How can a film opening attract an audience? - Documentary "Watching" (RESEARCH)

The answer lies in the response to the following questions about the 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”

Filmmakers like to excite their audience straight away, as opposed to going for a more considered approach of building tension slowly throughout the movie to the point where they are completely engaged. This is because sometimes a good sharp shock is a good idea.

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

 Because if you nurture your desire for emotion, "the satisfaction comes". Because sometimes if you deliver it too soon, what do you do next?

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”

 So it engages the audience to the point where they are enjoying the movie from the outset, but leave enough questions still unanswered that they want to continue watching and find it interesting.

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

 The film begins with an establishing shot of the setting, then to a building, then to a window, to a recpetion, to an office, to a character. The audience has been told by this classic introduction where it is, who is in it, and ""the organisation of the world" - everything was in place.

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

 It tunes the viewers to "the right pitch", as it wakes everyone up through telling a story and introducing you to the obsessive nature of the films main character. It also foreshadows a lot of the things that were yet to happen. 

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?

 He wanted it to be seen without title credits OR title music. He "wanted to plunge the audience into his story without giving time for them to prepare themselves". The Studio were more cautious, because they didn't understand it; they put a nice score underneath it and credits, so the effect was "lost". 

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

 When the film opening is, chronologically, the film ending; they feel like a destination as opposed to a departure point, so we have an insight into what it to come. Sometimes we can't see it straight away, but as the film develops it becomes obvious. 

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

Because it appears to be picturesque; a helicopter shot over beautiful scenery. On a second viewing, the omens come out - the shot pursues the car like a predator, high up and from behind. It does not move away to the beautiful mountains, but sticks to the car, which raises the tension and mystery. It almost says that this car is not going the right way, as it closes in.