The opening narration is a literary device used in theater, film, and radio to reveal background information about the plot or characters. It sets the tone and is typically short, but may be longer for recapping previous episodes. The writers pay close attention to crafting the narrative to keep the audience interested. It may be included in the opening scene, credits, or theme.
The opening narration is a narrative or literary device, usually in the form of a monologue, by which background information about the plot or characters is revealed so that audience members can understand the rest of the story. This device is used in theater and film; it was also common in radio programming. In some cases, the lines of the opening narration have become famous, embodying the whole story and even becoming synonymous with elements of the genre in which the story takes place.
The length of an opening narrative isn’t limited, but it’s typically quite short because it’s only meant to set up the rest of the story. It’s not unusual for these kinds of narratives to last a minute or less. The shorter the story, the less opening narrative there is usually. In case the device is recapping previous episodes or installments, the narration may need to be slightly longer than usual.
In addition to providing background information, the opening of the narrative is important because it sets the overall tone of the show. For example, if an opening narrative is filled with puns or jokes or situational humor, audiences would likely expect the rest of the program to be comedic in nature. The opening narration must be able to fade seamlessly into the very first scene of the show. Otherwise, the opening narration can leave the viewer feeling disconnected and confused.
An opening narrative is traditionally one of the first things a person hears in the story. It’s often within the opening scene of a game or movie. However, sometimes a director chooses to include a basic opening narration in the opening credits. Another alternative is to include the narration above or alongside the opening theme or overture. Two famous examples include the narrative of the TV shows “Quantum Leap” and the original “Star Trek.”
The fact that the opening narration is supposed to set the tone and provide information means that the writers pay close attention to how they craft the narrative. They know that audience members will quickly lose interest if the opening narrative doesn’t have the right pace, feeling, or information. Sometimes the opening narrative is the last thing a writer creates because the writer has a better sense of how to introduce or summarize the story content when all else is gone. It’s not so common for writers to work in the opposite direction, using the opening narration as the basis for the rest of the script, but it really depends on the creative process of the writer. If the writers and producers feel the sequence no longer works for the show, they may rework it from season to season, especially if the narrative is intertwined with the opening theme.
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