In this post, I will be mainly analysing the openings of Rear Window (1954), Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963) with references to other Hitchcock pieces.
In his opening scenes, Hitchcock established tone and setting from a point of objectivity toward the subjective, flirted with the boundaries between public space and private space, and painted a satirical world filled with a tapestry of caricatures.
The non-diegetic sound found in the Psycho opening is very quick and jumpy constructed of a variety of string instruments. The intermingled high and low pitch combination makes the audience feel on edge as every squeak and squawk is unpredictable. This music is perfect for a title such as Psycho because it creates several images in the minds of the audience before they have seen anything; the pace of the sounds representing a chase between a killer and a victim; each beat creating the imagery of a footstep; the high pitched sounds representing screams from the victim with the low pitched sounds creating the visual of the killer swinging with a knife. Further into the film these sound effects are emulated during the infamous shower scene. This with the close ups and facial expressions created the scariest and most disturbing scene ever seen before. We as an audience are already terrified as soon as this scene begins because we have been subliminally presented with these ideas in the opening scene. Psycho is a great example of highlighting the element of the tone and setting. Post credits, Hitchcock exhibits the skyline of Phoenix, Arizona in a slowly panning establishing shot until we, the audience, end up being the the voyeur as the camera spies upon an unmarried couple making love. Why would the camera choose to present us with these characters out of everyone else in this vast city? In fact, this was very common procedure in the opening of his films; Rebecca (1940), Rope (1948) and Dial M For Murder (1954) being just some other examples. They often begin scanning a public space, luring the viewer from an objective vantage point as the camera begins wide on the landscape and moves or pans through the environment in search of a story. The effect of this brings the audience from a wide to a narrow perspective of the setting as well as the plot. This purposefully fuses us into relating to certain characters and taking a biased view. 
Within the duration of the credits, there is no music in The Birds. The sound effect of Birds screeching and flapping their wings is relentless. The credits are rather long with the birds flying around in the background, crossing the camera in several directions. We also notice the several different types of birds through the sound; crows, seagulls and representations of noises from birds such as sparrows and hawks. The collaboration of all of these daunting sounds together make the audience feel outnumbered and intimidated. Mystery and confusion turns into uncertainty as the sound is amplified towards the end of the scene and "Alfred Hitchcock" appears in the centre. Again the audience witnesses an establishing shot of the normal, and seemingly complacent, everyday life in San Francisco. The Birds is a great example of Hitchcock's satirical and stereotypical works. A schoolboy whistles at an attractive, professional looking lady who takes it too mildly for our liking. The lady then continues into the pet shop. She enquires about a desirable adult male bird- a description of the qualities that appeals to her in the human form. This is ironic as a man with all of these walks in asking for love birds. This is a classic Hitchcock procuring the audiences attention by filling the opening with a cast of diverse characters and presenting them in a tongue-in-cheek fashion.
On the contrary, the non-diegetic opening music in Rear Window is upbeat and quick paced. The audience do not get the sense that this film is initially a thriller. At the start, low pitched sound is used in the same fashion as in Psycho and a jollier sounding high pitched sound is played over the top. This opening reminded me of the style used in a later film named Catch Me If You Can (2002). However, the graphical visuals used in Catch Me If You Can created the mysterious chase theme. The sound and the visuals clearly contradict each other. The images used in Rear Window create the impression of a happy, closely packed neighbourhood, even if privacy is extremely limited. Hitchcock once said, "in a light-hearted setting, the advent of drama is made all the more effective by its unexpectedness…The more happy-go-lucky the setting, the greater kick you get from the sudden introduction of drama." With this in mind, we believe the opening scene in Rear Window is used more to emphasise this openness and introduce the film's darker connotation- seeing things you shouldn't! It starts off with the slow revelation of the view from the rear windows during the credits. Then we are presented with the ostentatious ballet routine of a half naked lady as well as the typical morning routines of the other neighbourly residents. This introduction successfully incorporates the setting of the environment, this time from a subjective point of view, the theme of voyeurism, the presentation of stereotypes and comical extras in one opening scene.
In conclusion, we as an audience see how important establishing the location is to set the atmosphere. Music and sound is carefully inserted into working with the camera to create the mood. This is how suspense can be created. Text and editing is less important but if kept consistent to the pace of the music and camera as well as relevant to the theme of the film can also be effective.
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