Conventions of a thriller opening

To create a successful thriller opening, many things need to be done in order to grip the viewer and to make sure they do not switch it off. The opening sequence is probably the most important part of the film, as it sets the mood, and gives vague character information so that the audience want to watch and find out more. In opening sequences in films such as inception and green zone, there is a lot of action, and this immediately interests the viewer and grips them into the action. In other films like Se7en and Silence of the lambs, there is a more slow and creepy opening which also keeps the viewer interested as they want to know why the director has chosen this strange opening. Slow openings often seem to mess with the audiences mind a lot more, so it seems like a good choice as the viewer can get very confused and can start thinking of possible scenarios in their head. The character in the opening sequence needs to be quite strange, or a hidden character, which will create tension fot the audience which in turn will make them want to know who this character is. A lot of tension is built at the start which keeps the audience on the edge of their seat