Lesson plan
Cold open
A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and film. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In North American television, this is often done on the theory that involving the audience in the plot as soon as possible will reduce the likelihood of them switching to a different channel during the opening commercial. A cold open may also be used to recap events from previous episodes or storylines that will be revisited during the current episode. The cold open technique is also used in film. In cinematic contexts, "cold opening" refers to the opening moments or scenes, though not necessarily to the full duration prior to the title card, which may appear well after the start.
Article summary
A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and film. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In North American television, this is often done on the theory that involving the audience in the plot as soon as possible will reduce the likelihood of them switching to a different channel during the opening commercial. A cold open may also be used to recap events from previous episodes or storylines that will be revisited during the current episode. The cold open technique is also used in film. In cinematic contexts, "cold opening" refers to the opening moments or scenes, though not necessarily to the full duration prior to the title card, which may appear well after the start.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.