RESEARCH - Documentary 'Watching'

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".

By this he means that the audience needs to be entertained in the first few minutes to grab their attention and 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 Beiniex, 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 Beinex 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 the audience is kept entertained throughout the 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 opening of the movie has a huge impact on the audience because it helps them figure out the plot of the movie by the small amount of information that is given in the opening scene which means the audience would want to carry on watching the movie so they can understand the information more.  However, if the audience isn't given any information at all or only al little, they will not want to carry on watching the movie as they are given nothing to think about during the movie.

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

A classic opening is giving the audience of hint of what is to come in the movie.  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 know 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 doing things in his journal.  This is shown by a series of different shots and scary music in the background making the whole movie seem like a horror - giving hints about the genre. 

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

He wanted to create an opening title sequence that has no music or 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 so they added credits.  

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

When the beginning of the film is the end, it makes the people feel like it is a destination point.  

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

The opening creates suspense because the camera is moving like a helicopter that is following the car which creates more tension because it makes the audience think something is hunting the car down and following each and every step.  It also gives us a birds eye view of what is going on.