The Structure of Openings

In class we looked at thriller openings for examples of different kinds of film openings. We learnt that there were four main types of opening sequences, which are:

A narrative opening with the titles running throughout:

e.g, The Stepfather, He loves me he loves me not, The Shining, Panic Room

A discrete title sequence:

e.g, Seven, Arlington road, Enemy of State

Titles over a blank screen, followed by the narrative opening:

e.g, Donnie Darko, Dead Calm

Stylised editing:

e.g, Mezrine, Taking of Pelham 123