Updated Opening Sequence Outline for 'When Duty Calls'

Having done more planning for my opening sequence, I have slightly adapted the scene so it is more fitting for the genre I want to work in, is more engaging and interesting for the audience, and really establishes the character of my central protagonist. 

In my opening sequence I will be introducing the protagonist, showcasing his skills and characteristics to help the audience understand who he is and how he will perform the mission later on in the film. This will make the audience feel connected to the ‘hero’ as they follow his journey, ultimately watching him uncover a murder mystery and be forced to choose between his country and his wife.

My opening sequence will be split into distinct scenes that will allow the audience to build a connection with the protagonist and to understand what the character is like early on. 

The different scenes include:

The protagonist waking up - the audience are introduced to him straight away as he begins his day, however it is clear that he is old, stiff and groggy suggesting that he is not what he used to be

Morning Montage - shows the audience what a typical morning is like for the protagonist

Breakfast - he makes a quick breakfast, which doesn’t go too well, and sits down reading the newspaper, however he hears the news on the radio and pays attention to it

The phone call - protagonist gets a confidential phone call asking him to come out of retirement and solve the mission that has just broken on the news 

The first scene will include the protagonist waking up which initially highlights to the audience that he is out of shape and old, therefore the audience will be shocked to know that he is a retired Secret Service agent. 

Eventually he will be engaging in everyday tasks, which suggests to the audience that he has a peaceful and fit lifestyle. Subtly, these tasks will hint at his abilities as he will be doing press-ups/sit-ups which suggests he is physically strong, fixing his car/cleaning the cameras, which highlights his attention to detail. As the audience witness him doing these normal tasks they will start to understand that he still has the skills and capacity to be able to go on another mission even though he has left the Secret Service.

After he has completed his tasks, the second scene will see him make breakfast, which doesn’t go too well with him burning toast and spilling his coffee, and then he sits down to read the newspaper. Suddenly, he hears ‘breaking news’ from the radio/Alexa and starts to pay attention to what's being said. As he listens to the ‘developing story’ he gets a call which is from a Secret Service agent saying that he is their only hope to solve this mission. The opening sequence will end here, which creates enigma for the audience as it is left on a cliffhanger.