Cold Opens, and WHY they Need to Grab You
The Cold Open (or Teaser) is an integral part of great TV writing. A pilot can live or die by what happens in those first few pages - it has to grab the audience’s attention right away and prove to them your show is worth watching.
Right out of the gate cold opens need to create suspense, deliver a solid laugh, have instant tension, pique curiosity, or a combination of all of these. Most importantly, they have to leave people eager to see (or read) more.
Here are 3 things to consider when writing your own cold open, and 4 examples of TV shows that start out with a bang, to inspire you:
Make the First Moment Count
If a TV show is lucky, I’ll give it to the end of the cold open to win me over. That’s typically about 30 seconds to 5 minutes (tops) to make me a fan. Also, if the beginning of a show leaves me bored, confused, or annoyed I probably won’t ever come back to it. It sounds harsh but it’s true, there’s so many great TV series out there and never enough time to watch them all - audiences won’t invest in content that’s just “okay”. This includes people you want to read (and love) your script. The executive, producer, or potential rep who is reading your script, is also short on time and patience. Make sure your opening sequence packs a punch and piques their curiosity - if they’re invested early, chances are they’ll stick with reading the rest of your story (and be rooting for it to be great). If it’s great, you’re helping them with their job.
Make the Most of your Genre
It’s called a “cold” open because your audience is “coming in cold”. They have no context before this first scene (the credits and title card haven’t even rolled yet). Use the cold open to let your audience know what kind of ride they’re signing up for - make sure it serves up the tone of your show and at least some of the conventions of your genre. If your show is a mystery - intrigue us, if it’s a horror - scare us, if it’s a comedy - make us laugh. There are also a million and one ways to structure a cold open - choose one that best supports your genre and the rest of your episode. Some writers jump right into the main storyline to try and “keep” their audience by launching them into the middle of the plot - this is used a lot in drama and procedural cold opens. Other writers use cold opens to tell a “stand-alone” story that can be related or unrelated to the plot of the episode. This is used a lot in comedy (The Office is a great example of a show that used this kind of Cold Open).
What would Excite YOU?
Your teaser needs to make your show stand out from hundreds of others. Ask yourself, what would draw YOU in as a viewer? Make use of dynamic images, show us a unique world, deliver a clear protagonist in action, establish a fascinating central question for your series, create urgency and momentum right out of the gate. Writing a cold open can feel overwhelming - there’s a lot to communicate in a little amount of time - so it can be helpful to start simple. Try answering these five questions and go from there: 1. Who’s in the scene? 2. What do they want? 3. Why do we care if they get it or not? 4. What’s the tone of your show? 5. What’s the most dynamic way to show that? These questions can help you outline the teaser, and also help you figure out how your opening connects to the rest of the episode. I encourage you to take a risk and make bold choices! While still staying within the world and reality of your show, of course.
4 Examples of great TV Cold Opens:
1. Stranger Things
The cold open for the pilot of Stranger Things is full of suspense: A scientist is desperately running from a terrifying creature who eventually catches him, and devours him. It effectively introduces the antagonist (the creature), communicates the tone and type of show (sci-fi thriller), and creates suspense that leaves us wanting more, all in under two minutes.
2. Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is known for delivering great cold opens throughout the entire series, but the opener of the pilot is one of the very best. It’s unforgettable, especially the last image: Walter (protagonist) stands on the open road in tighty-whiteys, aiming a gun (dynamic visual). It instantly grabs the audience by raising a lot of questions.
3. This is Us
This network drama uses its first moment to trick the audience. It introduces a group of people who all have the same birthday - we’re led to believe it’s an ensemble show about this diverse group. But, it turns out, the show is actually about one family. Subverting expectations in a teaser can be a great way to get your audience to sit up and take notice.
4. Fleabag
I know I keep using this show as an example on this blog, but it has won almost every TV award this year for a reason. The first episode of Season 2 starts with Fleabag (protagonist) in an upscale restaurant bathroom (unique environment), looking in the mirror at her bloody nose (dynamic visual). We soon discover there’s another woman on the floor who also has a bloody nose (surprise), and the whole sequence ends with Fleabag looking into the camera and telling us “this is a love story” (juxtaposition and intrigue).
What do you think makes a dynamic cold open? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!
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