Sci-fi Film Openings

    Since our genre has changed to sci-fi due to the time loop premise of our plot, we will be looking at sci-fi film openings rather than psychological thrillers. This will allow us to see some conventions within the genre and add aspects of those to our project to tie it to the genre efficiently. It will also help give ideas for how we shoot our project and influence the storyboarding process that we will soon begin.

Opening Scene #1: Blade Runner 2049

    Blade Runner 2049 (2017) is the sequel to the iconic sci-fi dystopian Blade Runner (1982), set 30 years after its events. The opening of the film is extremely reminiscent of its predecessor, beginning with text giving context to some terminology and the conflict within the world. Soon after this, the setting of the film is established with the first few shots - a bleak dystopian future. There are aspects of the scene that directly correlate with its predecessor, like the extreme close-up eye shot, and the extreme long shot of the setting with a flying car going over it. The approach to this opening scene is establishing the setting, which is seen within the text at the beginning and the aerial views. There is no narration within the opening shots, so the imagery does the explaining for you. Our protagonist is shown, but he does not speak a word throughout, since he is alone and is focusing on his objective. His investigation of a farm allows the audience to assume that he is a blade runner, due to the description at the beginning and how he is obviously searching for someone. The film shows off its biggest strength first, which is its beautiful scenery.

The opening scene for Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

    The thing to consider when analyzing this film opening is what it does well, so we can get some inspiration and guidance in planning out our project. The establishing of the setting without any words spoken is an interesting approach and adds individuality character to the scene. Something that we could take from this would be showing off the environment without having the characters say something obvious like "Hey welcome to therapy" because that would just sound stupid. We would establish the setting without the need for dialogue telling us that it is a therapist's office; giving enough information through scenery alone will allow the audience to determine what it is, which is a common practice within sci-fi films.

Opening Scene #2: Ready Player One

    Ready Player One (2019) is a sci-fi movie about a future where VR gets so realistic and expansive that it dominates the entertainment industry and, quite frankly, the world. Within this movie, our protagonist seeks an easter egg that the developer of the monopolistic video game, The OASIS, hid within its gigantic world. Finding this easter egg will grant the discoverer all of the developer's riches. The opening starts off with naming the location and year the film is set in, which immediately shows of the approach of this beginning sequence: establishing the background. We get a tracking shot of the protagonist walking through the neighborhood as all types of people play VR in their homes, showing off how it has taken over the world and that anyone can be who they want to be within the game. Instead of explaining the conflict with text at the beginning of the film like Blade Runner 2049 (2017), this movie shows us the conflict through the environment displayed around the protagonist. We learn VR has taken over the world by seeing everyone using it. It establishes background and context within a minute and a half.

The opening scene for Ready Player One (2019)

    When analyzing this film's opening, we learn that establishing the background is done through showing the environment (mise-en-scène). Mise-en-scène has to be on point in order to achieve this effect, and since we are doing a time loop-themed film opening, we should keep this in mind during production. We can show that it is a therapist's office through the set design.

Opening Scene #3: Jurassic Park

    Jurassic Park (1993) is a sci-fi movie about a dinosaur theme park island experience gone wrong when the power goes out, and the people still on the island need to escape with their lives while the dinosaurs escape their enclosures and hunt them down. Its opening style is very different to the previous films discussed. It begins with suspense and mystery as a crew transports a cage with something seemingly dangerous within it, and also reveals the location in text at the bottom of the screen. The crew that has to push it into the enclosure is obviously nervous about going near the crate, and we never get a good look at the dinosaur within it. When the "gatekeeper" climbs on top of the cage and opens the gate, the dinosaur head-butts the cage and the man falls into a crack between the wall and the cage. The intense moment of him being dragged into the cage and the men around trying to stop him from being eaten is enhanced through close-ups of the men and parts of the dinosaur. The opening establishes the central conflict of the film, which is character vs. nature while adding suspense and showing off the overall tone. It makes the threat of the dinosaur scarier by obscuring it, adding a sense of mystery.

The opening scene for Jurassic Park (1993)

    What we can take from this opening is how to establish our conflict through tone and camera techniques. Let's say we want our character to start freaking out. We would achieve that effect by using close-ups and rapid cuts. If our character feels alone in the time-loop scenario, we would use a long shot of them to make them seem distant and relatively small in the composition, demonstrating a lonely tone. It is important to keep in mind that technique creates tone when creating our storyboard.

    These analyses will most definitely influence our storyboard and production process, demonstrating how to make a good sci-fi film opening.

Sources:

- LoveMeSome Films. (2018). Blade Runner 2049: The Opening 5 Minutes [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTDQnOqUe-Q

‌- MrClips. (2020, April 10). Ready player one opening scene - Ready player one (2018)720p. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUCa_xksuTg

‌- Jurassic Park - 1993 - Opening Scene “Shoot her!” HD. (n.d.). Www.youtube.com. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz5JmgLQEzs