'Watching' Documentary on Film Openings

We watched a 30 minute documentary on film openings. while watching we was asked to answer some questions.

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 far instant arousal is almost irresistible"

2. According to director Jean Jacques Beineix, what are the risks of 'instant arousal'?

3. Explain what "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"

4.  What does critic Stanley Kaufmann describe as the classic opening?

Why does it work?

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

6.  What did Orson Welles want to achieve with his opening in the film A Touch Of Evil? What did Universal Studios do to it? Why?

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

8. How does the opening to the film The shining create suspense?

1. When Thomas Sutcliffe said this, he means that the movie should attract the audience’s attention straight away so that they pay attention to what is going on.  He also points out that at the same time u should be keeping the audience engaged you shouldn't give much away. This is so that the audience keeps a 'long term commitment' to the movie.

2. According to Jean Jacques Beineix the risks of 'instant arousal' is that once you do this the audience will have a high expectation of the movie throughout it, if the movie then doesn't live up to their expectations they will be disappointed.

3.  A good beginning to a film will make the audience engaged in the movie wanting them to watch more, at the same time you will have to make sure you do not give away too much at the beginning.

4. A classic opening which is described from critic Stanley Kauffmann is showing a town/city or a place with a tall building, an office, receptionist and a busy road. A New York City view is typical because it introduces the character and establishes their lives.

5. Kyle Coopers title sequence to the film Seven is very effective because it's discreet and also has powerful use of editing. It was a unique sequence because it didn't relate to the movie like other openings do to their movies. There was also many close ups and the mise en scene in the opening shows that this is not like any other film.

6. Orson Welles created the longest opening to a film with A Touch Of Evil, he wanted the opening to be silent but Universal Studios added music on top of it and title sequences which Orson Welles did not want originally. Universal Studios done this for their own benefit, wanting to advertise their company and making the viewers know that they was involved in the making of the movie.

7. The trick of Film Noir is that the ending of the film is shown at the beginning, when this is used the audience wants to find out how this has happened for this to happen. It is not always obvious that the trick is used.

8.  The opening of The Shining creates suspense by its camera work. We start by following a car from a high and far angle. This makes us feel like we are watching the car like a predator.