Definition of an opening sequence
An opening sequence is shown at the beginning of a film in order to establish the mood and includes a list of key production and cast members as well as the various production logos. The purpose of an opening sequence is also to introduce the viewer to all or some of the following elements, which are; characters, locations, narrative, plot and themes. By using music and lighting, as well as the style of font the opening sequence is key to setting the genre of the film.
The Dark Knight Bank Robbery Opening Sequence
The opening sequence begins with an image of old-fashioned houses which has a ripple effect over it. The Warner Brothers Pictures production logo then fades onto screen and has dark clouds in the background which creates an eerie atmosphere and hints that the film may be a thriller. Legendary Pictures and DC Comics also appear which are the various companys that Warner Bros colaborated with. Smoke clouds appear which looks like the aftermarth of explosions, suggesting the film will contain violence. The silohette of black bat then forms for about three seconds, used to give away the identity of the main protagonist. It then begins with an establishing long shot of city skycrapers and non-diagetic ticking can be heard in the background which builds suspense and hints that something bad is happening. The camera then zooms into a green building and a window which explodes, engaging the audience as the first event in the opening sequence is dramatic. The green building stands out againist the other black and grey bulidings but it also refers to the main villain - The Joker. The camera then does a medium close-up of a villain in a mask then switches to an over-the-shoulder mid shot so the audience can see him setting up the gun and what building he's going to shoot at.
We then see a man dressed in black from behind and the camera zooms into the clown mask which tells the audience that he is linked with the other villains. There is no dialogue apart from a piercing sound emphasising that something bad is occuring.
A car then pulls up with its tyres screeching and the background music increases volume and pace in order to represent the urgency of what the villains are doing. It then returns to the original place showing a two shot of the villains preparing to hoist themselves out of the window.
The camera swithces to the bust road which shows the danger of the task and then an aerial shot of the men swinging across is shown. The lack of dialogue is effective as it enables the audience to focus solely on the action events. The shots in the film are quite jumpy which helps to build suspence because of the fast paced movements.
The rest of the opening sequence takes place in the bank where the masked villains are stealing from. The setting then changes to the roof top and after one clown deactivates the alarm he is shot dead by the other clown. When he runs down the stairs, music plays what will later be connected with the Joker as it plays whenever he is on screen. The camera pans around to reveal a huge vault which the clown plans to break into to steal all the money, the ticking starts up again but quielty suggesting the importance this event. It cuts back to the main hall where one of the clowns is physically hurting an employee, then the camera cuts to a close-up of the bank manager. When the bank manager shoots a clown, the action music starts as he walks out with the large gun and the other clowns run in panic, portraying the manager as heroic and strong.
The last minute of the sequence is all about the clowns getting the money and preparing to escape.After the manager dies the same music is played from the very beginning (the establishing shot of the buildings). The long shot of the bus breaking through the bank, kills one of the clowns and shoves the money out of the way, suggesting that their plan is in jepordy. The angle of the camera puts the audience in position of looking up at the bus making them feel inferior to everything else going on in the scene.The opening sequence of The Dark Knight ends with the Joker revealing himself and driving away with the money. Overall, it is a suucessful opening to the film because it sets the tone and introduces the audience to the main antagonist.
An opening sequence is shown at the beginning of a film in order to establish the mood and includes a list of key production and cast members as well as the various production logos. The purpose of an opening sequence is also to introduce the viewer to all or some of the following elements, which are; characters, locations, narrative, plot and themes. By using music and lighting, as well as the style of font the opening sequence is key to setting the genre of the film.
The Dark Knight Bank Robbery Opening Sequence
The opening sequence begins with an image of old-fashioned houses which has a ripple effect over it. The Warner Brothers Pictures production logo then fades onto screen and has dark clouds in the background which creates an eerie atmosphere and hints that the film may be a thriller. Legendary Pictures and DC Comics also appear which are the various companys that Warner Bros colaborated with. Smoke clouds appear which looks like the aftermarth of explosions, suggesting the film will contain violence. The silohette of black bat then forms for about three seconds, used to give away the identity of the main protagonist. It then begins with an establishing long shot of city skycrapers and non-diagetic ticking can be heard in the background which builds suspense and hints that something bad is happening. The camera then zooms into a green building and a window which explodes, engaging the audience as the first event in the opening sequence is dramatic. The green building stands out againist the other black and grey bulidings but it also refers to the main villain - The Joker. The camera then does a medium close-up of a villain in a mask then switches to an over-the-shoulder mid shot so the audience can see him setting up the gun and what building he's going to shoot at. 
We then see a man dressed in black from behind and the camera zooms into the clown mask which tells the audience that he is linked with the other villains. There is no dialogue apart from a piercing sound emphasising that something bad is occuring.
A car then pulls up with its tyres screeching and the background music increases volume and pace in order to represent the urgency of what the villains are doing. It then returns to the original place showing a two shot of the villains preparing to hoist themselves out of the window. The camera swithces to the bust road which shows the danger of the task and then an aerial shot of the men swinging across is shown. The lack of dialogue is effective as it enables the audience to focus solely on the action events. The shots in the film are quite jumpy which helps to build suspence because of the fast paced movements.
The last minute of the sequence is all about the clowns getting the money and preparing to escape.After the manager dies the same music is played from the very beginning (the establishing shot of the buildings). The long shot of the bus breaking through the bank, kills one of the clowns and shoves the money out of the way, suggesting that their plan is in jepordy. The angle of the camera puts the audience in position of looking up at the bus making them feel inferior to everything else going on in the scene.The opening sequence of The Dark Knight ends with the Joker revealing himself and driving away with the money. Overall, it is a suucessful opening to the film because it sets the tone and introduces the audience to the main antagonist.
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