The opening scenes

[wingnut]

Hi everyone,

I'm busy working on a feature, and I've got a little question about the opening scene (don't worry nothing like my previous thread on scenes), more a general question, but first a little background...

The film, is fundamentally a ghost / haunted house story. Pretty much straight ahead 'scare the willy's' out of you stuff. Theres no beserk twist to the ghosts (i.e. Sixth Sense), or the house they're just your average beasties. The twist in the end comes from the protagonist as we learn more about him and his past, which interplays nicely,with hauntings, and main subplot, which focus' on the strained relationship with his father, and why that is.

Basically, although the film will be considered a horror, it's very character driven, and constantly builds suspense throughout. Infact theres only 3 sequences which have hugely gruesome scenes.

The film (at the moment) opens with the main character moving into the house, and from there applies pressure straight away, with various happenings. Later the protagonist learns the history of the house and therefore why nasty things keep happening.

Phew! Now there is some debate on whether to rewrite the beginning. The logic is that, we could open with a sneak peak into the history of the house, which would be fairly gruesome but would hide important details to be revealed later. Thereby grabbing the audiences attention from the start. This would be easy to incorporate an wouldn't affect the rest of the movie to much, as a lot of detail would be discovered later.

The other (and first) train of thought is to let the film build to the nasty scenes, and suck the audience in to plot, by concentrating on the characters, and not the promise of more nastiness to come.

So my question is. What is your point of view on these to methods. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to get anyone to make the decision for me, we've got a script meeting on sunday to discuss this very point, I'm just getting an idea of the general feeling on this. I've already asked loads of people, (just people I know / meet, I'm not doing a big market research study or anything), and so far the general concensus is to start with a big gruesome sequence.

Sorry, I know I can waffle on, I'm nearly finished.

So what do you guys think? (I know its difficult without the material but..), do you think horror should start with a big bang (in general, Jaws, or The Descent) or by building suspense (like say my fav movie of all time - Alien).

I thought I'd add a poll to track response, and just for the fun of it, see what happens

Thanks in advance for your replies

Toodle

Oh for the forum moderators - sorry if your not supposed to use film titles like Alien, I couldn't see anything in the forum FAQ about it so I'm assuming its OK.

[wingnut]

Whoops, Forgot to add a poll, sorry.

I can't figure how you do it, once the threads been posted, so nevermind.

response are of course gladly welcome though.

thanks

[Larry Rutledge]

This is a great article that may help you. I couldn't find the link to where I originally got it, so I'm just pasting the body of the article here.

- Larry



Opening Scenes: Force The Reader To Turn The Page
By Michael Hauge

Just about every screenwriting book, seminar or conference you encounter will inform you that you must "grab the reader with the first ten pages of your script." But what does that mean, exactly, and how do you do it?

Screenplays, like movies, must provide an EMOTIONAL experience. A movie is a roller coaster ride, not a slide show. If the agent, executive, star or director reading your script is simply thinking, rather than feeling, you're not doing your job.

The people in power in Hollywood are far too busy to read every screenplay to completion. They will assume, correctly, that if the writer can't captivate them at the beginning of the opening of the story, it's highly unlikely things will improve later on. So scripts that don't pass the "10-page test" will be rejected.

Even story analysts, who must read every screenplay to completion in order to write accurate synopses, are unlikely to recommend a script that takes more than ten pages to capture their interest. How many times in your own life have you ended up praising a movie that bored you for the first ten minutes?

THE THREE GOALS OF THE OPENING SCENE

To insure that your screenplay passes this ten-page hurdle, your opening must achieve three basic objectives:

1. DRAW THE READER INTO THE STORY

One of the biggest mistakes screenwriters make is rushing through the opening, rather than allowing enough time for the reader to move from the real world into the fantasy world the writer has created.

Begin with your setting, picking two or three details that will create a vivid image in the reader's mind. An apartment strewn with old pizza boxes and cigarette butts, where posters of Pamela Lee adorn every wall, is a lot more vivid and interesting than the phrase INT APARTMENT - NIGHT. The details also tell us a lot more about the character who inhabits the apartment.

A standard opening scene might begin with some panoramic shot to establish location-the New York skyline in Working Girl, or the snow covered plains in Fargo. This broad setting is described in some detail, then a second scene moves in to an exterior shot of the more specific location for the action, the Staten Island Ferry, or a small town tavern, in the same two examples.

Only after the writer has pulled the reader into the setting with these establishing shots would he move to an interior shot where the real action will begin. To open the two films mentioned without showing the larger setting would reduce the audiences' emotional involvement, and some of their understanding of what drives the main characters as well.

Do not feel rigidly tied to this panorama-exterior-interior formula. The same effect might be achieved by opening with a close up of some object, then pulling back to reveal a larger setting, and then introducing your first character. Or consider opening with a black screen, but describe the SOUNDS we hear first, then open on whatever is making the sounds, then describe your character. The key is to hold back on character action or dialogue until your reader has gotten his bearings.

Also be certain that when you do introduce your characters, you do so one at a time, with individual descriptions, giving each a separate piece of action in a separate paragraph if possible. Meeting characters in a script is like meeting strangers at a party; if we're introduced to too many at once, we'll never be able to remember who each one is.

2. INTRODUCE YOUR HERO.

Once the reader is inside the setting of your screenplay, your most important concern is to establish identification with your hero. A reader must BECOME this character, not simply observe her. Only after establishing that psychological connection can you use your hero as the vehicle for taking the reader on an exciting, enjoyable journey.

Get us to care about, feel sorry for, and/or worry about your hero before you even consider revealing any flaws or shortcomings to the character. We will identify much more strongly with a character if he is a victim of some undeserved misfortune (as in Braveheart, The Color Purple or The Nutty Professor), if he is in immediate jeopardy (The Rock), if he makes us laugh (Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion), if he is highly skilled (Mission Impossible) or if he is simply a good-hearted, likable person (That Thing You Do).

The subconscious expectation of any reader is that the first character to appear in your screenplay will be the protagonist. So unless you consciously choose otherwise for the sake of greater emotion (see "types of openings" below), introduce us to your main character before anyone else appears in the story.

If your hero is among a group of people in the opening scene, provide a detailed description of that character first, before naming or describing any of the other people that surround him. Include more than simply your hero's name and age; your goal is to create as vivid a movie in the reader's mind as possible. Concentrate on clothing, mannerisms, postureanything that will help convey the essence of this character.

If you intend to develop growth or a character arc for your hero, you should also begin that process immediately. Ask yourself what frightens your hero emotionally, and what she is doing to avoid experiencing that fear. Then use your opening scene to exhibit that inner conflict.

Within the first three minutes of Sleepless In Seattle, we have learned that Sam Baldwin has lost his wife and is afraid of "growing a new heart," so he cuts himself off from further emotional risk by telling himself, "It just doesn't happen twice." A key underlying theme of the movie is conveyed in these few opening moments.

Similarly, the relationship between the two brothers is brilliantly exhibited in the opening of BIG NIGHT simply by their separate reactions to a customer's request for spaghetti.

3. SET THE TONE OF THE FILM

The STYLE of prose you employ for your action, description and dialogue must also establish the mood of your film. Certainly, if you're writing a comedy, something funny better happen fairly quickly, and the tone should be lighter, often with a more leisurely pace.

Thrillers and action scripts should generally be faster paced, use shorter sentences and paragraphs, and open with either violence or suspense. Shane Black's staccato style in The Last Boy Scout or The Long Kiss Goodnight would never be confused with the softer, wordier style of Jeff Arch in Sleepless In Seattle or Kevin Wade in Working Girl.

Lawrence Kasdan opens Body Heat with the phrase, "Flames in a night sky." This immediately creates a provocative visual image, establishes a tone of foreboding, foreshadows a key plot element, and symbolizes the sensuality, evil and damnation the hero is about to encounter. Not bad for five short words.

THE FIVE TYPES OF OPENINGS

To accomplish these three necessary objectives, it may help to be aware of the most familiar openings movies employ.

1. THE ACTION HERO

If your hero is a cop, a soldier or a spy, the most direct method of grabbing the reader may be with a big action opening involving that character. Eraser, Judge Dredd and Double Team all open this way (as does almost every other one of Arnold's, Sly's or Jean-Claude's movies).

2. OUTSIDE ACTION

This is often employed when an everyday person is the hero of a thriller. The first scene shows some exciting action sequence which does NOT involve the hero (though it often introduces us to the villain). Then the screenplay cuts to the hero living her everyday life before she is plunged into a situation of jeopardy and violence. The Pelican Brief, Star Wars, and The Relic all use this very common device.

3. THE PROLOGUE

Some screenplays open with an event (often one involving compelling action) which occurs significantly prior to the main story, but which creates anticipation of what's to follow, and gives the characters' actions greater credibility. The Saint, The Devil's Own and Courage Under Fire are all recent examples.

4. THE FLASHBACK

In period pieces in particular, taking the audience back in time can be an added challenge to getting them emotionally involved. When a screenplay "bookends" the story by opening (and closing) with a narrator in present day, the "once-upon-a-time quality" of the story can be very captivating. The Bridges of Madison County, Sleepers and even the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers all employ this device.

5. THE EVERYDAY HERO INTRODUCTION

This is the most common way of opening a screenplay, but also one of the most varied, so I left it for last. Most of you are probably writing screenplays that don't involve thrills and chills, but rather rely on humor or everyday conflict for their emotion. Or perhaps you are writing a suspense film, but your hero is just an everyday person, and showing violence immediately would be inappropriate for your story. In these cases, you must rely on your character introductions, your dialogue and even your setting as the means of grabbing the reader.

A unique, original, interesting hero will pull the reader into your story, as will situations creating immediate sympathy or worry. Think of how compelling the heroes of Sling Blade, Secrets and Lies and Jerry Maguire are, despite the lack of spectacular pyrotechnics.

Similarly, the immediate humor in Flirting with Disaster, the sexuality that opens Murder at 1600, the evocative setting of The English Patient, the curiosity and anticipation at the beginning of The Godfather and the strikingly original opening of Everyone Says I Love You all take us out of our own lives and plant us firmly in the worlds their screenwriters have created.

- Michael Hauge

Michael Hauge is a script consultant, story editor, writer and lecturer who has made his living in the Hollywood film and television industries since the mid-seventies. He is the author of the best-selling HarperCollins book Writing Screenplays That Sell, and has presented his award-winning weekend screenwriting seminars to more than twenty thousand writers and film makers throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. For detailed information on Michael's weekend seminars or his critique and consultation service, please call 1-800-477-1947 or e-mail him at mhauge@juno.com

© Screentalk Magazine www.screentalk.biz (http://www.screentalk.biz)

[wingnut]

hi larry, once again thanks for jumping in and helping me out. You surpassed the scope of the question in fantastic style. I'm was sort of looking for an informal discussion on the topic in general, but the article you've posted goes way beyond that and will be a great help to me (and everyone else involved), on Sunday. :dankk2:

But whats your opinion? I'm not asking specifically about my movie, just how you like to see a movie (in this context) begin. Personally, I love a slow build, but something like wolf creek was too slow even for me.

[-JunK-]

Maybe if you gave us a little more detail about the opening. Too general to gauge anything from really. Female or male? What kind of house? Night or Day? (that is about your movie of course =)

In general, take it in context as you said, horror genre. Personally I like slow too. But there is a reason most films start with a kill, and the best are memorable. Think Halloween, my personal favorite horror opening. POV, seamless, shaken. Hot scantily clad girl gets stabbed. Plus looking for the areas Carpenter cut is fun (yeah that the director in me talking tho hehe)

Need to have some OOMF, scare them right away without giving them the whole bang. Scream was another great opening. Of course, first image is important too. Make that different, interesting. And pending kind of house, think location too. And usually a hot chick gets killed right away. For good reason I guess, I dont know always depresses me =)

[wingnut]

hi junk

I deliberately left the description of the film a bit vague, cause I'm really after a general feel as to what people think about the opening for this genre, We'll be discussing the actual opening in great detail soon, pro's, con's etc.

So I'm just building a picture in my mind about peoples general impressions, (kind of early market research) I know the questions very open, sorry about that.

But I know what mean, I love slow builds but the instant grab appeals for lots of reasons, and I must admit so far that seems to be the preference. In this case the film (currently) begins with the hero alex moving into his new - haunted - house, and the second sequence introduces the rest of the main characters.

The house is haunted cause a couple that lived there about 70 or so years earlier (just within living memory), who for intents and purposes went a bit cuckoo and killed the rest of the family. Theres a big scene later on, in which you see all this playing out. But it would be easily feasible to also show a shorter, less graphic, and more obtuse version of this at the start - trying not to give to much away, but trying to get peoples attention at the same time.

I'm thinking very long and hard about this, cause if you get it wrong, it can just look tacky - like you say it can be memorable, but then again I've seen lots of stuff which to my eye is simply unwarranted, same with slow builds, if you get it wrong its just dull, and the audience simply won't engage with the characters. Its a difficult choice, and I think we'll actually shoot (and rewrite) with the big beginning in mind, cause luckily it won't impact the rest of the film, so if it doesn't work it can be cut.

So hopefully I can hear as many peoples views about this topic in general, so I can get a better idea of what everyone (filmmakers and filmgoers) think. So thanks for your input, it's very appreciated.

[Kemper]

My screenplay now starts with a prologue. It is an event that moves the story...sets the tone...and reveals the protagonists and antagonist as well...I Hope:)

I think it builds anticipation...without stealing the rest of the films fire. I think that is key. If you have a big opening moment you had better be ready to back it up.

[Larry Rutledge]

But whats your opinion? I'm not asking specifically about my movie, just how you like to see a movie (in this context) begin. Personally, I love a slow build, but something like wolf creek was too slow even for me.

It's a hard question to answer. I like both and it really depends more on execution than anything else. If it is a slow build, but is clear that each thing I am seeing is important to some aspect of the movie I'm going to be seeing...great! But if it is a slow build simply to show off nice scenery or to fill a few extra minutes of screen time...not great!

In my opinion, for whatever that's worth, you want to get the audience as quickly as possible into the world of your film. You don't want them thinking about the fact that it is taking a while to start, or that after 20 minutes they realize they are still watching the film. One of the things I hate most about "made for tv" movies is it often seems like I get 20-30 minutes into the film and then it starts.

So whether quick or slow, give me some idea as quick as you can what this world is I'm entering. And, to be clear, I don't mean to give everything away, it can be items that are unclear now, but that become important as the movie progresses.

Just make sure that whatever you show/tell the audience applies to the film. If it doesn't have anything to do with the story then cut it.

Just my $0.01 9/10 hope it helps.

Peace,
Larry

[EJ Pennypacker]

So what do you guys think? (I know its difficult without the material but..), do you think horror should start with a big bang (in general, Jaws, or The Descent) or by building suspense (like say my fav movie of all time - Alien).

I think you answered your own question when you stated your film was more "suspense" than "horror".

I think with this typical narrative, the film would normally start with a history lesson - and a scare.

It's also hard to make exact recommendations when the facts are vauge.

I think the thing you need to be asking most is how do you make this any different, or better, than say THE OTHERS, or even THE SIXTH SENSE. You said your movie is pretty much 'straight down the middle'. Does that mean nothing special happens? Nothing new brought to the table? That's a worrying statement to make. Every new movie should at least try and bring something new to the table IMHO. That's what makes your movie different. And makes dist. buy the thing - and the public want to view it.

EJ

[CineMischief]

Agree w/ EJ. And here's the thing: you gotta view every aspect of your story as a whole. One thing HAS to lead to the next, a certain logic (even if it's buried) has to prevail. Otherwise, it's just a bunch of scenes that are put together in the hopes that there are enough of them to make a feature length movie. I'm not saying you're doing this, but the two different openings make for two different films.

Figure out what the story is telling you. You gotta listen to logic and your gut. Maybe there is a killer opening that you're dying to put in, but it might not belong in this particular movie. Again, I'm not saying you're doing this, but you should always listen to the story to indicate what should/shouldn't belong.

If you like slow builds, then do one...this is YOUR film, so do what YOU'D like to see.

Lastly, you could toy around with the two elements. That, IMHO, is what works the best in horror/suspense. It's all about surprise, isn't it? Scare the audience when they've just put their guard down. They are already coming into your movie expecting to be scared...so maybe toy with when they think a scare is about to happen.

I dunno. I stopped making sense a while back, so Ima gonna tiptoe out of here...

Good luck!

[Joshua Provost]

wingnut,

How about revealing a bit about the history of the house as the opening title sequence. Leave it very symbolic and vague, yet creepy, then the opening credit sequence ends, and you start your film as you intended, going to from a slightly creepy credit sequence to life as normal beginning of the story?

Josh

[dvxwheelr]

I think the key to the answers to your questions was when you asked what the point of view should be. I would say the point of view (for the opening) would be that of the creatures doing the haunting (They watch him move into the house). That is, you use camera angles that suggest this. You could also start with a haunting event from the past and then fade into him moving in.

[Kemper]

You might try the...ending first. The story begins after we see the character already having been in peril. You can grow the story and still make the ending whatever you want.

Tough to do, but it can be cool.

[-zach-]

Okay, I agree with everything you said originally.

Do NOT- just have the character walk into the house and get the crap scared out of them,

But don't open the scene with a gruesome insight into the past.

Have a sort of mixture- Here, you have a super secksy idea.

So your main character... Why are they going to the house? Have them discuss going there with a friend, maybe the friend might end up somewhere at the end... Don't start it out as a horror flick. Have it start out as a nice little drama whatever. Then, as they're getting the whatever they need to get in the house, have them get the crap scared out of them and wham- your audience is set.

So imagine this- Your Protagonist comes home from work, we see the interior of his house, maybe something that might have happened in his past, a way to do a cool flashback sometime later in the film

Your protagonist walks into the kitchen and gets scared--- by his/her friend who was there and the protagonist didn't know it. (Just to keep 'em jittery)

The friend asks if the protagonist wants to do something, and the protagonist explains, "No, I have to go get this whatever at the whatever house."

Boom. They go in, so melancholy music, you think it's going to be another melodrama and BOOM we scare the crap out of the audience with some ghost "happening".

Then, there's a flashback into some of the history of the house, but it stops before the gruesome part.

Then like you said, the film builds in scariness and gruesome stuff... And you have yourself a good story...


Just IMHO.

zach

[-zach-]

OOOH! Sorry for the double post- but completely new idea. You could start your opening credits in the same way that Arlington Road did. Take photos of "Alex" and your old couple, and photos of the crime investigation, and the "rest of the family" together; and put them in your opening credits. Then do something compleeeteeely unrelated to the story, (such as the child blowing up his hand in Arlington Road) and then having your audience go, WTF?

Maybe your completely unrelated thing is that when the credits stop, (the credits will just be a series of pictures) you fade in to "Alex" driving his car, and he witnesses a car hit a dog in front of him. And then play your movie with a slow build.

So imagine (Idea # 2 From Zach):

Opens Arlington Road-esque.
Pictures of the old couple before and after going cenile, pictures of them with the family, pictures of the police investigation, pictures of Alex and his new houses. In Arlington Road, they also played around with inverting the colors on the picture. Do that, and you'll have a WTF opening with a credit that says "Screenplay by Wingnut".

Then, Fade in to Alex driving his car. It is raining slightly. It is nighttime. He has his lights on, but everything is still really grey. It's about 7 PM. He sees a car speed in front of him, and he puts on the breaks, and so does that car. The car has hit a dog. An old woman gets out of the car and starts going "OMG I hit a dog" and then it shows Alex's face and you hear the woman's shouts.

Then you have Alex pull up into his "new" house on the same day... and he begins to introduce himself to the characters. You'll have a WTF beginning that'll have audiences hooked. It worked in Arlington Road. (!)

[wingnut]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions guys.

some great ideas. After lenghty discussions, We've decided to go with revealing a little of the house history. It'll get across the general nastiness of what happened in the house, but try to stay vague and not give away to much.

One good point of course, because this is an addition, if it doesn't work it can always be cut, BUT I want to get a good strong opening.

The writer is busy with it now, but he's just got a new job, so it might take a few days.

I'll make sure to tell you all how it finally goes.

Oh and Zach, unfortunatly I probably can't use wingnut in the credits (wish I could), cause of the production company of the same name. I've even got a rendering of wingnut the spider (from when I first started learning how to model -its not great) - designed on the original I made from an 8 pin eprom, capacitor and some bridging wire, when I was bored at work. I keep meaning to set it as my avatar. Actually I'll do it now.

[wingnut]

Sorted.

Theres wingnut the spider, sorry if its hard to make out.

toodle