History Main / OpenDoorOpening

* A multitude of doors open and close in the opening animation of Pixar's ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', indicative of doors' importance to the monsters' operations. The last door opens to the apartment of Mike Wazowski and Jimmy Sullivan as their workday morning begins.

** [[https://youtu.be/Yx9twBg2Zs0?t=39s This]] was done in ''VideoGame/SweetHome'', where Shinji Mikami got the inspiration from.

** One of the first things that happen in the original ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'' is Trish breaking in Dante's office by driving her bike through his door.

** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' has Dante pulling a SuperWindowJump from Skylight in the Opera Theater, kickstarting the plot after the Intro Cutscene.

* In ''Videogame/DevilMayCry'':
** One of the first things that happen in the original ''Videogame/DevilMayCry1'' is Trish breaking in Dante's office by driving her bike through his door.
** ''Videogame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'', Mission 1 ends with Dante kicking his office door open to go outside, Mission 2 begins with said door ''flying outward'' from the impact with Dante walking out shortly after it.
** ''Videogame/DevilMayCry4'' has Dante pulling a SuperWindowJump from Skylight in the Opera Theater, kickstarting the plot after the Intro Cutscene.

[[quoteright:300:[[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1303955539_the_scary_door_by_ninjaink-d3f1xve_4280.jpg]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:300:"You are entering the vicinity of an area adjacent to a location. The kind of place where there might be a monster, or some kind of weird mirror. These are just examples; it could also be something much better. Prepare to enter: ''The Scary Door''."]]-]

** One of the first things that happen in the original ''Videogame/DevilMayCry'' is Trish breaking in Dante's office by driving her bike through his door.
** ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 3'', Mission 1 ends with Dante kicking his office door open to go outside, Mission 2 begins with said door ''flying outward'' from the impact with Dante walking out shortly after it.
** ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 4'' has Dante pulling a SuperWindowJump from Skylight in the Opera Theater, kickstarting the plot after the Intro Cutscene.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' did this during the original series' fourth and fifth seasons. "You unlock this door with the key of imagination..."

* The title cards in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' are presented by a squeaky door opening, revealing the episode's title.

[[folder:Theatre ]

[[folder: Advertising ]]

[[folder: Anime & Manga ]]

* The title cards in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' are presented by a squeaky door opening, revealing the episode's title.

[[folder: Asian Animation ]]

[[folder: Film ]]

* Although not at the very beginning of the movie, the famous door opening into Oz in ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' plays the same role in starting the adventure.
* ''Film/TheSearchers'' opens with the camera moving through an opening doorway, into a panoramic view of the desert. A [[BookEnds matching scene]] of a [[DoorClosesEnding closing door ends the film]].

* In the Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein musical of ''Cinderella'' from 1965, a pair of gates to the castle garden opens at the beginning of the film.

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* The opening credits of ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' feature a continuous shot in which the camera closes in on the Cryptkeeper's house and enters the front door.
* Vastly-lower budget, same idea: ''Series/{{Svengoolie}}'' opens each episode's round of movie-viewing and movie-riffing by swinging open the top end of the upright coffin he's standing inside.
* Every episode of ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' begins with Mr. Rogers entering his house while singing "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood."

* Not the opening of the show, but the opening of every interval of movie-riffing on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' began with a tracking shot though a series of bulkhead doors on the Satellite of Love.
* In the children's TV show ''The Magic Door'' the opening song encourages the viewer to "''Open, come open, the Magic Door with me...''" The eponymous door is the front door to an elf's house.
* They sort of did this in the earlier version of The New Treasure Hunt game show. Seen at about 0:36 on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU6Moiq2FDI this clip]]. There was also a [[BookEnds counterpart door closing]] in the end credits.
* ''Series/GetSmart'' had the main character casually walking through a series of automatically-opening (and closing) sliding door pairs to get to his secret office.
* The opening credits to ''Series/TheFriendlyGiant'' has the castle drawbridge opening, followed by opening of double doors bearing the name of the show. Said doors closed in the end credits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vm2-JUldNw

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' did this during the original series' fourth and fifth seasons. "You unlock this door with the key of imagination..."
* The opening credits of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'', rather than displaying the show's title as an overlay, uses a StockFootage clip of the atmospheric-test Space Shuttle Orbiter ''Enterprise'' being hauled out the open door of its hanger. The shuttle's name is prominently visible on its side.

* The eerie TitleSequence of the British anthology series ''Shadows'' has the central door of a ''paper'' house swing open for the camera to advance through.

[[folder: Music ]]

[[folder: Radio ]]

* The ''Inner Sanctum'' [[RadioDrama radio show]] began with the creaking door opening, and [[HorrorHost Raymond]] inviting the listener in to the Inner Sanctum.

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Theatre ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

* Although there's a short {{Cutscene}} before it, the player first takes active control in ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' when a cell's gate drops down into the ground, setting the Stranger free to explore.
* An early subversion in ''VideoGame/{{Zork}}'': The house you start in front of has the door boarded shut, and it feels natural to look for a way of opening it. In fact, [[spoiler:it can't be opened. You have to go in through the rear window]].
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''
** Used in the early games (1, 2 and 3) to instill a feeling of suspense.
** [[https://youtu.be/Yx9twBg2Zs0?t=39s This]] was done in ''VideoGame/SweetHome'', where Shinji Mikami got the inspiration from.
* Most of the "Ravenhearst" StoryArc adventures from ''Videogame/MysteryCaseFiles'' start out with the Master Detective unlocking a gateway, or approaching the door to her client's residence.

* ''VideoGame/{{Scratches}}'' begins with the camera panning over several photos hung up in a bathroom converted to a darkroom, before descending to one photo in the tub that shows the door to the cellar of Blackwood Manor, slightly ajar.
* In ''Baron Wittard'', your first challenge is to bypass the security system that guards the abandoned arcology so you can enter.
* Every stage in ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' begins with Pit in a black area flying out a door and into the stage proper. One stage, in which Pit drops into the middle of a raging battle, has him dodging a stray blast that fires into the room, which can be seen ''catching fire'' as the camera follows Pit out to begin the stage.

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* A multitude of doors open and close in the opening animation of Pixar's ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', indicative of doors' importance to the monsters' operations. The last door opens to the apartment of Mike Wazowski and Jimmy Sullivan as their workday morning begins.
* The opening sequence of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyElmyraAndTheBrain'' begins with a camera zooming through the front door of Elmyra's house and through various rooms, while Pinky and the Brain themselves do the "What are we gonna do today?" exchange. The camera reaches the titular trio just in time for the Brain to declare, "Endure Elmyra, then try to TakeOverTheWorld!"

* The opening credits of ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'' begins with the gates to Todd and Riley's orphanage opening.

* Kenneth Branaugh's film adaptation of ''Theatre/HenryV'' starts with the Chorus speaking backstage on a soundstage, and after the final words he throws open a door to show the first scene of the play.

* The "Dance of the Hours" segment of ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'' starts with the opening of stately palace doors. It ends with the same doors falling off their hinges.

[[AC:Advertising]]
* ''Advertising/HealthHotline'': The first thing we hear is Ellie opening the door to talk to Grandma.

[[AC: Anime & Manga]]

[[AC:AsianAnimation]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* The "Dance of the Hours" segment of ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'' starts with the opening of stately palace doors. It ends with the same doors falling off their hinges.
* Although not at the very beginning of the movie, the famous door opening into Oz in ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' plays the same role in starting the adventure.
* ''Film/TheSearchers'' opens with the camera moving through an opening doorway, into a panoramic view of the desert. A [[BookEnds matching scene]] of a [[DoorClosesEnding closing door ends the film]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheNightmareBeforeChristmas'', the initial shot carries the viewer down among a ring of trees with holiday-themed doorways, and through the jack-o-lantern door to Halloweentown.
* Kenneth Branaugh's film adaptation of ''Theatre/HenryV'' starts with the Chorus speaking backstage on a soundstage, and after the final words he throws open a door to show the first scene of the play.
* ''Film/TheRocketeer'' starts with hangar doors opening and Cliff's brand new plane being rolled out.
* In the Creator/RodgersAndHammerstein musical of ''Cinderella'' from 1965, a pair of gates to the castle garden opens at the beginning of the film.

[[AC: LiveActionTelevision]]
* The opening credits of ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' feature a continuous shot in which the camera closes in on the Cryptkeeper's house and enters the front door.

[[AC: Music]]

[[AC: {{Radio}}]]
* The ''Inner Sanctum'' [[RadioDrama radio show]] began with the creaking door opening, and [[HorrorHost Raymond]] inviting the listener in to the Inner Sanctum.

[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* Many early ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' adventure modules used this trope, as they tended to omit depictions of the world outside a dungeon so that [=DM=]s could seamlessly transplant their content into homebrew settings.

[[AC:{{Theatre}}]]

[[AC: VideoGames]]
* Although there's a short {{Cutscene}} before it, the player first takes active control in ''VideoGame/{{Riven}}'' when a cell's gate drops down into the ground, setting the Stranger free to explore.
* An early subversion in ''VideoGame/{{Zork}}'': The house you start in front of has the door boarded shut, and it feels natural to look for a way of opening it. In fact, [[spoiler:it can't be opened. You have to go in through the rear window]].
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''
** Used in the early games (1, 2 and 3) to instill a feeling of suspense.
** [[https://youtu.be/Yx9twBg2Zs0?t=39s This]] was done in ''VideoGame/SweetHome'', where Shinji Mikami got the inspiration from.
* Most of the "Ravenhearst" StoryArc adventures from ''Videogame/MysteryCaseFiles'' start out with the Master Detective unlocking a gateway, or approaching the door to her client's residence.
* In ''Videogame/DevilMayCry'':
** One of the first things that happen in the original ''Videogame/DevilMayCry'' is Trish breaking in Dante's office by driving her bike through his door.
** ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 3'', Mission 1 ends with Dante kicking his office door open to go outside, Mission 2 begins with said door ''flying outward'' from the impact with Dante walking out shortly after it.
** ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 4'' has Dante pulling a SuperWindowJump from Skylight in the Opera Theater, kickstarting the plot after the Intro Cutscene.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* A multitude of doors open and close in the opening animation of Pixar's ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'', indicative of doors' importance to the monsters' operations. The last door opens to the apartment of Mike Wazowski and Jimmy Sullivan as their workday morning begins.
* The opening sequence of ''WesternAnimation/PinkyElmyraAndTheBrain'' begins with a camera zooming through the front door of Elmyra's house and through various rooms, while Pinky and the Brain themselves do the "What are we gonna do today?" exchange. The camera reaches the titular trio just in time for the Brain to declare, "Endure Elmyra, then try to TakeOverTheWorld!"
* A series of increasingly-weird doors and gates open up during the opening credits of ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'', and the viewer's perspective passes through them.
* Several members of the family pass through doors as they head home and converge on the couch in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'''s opening credits sequence.

* The eerie opening montage of the British anthology series ''Shadows'' has the central door of a ''paper'' house swing open for the camera to advance through.

* Vastly-lower budget, same idea: ''Series/{{Svenghoolie}}'' opens each episode's round of movie-viewing and movie-riffing by swinging open the top end of the upright coffin he's standing inside.

* Vastly-lower budget, same idea: ''Series/{[Svenghoolie}}'' opens each episode's round of movie-viewing and movie-riffing by swinging open the top end of the upright coffin he's standing inside.