How effective are the opening sequence?

For developing the skills and the knowledge that I need in order to produce my own opening sequence I have looked at several clips of opening sequence which are Mohammed ali,8 ½ dream and salaam bombey.These films in my opinion was very effective and fluent of how they grabbed the audience attention and for my research I have included notes of what types of special effects they use which grabbed my intention and even gave me emotions in a certain way. While watching the clips I have found some that was very unpredictable that actually made me to question my self and regarding of finding out the answers of my questions.

An effective opening sequence always includes a background music which fits into its society or cultural background for example in salaam Bombay it uses and Indian cultural soundtrack which already made me realise that the film is based on Indian culture or the middle east. This could be similar to Mohammed ali where they used jazz music as you can see a person jogging, this empathises how they society is probably based in the 1950’s or 60’s where jazz was very popular in its society around the united states or probably around the whole global. Creating a music background have to fit to its purpose or the society of the film which is taking place in order to make the audience realises of how it was like in its time being or how most countries develop there social life and what type of interest they have. Overall an effective opening sequence must include a background music which will bring a lot of attention to the audience.

While watching the clips there are questions that came to my mind that made me very curious to know. For example watching the opening sequence of salaam Bombay I was curious about how the music was started out but made me realise that the place is probably produced in the middle east but the tone was very controversial how it began to change where you the kid walking as if he is the main character of the film. There were a lot of questions that came to my mind while watching the opening sequence.

· Why is everyone packing away?

Since I knew it was a circus due to the prop image that was shown where the kid was walking it said ‘Apollo circus’ therefore we already know what the kid is specialised in his duty. While he was walking everyone in the film was packing away and I thought that people are packing away because they have finished their show or they are getting ready to perform in another town.
· Why was the kid mistreated?

While he was walking around the circus he was talking to the animals saying ‘hey moti time to go’ it already explains that they are packing away and ready to perform in another city, but a person comes and warns the kid that his boss is coming this explains how there is a hierarchy in the film where there is someone who have power over a certain people and also fear where the kid looks very scared and terrified of the boss. This gives me an idea of how I can create a hierarchy system where there is someone who haves fear and create a lot of situation between the two relations. We can see how he was then mistreated by the boss where he was getting slapped around, this makes me feel very shocked of how the kid is being treated as a slave where he forced him to give him tinned meat in a town so therefore there is power and fear which creates a lot of controversy in the opening sequence.

· Where are the kid’s parents?

If he has a boss then where are his parents in my belief his parents may of died or he may of ran away from his parents I tend to find it very suspicious when the boss said to him ‘none of your tricks’ what tricks? Is he going to run away maybe just like he done to his own parents?

· Why is everyone packing away?

Why is everyone in a hurry of packing way It comes to my mind that they may be promoted or have a special event to perform in order for their business to gain success.
· What might come in his way by helping his boss?

While he was sent off to get his boss groceries what I found very effective was the music speeds up as he is running this creates how the boys is very scared and terrified of how he must perform his duty in order to survive this makes me very depressed of how I see a boy in his young age being mistreated and travel miles and miles to do his boss duties in order to survive himself. However there could be other situation that can come across since he is left out is going to run away again to become free or is going to stay with his boss or maybe is something very interesting going to come in his way.
· How is he going to meet up with his crew?

As he returns we see another shot of the kids face a he arrives we see the kid breathing deeply that he Is terrified that something must of happened in front of his eyes, the atmosphere changes as though something very unpredictable had just happened the music stops all of a sudden this makes me feel very confused and eager to know what happened why has he stopped and looked very shocked. Then as the shot changes it shows and empty space of where the people used to be of packing the props for the circus therefore I realised that everyone have left him. This made made very angry and depressed because the kid has no one to go with he is very young and is very mistreated and it creates a disturbing image to the audience of how kids are mistreated and effects their emotions to act in a different way e.g. it makes you feel that you should love your children and never mistreat them because how would you feel if was put into that position.

Overall by watching this film I have gain knowledge of how I can produce something that is very unpredictable and change the tone of the music where something comes across or shows the expression of a character e.g. the kid running because he is very scared so therefore they have used a fast paced music to fit with its purpose. I should always use props to give the idea to the audience of the main specialisation of the film. Finally I should always change the tone where something unexpected happens e.g. the music stops when the kid stops and becomes very shocked.

Many questions come to your mind while watching an opening sequence this is the reason why most film producers are successful of what they produce becua in order to gather attention from audience you have to make them curious and make them ask questions so therefore they will attracted to watch the whole film in order to find the answers to their questions.

This is very similar to the 8 ½ dream where in the beginning you see a person who is in a care in some traffic people will ask questions of
Is he going to work?

The reason why I asked my self this question was because the beginning shot was the man inside his car with an awful lot of traffic so therefore it comes to my mind that he is either late for work or late for an important meeting or he is ujust stuck in a traffic and becoming very frustrated
Why is everything packed?
He seems to be very squashed and there are a lot of people around that looks trapped and eager to be set free, it makes me feel as though they have been kept as prisoners or something depending on a bad situation.

How did he become trapped?

How did he become in this situation where is he going? Or how important is this meeting? Everything came to my mind when he was in the car as though he is waiting for something to happen.

Why is everyone staring at him?

While watching the clip I can see everyone staring at him feeling as though he is someone suspicious or committed something that lead to everyone’s attention. If everyone stares at him is he someone very special, if he is what makes him special? Many question and curious thoughts came to my mind by watching people giving the man a stare down

How did the smoke appeared?

While he was in the car the smoke appeared when he turned on the radion it made me very curious about how did the smoke appeared what cause has he done to make that smoke appear at of nowhere?

Why did no one help him?

As the smoke appeared he was suffocating trying to break free everyone was still staring at him with any motional feelings for example if you see someone suffocating and about to die you would react you will be screaming and having the eager to help the person out but in this case of the scene everyone was emotionless no one helped him and made me think why didn’t anyone help him?

What I thought was effective was when it was silent where you see the whole traffic and everyone stopping and staring at the person as if something very unusual is about to happen e.g. I thought the person was about to be beaten up by everyone or tortured or I even thought that everyone must of stared at him because they all hate him.The sound at the beginning was very disturbing you can hear the person scratching or banging the window trying to escape and it creates a outrageous image of him suffocating the background music they use for that particular action was well suited since it gave the audience the attention that the person is about to die. After the person dies he seems to be floating in air as though he is going to heaven so therefore we know that he died however after he was floating in the air what I found really strange was he was caught with a fishing rod by someone and was dragged down to the sea this made me feel as if instead of him going to heaven he was being dragged down to hell this shot was very ironic but very contraversal.Finally it all comes down to being unpredictable where he wakes up from the dream, at the beginning I thought it was real life where the person was trapped, but the mood change when you see something appearing out of nowhere for example the smoke then it become even more strange where he dies he is being brought up to heaven but literally dragged down to hell. This creates a lot of unpredictable thoughts to the audience where they don’t even realise that all the situation that happened in that scene was just a dream. This gives me an idea of how I can produce something unpredictable that will intrest or confuse the audience therefore it creates something magnificent as a whole.

This is also similar to Mohammed ali but very different where you actually know what the main character is specialised and know what time is this society take place into.
Questions I asked myself while watching the clip was

Why is the person jogging and wearing a hoddie?

At the beginning of the scene it was very unusual that I see a person running with a hoddie I thought that the situation was that he was probably running away from a situation trying to get away from someone and keeping his identity hidden or is he jogging for his personal exercise.

Why is he having flash back on someone is the person related to him?

While watching the clip where he is jogging he was having flashbacks on a boxing match so therefore we already know that this film is probably based on boxing. You can see two fighters in a boxing maths where you see one as the winner in my thoughts it made me think that is the person who one the fight is related to him or someone that comes to his mind while he is jogging?, He was also very angry and frustrated when you see him in a gym punching a bag and what I found very effective was the music which was jazz and it made me realise that this film is probably based in the 1950’s or 60’s where jazz was very popular in its time.Ali kept on having too many flash backs on the past which describes the main purpose of the film that he is a boxer who is probably seeking revenge person who is effected the segregation when you see him appearing at the Malcolm x conference meeting and also when the police calls him out when he is jogging so therefore it gives us the image of how segregation was like when people was very strict and religious on how to become equal and believe in defence.

Is he looking for revenge?

The person look very frustrated and angry it gives out how someone has experience the temptation of revenge in a time where mostly everyone was mistreated due to the race and religion.

Why did he looked confused when he was kid when he saw an image of jesus?

He had a flashback when he was kid he saw a prop of the painting of jesus therefore we know that this s film could refer to a religious category.

Who is he going to fight is the person he had a flashback is his next opponent?

As we know that he is specialised as a boxer we come to our mind of whats going to happen next if he is a boxer is he going to fight someone? was the person he had a flashback of was the man he is going to face? Yet again there are many questions which come to our mind while watching an opening sequence therefore this is effective because this will attract the audience to find out the answers to their question by watching the whole film. What I like about the effects was how they use the msuci which suited the main society of the film when they use jazz music where it was very popular in its time, also I liked the way that as he is punching the bag very fast the music pace begins to increase therefore we could see how the character is becoming more angry and vicious of seeking revenge. By watching the film I gained knowledge of how I can produce my own film by using background music which suits the purpose of my film e.g. using a grime music which explains that my film is related to gangs and thugs also what type of area that grime is mostly popular in i.e. London. I also gain knowledge of how a music can explain a persons feeling e.g. as the tone speed increases it explains and defines how frustrated or angry a person is. Finally I gained knowledge by watching this clip that by having a historical reference can explain the main purpose of the film and how the society was like therefore it could refelt on the audience e.g how a time was like where people was being mistreated or never had a chance to enjoy life freedom of life.


In conclusion by developing my research and knowledge I have looked at several clips of an opening sequence of different films. This helps me to gain knowledge and tips of how I can produce my own opening sequence and make it very effective by adding music which suits the theme of the film, adding amazing sound effects, create an unpredictable moment where the audience wont predict anything that wasn’t suppose to happen, create tragedy for example someone suffocating and eager to escape, I should always be able to produce good use of camera shots for example, instead of starting a shot of a person face why not make a shot being a persons back which will create a mysterious scene that people will wonder who is that person?, I should use props that will illustrate the main purpose of the film for example in salaam Bombay it showed the poster of circus instead of someone saying it is a circus the film wants us to see what type of category it belongs to and what does it relate to. Finally I should always produce with good amount of screenshots and still images which will create something amazing that will attract all audiences and all these types of research I have developed will help me to produce my own opening sequence which will be very effective and will gain a lot of interest to all audiences.