Wednesday 26 January 2011

'Watching' Documentary

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"?

There are two types of ways to start a movie; either an action-packed/dramatic opening which catches the audiences attention without any introduction, or have a slow start which opens by slowly introducing the audience to the characters and setting.

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

He says if you go for total action and drama in the opening of a movie, where is your film going to go after that? He believes that greater movies start slow and then add on the action and drama later on the movie which will have a big impact on the audience later on.

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".

You've got to make a judgement on how much information you give on the opening of the movie. If you got too much the audience will know whats going to happen as it has been given away; but if its too little, it might bore the audience in confusion into what is actually going on.

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

The film began with an established shot in New York City. Then there was a close up to a building leading onto a close up to the window. Then inside the window into an office with the receptionist and then the important/main character. This shows where the action is taking place along with the era it was taking place in. The progress is rational and unexpected.

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

Because it hits you on the head and its going to wake everyone up to know whats going to happen. This is a use of foreshadowing and it introduces the audience to the obsessive psychotic name of the films main character.

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

The film end starts with the end of the movie and the rest of the movie is going back in time.

7. How does the opening to the film The Shining create suspense?

The camera is like a predator and the car is like the prey. This indicates that something bad is going to happen to the people in the car as they are also driving to nowhere.

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