RESEARCH - Documentary "Watching"

What does Thomas Sutcliffe mean when he says the following? "Films need to seduce their audience into long term commitment. While there are many types of seduction, the temptation to go for instant arousal is almost irresistible"

Sutcliffe means that the audience needs to be entertained in the first few minutes of the film to grab their attention and to draw them in, so they don't stop watching it. When the first few minutes of the movie is entertaining, they are more likely wanting to see more of the film because they are enjoying it.

According to Director Jean Jacques Beineix, what are the risks of 'instant arousal'?

If you start with a strong scene then the scene after it has to be bigger and better. Also, the main risk to Beineix and his team is how the rest of the movie is going to be better than the opening so their audience doesn't get bored. This isn't always successful, as it is difficult and can take a long time. This means that the best scenes should be left till the end, so that the audience is kept entertained throughout the whole movie.

Explain why "a good beginning must make the audience feel that it doesn't know nearly enough yet, and at the same time make sure that it doesn't know too little"

The beginning of the movie will have a huge impact on the audience, helping them make assumptions about the plot with the little information they have received. They will then want to carry on watching to understand more about the movie. However, if too little information/hints are given, then the audience is given nothing to think about or be thrilled about during the rest of the film.

What does critic Stanley Kauffmann describe as the classic opening? Why does this work?

A classic opening is giving the audience a hint of what is to come in the film. This can be done by showing the significance of an object or person. It can also be done by having an establishing shot, so the audience have an idea of the setting of the movie.

Why is Kyle Cooper's title sequence to the film 'Seven' so effective?

The opening of 'Seven' is very effective because it shows the obsession the killer has with cutting skin off his fingers and writing in his journal. This is shown by a variety of different shots and scary music in the background. This gives hints about the genre of the film and foreshadows the idea that the rest of the film will be a horror movie.

What did Orson Welles want to achieve with his opening to the film 'A Touch of Evil'? What did Universal Studios do to it? Why?

Orson Welles wanted to create an opening title sequence with no music or title credits, which throws the audience straight into the story. However, Universal Studios didn't like his idea, as they believed it wouldn't drag in the audience or leave a good effect, so they added credits.

What is meant by "a favourite trick of Film Noir"? What is the trick?

This is when the end of the film is the opening of the film. This is to show the audience what is to come or what they should expect.

How does the opening to the film 'The Shining' create suspense?

The opening creates suspense because it uses a high angle shot to show that a helicopter is following the car, which creates more tension because it makes the audience think someone is hunting the car down and following each and every step, as if its their prey. The music also accompanies the shots very well to create more of an eerie suspense.