Yahoo Movies British movie viewers are very impatient, says study
It's official: British film viewers have the attention span of a gnat.
'Lights, Camera, Action' – a European study by MasterCard, the official partner of the Cannes Film Festival – has revealed that Generation Netflix are unlikely to continue watching a film if they're not gripped by the first 14 minutes. Shameful.
The research discovered that Brits love an action-packed start to a film, with 83% of them quick to switch off if they don't like the opening scene.
It just goes to show how Netflix has changed the way audiences consume films, now that they have the option to flick through a library and find something that's more likely to take their interest while eating biscuits in bed.
The nation voted for the massive Star Destroyer swooping overhead in Star Wars: A New Hope and the famous shark attack in Jaws as their favourite opening scenes of all time, closely followed by the diner robbery in Pulp Fiction and D-Day landing in Saving Private Ryan.
Pretty solid picks, to be fair.
It seems a banging soundtrack is also a key element to an opening scene. At least it is for 30% of UK viewers. The music in Saturday Night Fever prompted 9% to pick it as their favourite beginning to a film, while Elton John's 'Circle of Life' for The Lion King immediately had 7% hooked.
In other words, if an opening scene doesn't have enough exciting visuals or isn't loud enough to keep you awake, it's getting switched over.
The nation's pick of films seems to suggest that they prefer the classics to more contemporary options.
Did you hear that, modern films? Britain thinks your opening scenes are boring!
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