Research on some opening sequences I seemed to enjoy a lot.
Se7en
While there's no actual establishing scene, the director does a fine job of conveying location via the choice of props and type of shots. We see close ups of several objects and events, such as filing, writing and flipping pages. Along with these shots, the gloomy atmosphere suggests that the entire opening takes place indoors. One also gets the impression that a detective or an officer is going about his work, due to the serious nature of the work and the music that plays. This is remarkable, given that we still don't know WHO is doing these actions as the close up nature of the shots never show the character in person.
Zombieland
The opening shortly introduces us to a flag of the USA. This can be taken as a symbolic code that shows us the location of the movie and its setting. It could also make reference to American ideals like freedom and peace, in a rather ironic way as these ideals are torn apart in the next few seconds.
A narrator starts speaking directly to the audience. His tone and choice of dialogue presents a rather amusing tone, and we see scenes of extreme violence and suggested violence. All of this is juxtaposed with a rather upbeat track, and it's from this point on the audience realizes that they're in for a comedy.
Evil Dead
This movie opens with a myriad of close up shots of various objects - the objects are items usually associated with harm and violence, like chains, glass shards and several sharp objects. Blood drips from every angle, and the lighting creates some harsh shadows and high contrast - this gives the impression of viciousness, like a murder has just taken place.
The music is typical of the horror genre, with sinister notes and mysterious, unpredictable tunes. The transition speed helps with keeping suspense, too. For example, whenever names are displayed, the background starts shaking and everything seems to 'move' a bit faster.
