Opening Sequences: Where Stories Thrive or Die
- Mic
- Feb 1
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 2
Screenwriters: this is the most important blog post you'll ever read.
Well, probably not.
But that got your attention, didn't it?
And now you're actually super curious as to what this post is about, right?
Well -- that's exactly what this post is about: the importance of an opening sequence.
Since my posts tend to be long reads (because I'm a certified yapper ✅), I thought I'd try something different: I've recorded myself reading this post out loud!
Testing... 1... 2... 3... See!
I've done this so all you busy bees who don't have time to read can listen instead! For extra credit, you can listen AND read! 😌
The opening sequence is your story's first impression on the audience, and you only get one shot at it.
If it isn't enticing, you risk losing your audience entirely.
Unless they're obligated to read your story in full because you submitted it to a contest.
And anger festers within them as they realize they have to get through 100+ more pages of this script that's already boring, confusing, or straight up bad.
Maybe they shed a tear or two as they consider their life choices that led them to the point where they're forced to read your script.
Yes, I'm traumatized by one too many terrible opening sequences.
So... How do you ensure your opening sequence leaves a good impression? One that doesn't make your audience regret choosing to engage with your story?
Honestly, what it usually comes down to is CLARITY.
Let's talk about it!
The Role of the Opening Sequence
In its simplest terms, opening sequences are meant to accomplish two things:
Orient the audience in the story's world
Plant the seeds for what’s to come
And that's it; now go write an amazing opening sequence!
.......... Come on, you know me better than that.
There's more detail to those two "simple" things.
Which really are simple -- it's just doing them well that's hard.
In order to effectively orient the audience in the story's world and plant the seeds for what's to come, these story elements should be the central focus in the opening sequence:
Genre / Tone
Setting (location, time period, rules of the world)
Protagonist
Their normal world
Why it must change
Their flawed belief
Why it must change
Their want
Why they want it
What they actually need instead
Within the first 15 pages, all of these things should be clear.
........
Oh, you want me to explain how to do it?
Gladly. 💅
How to Write a Strong Opening Sequence
Let's break it down point by point.
GENRE / TONE
If your script is a comedy, there should at least be an attempt at a joke within the first 3 pages.
If it's a fantasy, we should see something magical / otherworldly within the first 3 pages.
If it's a comedy-fantasy, a man should walk into a bar, order a Fireball, and the bartender casts fireball on him.
You get the point. Set the genre and tone expectations clearly upfront.
Whatever tone your story evokes in those opening pages is what your audience is going to expect from that point on, so make sure it's accurate!
SETTING (location, time period, rules of the world)
This is often tied in with genre / tone, specifically with fantasy, sci-fi, sports, and war stories.
Even in the example above, the rules of the world are established when the bartender casts fireball on the man.
This shows the audience that we're in a fantasy world where casting spells is not only possible, but common.
What we don't know is where this fantasy world is located, or what time period the story takes place in.
Without it being clarified otherwise, the audience is always going to assume the story takes place in present day, and in a common location (normal-sized town/city).
The story's location and time period should mainly be established visually, with dialogue to support it.
If the script is set in the 1950s, don't rely only on characters saying things like "why I oughta" to show this (please).
Show us visually by incorporating period-specific props and locations that have relevance to the story.
It doesn't need to be this on-the-nose, but a classic sign a film takes place in the 1950s is seeing a diner with a jukebox.
And a guy dressed as Elvis saying "why I oughta" as he gets into a fight with the bartender who cast fireball on him.
Okay, now we're getting into fantasy territory. 😅
PROTAGONIST
Understanding the protagonist is the key to making the audience care about the rest of the story.
To ensure your protagonist is established effectively, focus on making these aspects about them clear:
Their Normal World (& Why it Must Change)
Literally just show us your protagonist vibing in their natural habitat.
Although, they're probably not truly vibing. I mean, if their life was so great, there'd be no story to tell, right?
We should see your protagonist failing to live their best life in some way, and how this flaw impacts them.
For example, if they lack self-confidence, we could see them struggling to choose the right outfit or hairstyle for their date night.
They could take so long to decide, they end up being late to the date.
This makes their date upset, which in turn fuels...
Their Flawed Belief (& Why it Must Change)
The protagonist should have a belief that keeps them stuck, like “I’m not good enough,” “I can’t do it,” or “I can’t trust anyone.”
It’s a belief that needs to be shattered in order for them to grow and get what they truly want.
In the self-confidence example, the protagonist's date being upset with them makes them believe they're not good enough to be loved.
When really, it's the protagonist's lack of confidence that's sabotaging their dates.
When we as the audience witness this behavior and the impact it has on the protagonist, we know immediately that this character is going to go on a journey that challenges them to love themselves, and become a fully self-confident person at the end of the story!
Their Want (& Why)
The protagonist should want something tangible, whether it's a promotion, to fall in love, or to defeat a villain.
This want drives their actions and keeps the plot moving.
They should want this thing so badly they'd do anything to get it. They'd do this because they believe getting what they want will improve their life in some way.
But really, their want is an external goal that represents...
What They Need Instead
Which is often the opposite of what they want. 🤯
In the self-confidence example, the protagonist wants someone to love them, but what they need is to learn to love themself.
Their WANT plants the seeds for the physical plot, their NEED plants the seeds for the emotional arc.
And bam! Your entire story is set up and ready to go!
Once these key things are established, you can start introducing subplots, fleshing out supporting characters, etc.
But for the first 15 pages, keep the focus mainly on the central character and A-plot to ensure the audience understands what story they're getting into.
Case Study: The Substance vs A Different Man
Look I'm not all talk here, I'm going to show you two real-world examples and explain what works / what could be improved.
And not to toot my own horn, but I think I've found the perfect examples:
THE SUBSTANCE and A DIFFERENT MAN.
These films have the exact same inciting incident: the protagonist is offered a life-changing medication.
However, these films go about the events leading up to the inciting incident quite differently.
You can check out the screenplays here:
What The Substance does right is introduce the physical plot and the protagonist’s emotional arc right away.
We not only understand that Elisabeth is being replaced because she's "too old" (physical plot + her flawed belief), and that she'll do anything to remain in the spotlight (her want), we also get clear and strong insight into her relationship with herself as she struggles to accept her decline from stardom and love herself anyway (her need).
A Different Man spends those first 15 pages establishing Ingrid (supporting character + physical plot), which is certainly important and necessary because she's a huge part of the story. But because she's the main focus in these early pages, we don't learn much about Edward's relationship with himself (his want, his why, his flawed belief) until after the inciting incident.
This makes it more difficult to tell where the story is going, and therefore more difficult for the audience to invest in.
The Substance is clearly building towards a very specific plot and emotional arc from the moment it begins, making it far easier for the audience to get on board with the story from the start.
But this doesn't just affect the opening sequence.
Let's look at the long-term effects that the placement of the protagonist's establishing beats has in these scripts:
Both of these characters go through an intense physical transformation at the end of act 1 that completely changes the way they live their life.
In A Different Man, Edward's transformation doesn't really kick in until around p.45 when all his facial tumors are gone.
Before this, we’re mostly seeing his normal world and how his insecurities prevent him from getting close to people (his flaw + his need).
Again, necessary to see because it's the groundwork for Edward's emotional arc, but would have been more effectively established before the inciting incident.
The Substance gives us a full character transformation by p.27, locking Elisabeth into her new world at a more appropriate pace, AND already having established everything about her that the audience needs to know.
Even though, overall, I personally prefer A Different Man (the way his life crumbles by the end of the film is far more dramatic / emotional, in my opinion), there's no denying that The Substance has a stronger opening sequence due to establishing the protagonist, plot, and themes efficiently.
A Different Man is a slower burn, and it isn’t until around the midpoint (when Edward sees auditions for Ingrid's play) that the true plot kicks in.
Before that, we’re watching Edward’s life stay miserable in the same ways: judgement from others and himself.
The only new addition is peeling skin and illness, which makes him more miserable before his life drastically changes for the better at the end of act 1.
Now I want to do a full comparison of these two films -- their themes, arcs, and dramatic beats are so similar but tackled in such different ways.
That all being said, the first 15 pages are obviously important in getting the audience oriented and invested, but a solid opening sequence doesn't always indicate a better film overall.
It just indicates stronger storytelling groundwork, which hooks the audience.
What?! We're done already?! I say as I wrap up this 9-minute read.
Yep, that's the guideline for writing an effective and enticing opening 15 pages!
A strong first 15 pages provides more than a simple introduction -- it creates intrigue and lays a solid foundation for the unfolding story.
Striking the right balance between clarity and excitement is key.
The objective is to hook the audience while setting the stage for the rest of the narrative.
What movie or TV show do you think has the best opening sequence? Let me know in the comments!
Wondering how your first 15 pages shape up?
Submit your script to my Inciting Incident Read service!
For a limited time, I'm offering this service for $20 and a 24-hour turnaround! 😱
I'll provide you with 1 - 3 paragraphs of constructive feedback on your opening pages, letting you know how effectively you've established the key points covered in this post!
Okay, shameless self-promotion done!
Aaaaand blog post DONE!
Byeeeeee!
A lot of movies have strong openings. But most aren’t good after that.
Finally, more cow bell. Keep up the audio portion. I'd much rather listen than read. Excellent job!
I always imagined these posts in a sassy tone. I don't have to imagine anymore. 😁
All the Mission Inpossible movies have a kick-ass opening.