Research: Film Openings

 Girl, Interrupted

     Girl, Interrupted, one of my favorite books and movies of all time, was a massive influence when coming up with this project. The introduction, which shows Susanna and Lisa by the end of the movie, is an unconventional approach, but I want to take inspiration from the dark color pallet and the overall tragic nature of the scene.

     While researching this opening, I found a really good youtube video analyzing it and breaking down every choice made in creating the intro. 

     One idea I really like is the fact that in the intro, we can see broken glass and a syringe on the floor that we don’t yet know the meaning of. Even though I’m still playing with ideas, I think it’s a good idea to have some kind of ambiguity about what happened to my character in the introduction, which would be known by the end of the film. 

Donnie Darko

     The introduction to Donnie Darko is similar to the one in Girl Interrupted because of how there is an element of mystery as to what happened, but it differs because it focuses much more on establishing the setting rather than maintaining that mystery.

     The scene showing him biking through the unassuming town paired with the mysterious introduction sets us up with the idea that he is both literally and metaphorically distant from the people in the town, a theme I want to carry into my own opening.

Happiness

     Happiness is another incredible movie, and the opening scene is, in my opinion, equally good. The use of very few types of shots shows the introduction as it is, in all its awkwardness, as one of the main characters breaks up with someone she’s been seeing. 

     The lack of music in the clip also works to highlight the dialogue, letting us not only laugh at the absurdity of the scene, but also give us insight into both of the characters personalities. Having a very dialogue centric opening would be an interesting idea for the opening I want to create.