Meaning
A cold open begins with a scene, question or event before the main introduction or explanatory setup.
A practical example
An invented engineering film could start with a stopped clock, then explain what the clock measured and why that matters.
What to check
Do not hide essential uncertainty to manufacture surprise. Keep enough context for the opening to remain accurate when viewed on its own.
For a related planning or text task, open the words to minutes. The tool has its own limits; its result is not a measurement or approval of every concept described here.
Continue with the video glossary or a workflow guide.
Continue: Script planning
- Words to minutes
- Plan a 15-minute video script with an honest timing budget
- Build a documentary outline around questions that can be answered
- Production brief
- Research question
- Documentary thesis
- Estimate script runtime before recording
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