I've been doing some research on some films that are "similar" to what I would like to create with my film opening!
The film Kidnap starring Halle Berry follows a mother who is trying to save her kidnapped son by taking matters into her own hands.
The movie opens by showing the bond between the mother and her son through what seems like a montage of old VHS tapes, drawing a connection between the viewer and the child. Human connection seems to be important in this film, which was most likely used to create bigger emotions within the viewer. These VHS tapes also provide context, as they show the child growing up. After the credits finish, the movie then shows an aerial shot of a large area covered in similar looking trees with a sound bridge of what is presumed to be the mother's heavy breathing. The scene then cuts to black triggered by the sound of a gunshot. This is done to create a contrast between what was seen as the "happy" times in the past and the now "dreadful" current ones, along with introducing a part of the conflict. Searching is another movie within the detective fiction drama. It stars a father who is trying to figure out why his 16-year-old daughter disappeared.
The film opens up on what looks like a windows XP screen, which introduces what the film will be focused around. Diegetic sound is used to show that this is a screen that someone within the movie is using. The movie then reveals that the users are the mother and father are setting up the computer for their daughter Margot. By showing this family connection, it creates a human connection, similar to the first movie. This movie is also capturing moments in time through calendar events and desktop pictures. This connects the audience to the family, most likely to inflict a more serious reaction when negative events occur within the film. Once the mother, Pam, finds out she has lymphoma, the nondiegetic music follows in the background, going from less upbeat to more somber. But once she adds, "as a family" to her search on how to fight the disease, the music goes back upbeat. This shows the connection between the family members and shows how the bond between them is strong. The family continues to grow strong, as Pam goes into remission. When she goes into relapse, it shows how Pam's health is declining rapidly. The opening focuses on drawing an intense connection to the characters.
Detective films seem to mostly include some sort of backstory that will draw a connection between the viewer and the characters. By making them feel bad for the characters within the film, it causes people to want to see what will happen next; this will be perfect for drawing the type of suspense I want to draw in my film opening. From watching these film openings, I've realized that pulling an "Up" and making people feel heavy emotions during the first 5-10 minutes of the film is an effective use in detective films. I also learned that montages are useful in this case, and are an easy way to show time passing, allowing the viewer to feel like they are experiencing some sort of process, like growing up, along with the characters.
This information could be super helpful in developing a backstory for my film opening!! Big things coming soon :)