In 'A Hard Days Night', the opening scene is a tracking shot with the camera following the The Beatles as they run away from their screaming fans at London's Marylebone Station. Throughout the opening scene, the camera tracks The Beatles as they try and get as far away from their fans as possible. As they are running, George Harrison trips and falls, bringing Ringo Starr down with him. John Lennon then proceeds to turn around and laugh at the pair of them before continuing to run towards the camera. George and Ringo get straight back up and carry on with massive smiles on their faces, obviously finding that what had just happened extremely funny. This makes the particular scene very real and creates an amusing atmosphere to the beginning of the film.
Throughout the opening scene, there are a lot of close up shots of the group, enabling the viewer see the emotions on their faces. The camera follows the group closely, staying at a constant distance from them so that their surroundings can also come into view. There is one particular moment where the camera zooms in on Paul McCartney in disguise. The camera does this while all the screaming fans are running after the other three members of his group behind him, something which is also very amusing to watch. The director has decided to use these particular types of shots to create an atmosphere which the audience will enjoy. It is done so that each scene can flow easily into the next and this helps to create an intense but funny scene and show the madness that surrounded The Beatles at that time.
2. Citizen Kane (1941) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
This film opening of 'Citizen Kane' is made to seem very dark and mysterious from the black and white effect being used. They use non-continuity to switch from one frame to the next and this creates suspense as you have no idea what image will come up on your screen next. The music in the background also adds to the suspense. The scene shows close up shots throughout the first 40 seconds and then an establishing shot comes into view. To add to that, the majority of the scenes in the opening always have movement in them. For example, in the first few frames, the camera moves upwards before fading into the next frame.
The shots have been put into this order to create a sense that something bad is about to happen. The next scene then proves our thoughts correct as the mystery character laying in bed drops a snow globe after saying 'rosebud'. It falls to the ground and proceeds to break into tiny pieces and this also happens to be the same time at which he passes away. We know this as the nurse walks into the room just as this has happened and covers the mystery character with his bed sheet, almost as if she knew that it was going to happen.
The camera shots throughout the end frames of the opening scene change a lot. While the mystery character says 'rosebud' they use an extreme close up so that you can really see/hear what he says. However, it does not give anything away, making the viewer to become intrigued by what is going to happen. While the nurse walks into the room, they use a long shot before capturing her movement in the broken glass laying on the floor. She then walks over and adjusts the characters body and this was shown using a medium shot.
3. Resident Evil - Afterlife (2010) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220634/?ref_=nv_sr_4
The shots have been put into this order to create a sense that something bad is about to happen. The next scene then proves our thoughts correct as the mystery character laying in bed drops a snow globe after saying 'rosebud'. It falls to the ground and proceeds to break into tiny pieces and this also happens to be the same time at which he passes away. We know this as the nurse walks into the room just as this has happened and covers the mystery character with his bed sheet, almost as if she knew that it was going to happen.
The camera shots throughout the end frames of the opening scene change a lot. While the mystery character says 'rosebud' they use an extreme close up so that you can really see/hear what he says. However, it does not give anything away, making the viewer to become intrigued by what is going to happen. While the nurse walks into the room, they use a long shot before capturing her movement in the broken glass laying on the floor. She then walks over and adjusts the characters body and this was shown using a medium shot.
3. Resident Evil - Afterlife (2010) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1220634/?ref_=nv_sr_4
This is the film opening of 'Resident Evil - Afterlife'. It starts off with an establishing shot and then goes through the whole opening credits with one of the character standing still in the middle of a pedestrian crossing. She stands out from the rest of the crowd as she is the only one not moving. The opening stays in the same location and so the woman is in almost every frame. There are many different types of camera shots being used, going from ariel shots to long shots to medium shots and also to close up shots.
Throughout the opening scene, they use special effects alongside the music to build up tension. This all changes once a man, walking along the pedestrian crossing, picks his head up to look at her. Within the next second, the whole scene speeds up and she is on the floor taking out pieces of his flesh. While this is happening, it turns into an ariel shot, looking down onto the two characters as the whole scene pans out. It then zooms out even further, showing a whole map view of the city. The city and then the whole word slowly starts going black, meaning that what ever has just happened to that man, is now happening to everyone on earth. The whole opening scene is very tense and you are always unaware of what is about to happen, especially since slow motion is being used.
4. World War Z (2013) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/?ref_=nv_sr_1
This is the film opening for 'World War Z'. It starts of with an establishing shot, showing the audience where the action is going to take place. It starts off with close up shots and medium shots of the whole family. Something then unexpected happens and so it shows close up shots of their faces and the panic on them. It then cuts to a scene of everyone running down the street as a rubbish truck has been taken over by a mystery character. At this point we are unaware of what may be in the vehicle for it to be moving at such a fast speed. Throughout the opening scene a lot of ariel shots are used to really focus in on what is happening. It also allows you to see more of the action taking place.
5. Shaun Of The Dead (2004) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365748/
This is the opening for 'Shaun Of The Dead'. The whole opening is non-continous as they go from one location to the next. The music in the background adds to the humour of the whole film. They use a lot of long shots so the viewer can see the whole body of the character but also the location at which the characters are.
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