Opening Scenes

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  • Opening Scenes

    I'm really focused on this right now working on my rewrite. Often I have to go back or am I told -- this is funny -- but I think a funnier opening scene would draw the reader in more. And you have to write a few to find the right one. So why it works fine story wise -- often with certain genres they want you to get right to it.

    Comedy -- make us laugh ASAP
    Horror -- scare us -- often these days a kill
    Action -- explosions

    You get it. Starting slow is harder in spec land.

    Love to hear what you think are great opening scenes -- especially on the page. Comedy for me would be helpful.

    COMEDY OPENING SCENE

    I recall reading The Sitter spec (jonah hill movie) -- classic sex scene opening -- but at the time I read it I thought it was amazing. script is way funnier than the movie sadly.

    Vacation -- getting wrong car and his car being crushed

    Tommy Boy -- runs through fence

    HORROR OPENING SCENE

    My favorite movie 1978's Halloween. It's just perfection to me still.

    ACTION OPENING SCENE

    I love Cliffhanger. It was exciting and got us right into the world. I love Stallone movies. I'm old.

  • #2
    Re: Opening Scenes

    i dunno. the best opening scene in an action movie is Die Hard because we spend the first 12 minutes getting to know everyone who is going to be important for the next two hours and clearly understanding the state of John and Holly's relationship before the first shot is even fired

    but Jaws might have the best opening horror scene ever and it is the ultimate grabber

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    • #3
      Re: Opening Scenes

      I've been wondering if its worth writing an opening scene that "they'll" cut in rewrites but it'll get the reader to stick in there. Something along the lines of what we used to see in trailers but never saw in the movie itself

      Great opening "Fallen" with Denzel's VO
      I heard the starting gun


      sigpic

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      • #4
        Re: Opening Scenes

        Originally posted by JoeBanks View Post
        i dunno. the best opening scene in an action movie is Die Hard because we spend the first 12 minutes getting to know everyone who is going to be important for the next two hours and clearly understanding the state of John and Holly's relationship before the first shot is even fired

        but Jaws might have the best opening horror scene ever and it is the ultimate grabber

        Die Hard opening scene is on an airplane -- guy tells him take of his shoes and we learn he's a cop. Opening scene is not 12 minutes of Act One.


        Jaws is awesome too.

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        • #5
          Re: Opening Scenes

          Choices for opening scenes can vary across drama, lots of movies start with some kind of teaser that is very genre specific. The Town starts with a bank robbery. Serial Killer stories start with a killing (except silence of the lambs which has no teaser opening it just starts at the FBI academy),or starting at the end of the story like Fight Club then showing us how we get there. If it is not a teaser then the opening scenes are usually very thematic with lots of subtext and metaphor for what the script is about deep down.

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          • #6
            Re: Opening Scenes

            We always talk about how long does a reader give a spec --- and some said 1 page -- 3 pages -- 10 pages... So that's why the actual opening scene pages are so important. Because in my case if you read 3 pages and it's not that funny but good story beats -- you're like well this is a good writer but it's not a well written comedy. Next.

            I'm trying to talk about specifics though and give examples to help us all see that.

            And sometimes the opening scene is off. I love Predator. And it's a great movie. But the opening scene truly is the alien spacecraft landing on earth. I think it would be better w/o it. No hint of what's to come. I get why they think they need it, but I don't think we do.

            Side note -- I dislike VO so much. It's 99% a bandaid. Goodfellas is one of my all time favorite VOs. I don't think you can understand the movie as well w/o it. It's needed. It's earned. Most VO, especially when it's just just at beginning and end of movie -- so feels like it was added after movie was shot.

            So yes I get yelled at one here -- but I think VO is a cliche now and it's lazy writing at it's core.

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            • #7
              Re: Opening Scenes

              The opening scene of Inglorious Bastards always sticks out to me as one of the greats. The dialogue, acting, and especially the music and the way the tone shifts about halfway through. The overall movie was just decent but the start was incredible.

              I've been watching a lot of stuff lately so I'll try to think of a few more of my favorite examples.

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              • #8
                Re: Opening Scenes

                The opening scene of District 9 grabbed me by the shirt and didn't let go.
                “Nothing is what rocks dream about” ― Aristotle

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                • #9
                  Re: Opening Scenes

                  Pitch Black
                  TRIAL FORUMS


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                  • #10
                    Re: Opening Scenes

                    The Thing [1982]
                    Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                    "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                    • #11
                      Re: Opening Scenes

                      So much for ten pages.

                      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajjtHVd-WNw

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                      • #12
                        Re: Opening Scenes

                        I don't know this guys' background, but the first 4 minutes I watched I agreed with.

                        Basically said a reader makes up their mind in first couple pages -- scenes -- just the same way we make up our minds about someone at a job interview. It doesn't get better from first impression. Unless you have a name and then you get benefit of the doubt.

                        So this all circles back to why I started this thread -- make the first page dynamic. First scene funny, scary, action packed -- whatever it's supposed to be. Make them want to keep reading and don't give them an excuse to put it down and read the next spec.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Opening Scenes

                          I think he teaches at UCLA film school.

                          The catch 22 is that I doubt writers are trying to open slow and boring. In their minds their opening is dynamic. So really the question is how objectionable can one be about their own work?

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                          • #14
                            Re: Opening Scenes

                            Originally posted by Cyfress View Post
                            I think he teaches at UCLA film school.
                            He also wrote Battlefield Earth.

                            And has online classes -- this one costs a mere 595 dollars!

                            https://coreymandell.net/professiona...ision-writing/

                            And... he's not a writer anymore, according to the video. But he'll teach you to be one!!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Opening Scenes

                              That YouTube channel Film Courage has asked a lot of different screenwriters the same question -- how long do you give a screenplay before you know it's not gonna work, get out of the car, etc. Most of the writers they've asked say the first two scenes, maybe up to the first ten pages. But that's it.

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