# Cold Open — Series Format

> The opening sequence before the title card / theme song. 1-7 minutes. Hook the audience.

## Format basics

- Length: 30 seconds - 7 minutes (typical 2-5 min)
- Before main titles/theme
- Often standalone
- Hooks the episode
- Sometimes unrelated to main story

## Cold open types

### The hook
- Shocking event opens
- Question planted
- Audience hooked into episode

### The mystery
- Setup for episode's case
- Often crime / procedural
- Question for protagonist to answer

### Character moment
- Quiet beat establishing tone
- Sets emotional state
- Less plot-driven

### The B-story setup
- Subplot character moment
- Episode A-story comes after titles

### The framing device
- Past / future glimpse
- Will recontextualize later
- Recurs through episode

### The standalone vignette
- Self-contained mini-story
- Connects thematically
- Not directly to main plot

## Famous cold opens

### Breaking Bad
- Often atmospheric, mysterious
- Sometimes flash-forward
- Pulls into episode emotionally

### Lost
- Character flashback
- Or mystery hook
- 5-7 minutes typically

### The Office (US)
- Comedy beat / cold open joke
- Sets tone for episode
- Often standalone

### True Detective
- Atmospheric procedural
- Sometimes the killer's POV
- Mood-setting

## Structure (typical 5-min cold open)

```
0-30s    HOOK
         Visual / verbal grab
         Question / mystery established

30s-3min DEVELOPMENT
         Brief story beat
         Character revealed
         Tension built

3-4min   TURN
         Reveal / twist
         Information shifts

4-5min   BUTTON
         Cliffhanger or punchline
         Cut to titles
```

## Sample cold open

```
TITLE: "Karavan" Episode 6 — Cold Open

[60 seconds of pre-title content]

EXT. ROOFTOP - BAKU - DAY

NIGAR (37), our protagonist, stands at the edge of a tall building.
She looks down. The street is impossibly far below.

Her phone rings. She answers without looking away from the drop.

NIGAR
Eldar.

ELDAR (V.O.)
Where are you?

NIGAR
On the roof of the Old Hotel.

ELDAR (V.O.)
Is this a joke?

NIGAR
He sent me a message. Said to come here at 3 PM. Said come alone.

ELDAR (V.O.)
Don't —

She looks at her watch. 2:59 PM.

NIGAR
He's late.

She turns. Behind her, on the rooftop, a FIGURE waits.

She didn't know he was there.

He has been watching her for ten minutes.

She drops the phone. It clatters on the roof.

(Cut to title card — Karavan logo, dramatic music sting.)

[End of 1-minute cold open]
```

## Key principles

### Hook fast
First 30 seconds — audience must want more.

### Standalone-feel
Cold opens often work without context.

### Tone-setter
Establishes episode's tone immediately.

### Don't waste it
This is your hook. Make it count.

### Doesn't have to connect to main plot
Some cold opens are atmospheric / character / B-story only.

## Cold open vs teaser

Cold open = pre-title scene
Teaser = same thing, different name (interchangeable)

## Episode structure with cold open

```
Cold open (5 min)
Title sequence (1 min)
Act 1 (after titles)
Act 2 (after first ad break — broadcast)
Act 3
Act 4 (broadcast hour drama)
Act 5 (sometimes)
Tag (final scene)
```

## When to write cold open

- Every episode of most series
- Need strong audience hook
- Setting tone/mood
- Standalone moment to use

## Common cold open mistakes

- Too long (overstaying welcome)
- Disconnected from episode (audience confused)
- No hook (boring)
- Recap-feeling (boring)
- Misleading tone (wrong promise)

## Cold open vs no cold open

Some series skip cold opens:
- Modern HBO drama (often)
- Anthology series episodes (start fresh)
- Limited series
- When titles ARE the cold open (Better Call Saul-style)

Choose based on series convention.
