Conventions of a film opening

Conventions of a film opening:

Mise-en-scene to set the scene and suggest what genre it is

Mise-en-scene is needed to set the scene in an opening to connote the theme. This I needed as you need to get a hint of what theme it is so that the audience can get an idea of what the film I going to be like and whether they will like it.

Introduction of main characters

Propp’s theory can be used to introduce the characters and what type of character they will turn out to be as Vladmir Propp’s theory is that most films and stories have a hero and villain and all of those stereotypical characters. In an opening you should be able to tell what type of character they will be. This helps the audience get an idea of what the character are going to be like and also

Continuity

Continuity is needed in the opening because if there was no continuity the audience would get confused and the shots just wouldn't flow very well due to how different the characters look and what the shot is like. The film opening would also seem very unprofessional without continuity as it just doesn't  flow or look very aesthetically pleasing.

Opening credits
An opening needs opening credits because it helps the audience find out what actors are in the show/film and also shows them who the main characters are. It also tells you who was the director of the film, writer, cinematographer. This part also lets the audience know what people were involved in doing the make-up and costumes and things like that.

Non-diegetic sound
Non diegetic sound is need in an opening to create tension if needed to and is also used to give the audience a hint of what type of film it will be and what genre it is. This is needed so that the audience can gain an opinion on the film and whether they will like it before carrying on to watch the rest of the film. The music says a lot about the film as it is there to create a mood and to make the audience feel the emotion the music is intending.

Narrative to set the scene
This is needed because there needs to be a story to the film and it should start to be shown in the opening so that the audience can get an idea of what the film is going to be like and whether it is their type of film. This fits in with Barthes' theory on enigma codes. The enigma code fits in with this as the basics of the story are starting to get told in the opening which leaves the audience with unanswered questions that they want to find the answers of so it makes them want to casrry on and watch the rest of the film. Narrative to set the scene is needed in an opening because it grips the audience and makes them want to carry on watching to have their questions answered.