FILM OPENINGS

Gladiator: flashback to memory of harvest in ECU

The English Patient: opening sequence ECU hand painting with brush

Today we look at film openings as preparation for our coursework module G321 Foundation Portfolio. The focus was on how some directors start with a close up in order to create enigma then build out to wider shots that develop suspense. Each film starts with an ECU of a hand. Enigma and suspense are two key codes in film opening convention.

• The English Patient
•  Gladiator
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

PREP Research student film openings, for example, from the Media Departments's  YouTube channel.