The purpose and conventions of a film opening

Purpose

The purpose of a film opening is to draw the viewer in and get them immediately intrigued about the rest of the film. The opening  will clearly show the genre, characters and whether it is protagonist or antagonist.

Timing conventions

Film openings are normally around 2 minutes long. Although, Blockbuster movies are sometimes about 5 minutes long.

Set the scene

It usually shows the year in which the film is set, the location that it is set in.

Introduce the key characters

The film opening will show the viewer the antagonist, protagonist and the sidekicks of the film and so on.

Introduce pre plot or beginning of the narrative

 This establishes the platform within the film, the scene of it.

Key credits

 These include production company, logos of the film makers, producers and the director.

Usually starts with equilibrium

 A key event will usually occur within the opening scene, this helps to draw the viewer in and make them continue watching the film.