Comparing the First and Last Frames of Hollywood Films

Here are 55 side-by-side examples of the first and last frames of popular Hollywood films.

When it comes to engaging your audience and creating a memorable film, there are no two shots more important than the first and last. The first has the power to quickly get your audience up to speed with the story. The last can give them something to talk about.

Aside from popping up two video files on your computer simultaneously, there’s never been an easy way to see good comparisons of first and last frames. However, Jacob T. Swinney recently uploaded a video showing 55 popular films’ side-by-side first and last frames. If you haven’t already seen the video, here it is:

This film was first shared by Jacob T. Swinney on his Vimeo channel. Thanks for sharing, Jacob!

While each of these films are very different, it’s interesting to notice how much visual similarity there is between the first and last frame. If you saw a film that you don’t recognize, don’t worry! Here’s a list of all the movies showcased in this video:

• The Tree of Life (0:00)
• The Master (0:09)
• Brokeback Mountain (0:15)
• No Country for Old Men (0:23)
• Her (0:27)
• Blue Valentine (0:30)
• Birdman (0:34)
• Black Swan (0:41)
• Gone Girl (0:47)
• Kill Bill Vol. 2 (0:53)
• Punch-Drunk Love (0:59)
• Silver Linings Playbook (1:06)
• Taxi Driver (1:11)
• Shutter Island (1:20)
• Children of Men (1:27)
• We Need to Talk About Kevin (1:33)
• Funny Games (2007) (1:41)
• Fight Club (1:47)
• 12 Years a Slave (1:54)
• There Will be Blood (1:59)
• The Godfather Part II (2:05)
• Shame (2:10)
• Never Let Me Go (2:17)
• The Road (2:21)
• Hunger (2:27)
• Raging Bull (2:31)
• Cabaret (2:36)
• Before Sunrise (2:42)
• Nebraska (2:47)
• Frank (2:54)
• Cast Away (3:01)
• Somewhere (3:06)
• Melancholia (3:11)
• Morvern Callar (3:18)
• Take this Waltz (3:21)
• Buried (3:25)
• Lord of War (3:32)
• Cape Fear (3:38)
• 12 Monkeys (3:45)
• The World According to Garp (3:50)
• Saving Private Ryan (3:57)
• Poetry (4:02)
• Solaris (1972) (4:05)
• Dr. Strangelove (4:11)
• The Astronaut Farmer (4:16)
• The Piano (4:21)
• Inception (4:26)
• Boyhood (4:31)
• Whiplash (4:37)
• Cloud Atlas (4:43)
• Under the Skin (4:47)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (4:51)
• Gravity (4:57)
• The Searchers (5:03)
• The Usual Suspects (5:23)

What about you? Do you take any special considerations for the first and last frame when editing or shooting your film? Sound off in the comments below.