Purpose of an opening sequence

Purpose of an opening sequence

• 1.
  The importance ofan opening sequence By Dilini Gorsia
• 2.
  The main purpose  The opening sequence tends to be a short clip of around 2-3 minutes long that aims to capture the interests of its audience and draw them into the film as a whole.  The purpose of an opening sequence in a film is to establish the visual style of the film, it introduces characters, location, narrative, genre and theme to the viewer.
• 3.
  Main characters The main characters are usually in the opening sequence allowing the audience to gain knowledge on their personality and role. The audience follows their actions throughout the opening sequence in order to determine their actions throughout the film and in the case of a horror especially, it is also the first introduction to the antagonist along with the protagonist. As well as this, the audience can also become aware of the location and where the film will be set which will enable them to gain an understanding of the genre.
• 4.
  The crucial Introduction  The first 10 shots may be some of the most crucial shots in the film. They are considered the aspects that make or break the film and are the first impressions that the audience receives. If these first few shots aren’t to a good standard, the audiences attention will be broken and they may change their mind about watching the rest of that film.