Choosing my Genre and Research
Last week, I began thinking about my genre. Horror movies and action movies have always caught my attention early. But after researching different film openings and what they do well, I think a suspense approach could be a better option. It incorporates elements from both the horror and action genre, as well as having it's own unique elements to it.
After researching a couple movies, I found something that really stood out to me. The beginning scene of the movie Zero Dark Thirty.
Thriller movies
It begins with an interrogation scene with the main character questioning the man in the chair. This scene includes the use of the shot-counter-shot technique, and viewers immediately know what is going on. The most important thing this scene does well is setting. In a dark, dilapidated room, the environment and tone is set up immediately without doing anything else.
Drama: How to develop an interrogation scene
Right off the bat, viewers know what is going on. In a dark, dilapidated room, with a man sitting in a chair tied up, the tone is immediately present. According to NBC News, viewers are exposed to the intense interrogation system used by the CIA on terrorists. For the movie Zero Dark Thirty, it was so effective because the character was tortured by waterboarding or other physically and mentally stressful interrogation strategies. Back in 2001 after 9/11, the U.S. took every measure to find the leader of Al Qaeda, and the government was often inhumane in their ways. By the time the movie released, these inhumane methods became illegal, and although Osama Bin Laden was caught, the FBI and CIA were facing serious trouble.
Studio Binder jumps into the topic of setting. For example in the movie Prisoners, viewers know they are in a police holding room. Guzikowski and Villenueve right away get into the drama. It is important to have pace, or viewers may lose interest, and rather than an intense interrogation, viewers may think of the scene as an interview instead.
The culprit needs to expose themselves. That is the whole point of an interrogation. To get information. So the interrogator needs to ask questions, heavy questions. They can often be physically and mentally draining to the criminal, using force to get any answers out of them. The scene is supposed to be intense, but also serves one of the most important purposes of the whole movie.
Horror
For an opening horror scene, the best strategy is to create a creepy atmosphere.
Unhinged
In the movie unhinged, the opening starts off at night and with rain. This already creates an eerie atmosphere. It makes the viewer get on the edge of their seats already. Next, we see Russel Crow take an alcoholic drink and take off his wedding ring. This makes it clear he is going to do something frightening. In the next sequence, he walks out his car with a hammer, breaks into a house, and murders his ex-wife and her new boyfriend. He burns the house down by pouring gasoline all over the floor and lighting it on fire. This scene is regarded as "unwatchable" by the Boston Herald.
What does this scene do well?
1. It creates a creepy atmosphere. This is the first step, according to Briana Morgan, to create a successful scene. The time of day and the thunderstorm inherently make viewers uneasy.
2. It uses sensory details. The murder scene is viscous in nature. We clearly hear the hammer bang into their bodies countless times. We can hear all the gore, which makes viewers feel squeamish. Most horror elements mainly develop their sequences through sound. If sound is present and intense, it will make for a good horror movie.
3. It sets the pace for the rest of the movie. Viewers know immediately that Russel Crow is a cold blooded killer based on his first two murders. The film is set to be a fast paced, engaging horror/thriller film.
Other examples of good horror/drama openings are:
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