Judging Movies By Their First Shot

Karsten Runquist
24 Aug 202317:43
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this comedic video, a YouTuber judges movies based solely on their opening shots without knowing the titles. They provide humorous commentary while analyzing the visuals, music, and tone of each clip. Though often incorrect in guessing the movies, they evaluate the artistic merits of the opening shots. The YouTuber ultimately discovers some films they want to watch after this experiment. This unique format allows fresh perspective on famous movies by critiquing just the opening frames.

Takeaways
  • 😀 He is judging movies based only on their opening shot, without knowing what the movies are beforehand
  • 🎥 His friend selected the movie clips so he goes in blind
  • 🤔 He tries hard not to guess what the movies are and just focus on the opening shots
  • 😴 He found the opening shot of Sonic boring and dull
  • 🔍 Okja's opening shot was interesting visually but the music turned him off
  • 👵 He recognized the 3rd movie as likely being Nanny McPhee based on the visuals and audio
  • 🔥 He loved the 4th movie's opening with the sword being forged
  • 🎼 He correctly guessed the 8th movie was a John Waters film due to the music and visuals
  • 😑 He did not like the overly quick opening of Harry Potter, finding it too rushed
  • 🚘 He was very intrigued by the 11th movie's opening shot and wants to watch Showgirls
Q & A

  • What is the main concept of the video?

    -The main concept is judging movies based only on their opening shot without knowing what the movies are.

  • Why does the narrator think the first movie clip is boring?

    -The narrator thinks the first movie clip is boring because it starts with just an establishing shot of a landscape, which he finds dull and not engaging.

  • What does the narrator dislike about the music in the second clip?

    -He dislikes that the music in the second clip sounds like something out of cheesy family YouTube videos, which turns him off.

  • Why does the narrator think he recognizes the third clip?

    -He recognizes aspects like the chair, the set design, and the narrator's voice as similar to the movie Nanny McPhee, which he saw often as a child.

  • What does the narrator like about the cinematography in the fourth clip?

    -He likes the choppy, painted look created by the low frame rate and the way it plays with the lighting.

  • What about the 11th clip makes the narrator want to watch the full movie?

    -He loves the confidence and screen presence of the lead actress, as well as the quiet yet bold simplicity of the opening shot.

  • Why does the narrator think the 15th clip could be a comedy?

    -He finds the abruptness of the character's delivery about a nightmare and a forgotten crate humorous.

  • What movie does the narrator decide he really wants to watch after seeing the clips?

    -After seeing the clips, the main movie he decides he really wants to watch is Showgirls.

  • What aspect of the video format does the narrator acknowledge at the end?

    -He acknowledges that in the format of judging movies by their opening shots, his reviews essentially serve as his only commentary on the full movies.

  • What offer does the sponsor Squarespace provide to viewers?

    -Squarespace offers viewers 10% off their first purchase if they go to squarespace.com/Carson to start building their website.

Outlines
00:00
😜 Judging Movies By Their Opening Shots

The video introduces the idea of judging movies solely based on their opening shots. The person explains they will be reacting to and critiquing the opening shots of various unknown movies. They acknowledge taking inspiration from the booktube trend of judging books by their first lines.

05:03
😕 Critiquing Opening Shots of Unknown Movies

The person provides their critique and impressions of several opening shots from unknown movies. They analyze details like music, colors, framing, tone etc. to make assumptions about the quality and genre of the films. They seem unimpressed by some openings while intrigued by others.

10:05
😊 Guessing Movies Based on Opening Shots

Continuing to judge the opening shots, the person tries to guess what the movies might be based on the visuals, music and overall vibe. They seem amused when realizing some guesses are way off. The person is occasionally surprised but also validated in some guesses.

15:06
😲 Revealing the Actual Movies

The movies from the opening shots are finally revealed one by one. The person reacts with surprise, validation, and embarrassment over some of their inaccurate guesses and assumptions. They express wanting to watch some of the revealed movies that intrigued them.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡opening shot
The opening shot refers to the first shot or image that appears at the start of a film. In the video, the narrator judges entire movies based only on their opening shots without knowing what the movies are. This tests how effective and intriguing opening shots are in setting up a film's mood, themes, era, etc. For example, the narrator makes judgments about the dullness of the Sonic the Hedgehog opening and the artistic boldness of the Showgirls opening.
💡cinematography
Cinematography refers to the art of filming and camera work in movies. The narrator frequently comments on the cinematography of the opening shots, praising choices like lighting, colors, framing, and atmosphere. For instance, he compliments the cinematography of the shot from The Lure for its lighting and chilling underwater atmosphere.
💡production design
Production design refers to the visual aesthetic of sets, locations, graphics, props, etc. in filming. The narrator uses details in production design to make guesses about the movies. For example, the fanciful chair and background in the Nanny McPhee opening shot lead him to assume it will have a whimsical British feel.
💡establishing shot
An establishing shot shows the audience an overall view of the setting and introduces them to the world of the film. The narrator criticizes the Sonic opening for only containing an establishing shot of a fictional world, calling it a "boring" way to start a movie.
💡foreshadowing
Foreshadowing refers to hints or clues planted early in a film about events that will happen later on. The narrator speculates that the underwater shot at the start of The Lure seems to foreshadow something ominous happening, helping set an unsettling tone.
💡era
The narrator tries to guess the era or time period that some of the movies are from based only on the opening shots, commenting on how the cars, music, colors, etc. give clues. However, he is very inaccurate in placing the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan.
💡tone
The tone of a film refers to its general mood or emotional atmosphere. Several times in the video, the narrator uses details like music, lighting, characters' expressions, etc. in the opening shots to hypothesize about whether the movie's tone will be whimsical, gloomy, comedic, artistic, etc.
💡homage
An homage is an artistic work that intentionally references or pays tribute to an influential work from the past. The narrator guesses that the opening shot of 13 is an homage to similar provocative opening shots used by director Lars von Trier.
💡genre
Genre refers to a style or category of film - like action, romance, thriller, etc. Based on cues from the opening shots like swords, flames, and smoke in the Conan shot, the narrator guesses that some of the movies fall into dramatic or action-oriented genres.
💡commentary
The narrator suggests the intense opening shot with the actress in 13 makes a commentary or statement about how audiences and the film industry treat and judge actors.
Highlights

Neurological damage was found in the exposed group compared to controls.

The exposed group showed impaired learning and memory on behavioral tests.

Brain imaging revealed decreased volume in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.

Toxicity was attributed to reactive oxidative species damaging neurons.

Further research is needed to determine safe exposure levels.

This study demonstrates the neurotoxicity of this common pollutant.

Public health measures should aim to reduce exposure, especially in vulnerable groups.

Biomarkers of neurological damage were elevated in exposed subjects.

Exposed subjects showed impaired executive function and processing speed.

Exposed children demonstrated learning disabilities and behavior problems.

Low-level chronic exposure may have insidious effects on brain development.

Regulatory standards may need to be revised based on this evidence.

The developing brain appears especially vulnerable to neurotoxicants.

More research into safe alternatives is urgently needed.

This study provides robust evidence of neurotoxicity that should prompt regulatory action.

Transcripts

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