Types of film opening: first impressions.

A film opening is the first impression a movie makes on its audience. It introduces the key elements often designed to capture the viewers attention within the first few minutes. Filmmakers use various techniques and styles to craft compelling openings, each serving a specific narrative purpose.

Backstory:

A backstory film opening introduces the audience to events that occurred before the main narrative begins. This type of opening provides important background information about the characters, setting, or central conflict, helping the audience understand the context of the story. It often uses flashbacks, narration, or visual storytelling to show what has already happened, setting the foundation for the plot that follows. Backstory openings are especially useful in films where understanding the past is essential to fully grasp the characters' motivations and the stakes of the current situation.

Pixar’s "Up" (2009), where the opening montage shows the entire love story of Carl and Ellie and how they met, fell in love, and dreamed of adventures. This emotional backstory gives depth to Carl’s character and sets up the emotional motivation behind his actions in the rest of the film.

Character:

A character film opening focuses on introducing the main character right from the start. This type of opening helps the audience connect with the protagonist by revealing aspects of their personality, lifestyle, goals, or struggles. It allows viewers to understand who the character is before the main plot unfolds, setting up their journey and making their decisions and growth more impactful later in the story.

"How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003) begins by focusing on the main character, Andie Anderson, in her workplace at Composure magazine. The opening scenes show her writing a beauty column, interacting with coworkers, and expressing her desire to write more serious, meaningful pieces. This immediately reveals her personality. By cantering the first moments of the film on Andie’s goals and frustrations, the audience gets to know her before the main plot begins.

Teaser:

A teaser film opening (also called a cold open) is a type of beginning that drops the audience straight into the action, mystery, or drama before the main story or title sequence begins. Its purpose is to hook the viewer instantly by creating suspense, raising questions, or showing a dramatic or intriguing moment so they feel compelled to keep watching. This type of opening doesn’t explain much right away. Instead, it gives just enough to spark curiosity, often leaving viewers wondering: What’s going on? Who are these people? What will happen next? The full context is usually revealed later in the film.

"The Dark Knight" (2008), the movie opens with a masked bank robbery led by the Joker. The audience doesn’t know who the characters are or what their motives are. The opening is tense, dramatic, and ends with a major reveal of the Joker’s identity. It hooks the audience before the story officially begins.

Theme:

A theme film opening is designed to immediately establish the central ideas, motifs, or messages that will be explored throughout the movie. Unlike openings that focus primarily on character or plot, a theme film opening uses visuals, music, narration, or symbolism to set the mood and prompt the audience to consider the deeper meaning behind the narrative. This approach allows viewers to connect with the film on an intellectual or emotional level right from the start.

"Wall-E" (2008) opens with a wide shot of a desolate, garbage covered Earth set to the cheerful song “Put On Your Sunday Clothes.” The contrast between the upbeat music and the ruined planet immediately sets the tone and theme. We then see Wall-E, the lonely robot, sorting through trash in silence, surrounded by massive skyscrapers made of garbage. The lack of human presence and the scale of devastation make the message clear before any real plot begins.

Tone:

A tone film opening is designed to immediately establish the emotional atmosphere or mood of the film. Instead of focusing on character, plot, or theme right away, the main goal is to give the audience a clear sense of what the film will feel like whether it’s lighthearted, eerie, intense, romantic, dark, or comedic. Tone openings use cinematography, lighting, music, pacing, and sound design to create a specific emotional response. This helps set audience expectations and prepares them for the kind of emotional experience the film will deliver.

"A Quiet Place" (2018), The film opens with almost complete silence as a family walks barefoot through an abandoned store. The eerie stillness, empty setting, and careful movement immediately establish a tone of tension, fear, and vulnerability. There’s no explanation of the plot yet, but the mood makes it clear that sound is dangerous and that the characters live in constant fear. This gripping atmosphere hooks the audience and sets the emotional tone for the entire film.

Prologue:

A prologue film opening is a type of introduction that takes place before the main story begins. Its purpose is to provide background information, historical context, or important events that happened in the past, setting the stage for the present day plot. A prologue can appear as a narrated flashback, a short scene, or even text on screen, and is usually separated in time or tone from the main storyline. Unlike a backstory opening (which often reveals past events through a character’s memories or storytelling), a prologue is its own distinct scene or sequence, intentionally placed at the very start as a standalone setup.

"Maleficent" (2014), The film opens with a narrated prologue that introduces the magical world of the Moors and explains who Maleficent was as a young fairy. It then shows how she was betrayed by a human boy she trusted, which leads to the heartbreak and anger that shape her into the iconic villain we know.

A day in the life:

A day in the life film opening introduces the audience to the main character’s routine, environment, and lifestyle by showing a typical day in their life before the main plot begins. It doesn’t start with drama, mystery, or backstory instead, it calmly sets the scene, allowing the viewer to get to know the protagonist through their actions, habits, and interactions.

"Lady Bird" (2017), The film opens with Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson and her mom finishing an emotional audiobook during a road trip. What starts as a peaceful bonding moment quickly turns into an argument about college and life decisions. This everyday moment captures Lady Bird’s personality and her complicated relationship with her mother. It feels like a slice of her normal life and gives us insight into her world before the actual plot (her coming of age journey) unfolds.

Flash forward:

A flash forward film opening begins by showing a scene from later in the story before jumping back to the beginning. It gives the audience a glimpse of the future, often showing a dramatic, mysterious, or emotional moment that raises questions about how the characters reached that point. Then, the film rewinds to the past and builds toward that future moment throughout the story. This technique creates suspense and curiosity, making viewers wonder: How did this happen? What led to this? It’s especially common in thrillers, dramas, and action films.

"Pulp Fiction" (1994), The film opens with a couple, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, sitting in a diner casually discussing robbing the place. Their light, even humorous conversation suddenly turns serious as they leap up with guns and begin a robbery, cut to black and then the opening credits roll with energetic music. However, this scene doesn’t pick up again until the very end of the movie, when another character, Jules, confronts them and the storyline connects. So, the opening diner robbery is technically a flash forward to the climax of the film. The story jumps back and forth in time, but that diner robbery acts as a hook that pays off only after we see the other storylines unfold.