The document analyzes common elements of action film openings, highlighting the use of mystery, suspense, and character introductions, often set against violent backdrops. It discusses narrative structures that differentiate heroes from villains, the effectiveness of fast-paced editing to evoke energy, and the importance of non-diegetic sound in building tension. Key functions of film openings include creating suspense, introducing characters, and linking to backstory, with recommendations for incorporating high energy, iconography, and suitable typography in future openings.

1. Codes and Convention of The Action Genre
What we have found from our research into film openings.

2. What are the common elements of genre, that the opening seems to provide?
• Mystery
• Suspense
• Introduction – usually includes a logo/ titles. (e.g. Warner Bros,
Summit Entertainment etc.)
• Name of movie
• Themes – violence, death, murder
• Introduction to the main characters or the background story. For
example in Mission impossible Ghost Protocol, the first character
shown was part of the back story, which links to the flim.

3. What/ who do the audience tend to get introduced to? How?
• The main characters
• Usually the heroes or villains
• Other characters the plot may be set around
• Most of the sequence analysed show the characters being
introduced in a violent scene, they are always involved
• The villains are always carrying weapons.
• Characters who are part of the backstory, they may help
set the scene, or reinforce the genre.
Mission
Impossible

4. What narrative structure is evident in the opening of the film?
• We are most of the time able to tell the heroes from the villains. The villains are
carrying the guns and weapons, they act in a threatening manner towards other
characters, they may be running after them, chasing them.
• Most of the openings don’t have an equilibrium, but do have a disruption at some
point in the first 2-3 minutes, for example in the opening of Taken, the scene starts of
with a view of the sea and a long shot of a plane, it shows that everything is fine and
calm. However the disruption then comes later on when the man get out of the car
and is threatening the police officer with his gun. – we cant hear anything but from
the movement and gesture of the two characters we can see that the mood isn't
happy.

5. How is editing used effectively to reflect genre/ mood/ create pace?
• Fast pace editing like in the Mission Impossible opening, reflects the high energy of
the main character in that scene.
• Fast pace editing also shows the action element of the film. There's a lot of ‘action’
going on. The editing has been used to emphasise the genre. We see this in many
different action films.
• The fast pace editing puts the audience on edge, making them want to know more
about the plot, the characters and what's going to happen next.

6. What titles are evident in the opening of the film?
• They have added in the companies funding the movie. (film
institutions).
• Names of the directors.
• Names of the producers.
• Names of the actors, who play the main roles.
• The name of the film often comes into the opening scenes, the font
could reflect the genre, for example a sharp font, like a sans serif font
would suit an action film better than a fantasy film.
Mission Impossible
Taken

7. How is non-diegetic sound used to create meaning?
• In the Jack Reacher film opening the non-diegetic music in the background was building
up as the character was driving towards the car park (the scene where the character
would be committing the crime) this may have been produced in this way to suspense,
maybe even to show how the character was feeling, he’s nervous.
• In the mission impossible opening, the music started building up before the actual
imagery was being shown. This may have been done to build up the suspense, to show
how the action chase sequence was already taking place before the camera actually
showed it. Its like being in two places at once
• The Taken 2 opening was actually quite similar to the mission impossible opening as the
music did start before the imagery was shown. Again this could have been used to create
suspense or show how there was something going on in the background.

8. What is the primary function of a film opening?
• To create suspense, and leave the audience wanting to find out more. It
needs to draw them in.
• To introduce characters to the audience, and set up the plot before the
movie has properly started.
• Could tell the audience about the backstory, something that links to the
main story but isn't really part of the main plot. For example, in the fourth
instalment of the Mission Impossible series, the opening shows a spy
trying to get away from the villains chasing him, the story has little to do
with the main plot, but because it links to one of the characters
backgrounds, it helps the audience make more sense of the plot, they will
be able to understand it much quicker because of that opening.
Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

9. What elements will you need to include to make sure that you are creating a
conventions opening in your chosen genre?
• High energy.
• Suspense
• Mystery – like many other action films, we need to be able to draw
the audience in.
• Iconography – use of props such as guns, and bullets show what
genre the movie comes under. This will help us reinforce the genre.
Fast and Furious
Jack Reacher
Mission
Impossible

10. Our opening
• From our research of the openings, we have found that many contain mystery and
suspense. For the audience who are watching it the first time round, they are drawn
in by their confusion, the want to work things out and find out who a particular
character is and where the plot takes them next, we are going to try and add these
elements into our film opening.
• We may also add some non-diegetic music to our opening, we have sound that this
creates more suspense, and helps draw in the audience.
• Also in our opening, we plan to try and add in our titles for the film, the typography will
help us reinforce the genre, and to do this successfully we are going to use sans serif
fonts, we have found that in movies like Fast and Furious and mission impossible
they have also used this type of font.