1) What does Thomas Sutcliffe mean when he says
"Films need to seduce their audience into a long term commitment. While
there are many types of seduction, the temptation to go for instant arousal is
almost irresistible”?
When Thomas
Sutcliffe says, “Films need to seduce their audience into a long term
commitment. Whilse there are many types of seduction, the temptation to go for
instant arousal is almost irresistible” he means that the opening sequence of a
film plays a major role in the success of a film. This is because audiences
make decisions based on the opening sequence of a film. He is suggesting that
the audience’s attention needs to be grabbed immediately at the start of the
film. If the audience are hooked at the start then there is a high possibility
that they will continue and finish the film.
2)
According
to Director Jean Jacques Beineix, what are the risks of 'instant arousal'?
According to
Director Jean Jacques Beineix, ‘instant arousal’ is risky because it could lead
to the audience becoming disinterested. This is because they will feel the film
was rushed. His thoughts are the opposite of Thomas Sutcliffe because he feels
that a film should arouse the audience slowly, which keeps them in suspense and
wanting to continue watching. This keeps the audience interested on the film.
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 is doesn't know too little"?
This quote, ‘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” highlights
that the film makers want the opening sequence to provide a good understanding
of the plot for the audience, but at the same time they do not want too much
information to be revealed. This is because revealing too much about the plot
could disinterest the audience as there is no point of watching the film if you
already know what’s going to happen. They want the interest of the audience to
be grabbed by the opening sequence, so much so they continue watching the film
with satisfaction.
4) What does critic Stanley Kauffmann
describe as the classic opening?
Why does this work?
Critic Stanley Kauffmann describes the
classic opening as a scene that establishes the exact location of the film
through establishing shots. This could hint the plot of the film. He also says
a classic opening introduces the characters, and the use of different shots can
indicate the role of the characters. For example, close up shots and the use of
tracking could suggest the protagonist of a film.
5) Why is Kyle Cooper's title sequence
to the film Seven so effective?
Kyle Cooper’s title sequence to the
film Seven is so effective because it grabbed the audience’s attention and made
them want to know what the film was about. The opening sequence shows various props,
or camera shots of objects. These shots of props, or objects, are very
important and are later shown to have a relation to the film. For example, the
notepad is revealed to be the diary of the killer. Images of knives are used
because they are the tools of the killer. These images are accompanied by eerie
music, which adds a sinister and disturbing feel that suggest crime. The typography
slowly fades away after it appears which could suggest the characters mental
state constantly changing – unstable. These aspects of the opening sequence all
contribute to the success and effectiveness.
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?
In Orson Welles’ opening of ‘A Touch
of Evil’ he wanted to achieve an opening with credits, but no music. He wanted
to make the audience dive into a film without giving them enough time to
prepare themselves. However, Universal didn’t accept the idea of having no
music and decided to add music to the opening sequence. This is because they
feel it is better and will definitely engage the audience, as an opening with
music is better than an opening without music.
7) What is meant by "a favourite
trick of Film Noir"? What is the trick?
‘A favourite trick of Film Noir’
means placing the ending of a film at the beginning, which lets the audience
know the ending of the film but hopefully makes them curious. This trick is
intended to make the audience interested in watching the full film. This is
because they know what happens at the end but want to know why that happened.
8) How does the opening to the film
'The Shining' create suspense?
The opening to the film ‘The Shining’
creates suspense by opening with a calm scene of mountains, then the camera
switches to a panning movement from behind a car. The camera follows the car
like a predator, which suggests something negative. As the camera continues
following the car, the audiences tension begins to build as they know something
bad is about to happen and it involves the car.
No comments:
Post a Comment