Creating A Psychological Thriller...The journey begins!: What makes a Two Minute Film Opening standout...and draw the audience in?

If people say a picture is worth a thousand words...motion pictures contain infinite implications. Two minutes may very well seem to be a short period of time, but in the world of film, it is easy to capture the attention of audiences within the first seconds of an opening scene, if done right. "Creating the right opening scene may not always be the most difficult part of making a movie, but it’s invariably the most perverse. Every film ever made begins with the same sense of endless possibility, the infinite canvas of the universe at its disposal, and then — in a flash — limits it all to just. One. Thing."

So the first two minutes of a film, although very finite, is extremely crucial in inciting audience interest. Within this introduction, the tone of the piece must be set, and curiosity must be sparked. "The mark of a great opening sequence is the same as it ever was: It has to grab you by the throat and insist that you don’t look away. The best opening scenes will seduce you into the world you see on screen, regardless of its kind or size."

So my production team has been given a tough task: construct a two minute movie introduction for an original film using all that we have learned in AICE media, while also entertaining viewers and capturing the essence of our hypothetical work. We got this! All we need to do is stay true to what we have learned, and create something fresh that follows the lines of a great film opener. "In our current cinematic climate, opening scenes are more important than ever before," and this must be kept in mind and utilized to our advantage.

Girl on the Bridge(1999)

Scream (1996)

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Citizen Kane (1941)

These five film opening excerpts are all part of the featured article's 'top fifty best film openings.' They are very diverse in all aspects, but each contain some important element that our production team hopes to incorporate into our original film's two minute introduction. How so? Stay tuned to find out.

The 50 Best Opening Scenes of All Time. (2013, October 2). Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://www.film.com/movies/best-opening-scenes-movies/2