The opening of the Locarno Film Festival this summer was an exceptional cinematic experience for me: the programme included ‘The Lodger’, a silent film by Alfred Hitchcock, accompanied by the music of the ‘Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana’. I became a fan of the Cinema Concerto that afternoon.
The experience stayed with me for weeks after. Why was I so captivated by this story, set in the foggy London of the 1920s, that my eyes were glued to the screen for the entire screening, whereas in modern films I tend to forget many details after a short time? How does the human attention game work? Reading about Hitchcock’s work, I realised that many of his methods are as relevant as ever to today’s communication and have much to teach us.
Planning and focus
Hitchcock was famous for the precise composition of his scenes. Trained as a draftsman, he planned his films down to the smallest detail with the help of sketches and was at least as meticulous with the script, casting, costume and architectural design, editing and choice of music.
After this meticulous preparation, the director felt that filming was less of a creative process, sometimes even sleeping on set. But he always put a lot of time and energy into the key scenes: half of Janet Leigh’s shooting days in ‘Psycho’ were spent on the shower scene, and the actress said afterwards that she found the shoot so scary that she avoided shower cubicles for a long time afterwards.
- Lesson #1: Hard conceptual work is the foundation for success, and the heart of a project deserves the most attention and resources.
The art of leaving things out
The master of goosebumps has demonstrated it: A good story is built step by step. Hitchcock revealed information in small doses, relying on the power of the unseen and the suspense of the unspoken.
In journalistic reporting, this means that not every aspect needs to be discussed. It is more important to have a main thread that provides orientation and meaningful titles that invite you to read.
It’s the same with presentations. It’s not about explaining everything in detail. The trick is to engage the audience and surprise them with new insights.
- Lesson no. 2: A good story also lives from its gaps – because of the curiosity they arouse.
Addressing different levels of perception
The director despised films in which all information was conveyed through dialogue. He engaged his audience through strong images and action, used a variety of camera and editing techniques, and experimented with music and sound. In terms of communication, this means that we don’t always have to stick to words. Images and sound can speak for themselves just as well.
- Lesson no. 3 for today’s communication: The strongest messages are often created beyond words.
Hitchcock is said to have said: ‘Drama is a life from which the boring moments have been cut out’.
So: more drama – please!
