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Question about my action opening.

In my script, the first scene is a crime act in progress that goes wrong. A chase then ensues with villains and the main cop character. I want to make it an epic long chase that goes in different directions in the style of Bullitt or The French Connection. Now the bullitt chase was almost 10 minutes if you time it, and I want mine to be around as long.

Then in the next scene, a series of violent crimes of a similar nature are committed by the same gang after getting away. It doesn't show every crime, but they are talked about on the news, media, etc. Then the same cop is given as assignment on what to and he then goes and does it. This is different from the usual beginning of a three act structure, as most movies tend to introduce characters first before throwing this much plot at the audience.

There is the hook, but my hook lasts a few scenes, after the first. And not only that, before the audience knows exactly what crimes are happening, they have to watch a 10 minute chase in the opening before it gets to the main plot hook. There are two hooks though, one that went wrong, which leads to the chase, then the one that goes horribly right, and creates the dilemmas. After all that though, the character background and development starts, I was just wondering if it's an okay I do to throw all the action and plot at the audience first compared to a lot of thrillers?

This way I can develop the characters as the story progresses though, as oppose to having scenes, where they are forced to talk about things to each other, before the crimes even happen yet. This way they can talk about the crimes as well, and the scenes also have a little plot in besides character development introduction only.

I want to go with the chase since I thought up a type of chase where several things happen that I have not seen done before. Now usually a chase this big would come later, but during other action scenes in the script, certain things need to happen for twists and turns in the plot during the action. The characters are required to do things in other action scenes for the plot, that they would not logically do during a chase.

Because the plot restricts the further scenes from being chase scenes, the opening is the only part where I can put a chase. It's not just there for an opening chase, though. There are plot turns that happen, that drive more of the story afterwords. Thoughts?
 
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"Raiders of the Lost Ark" stars with a long action sequence (though it's not fast-moving until the end). It demonstrates what a bad-ass Indiana Jones is, and introduces the villain, Belloq, at its end.

I'd say your beginning, like any movie with an action opening, needs to either set up the story, or intro the main character (or intro the bad guy, for example as in "Star Wars") or preferably both.
 
Okay well I revisited the script, after taking a break and would now like to complete, now that I am not working on any one else's projects and have free time.

However, the long epic chase, that it starts out with... First comes the crime, then followed by the chase. The crime takes up till page 5 to be introduced, established, and executed. The chase then goes from page 5 to 16. Do you think that's too long though, for an opening chase, even if it's epic?

I feel that maybe when I send the script out in the future, that readers may want to get to the plot quicker, rather than putting the plot on hold, for a chase that goes all the way to page 16, before moving on other parts of the story. What do you think?

It could grab the viewer off the bat to have an epic chase. I timed mine to be like Bullitt or the French Connection. Those were almost 10 minutes, but because of low budget, mine is pretty much a foot chase. But do you think that waiting till page 16 to move onto the other parts of the plot in the first act, is too long of a wait for readers, and it could have perhaps the opposite effect?
 
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Take a look at Lethal Weapon 2. They used a chase off the bat to hook the viewers in. I very much encourage this choice. It sets the tone. Just be sure to follow through.
 
That's true. In the movie Lethal Weapon 2, the chase goes on for about 6 minutes. In the script of Lethal Weapon 2, the chase goes on till page 9. So perhaps mine going to page 16 is not bad. It just feels that that's 16 pages, before we move onto the 'inciting incident', if going by the three act structure, so I thought maybe that was too long for readers.
 
Oh yes, I know how they introduce the characters and part of the plot there. I just think that if mine goes on till page 16, that readers might think it's an action movie. Cause there isn't more chases or what not, till much later. But as long as the reader is okay with that, and still likes the big chase opening.
 
The expansive opening action scene can be great, even if it doesn't relate back to the plot exactly. Look at True Lies - there was a whole story (beginning, middle, end) before the real plot started. The key thing is the characteristic moment. This part of the Wordplay take on Character Arcs was great for my understanding of it:
http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2014/03/character-arcs-5.html

EDIT: As for there not being any further action scenes until much later, that can be a bit jarring but it can be managed. The major question is if there is a reason for the change of pace. Does something happen to sideline the cop? Is it meant to instil the feeling of impotency? These are very general questions and probably not applicable, granted, but the change in tone should have some reason. If you want to nut it out, I love this stuff ;)
 
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Okay thanks. In my script the opening chase is directly related to the plot. The main character witness a kidnapping and heist, and that's how the chase starts. After that the plot switches to detectives trying to figure out the kidnapping. So the reason why the pace change is cause the plot dictates it. The witness comes back into play, a few scenes later. The reader may be a bit confused as to who the protagonist is, since he is gone for a few scenes as it shifts to the detectives, but is him being gone for a few scenes after the opening chase, okay? As for the change of pace, there is just no reason to have more action till much later. It's a mystery thriller, and a lot of it is figuring things out, unraveling the mystery before it's too late, since they are on the clock. Should the plot dictate the change of pace to a degree, or should it be the way around?
 
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