How do you actually make a film opening?

 I realized I was getting ahead of myself.. I'm so invested in my actual story that I realized I don't actually know how to make a film opening.

I think the best way for me to fully understand how I can develop MY project, is to break it down and check out some examples; you know, how they differ across genres and whatnot. 

After reading about how to create a memorable opening scene in a film I've concluded there are certain things that just won't just won't work for Runner Up (I need to start addressing it by name.. see if the title sticks ya know). 

1)The first suggestion given is to start with an action scene, like a heist or some disaster to introduce the protagonist. The reason I don't know if this would fit Runner Up is because well... a big part of the character is that they keep dwelling on the PAST. There's no current action, if the story was taking place in the time of the big match then this technique would make more sense. 

2)Second thing mentioned is a hook. This would mean to open the film with an event or instance that would raise a question to get the audience's attention. An example of a film that does this, is The Matrix. I watched the scene on YouTube, and I can tell right off the bat this won't work either.

As most already know, The Matrix is a pretty strange movie.. the opening shows eerie computer graphics and then throws you right into some crime scene, making it an example of a HOOK film opening. Runner Up is a sports drama, focusing more on the psychological aspects of the character, I don't need to hook a character I need to build one. I want to develop the story around him, I think I should introduce him and spark curiosity more about his past rather than hook with an event, as done in The Matrix

3) Another way to open a film, is to establish mood. This means to set the overall vibe of the film (genre, mood, tone, etc) through technical elements. Lighting and sound are two main things I have a vision for when I picture this. I like the idea of a more yellow toned environment. I did some more research on why I wanted this and found out it's because of color theory, something we've learned about in class. According to this Article on Color Theory , yellow generally represents "obsession," exactly what this opening is about. I want to be able to write more about this so I'll save some facts for my upcoming blogs. For now, I think I am associating it with the vibe I get in this scene of Foxcatcher, a wrestling movie telling the story of John Du Pont and David Schultz.

This is what I will do for my film opening, set the rest up for the story and stylistic choices I plan to make. 

4-6) The next few points talk about establishing theme and showcasing the protagonists early world.

Overall, what I am talking from this, is that in the case of Runner Up I should focus on setting the mood by showing the protagonists ordinary life. I can do this through stylistic lighting choices and sound to establish my genre.