a concise monologue, and less than a minute of screen time he has clearly stated what this entire film is about.



American Psycho (2000)
As seen in Adaptation and Trainspotting, a well written monologue given in the first person can be personalized and therefore easier for an audience to relate to. There is a personal connection that is made between the main character and the viewer. These monologues are the ones that turn such films into cult classics with many fans memorizing them. They also generally start a film off for maximum potency. The monologue here gives us a feel for the character himself, but also foreshadows the entire thrust of the social commentary that the film embodies in more detail later. Acting as a springboard it tells what the movie will show.



8 ½ (1963)
Here is an opening that uses almost no dialogue but tells us a great deal about the main character and the overarching theme of the film through its pure use of visuals. Everything in the dream sequence represents something that will be fleshed out in the future, much like the opening dream sequence in Vanilla Sky. It is so simultaneously disorienting and distinct that it grips the viewer immediately, and makes them want to figure out what the symbolism represents.



Annie Hall (1977)
Having a character look directly at the camera and speak to the audience (breaking down the third wall, as they say) is a fairly common practice in motion pictures now. It is a bold move declaring that the writer has the utmost confidence that his opinions and general outlook on life warrant the attention and respect of everyone watching. Allen was one of the pioneers of this method in Annie Hall, and few have put it to better use.



Blood Simple (1984)
The establishing shots that would normally be reserved for an opening credits sequence are used to create an eerie mood by showing us stark Texas landscapes, and then to reinforce the feeling of desolation, the writers/filmmakers implement a short and sweet monologue delivered by one of the film's antagonists. In one minute the film's ideology has been cemented. The Coens used this same method again with similar results in No Country For Old Men twenty four years later.



Citizen Kane (1941)
Citizen Kane's opening is so densely layered with symbolism that it is hard to neatly pick it apart. But it does make sense in light of the film that is to follow. For the most part, the questions that the opening raises will be answered, and any ambiguity that remains is intentional. This introduction, like the rest of the picture, begs for dissection. It is technically and aesthetically intriguing, and grips the viewer with its foreboding quality.



High Fidelity (2000)
Simplicity once again sets the tone of the piece with unexpected firmness. The vinyl record spinning on the record player is the first indicator that pop music will play a significant role in the film. The second is of course the main character staring into the camera (as in Annie Hall) stating his sentiments on pop music as it, in his opinion, connects with the human heart. A strong beginning that is both brief and blatant.



Touch of Evil (1958)
With the example of Citizen Kane it is obvious that Orson Welles considered the first frames of a film to be of the utmost importance. Here is another classic example of his dedication to detail and seemingly effortless ability to pull off the most elaborate and difficult shots. He starts off Touch of Evil with a tracking shot that is still talked about today as one of the most memorable moments in cinematic history. The suspense it creates is immediately palpable, and the viewer is hooked in no time.



The Player (1992)
Robert Altman's dark satire on the Hollywood system constantly references old films as well as current ones. These films are mentioned by name in many instances, but they are sometimes paid tribute to in the actual style of the filmmaking. The opening tracking shot is an obvious homage to Touch of Evil. If this was not evident to the audience, one of the characters in the shot discusses the tracking shot and how Orson Welles used it in that exact film. This tongue in cheek humor is out of the ordinary and therefore peaks the curiosity of the audience. Altman also uses this shot to introduce the world that we are entering and the main characters that inhabit it.



Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
The monologue that begins Stranger Than Fiction serves the same purpose as the one in American Psycho, only it is told in the third person. It is yet another example of first rate writing that is nicely complimented with inventive visuals. The protagonist is well outlined and the pacing and feel of the film are firmly planted in three minutes.



Trainspotting (1996)
The irreverent monologue that the main character in Trainspotting delivers is an infectious rant that is hard not to sympathize with, which is the goal of the filmmaker and screenwriter. They want you to agree with this broad opinion so that you will be on the side of Renton's character no matter what turns the narrative takes during the course of the film. His self-proclaimed sensibilities make you understand why he justifies heroin use. Even though the film's ultimate end is to show that heroin use is simply a delusion to escape another state of delusion, this is not the goal of the opening segment. This opening is fast, exciting, and deceitfully empowering. It works.



Other gripping introduction scenes that are worth looking at:

The Godfather (Written by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo,
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola)
Goodfellas (Written by Martin Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi, Directed by Martin Scorsese)
Pulp Fiction (Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino)
Reservoir Dogs (Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino)
The Dark Knight (Written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, Directed by Christopher Nolan)
The Big Lebowski (Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Written by Lawrence Kasdan, Directed by Steven Spielberg)
Jerry Maguire (Written and Directed by Cameron Crowe)
Full Metal Jacket (Written by Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford,
Directed by Stanley Kubrick)
Raising Arizona (Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen)

Goodnight, Void

Tie red
Red tie
Tired
Retiring......

Status

Someone asked me last Sunday if my friendships would change now that I have "status" and a lot of my friends remain "poor college students." I laughed at first, brushing off this question as if it were absurd. Then I got to thinking, "No, you know what? She's right! I have STATUS now! Finally, my life is worth something! But how can I prove this?" I then took a picture of my coffee table, as it embodies and perfectly encapsulates everything worth living for, all of which I have now attained by my right hand! For any former friends of mine who are still in college, I'm sorry to break it to you this way, but I must disassociate myself from you. I have a status to maintain, dag nab it!

Cassette

How were you to know
That your analogue advice
Preserved in plastic these long twelve years
Would now save me from another mistake?
Despite time's passage
The vocal cords chronicled
Remain harmoniously intact
With every truth I know and breath I take.

God in a Defiance

"I make me!"
Clever -
A ruse?
Your fingers are starting to prune.
Would you have me fetch you a towel
To prepare you for the prowl?
"No thank you. I will drip dry on the sand dunes."
By protesting your limitations
You choose sleep, prolonging this fiction
Where fortitude is found in flawless diction.
Lost in the art of your Bildungsroman:
"Are not you you? Will this harm me later?"
Semiotics and versification
Screeching, halts halfway down the banister,
Clutching the eternal interim.
When you tire, I will be, for I am
The guiding star of your existence,
The throb of hope that squeezes your hand,
Able to lead you through all resistance.
"Tide take me -
Severed
From you!"