The Hobbit Desolation Of Smaug

Conventions of a film opening	Codes used to convey this convention (e.g. technical, symbolic, written)
The Hook!	Tension arises when Thorin Okenshield is sitting at a tavern & two men, either side of him, sinisterly glare at him. A sudden change of merry music to a short tempo signifies danger along with close up shots of the two strangers & Thorin. However, the danger is instantly dismissed when Gandlaf The Grey, a powerful wizard, enters the room. Gandalf & Thorin converse over a meal. Gandalf informs Thorin of how they are going to reclaim Misty Mountain from Smaug the Dragon.
Set the scene (time? Setting?)	In the opening scene starts off with an establishing shot that is also panning across Bree - On The Border Of Shire (The location in which Gandalf & Thorin are). The weather is also raining, wet & dark which often has connotations of being gloomy & mysterious. Because of this, the audience can assume that the use of pathetic fallacy will most likey foreshadows the eventual outcome of the plot. The dark lighting adds to the anxious feeling of the opening, particularly with the two strangers eyeing up Thorin.
Introduce characters	Then main characters introduced in this scene are Gandlaf & Thorin. Both characters were very prominent in the previous film so it sets up their importance to the plot of "The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug." The establishment of the mystery men (despite this being the only time throughout the entire movie that they make an appearance) makes it clear to the audience that Thorin will encounter trouble throughout his journey.
Introduce the genre	"The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug" has a very strong affiliation to the fantasy genre. The audience can deduce from the opening that the genre that the film belongs to is in fact fantasy. The audience can assume this from aspects throughout the opening scene - such as Gandalf being a wizard & the setting is in a fabricated town named Bree which are common attributes of this genre.
Credits	In this example,  there are no credits in the opening. There are only written codes explaining the setting.
Narrative	Use of written code has been used within the first ten seconds to communicate the location of the scene to the audience. Shire is well known location throughout "The Hobbit/Lord Of The Rings" Universe so by letting the audience know that Bree is on the borders of it, allows them to become familiar with the franchise. Because "The Hobbit" Universe is part of the fantasy genre, it is important for its geographical aspect & historical sense is well explain to make the audience feel immersed within the franchise.