‘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”

-Thomas Sutcliffe means that the film must attract its audience and keep its audience engaged and keep them engaged so they keep watching and there not put off straight away. He also means that they need to be instantly aroused and attached to the film and they are committed to watch the whole film.

2)      According to director jean Jacques Beineix, what are the risks of ‘instant arousal’?

-The audience should be feed with the storyline slowly and not just given to them at the start also it should interest them and keeps them engaged to watch the whole film. If the audience are not feeling 'instant aroused' the audience can lose interest of watching the rest of the film.

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”.

-The audience should have an idea of what there going to see such as they should have the genre represented to them. There should be presented with key information about the film but at the same time they should have questions in there head relating to the film. They should be evolved from the start. The information given should make them want to learn more.

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

- A classic film opening consists of an establishing shot followed by a close up of a building, and then the camera moves along a building to a window. Then it goes through the window into the room. This is a good way of starting a film as the audience already know the location in where the film is going to be taken in.

5)      Why is Kyle Cooper’s title sequence to the film seven so effective?

- It was effective as it interested the audience and it turned them on before the film started. They were introduced with the genre from the title sequence. The title sequence felt like a movie on its own and it set up the scene for the film.

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? Why?

- Orson wanted it to be seen without title music or credits. We wanted the audience to see the film without preparing themselves like they would if there was a title sequences. Universal Studios put in the credits under but the effects were lost.

7)      What is meant by “a favourite trick of film noir”? What is the trick?

- It means when the beginning of the film is a type of ending. They both feel the same as it started such as the beginning is the same as the end. It not like the beginnings starts happy and the ending is sad.

8)      How does the opening to the film ‘the shining’ create suspense?

- the camera shot is used effectively such as the shot of the car from the helicopter makes the car look small but a high angle captures from above and behind, it makes the car look like its being chased and its heading the wrong way.

Mert Ceylan-Sevinc