Film Openings 

Hey Blog! Here's a little update on how the project is going. We decided to switch the genre a little, so instead of doing action, we're doing thriller with coming-of-age. To represent these genres, here are three opening films that might be really useful as inspiration for our film. 

                                       The Outsiders (1983)

The Outsiders is based on the 1967 novel by S.E. Hinton, which was then made into a movie by Francis Ford Coppol. The story follows two gangs in their town, the Greasers and the Socs, who are divided by their social class. The rivalry between them is so big that they can't be near each other without a problem occurring. The Greasers are known for their greasy hair, fighting, and shopping, while the Socs are known for being rich and spoiled teenagers from good families. 

The film opening of this film is quite particular, but very interesting. The film begins showing the main character, Ponyboy Curtis, who lives with his two brothers, Darry and Soda. The shot is established by a close-up that slowly zooms into Ponyboy as he is sitting down on a couch somewhere that looks like his home. He's thinking, and then the scene shifts to a point-of-view shot where he's writing in his journal/notebook titled "The Outsiders." This is a central part of the story since it reveals that Ponyboy is the narrator in this story. Right after it shifts to the rolling credits, and then the movie plot begins with a little insight into the Socs as they're doing bad stuff. This film opening could really inspire us on what approach and strategies we want to use, like if we want to do similar shots or base it on a main character too with its group. This is also a great example of a coming-of-age film since both Socs and Greasers are transitioning from teenagers to adults.

                               Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

Where the Crowdads Sing is a thriller/mystery film that can also be considered as coming-of-age. Its opening is completely different from the first one I talked about. This film begins by presenting the credits paired with long shots of nature as the background. Aside from the credits, this is really important as it sets the setting and captures the beauty and tranquility of this film. As we see this calm, beautiful setting that proceeds, two little kids riding their bikes, having fun and enjoying their time. However, these two little boys find a dead body by the side of the river, and then the mystery begins. As the opening goes on, the main character Kya Clark is presented as she's running away from the police. She was abandoned as a kid and lives isolated from the world, which is represented by the natural setting. Her behavior shows her loneliness, how distrustful she is with authority, and the fear she has of being taken away from the wildlife she loves. 

The opening sequence also explores a little of Kya's coming-of-age journey. Her solitary life in the marsh emphasizes her independence and the challenges she's about to face in the world that has rejected her. The visual introduction contributes to the themes of the film and tones like isolation, survival, and looking to fit in. Once again, this film would be very good to further analyze if we want to develop an opening similar to or inspired by this kind of film. 

                                                  Stranger Things (2016)

Now, for this third film opening, it's a little different. Instead of doing a movie, I'm doing a show. However, this show still fits into our genre of coming-of-age since it's based on preteens transitioning into teens. This is a strong visual opening that foreshadows without giving away too much. It only gives you a hint of what's coming. It actually creates a sense of mystery as there's a guy running like a maniac where it looks like a hospital or a lab and then gets taken away by some mystery creature. Just by this, the audience gets that chilly sensation and is curious to keep on watching to know what happened. This kind of opening is a little different from what we're going for, but it really caught my eye, and I really liked how intense it gets in such a small amount of time. The music and lighting were also amazing, as they both contributed to that thriller feeling. The flickering light while the scientist is all scared, the heavy breathing, the creature's sound, and the scary background sound were all amazing and thought off so well. So, if we decide to go for a more straight-forward, fast-paced opening film, I will definitely look at this in a more detailed way.