"Watching" Documentary.

In class, we watched a documentary called 'Watching'. It was talking about the openings of thrillers, how directors try to use techniques to capture the audiences interest throughout the whole film etc. It was very interesting as we got to find out how opening sequences were planned out in the filming industry- it helped me develop ideas on how to plan out our own opening title sequence. 

As we watched it, we were given a sheet of questions for us to answer as we watched it; Here are the answers and Questions. 

1) What does Thomas Sutcliffe mean when he say's "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." 

-Meaning that it is a commitment to sit there for 2 hours- The film should absorb the audience from the start. -"Instant arousal". In a film opening, its a question to what you should do; Should you go slow and ease the audience into the film OR should you go Jam packed with action and a thrill straight away to capture the audience? 

A good example of an instant arousal would be the film opening of 'Kill Bill Vol. 1.' 

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

-The risk of instant arousal is that after such an exciting/ string opening, it opens up with the questions- what are you going to do next? As you have to keep up that expectations from the first view of the opening of the film. Keeping up that suspense as well as making the viewers still interested. 

3) Explain what "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 is to ensure that you have the audiences attention with that beginning of the film, yet if you give too much- people won't like to watch the rest of it, but with too little, the audience won't be interested the beginning is the most important it introduces what genre its going to be in as well as what the story will be about. 

4) What does critic, Stanley Kauffmann describe as the classic opening? Why does this work? 

- Film began from an establishing shot- from city shot, to building shot to window, to room, to desk etc! You have then been introduced to the location, not revealing too much but at the same time, the audience have been taken to the opening, showing everything you need to know just by zooming in from a far scape. 
Heres an example through images I got from searching on Google of what a classic opening shot would be; 

A city shot that explains to the audience that the next scene will be set in a city. And by looking at the city- it could be New york. 








Then a zoom in to the next shot of a close up of the specific building the scene will be set in. This yet again silently explains to the viewers the mise en scene. 

And finally, There is an office shot- showing the audience that it would be set in an office. And so the scene will then continue as normal- after silently telling the audience where they are in the scene. 


5) Why is Kyle Cooper's title sequence to the film SEVEN so effective?

- The title sequence is so effective because during those two minutes, it has already introduced a chilling character with an obvious obsessive and psychotic side as well as preparing the audience for what sort of movie it is going to be. 

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 and why? 

- The film lost the effect the director wanted due to Universal Studios wanting to have their traditional logo and soundtrack in the beginning and the titles to be over a black background; However Welles wanted his own soundtrack and believed that his opening title sequence would be ruined if Universal changed it in such a way. In the end- He got his opening title sequence his way. 

7) What is meant by "A favorite trick of film Noir"? What is the trick?

- A film Noir shows the end of the film in the beginning of the film, we then after that one clip- go back to where it all started and how the ending ended up being in that way- there is an example of this in the film 'Casino.'

8) How does the  opening to the film The shining, create suspense? 

- The film 'The shining' creates a suspenseful opening due to the technique of a far away shot showing the camera following a single car that is driving through to what seems to be in the middle of nowhere- which makes the audience sense a feeling of venerability due to the overhead shot and the surroundings that make the car seems so out of place.