BP 4 - "Watching" Documentary Answers

 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”

• Film openings are crucial

• He spoke about individuals and their preferred film genres

• For example, if an comedy fan saw their favourite actor (i.e. Jonah Hill) in distress, they’d instantly be ‘hooked’ to the film all the way through to the end.

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

• The film is expected to impress in its 'opening'. If the opening is lacking, there is a chance that the popularity of the film will diminish quicker than expected

3. Explain why “a good beginning must make the audience feel that it doesn’t nearly know enough yet, and that at the same time make sure that it doesn’t know too little”

• Share enough information to hook the viewer yet do not leak enough to fully spoil the excitement of the viewer who would still possess some degree of curiosity regarding the film, having not seen it yet

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

• S.K claims the classic opening is a shot/pan of the city. Setting the scene in a recognisable environment, a city, somewhere most people can relate to, having spent their lives there; working class people

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

• The Seven sequence foreshadows what is to happen in the film, notebook and pictures. 

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

• Welles desired an “All in one” take, capturing a large proportion of the genuine scene in the early stages, showing it to the audience

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

• Recording the film in non-chronological order, meaning the end of the film would be placed at the beginning rather than the other way round

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

• The Shining opening scene produces mass suspense when the camera follows the car, also, the music cleverly produces suspense by gradual volume increases