We determined the most important aspects of a film opening were providing key information to the plot and hooking the audience, so they would want to continue watching the movie.

In order to hook the audience in such a short window of time, a common technique used is the introduction of enigma codes. This makes the audience curious, and encourages them to watch the film, if only to find out the answers to the questions inspired by the title sequence.

The opening scene  can include foreshadowing for the upcoming events in the movie, however it is done very subtly so the audience doesn’t lose interest after discovering the plot. It also gives a clue to the genre of the film, as well as indicating important themes present in the movie.

Most importantly, the first few minutes of a movie commonly give context to the rest of the film, so that the audience understands what is happening. It can introduce the viewers to important information vital to the plot, or even just make sure we know when and where the story takes place.

When making films, it is important the audience can follow the storyline so that they don’t lose interest, which is why the title sequence is often so important. However enigma codes and elements such shock are also key to make sure the audience stay engaged.

Before analysing ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, we watched the opening scene to the film ‘Children of Men’. We made a few observations, such as the presence of enigma codes and some action. It also contains some connotations that give you hints to the personality of the main character, using the principle of “show, don’t tell”. This shows that many movies and TV shows use similar techniques to achieve the right balance of engaging the audience, without revealing too much. We then applied these techniques while watching “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, and carried out a full analysis of the scene.