Art of the Opening Scene — How to Start a Movie 6 Different Ways, From Nolan to Baumbach

in today's video we'll break down the

creative ways that writers

and directors set the stage for a story

and hook their audience

and it all starts with the opening scene

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the first scene is the most valuable

real estate the film has to offer

congratulations you got yourself caught

sir now onto the next step of your

master plan

crashing this plane it should

immediately hawk the audience

perhaps the most obvious example of how

to hook an audience

well calm down doctor now's not the time

for

fear is to start with a bang that comes

later

commonly used in the blockbuster action

flick

the opening action sequence is meant to

grab you

and sometimes has very little to do with

the actual plot

like in this opening from the dark

knight

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it might not move the story in a big way

where's the alarm gun boss told me when

the guy was done i should take him out

one last share right honey you told me

something similar

no no but in five pages

we have a dynamic action sequence and a

truly memorable introduction to our

villain

i believe whatever doesn't kill you

simply makes you

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stranger

skyfall on the other hand focuses on the

hero

and it does so with a 10 minute chase

sequence

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again it's a white knuckle sequence that

grabs you with spectacle

i may have a shot it's not clean

until our hero falls take the shot

take the bloody shot

and while we're sure bond isn't dead 007

reporting for duty

m giving the order informs bond's

character for the rest of the story

what was it you said take the bloody

shot

i made a judgment call you should have

trusted me to finish the job

this type of opening raises the stakes

introduces characters

and key plot points while making sure

the audience is along for the ride

moving on

what i love about nicole this opening to

marriage story and its home video

aesthetic

tells us so much about the characters

she always knows the right thing to do

when it comes to difficult family [ __ ]

call him i get stuck in my ways and she

knows when to push me

and when to leave me alone we

immediately know who these people

are because we know what they care about

what i love about charlie charlie is

undaunted

he never lets other people's opinions or

any setbacks keep him from what he wants

to do

in eight and a half pages we get a crash

course

in charlie and nicole's marriage their

relationship

it's pitfalls she is a mother who plays

really plays never says it's too much

and it must be too much some of the time

he disappears into his own world

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he and henry are alike in that way let's

stop right there

but on page nine

who wants to start we find out that it

is failing

i'm not going to read this out loud

as we mediate your separation

and eventual divorce things

can get quite contentious without this

hyper-focused introduction our sympathy

for this couple

would be lacking and their demise less

tragic

uncut gems however i'm a block

a movie about wheeling and dealing in

new york i'm not a [ __ ] athlete this

is my [ __ ] way this is how i win all

right

opens with an excavation scene in

ethiopia

but why

[Applause]

because the movie revolves around the

mysterious effects of

this gem

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why's it got so many colors in it man

what is this that's the thing they say

you can see the whole universe and noble

that's how [ __ ] old they are

holy [ __ ] i've been telling you we need

to understand its fascination

the hope it represents the stone i'm

really connecting with this man i feel

like i'm gonna have

40 or 50 on this man that's that game

and the violence that follows it's so

sick

[Applause]

the foundation laid in these opening

moments impacts the way we view the gem

the characters and the power it holds

over them yeah

feel it feel it come on he's right at

the gym

he's got the gym feel them

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now let's look at opening scenes that

forego plot and characters

and aim straight for tone let's look at

this scene

from la la land summer sunday night

the power of the crowd the lyrics

the excitement the vibrant outfits

and then

we are suddenly thrown back into reality

the daily grind of la

and only then introduced to our two

leagues

a half page of script and a four minute

sequence later

the juxtaposition of fantasy and reality

we would normally expect from a musical

is established

la la land strikes a single consistent

note

in contrast get out

blends horror

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comedy i got hypnotized last night bro i

don't care the [ __ ] are yanavon

okay she can't fix my [ __ ] life

you ain't getting in my head

and social commentary oh yes

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why are black people

the tone established in the opening

scene prepares us for this hybrid

genre what we see reminds us of

countless horror films

an isolated character walking through a

dark neighborhood

creepy confusing as

suburban gosh

i'm serious though i feel like a sore

thumb out here

andre jokes about the situation which

lightens the mood

his assault places us firmly back into a

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thriller

but then the soundtrack rises in the mix

we hear a pop standard from the 40s with

rather ominous lyrics

given the context

in the original script the driver was

described

as listening to a french language

tutorial

but the effect is the same in four and a

half pages

the mix of comedy and horror is the

perfect setup for a story that crosses

genre and prepares us for a complicated

and multi-layered message good to see

another brother around here

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ah yes of course it is

sink into the floor wait wait wait wait

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whether it be a whimsical music piece or

a high octane action scene

you really can do anything in your

opening scene

you can use flashbacks it began with the

forging of the great rings

three were given to the elves immortal

wisest and fairest of all beings

flash forwards

foreign

dreams i'm sorry did someone say my name

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metaphors

foreign

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bookends

red herrings it didn't make sense that

i'd be there

i mean these guys were hardcore

hijackers but

there i was besides

it was fun i got to make like i was

notorious

all right you all know the drill give me

the [ __ ] keys you [ __ ]

[ __ ]

knock it off get back number three step

forward

[Laughter]

having the

hand me the keys you sucker

or mcguffins the rabbit's foot where is

it

i gave it to you ethan

where's the rabbit's foot wait

what what are you saying that wasn't it

what i gave i'm gonna count to ten

you're gonna tell me where the rabbit's

foot is or she dies

i know where the rabbit's food is

i could help you

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what are some of your favorite opening

scenes and sequences and why

tell us in the comments below for more

examples of iconic opening scenes

you know what this is it's the world's

smallest violin playing just for the

waitresses

head over to the studio binder blog we

rank the best opening scenes of all time

i need you to step out of the car sir so

the next time you dust off your

typewriter how to start

just remember a great opening scene can

be more than simply scene one

hi babe it is an opportunity to do

something truly

great

whatever you choose make it count

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you