RESEARCH - structures of film openings

Narrative opening - A film with a narrative opening is one that's title sequence is actually part of the film, with the titles superimposed on the shot, or in between the shots. Panic Room is an example of a film that does this (with the titles superimposed on the shot). The opening sequence can be seen below.

Discrete title sequence - A film with a discrete title sequence is one that usually begins with the film starting, without any titles playing. After what usually is a significant event, the film cuts to another sequence of shots which are still somewhat related, in which the titles are played also. This can be seen in Skyfall, which has a very distinct opening sequence.

Stand alone titles - A film with standalone titles is one that has the titles playing over a background that is not part of the movie, and is usually static as opposed to dynamic. Sometimes this is used to make sure the audience's full attention is on the words on the screen - for example, for a big actor or director, or it can commonly be used in thriller openings to create suspense. A classic example of stand alone titles can be seen in the opening for Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.