Part II, Opening Shot

Peter Hutton (I paraphrase): “The first shots of a film tell the viewer that you’re in control, that they can trust you and relax.”

I recently screened the first ten minutes of my thesis film, Part II, for my compatriots in senior seminar.  Terrifying.  Turns out Peter’s more than correct, he’s onto something that can make any film seem bigger than its budget.

I took this notion home with me and watched the beginnings of some of my favorite films (8 1/2, Children of Men, Crank 2: High Voltage).  Like the first lines of novel, the openings of these films properly prepare you for whatever lies ahead, be it nostalgic reveries, a decrepit world falling to random violence, or ADD-inducing coverage with 8-bit video game titles.  But those are the pros.

The first shot of a film needs to fulfill two roles: it has to introduce the viewers to the aesthetic and engage them with enough mystery to continue watching.  As I watched my classmates watch the opening of my film, I realized that my first shot works.  After a grueling week of dissatisfaction and building anxiety towards this presentation, I found myself feeling oddly proud.  I looked at the screen; that’s mine.  It’s not perfect in any sense of the word, but step one, the first shot, works.

It prompts enough questions without suffering from Dan Brown Disorder, while bringing the viewer in the intimate perspective and pace I’m taking on an otherwise hackneyed sci-fi concept.  So now I feel just a little bit better about the film.

It’s so easy to fall into the pits of despair that line the road of any creative endeavor, but step by step, one thing after another starts to work.  I hope.

In the words of Matt: “You tend to forget all the good ideas you had.”  Don’t forget them.