Point of View - Anticipation, Actualization, and Follow Through

Anticipation, Actualization, and Follow Through

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Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a form of anticipation that often times is symbolic, but other times uses words or actions not directly related to the current scene, but related to future scenes. An easy example would be the cross-hairs of a rifle scope or the cross on a church. Without any words or motion, the image alone will create a basic context for anticipating the next events. For example:
In the first SILENT MÖBIUS movie, the viewer is first initially presented with the sound and sight of Kiddy running down a dark corridor in her AMPD uniform chasing an unseen force. At one point, it appears that we are looking up at the ceiling, but when her foot comes down it is revealed that we were looking at a puddle. This establishes fairly quickly the ominous nature of the dark and that the initial appearances are going to be deceiving. This is a form of symbolic anticipation since the sum of all of the different creepy elements create a feeling of tension that achieves its initial actualization when we meet the demonic Lucifer Hawk.
Also in the first movie, the events begin in the present and then flash back to the past. This immediately establishes the eventual conflict and then takes the audience back to examine the conflict's roots. In a sense, this technique "spoils" the future conflict, but at the same time, it allows the viewer to understand what subtle references and events will be important for the future.
A very interesting use of foreshadowing can also be seen in the 6th SENSE.

Spoiler warning: the following paragraph and a half have been rendered as blue text on a blue background just in case. If you've already seen the entire movie, or are itching to learn more, use your mouse pointer to highlight the text and make it visible. Apologies in advance to the readers who use LYNX...)

The director uses the same sequences and events to pull double duty and develop the plot in a way that is striking in its finesse. On the surface, the psychologist appears to be trying to help a little boy, and his repeated attempts to do so establish the anticipation for either his success or his failure depending upon the particular scene.
Yet, at the same time, the hidden plot of the boy helping the dead psychologist comes to terms with his situation is also hinted at in the staging and the dialog. For those who know about the hidden plot, this anticipation richly prepares the viewer for the payoff when the psychologist figures out that he is dead. For those who were only following the surface plot, the staging and the dialog present an awkward feeling that generates tension and a feeling of unease throughout the movie on a subconscious level. After the boy reveals his talent/curse to his mother, the unaware viewer feels that the actualization has taken place and expects a triumphant return of the psychologist to a happy household as the follow through to the plot. However, the hidden plot is made obvious and achieves actualization with the psychologist's realization of his ghostly state, which finally resolves and releases the undercurrent of tension generated by the previous scenes. To make the juxtaposition more obvious and hidden plot more intense, the director even includes flashbacks to the most awkward and uncomfortable sequences of the film. Then, finally, the follow through to the hidden plot is realized by the psychologist letting go of his old life and moving on, allowing the viewer to have most, if not all, of the outstanding issues resolved to some degree of satisfaction.

External anticipation comes from real-life interference. For example, the names Spielberg, Coppola, Otomo, and Miyazaki carry significant baggage and high expectations regarding the quality of a project, while the names John Woo, Merryl Streep, and Eddie Murphy also carry significant expectations regarding the content and context of a film. In each case, it is not the entertainment that is creating the anticipation, but the context surrounding each individual's past work.
Actualization is sometimes a delivery upon expectations, but in certain situations a juxtaposition of expectation can create a backlash unrelated to the actual quality of the performance. For example, Bill Murray's quality performance in THE RAZOR'S EDGE was a financial disaster because most people could only go into this bleak drama with expectations of MEATBALLS, STRIPES or SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Another example of painful juxtaposition is obvious from STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE, as the media hype and years of anticipation generated expectations that were nearly impossible to actualize for the hard-core fans. The actual results, while technically impressive and competent, didn't create the expected stunning impact and created a letdown that quickly became a backlash. Obviously, this was a result that was not George Lucas' intended follow through for his film.
Other times, the marketing, or even the title of the film creates an external anticipation regarding the content. Obviously, STAR WARS, EATMAN, and RANSOM all give you a pretty good idea of what the general contents of the film will contain simply from the title, and others such as BASTARD!!, VIOLENCE JACK, and FATAL FURY deliver a taste of the attitude or spirit without making you think too much. In these circumstances, the titles provide additional anticipation regarding the contents, and it is up to the show to reach actualization, and the fan's reaction will be the follow through.
Because this is an entertainment industry related column, I have focused on entertainment context that can be researched and viewed with some ease. However, anticipation, actualization, and follow through create an illusion of life because it mirrors real life. For example:

Girlfriends: For boys, the anticipation surrounding girlfriends usually has a heavy undercurrent of sexual tension that is rarely actualized. The follow through is usually frustration, which provides a rich market for hentai (porn) videos.

Boyfriends: For girls, anticipation and expectations for their boyfriends usually has a heavy undercurrent of romance that is rarely actualized. The follow through is also frustration, which provides a rich market for contrived all-male pop bands and yaoi (male homosexual) manga.

Usually, the actualizations with the most impact in real life are those that create a juxtaposition with the anticipation. When John F. Kennedy traveled to Dallas, it was the anticipation of another rousing speech by a charismatic and popular president, but his assassination not only starkly and painfully contrasted with that expectation, but the follow through was a loss of innocence for an entire generation.
In the fifties, the onset of the Cold War created anticipation for World War III, and the subsequent decades of continuing conflict continued to reinforce this anticipation. However, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the destruction of the Berlin wall were in stark contrast to years of anticipation. However, the follow through to these events resulted in a new anticipation of an era of world peace and prosperity that has yet to be realized as many smaller nations have entered a period of internal conflict and genocide.
In both of these cases, the follow through and actualization of the anticipation has been unsatisfactory to most people. Fortunately, in works of fiction, the three elements of anticipation, actualization, and follow through can be constructed to work together in a much more harmonious fashion with much greater ease because all of the elements are usually contrived. Even when portraying actual events, such as in a documentary of JFK's assassination, a film maker will have the luxury of built in audience anticipation, and the opportunity to present additional foreshadowing elements to increase tension for the viewer.
Therefore, if done correctly, films can produce a more pleasing result than real life, even in a tragic context, because the foreshadowing can be constructed. In essence, anticipation, actualization, and follow through are most effective when it is close enough to real life to be convincing, but not so close to real life as to be uncomfortable...