Making an entrance
Encyclopedia
The theatrical
term entrance is the appearance of a character on screen or stage. The term "making an entrance" commonly refers to entrances that are particularly prominent or attention-grabbing.
Some theatrical entrances mark the first appearance of a character; others show a character entering a scene for the first time.
. There may be a long build-up before the character is finally revealed to the audience, sometimes showing small glimpses as a teaser. This is especially common in the case of villain
s.
), or stepping out of a car. Examples:
, or may be a more dramatic change, such as going from a secret identity
to a superhero
.
The makeover generally sees an audience (often a love interest) watching the person enter the room. A popular example is when a beautiful girl walking down the stairs, with the camera panning up from her shoes (as with the "feet first" shot). This happens in 1999's She's All That
where the character of Laney (played by Rachael Leigh Cook
) is transformed from a geek
y-looking girl and walks down the stairs after a makeover
. The impact of the entrance is somewhat lessened (or in other ways strengthen) by her falling down over the last few steps.
, and Mystery Men
.
s of a person, outlined in bright line, are sometimes used to build up anticipation about a character. Examples:
Some characters hide in the shadows until it is time to reveal themselves, often timed for effect with a dramatic piece of dialogue.
may rise from the stage or be lowered onto it.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
term entrance is the appearance of a character on screen or stage. The term "making an entrance" commonly refers to entrances that are particularly prominent or attention-grabbing.
Some theatrical entrances mark the first appearance of a character; others show a character entering a scene for the first time.
On-screen
Many types of on-screen entrances exist in film and television, and some of them have become something of a clichéCliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
. There may be a long build-up before the character is finally revealed to the audience, sometimes showing small glimpses as a teaser. This is especially common in the case of villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
s.
Feet first
The shot begins at the person's feet, slowing moving upwards and finishing on the face. The person may be still, walking (often in slow motionSlow motion
Slow motion is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger....
), or stepping out of a car. Examples:
- 1946's The Postman Always Rings TwiceThe Postman Always Rings Twice (1946 film)The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1946 drama-film noir based on the 1934 novel of the same name by James M. Cain. This adaptation of the novel is the best known, featuring Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, and Audrey Totter...
Character transformation
When a character transformation occurs the second "identity" may be filmed as a new entrance. This identity may merely comprise subtle changes, such as a character having a makeoverMakeover
A makeover is a term applied to changing one's appearance, sometimes through cosmetics. Makeovers can range from something as simple as a new haircut, to the use of cosmetic surgery, to the extreme of the implantation of dental veneers, eye-color-changing contact lenses, and the use of...
, or may be a more dramatic change, such as going from a secret identity
Secret identity
A secret identity is an element of fiction wherein a character develops a separate persona , while keeping their true identity hidden. The character also may wear a disguise...
to a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
.
The makeover generally sees an audience (often a love interest) watching the person enter the room. A popular example is when a beautiful girl walking down the stairs, with the camera panning up from her shoes (as with the "feet first" shot). This happens in 1999's She's All That
She's All That
She's All That is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove, and is a modern adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion...
where the character of Laney (played by Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
) is transformed from a geek
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
y-looking girl and walks down the stairs after a makeover
Makeover
A makeover is a term applied to changing one's appearance, sometimes through cosmetics. Makeovers can range from something as simple as a new haircut, to the use of cosmetic surgery, to the extreme of the implantation of dental veneers, eye-color-changing contact lenses, and the use of...
. The impact of the entrance is somewhat lessened (or in other ways strengthen) by her falling down over the last few steps.
"The team is in place"
The plot of some films culminates in the gathering of various members of a team. A popular shot for this is when the camera pans back as more members of the team join from the side, sometimes walking forwards in slow motion. Occurs in The Right Stuff, ArmageddonArmageddon
Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
, and Mystery Men
Mystery Men
Mystery Men is a 1999 comedy film based on a Dark Horse comic book series feature in Flaming Carrot Comics by Bob Burden, directed by TV commercial director Kinka Usher. It stars William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria as a trio of lesser superheroes with fairly unimpressive superpowers who...
.
Silhouette and shadow
SilhouetteSilhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
s of a person, outlined in bright line, are sometimes used to build up anticipation about a character. Examples:
- The monster in 1931's FrankensteinFrankenstein (1931 film)Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
, played by Boris KarloffBoris KarloffWilliam Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
, was first revealed when he slowly emerged from the laboratory. - The appearance of a silhoutte behind the shower curtain in 1960's PsychoPsycho (1960 film)Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
is often parodied. - The title character from 1962's Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia (film)Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
is first seen as a dot on the horizon approaching the camera. - 1981's Raiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost ArkRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
sees the character of Indiana JonesIndiana JonesColonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
slowly emerge from an outlined figure on a mountain. - In 1989's BatmanBatman (1989 film)Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Michael Keaton in the title role, as well as Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl and Jack Palance...
the first appearance of The JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
is when he appears as a silhouette at the door of the man that tried to kill him.
Some characters hide in the shadows until it is time to reveal themselves, often timed for effect with a dramatic piece of dialogue.
Other famous entrances
- Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonJohn Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
breaking down a door a shouting "Here's Johnny!" in Stanley KubrickStanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's The ShiningThe Shining (film)The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an... - Ursula AndressUrsula AndressUrsula Andress is a Swiss actress and a sex symbol of the 1960s. She is known for her roles as Bond girl Honey Ryder in Dr...
as Honey RyderHoneychile RiderHoneychile Rider is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond novel Dr. No. In the 1962 Bond film of the same name, her name was shortened and changed to Honey Ryder. In the film she is played by Swiss actress Ursula Andress and due to her heavy accent was dubbed by Nikki van der Zyl...
rising out of the water in Dr. NoDr. No (film)Dr. No is a 1962 spy film, starring Sean Connery; it is the first James Bond film. Based on the 1958 Ian Fleming novel of the same name, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather and was directed by Terence Young. The film was produced by Harry Saltzman and Albert R...
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/12/andress.bikini/index.html
Concert performances
Artists performing at a concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
may rise from the stage or be lowered onto it.
Real occurrences
- The arrival of the brideBrideA bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...
at her weddingWeddingA wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
venue can be one of the biggest entrances of her life. - There can be a lot of media attention on celebrities making their red carpetRed carpetA red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
entrances.