Importance of Opening Shots

The opening shots to a film are incredibly important, establishing the film's initial ideas and perhaps narrative. 

John Hughes' 'The Breakfast Club' (1985) opens with a long shot of a high school, evident with the lettering 'SHERMER HIGH SCHOOL' positioned at the front of the building and the narration of the exact location of it: Shermer, Illnois, 60062. This shot immediately establishes the premise that this film is set in a high school, or involves a teenage environment, yet the building is derelict and empty, with a bleak colour pallet to portray this. The plain look to this shot juxtaposes with the association that a high school would be crowded with teenagers and teachers, but the narration tells us the date of 'Saturday, March 24th', indicating that this is the image of the school when students are not studying.But this does not give the reason why this school is being shown on a weekend, creating an enigma of what would happen there on this particular Saturday, yet it can be assumed that something important or memorable with occur there that day, which will be remembered after the weekend back on Monday. This opening shot is transitioned when the black credit screen in front of it smashes into fragments like glass, as if something had been thrown at it, supporting the stereotype that teenagers are of a rebellious nature, and suggests that students are being kept in school on the Saturday for this certain type of behaviour. The narrator's voice is a teenage male, indicating that he perhaps is one of the students at this high school, and one of the characters or protagonist in this film.
Non diegetic sound is playing in the shot, and the music is consistent throughout, which is playing the song 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' by Simple Minds. The music is upbeat and catchy, again linking to the stereotype that teenagers are interested in pop music as well as reflecting the young and exciting lives they lead in this particular period of their life, contrasting to the bleak and almost dismal look of the school, suggesting that this school will obstruct the student/s break from school.

In the film 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006), the opening shot is an extreme close up of a young girl's transfixed eyes on a screen. She is wearing large, thick rimmed glasses, in which the reflection of a woman on Television can be seen, connoting that this is what she wants herself to be, and how she wants to be perceived as. Her eyes resemble those of innocence and wonder, symbolising her aspiration to be like this woman, which can link to the narrative and themes of this film of ambitions and trying to pursue them, this girl being one of those people. There is diegetic and non-diegetic sound, the sound coming from the television tells the audience that is a pageant or competition of some kind, as a winner is mentioned, and judging by the age and gender of the child, it is assumed that it is probably a prize won by one's beauty.This could imply problems later in the narrative, as stereotypically speaking, this girl is not the type of child to be entered into beauty pageants appearance wise. Her huge glasses give her a look which is fairly dorky, and because through her eyes she appears innocent, childlike and almost angelic, it means what she see's is her dream, it isn't who she naturally is. The non-diegetic sound is calming background music, giving a soft and gentle atmosphere to the shot, especially as the focus is a young child.This again connotes childness and the almost naive nature of the girl and along with her attentive gaze, it shows that the only thing she simply wants in her life at that moment is on the screen.

In Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' (2008), the initial shot the audience sees is a slow panning movement from an extreme close up of the protagonist's shoulder to his face. The extreme close up and the distant and worried expression on his face shows the intensity in the situation he is in. This shot is also over the shoulder of another man, who is blowing smoke into the man's face. Although the body is not in focus and the camera is concentrated on the man's face, it is clear that he is a victim to the person in front of him due to his dazed and serious expression. By blowing smoke into his face, this generally signifies an act of interrogation and threat, intimidating the protagonist and asserting his dominance and authority to him. Judging by the out of focus positioning of the other man, the protagonist The tense atmosphere is heightened when it is realised that he is in peril.

Low-key lighting is used with a golden/yellow tone, relating to money and riches which could give a clue about the narrative and perhaps the situation he is in. The warm colours could also suggest the climate they are in, which would be one with a lot of heat since the lighting emphasises the sweat on his face. It can be assumed that because of the heat and the warm rich tones of yellow and gold, that the film is set in India, as well as because Dev Patel is Indian so plays roles in films set in the country. The only sound heard is diegetic, and is the sound of the smoke being blown in the protagonist's face. The absence of any other sound creates a tense and awkward atmosphere as the sound being heard is the single thing that can be concentrated on.