Film opening codes and

conventions
Bobby Lee

Conventions

Conventions are
what the target
audience would
expect to see
within the
opening of a film

Company logo
Titles
Genre
Themes and topics
Introduction of characters
Sound
Narrations and text
Enigma

Company logo
The company logo is something featured in
every opening to a film, it begins by showing on
screen the logo of the production/distribution
company that has contributed to helping produce
and distribute the film. This is a form of
advertisement. An example of one of these
companies would be either DreamWorks or 20th
Century Fox.

Titles and opening credits

The titles are the opening credits and these
include some of the most important
members in production, the directors and
featured actors. Sometimes the names are
displayed in a certain order in order to
signify the importance of the people, the
film title also appears on screen and this can
be done using computer graphics.

Genre
The genre of the film can be connoted to the
target audience through using the four
conventional micro elements (Mis-en-scene,
Lighting, Sound & Camera shots and
angles). For example in a thriller opening the
target audience might expect to see a lot of
jump cuts and de-saturated lighting.

Themes and topics

The theme of a film is the story of the
genre, it can be established in the
opening, often just after the equilibrium
stage of a narrative, in order to build an
enigma. The theme also helps to signify to
the target audience what type of genre the
film is and if done effectively it introduces
the narrative without giving to much away.

Introduction of characters
Introducing the characters to the target audience can be
done through either showing them in a shot or using a
POV shot. POV shots can help signify to the target
audience the characters interests and the fact they are
featured early on within the film connotes their
importance to the narrative. Not showing the character in
the opening scene conflicts against the conventions and
could evoke confusion from the target audience.
Introducing the characters early on in a film can also help
the audience to establish the genre.

Sound
Both non-diegetic and diegetic sound can be used within the
opening scene to a film, despite this non-diegetic is more
commonly used. For example in thriller films non-diegetic
soundtracks can be played in the background to build suspense.
Not only does it help to set the scene but it also signifies to the
target audience what genre the film conforms to. Diegetic sound
can be used to deepen the audiences understanding on a
character through conversation. But it is something more
commonly used within comedy films to emphasize humor, like in
the film Cheaper by the dozen, where the characters can be seen
laughing at a table along to the diegetic music.

Narrations and text

Narration and text is a convention that can be used
to give the target audience an insight into what is
happening within the scene. An example of this
would be a voice over, which can be used to set the
scene or introduce a character. For example in the
opening scene of American Phsycho the first person
voice over gives the audience a deeper
understanding on the character and his OCD.
Sometimes this convention is not used and this
could help create mystery.

Enigma
Enigma is a feature commonly used in
thriller openings as it helps to build
tension but at the same time it
intrigues the target audience as it
should evoke a sense of confusion. It is
a key factor in hooking the audience as
if used effectively and correctly it can
make the audience want to watch the
rest of the film.