Blog Post 4 - How can a film opening attract an audience?

Watching Documentary:

1. When Thomas Sutcliffe 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" he means that the title sequence in itself should constantly engage the viewer to want to watch the whole film.

2. According to Director Jean Jacques Beineix, the risks of "instant arousal" is the idea that you start the film of strong and question what do you do next as there may be unanswered questions and throughout the film, those questions might not be answered in the film.

3."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" because at the start of the film, the audience are still adjusting to the tone of the film and what the movie is about however, not too much should be shown.

4. Stanley Kauffmann describes a class opening to being an establishing shot, New York City with a close up of a building, then the camera went up a buildings towards a window then in went in the window, pass a receptionists desk in to a private room and there sat the star. This scene portrays an idea of the character and the occupation of the hero etc.

5. Kyle Cooper's title sequence to the film Seven is so effective as it instantaneously portrays the obsessive nature of the films main character and shows the tone of what the move is going to be in straight away.

6.In the opening of the film A touch of Evil, Orson Welles wanted to achieve the aspect of the title sequence not having a title, credits on sound. However, Universal Studios had added feature of all title, credits and sound as the opening was not effective without those features.

7. "A favourite trick of Film Noir" is the trick of an ending scene being put at the beginning of the film, in order to show a destination rather than a departure.

8.The opening to the film The Shining creates suspense by the camera pursuing the car as a predator, high up and from behind and focusing on that object, giving the impression that the characters are going the wrong way.