Film opening research

 I’ve decided the genre for my film opening will be drama! Today I'll be researching 3 film openings to get inspiration for my own.

 

The first film I'll be looking into is Beautiful Boy (2018).

I’ve watched the whole movie before, and it really impacted me, so I want to take inspiration from the addiction storyline.

      The film begins in the future with the father talking to a doctor asking for all the information he can get on drug addiction, especially crystal meth. The screen then goes black and says, “one year earlier.” The scene then changes to the dad looking for his son in his room, however it's empty showing that he’s left. He then calls a hospital asking if they've seen his son, demonstrating his desperation. The dad lays in bed in the dark and all you can hear are crickets, it's very silent emphasizing how the son is gone. The scene uses dark lighting and silence to add emotion to the scene. I want to utilize these two techniques in my own opening scene since I want my opening scene to be emotional.

 

      The second film is Whiplash (2014)

      The film begins with a black screen and all you hear are drums, it begins slowly and gets faster until it sounds like gunfire then it suddenly stops, and we see the drummer at the end of the hall in dim light. The camera gets closer as he starts drumming again when an instructor walks in, and he stops again, the instructor asks him why he's stopped and he responds by drumming again and once he stops, he gets asked why he began drumming if he never asked. The instructor tests him on his skill then walks out and only returns to grab his jacket. I liked the beginning where the only thing happening with sound, I thought it was very cool. The opening also uses weighted, minimal line of dialogue Again, in this opening I see dim lighting, so this is something I will definitely include in my film opening as it seems to be a common factor in drama film openings.

 

      The third film is Manchester by the sea (2016)

      Manchester by the Sea starts with calm shots of the ocean, then shows a man and a boy on a boat fishing and joking around. The lighting is soft and natural, making the scene feel peaceful and real. There’s no intense music, just the sounds of the water and their voices, which makes it feel more personal. I want to use these techniques in my own opening by having quiet, simple moments that show emotion without needing a lot of action or dramatic music.

Works Cited

AcademyAwardClips. “Whiplash Opening Scene | Whiplash (2014) | 1080p HD.” YouTube, 19 Dec. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMDZa5WRczI. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.

Franco Seguer. “Manchester by the Sea (2016) - Opening Credits [HD].” YouTube, 25 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrP1Tl8xuNo. Accessed 5 Feb. 2025.

mclovin456. “Timothée Chalamet Beautiful Boy Opening Scene.” YouTube, 30 June 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBt8RVLNo4w. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.