final opening sequence options

1. FINAL
OPENING SEQUENCE
OPTIONS
Hongli Ye
Media Studies

2. FINAL OPENING SEQUENCE OPTIONS
Option 1
A 15-year-old kid is entering a
supermarket with a group of friends.
He’s got his earphones on and we hear
the aggressive music he’s listening to.
He’s holding a knife. They rob the
store.
Pros:
- The sequence suggests the boy’s
character’s background.
- It can be edited by making many
short cuts.
Cons:
- Suitable location and permits
needed.
- Supporting actors and a large crew
needed.
Option 2
Police is breaking into an apartment
where a group of drug addicts is
gathered. While they are arresting the
addicts, an old police detective notices
a 15-year-old boy in the other room.
Pros:
- The main characters meet at the very
beginning.
- Sets the tone for the rest of the film.
Cons:
- A suitable location and permits
needed.
- A large crew and many props needed.

3. FINAL OPENING SEQUENCE OPTIONS
Option 3
A police team is in the middle of a
shooting. Among them a young officer
gets shot. Cut to a photo of the same
young man in the hands of an old
police detective who is telling the story
to a 15-year-old in handcuffs.
Pros:
- A flashback narrative opening scene which
expands the timeline of the story.
- The audience is invited to fit the pieces of
the timeline puzzle.
Cons:
- Filming demands a safe and approved
location.
- A number of extras and stunt persons
needed.
Option 4
Camera is following a boy walking
down a street at night. He comes up to
another young man, hands him a
packet of potato chips and collects a
bundle of money. At that moment they
hear a police siren and the boy quickly
goes away.
Pros:
- No special permits or skilled actors
needed.
- Can be filmed with a hand-held camera.
Cons:
- A dark-lit scene, will need colour
correction in
editing.
- No dialog, will need sound editing.

4. FINAL OPENING SEQUENCE OPTIONS
Option 5
A group of people is exiting a club.
Among them is a 15-year-old boy.
Apart from him, everybody is
drunk, talking loudly and running
into random people. A fight begins,
but the boy just moves to the side,
lights up a cigarette and watches.
Pros:
- Focus on one main character.
- Can be filmed with a handheld
camera.
Cons:
- Permit needed for filming on location.
- Weather conditions.
Option 6
An old man is getting out of a car and
entering a house. A long shot shows
him lie on a sofa. We can see that the
house is nice and that there are many
family pictures, but no other family
members are there.
Pros:
- Doesn’t depend on location or the
Weather conditions.
- One actor, no supporting roles or extras.
Cons:
- Some props equipment needed.
- No dialogue, needs good sound editing.

5. FINAL OPENING SEQUENCE OPTIONS
Option 7
Black screen. We suddenly hear a loud
sound of switching on the light and
everything is bright. We are in the POV of
the patient in a bed. We see the room and
hear the doctors speaking about how the
surgery went.
Pros:
- No skilled actors needed.
- Doesn’t have to be filmed in an actual
hospital since everything is blurry.
Cons:
- Needs a lot of editing.
Option 8
While non-diegetic upbeat and refreshing
music plays, the camera follows a 15-year-
old boy as he cleans his face and teeth. It’s a
perfect day and everything seems
optimistic. The music is fading while the
boy is walking out of the bathroom. The
music changes into a dark and distorted
melody when he walks into the living room
and sees about twenty people lying
intoxicated and sleeping.
Pros:
- Focus on one character, so only one actor is
needed.
- Can be filmed on an improvised location
indoors, so no permits are needed.
Cons:
- A number of extras needed.
- Sound editing and colour correction needed.