Resonance

If Schubert is correct -- mere observation suggests that he probably is -- an artist of any type must capture and hold his audience's attention within seconds.  He must capture that which connects with poeple in a way that makes them both comfortable and excited, not an easy balance.  What this means for the filmmaking team is that within seconds of the start of the picture, their film must make a positive impression.  Accordingly, a great amount of thought must be put into the opening sequence of a film.  If there is dialogue, it must be immediately engaging, if there are visuals, they must be striking, if there is music, it should provoke feeling.  Schubert, in the realm of video games, talks about "play tests;" the equivalent in filmmaking I would assume would be mini-screenings to guage audience reaction to particular sequences.  It may then be a good idea to pitch an idea or an early cut of a film to a small group to determine their interest, especially in the opening sequence.  That way, if it needs tweaking, it is not so hard to go back and do.  I suppose one of the biggest lessons is to never neglect detail -- if an awkward jumping animation or funny names can tank a video game, then a wrong note, strange pause, or iffy camera angle can kill a film.