1) What does
Thomas Sutcliffe mean when he says “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 (seduced) in the first few minutes otherwise they would not like to
carry on watching it. If it is appealing to the audience they’re more likely to
want to see more as they are enjoying the film – just as if you’re aroused by
something irresistible you going to want more and more of it. This is what
films need to do to ensure their audiences have a good cinematic experience.
2) According to
Director Jean Jacques Beineix, what are the risks of ‘instant arousal’?
The risks of
an 'instant arousal' to an audience puts the director into a situation where
the rest of the film has to have the same (if not better) quality of the
opening scene. The main risk to Beineix and his team is to plan out how the
rest of the movie is going to be as exciting as the opening. This could take a
long time and be difficult as it may not always be possible. Therefore it is
advisable to leave the best scenes later on in the film so the audience is kept
entertained throughout the movie.
3) 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 a movie will have a significant 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.
4) What does
critic Stanley Kauffmann describe as the classic opening? Why does this work?
The classic opening is when
the audience is given a taste of what is going to come. This can be done
through many ways such as focusing what is in a background on
an object of significance. It can also be done using an
establishing shot to give the audience an idea where the film will
take place. Even things like font type can give us information about the film,
for example a handwritten font on a chalkboard will give us an idea of a
teacher being in the film.
5) Why is Kyle
Cooper’s title sequence to the film Seven so effective?
The title
sequence is very effective as it shows the personality of the serial killer and
his obsessive nature/daily routine such as cutting the skin off his fingers and
writing in his journal. This is presented effectively through a variety of
shots and haunting music in the background, foreshadowing that the rest of the
film will be quite horrific.
6) 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?
Welles wanted
to create an opening sequence that had no title credits or music. The effect
this would have on the audience is that they are thrown straight into the story
without the need to be prepared for it. However Universal Studios did not like
his sense of originality and believed it would not have a good effect on the
audience so they added credits.
7) What is meant
by “a favourite trick of Film Noir”?
What is the trick?
This is when the ending of a film, is the
opening of a film. This shows what is to come or what the audience should
expect. An example of this is ‘Pain and Gain’. The clip below shows how the
film begins (which is also near the ending).
8) How does the
opening to the film The Shining create suspense?
The opening scene uses a helicopter shot following
a car as if some sort of predator. This builds up tension foreshadowing that
something bad is to come. The music also accompanies the shots very well to
create more of an eerie suspense.
No comments:
Post a Comment