What is a Horror Film Opening?

For my research into how to create a horror film opening I decided to look at three different horror films/Shows and how they approached setting up their story. I chose American Psycho, Halloween, and Stranger Things.

American Psycho:

American psycho is different from all the other openings that I chose. Mainly because it is more of a character focused opening. Where as all the other openings were more to set up the tone of the films and the conflict. Now the tone is set up in American psycho but its all about building character of the protagonist Patrick Bateman. The scene is structured as a whole morning routine with some narration coming from Bateman. The scene begins with some classical music and a dolly shot of Bateman's home, which is almost all white, looking perfect. We then see Bateman go through his morning routine, a long list of exercises and cleansing routines.This immediately tells us that Bateman is a classy put together man who desires order. He does a lot to give off an appropriate image. Then as Bateman is taking off his face mask he continues to narrate about himself saying. "There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there." He says as he slowly pulls down his face mask, representing his mask that he wears every day. Telling us that his complicated morning routine only is done to create an image of himself, something to trick people, to make them feel safe, he may look like anyone else but hes not. He is a cold man and by proclaiming that he "is simply not there" tells us that Bateman is just a husk, he almost isn't human. This opening is all done so the audience can have an understanding of who the character is, as this plays a huge roll in the rest of the film's story.

Halloween:
Halloween takes a different route to setting up a story. Where Halloween works mainly to set up the threat of the film. In the opening scene of Halloween most of it is a long take pov shot. This is done to set up what ill call "The reveal". Many horror films have this "reveal". The reveal is supposed to be the moment in a scene that makes your stomach drop, and reveals to you the true horror that you couldn't notice, which makes the scare are the more frightening. Because of the POV shot we cannot tell the age of the person who is spying on this couple. From outside. The person being outside tells the audience that they aren't supposed to be there spying on the couple, so immediately something is off. Then when the couple goes upstairs and the shot moves to the upstairs window and the lights shut off, there is a sharp sting with the music. Now the audience knows that whoever this person is, they are up to no good. The person then moves into the home, the music is slow and creeping, its building up to something. The person grabs a knife as they head upstairs. Now the audience knows exactly what's up. It seems simple at this point, the audience might assume that this is just some murderer. Well it gets more interesting as the person grabs a mask and makes their way to the girls room. As he goes in for the kill the girl says his name, Micheal. This tells the audience more, so she knows this person, but who could it be? A friend maybe? This all builds up to the moment when Micheal walks out of the house after killing the girl and he's unmasked. Only for the audience to see that this person was a child the whole time, and the girl he killed was most likely his sister. This is "The reveal". This whole scene works up to this moment and every choice was made to make this reveal have more of an impact. All in service to setup who the antagonist of the story is, a knife wielding killer. Its as simple as that.

Stranger Things:
I decided to look at the opening for season one, episode one, of the T.V show Stranger things. As it has to set up a whole season of conflict as well as just setting up the episode itself. With much more on its plate I wanted to see how the show could also set up a more vast story. Stranger things does this perfectly too. The opening scene works to set up three things. 1. The tone, 2. The conflict, 3. The characters.

The opening establishes the tone and teases the conflict with the very first thing we see, a scientist running away from something. In a place full of flashing lights and an alarm blaring. We know something is wrong. The scientist frantically gets into an elevator. Then a grumbling noise is heard from over his head. Something grabs him the doors close. This sets up the horror tone of the show, it makes it apparent that this show isn't a sitcom. With the thing killing the scientist we now also know that there is a threat on the loose, but we don't know exactly what it is yet.

Cut to the outside of a suburban house. We now know that these events must have happened close to this location. Cut to the inside of a basement. Filled with kids playing Dungeons and Dragons. To make it short character moments, dynamics and relationships are set up during the D&D session. Now this sets up the main cast of characters that we will be with throughout the show. Also it's important that during the D&D session they encounter a monster which is dangerous to them all, foreshadowing whats to come. As the cast of characters leave the house once the session is over we see the lights at the front of the house flash. This tells us that whatever was escaping that lab at the beginning is nearby. It's important to note that a lot of focus is put on the character of Will, Will encounters the monster during D&D, he rolls for an attack but the encounter is left unresolved as the kids must leave. Before Will leaves he tells his friend that he rolled a seven and that the monster got him. This further foreshadows what will happen to Will.

Now to setup the conflict. Will rides away from his friend's home. Will then encounters the monster and runs to his house where he hides in his shed from the monster. As he hides he grabs a gun and guards the door. We then see the monster out of focus behind him. And then the opening title rolls. Now this sets up the conflict of the whole first season, Will goes missing and now his friends and family must go looking for them while having encounters with the dangerous creature that took Will.

I focused on researching different opening to horror that are all done very well to give me some ideas on how to go about making a good opening first. As I feel that the knowledge of how to make something good is more important than the idea first.