R+P Post 5: Our opening sequence idea

Our opening sequence begins with the sound of a clock ticking over the beginning credits before the alarm goes off, waking the main character up. This is followed by a 'morning routine' sequence which includes a mini montage of CU on a few aspects of the main character getting ready.

The middle section of the opening takes the audience downstairs and into the kitchen where they continue to follow the main character getting ready. This is broken up by cross cuts to POV shots outside the house of someone looking in at the main character, who remains unaware that she is being watched.

The end section has the main character leaving the house to go to work. As she walks there are cross cuts to someone running in the forest getting closer to her and the audience see her start to get worried. The person getting closer turns out to just be a runner who continues past the main character and down the road. The opening ends on a POV shot again of someone watching the main character from further down the road as she continues on her walk to work.

Dialogue
There is no dialogue in our opening. We do have a radio announcement for the middles section of the opening - a copy of which can be seen below.

To ensure that our opening works and is recognisable as one, we have included numerous narrative conventions.

Enigma Codes

• The cross cuts to the POV shots, coupled with the heavy breathing, raises the questions of who is watching the main character and why?
• The second set of footsteps coming towards Shania, makes the audience question who this is, whether it is the same person who was watching her and what is going to happen when they reach Shania.
• The last shot also reinforces the question of who is watching Shania and makes the audience question how long before Shania realises that she is being stalked.

Action Codes

• The ticking of the clock and the alarm going off signifies that the character will wake up and start her day
• The runner's footsteps getting louder and closer to Shania - audience expects something to happen to her, like an attack. We deliberately played with this code and had a different ending to help build anticipation and try to make the opening less predictable. 

Binary Opposites

• Law vs Crime
• Inside vs Outside
• The calm inside the house with Shania vs the unrest and unsettling atmosphere outside with the stalker