Task 4: How Can a Film Opening Attract an Audience?

In response to the documentary "Watching".

1) Thomas Sutcliffe said: "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." By this he meant that you need to grab the audience's attention as soon as possible in order to get them to enjoy the film immediately and stay watching. You have got to intrigue them by doing something big and exciting.

2) According to director Jean Jacques Beineix, there are risks when it comes to "instant arousal".After you do something big and exciting, what do you do next to keep up the standard? You should take your time, otherwise the bar is set too high too soon. Also, from the first big moment, people will be asking questions that you need to answer throughout the film, it's easier to introduce the audience to the story slowly in order to not confuse them.

3) It was said, "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". This means that you have to catch the audiences attention without ruining the rest of the film. You have to allow the audience to make their initial judgements before you bombard them with information.

4) Critic, Stanley Kauffmann describes the classing opening in a series of steps:

• Shot of a big building
• Shot of a window
• Into a room
• Through a door
• Into the room where we meet the main character

According to him, this is used because it is simple. You are introduced to the setting, characters and location, everything is in place.

5) Kyle Cooper's title sequence to the film Seven is so effective because it tells the story through foreshadowing. At certain moments, the audience is shown things that are relevant to the storyline. You will only understand what happened in the title sequence once you have finished watching the film. It also has a psychotic energy which sets the tone for the rest of the film.

6) For the opening sequence to A Touch of Evil, Orson Welles wanted to take the audience straight into the world of the film. However, Universal Studios put music and credits over it which created a barrier between the audience and the film. 

7) A favourite trick of film noir is when the film starts with the end and then continues from the beginning, so you already know what is going to happen.

8) The opening to the film The Shining creates a feeling of suspense. There is a helicopter shot which is pursuing the car as if it were chasing it, implying that the people in the car were under threat. The car is also driving into the darkness, making the audience feel like they are driving the "wrong way". In turn this creates a sinister feeling which really sets the tone for the film.