#you create tension by having your *audience* be aware of all the ways things could go wrong for your heroes

[gwarden123]

Bomb! Them! How many times and ways do I have to say it? Don’t shoot at them. Don’t lead them into your base. Don’t talk to them. Just bomb them! Lay mines along their path! Bring the rocks down on their heads! Gas them with grenades until they can’t breathe! Then take their armour, take their ship (I just remembered. They don’t have a ship. How were they supposed to get back?) and kill their people when they invite you inside.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

Day 28: lucky charm

Masterlist flufftober 🎃

Reblog if you liked it!

You were sitting, waiting, next to your companion Spencer. It was a small waiting room with stiff chairs and flickering lights, creating a tense and cold atmosphere. Spencer was beside you, his leg bouncing up and down without rest. You could hear the rhythmic sound of his shoe hitting the floor, something that would undoubtedly earn him a few curious looks from those nearby. However, he seemed completely oblivious, focused on his own nervousness.

Every so often, his hand would move up to his mouth to nibble at his nails, a habit you knew he hated, which made you suspect he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. The slight tremor in his fingers and the tension in his jaw confirmed what was dominating his mind.

"Reid, it looks like you're about to have an anxiety attack. Are you okay?" you asked in a gentle whisper, trying to make him feel understood and not judged.

"Nervous," he replied, sounding exactly that way. Although he tried to sound relaxed, the truth slipped out with each word, as if he were trying to contain a sea of thoughts that only continued to grow.

You had both traveled to Chicago to give a lecture—or rather, for him to give a lecture—about your work. It was an important opportunity, and it was understandable that he was anxious. The pressure of speaking before an audience, representing both your work, and answering complex questions, rested entirely on his shoulders.

"You’ll do great; you always do," you said confidently, wanting to offer him the reassurance he couldn’t give himself.

"That’s not true. I know a lot of things, but when I try to verbalize them in front of an audience, everything seems to evaporate around me. I need to avoid eye contact, and that's not socially acceptable. I'll just look like a freak..." he said, lowering his gaze. His tone was one of complete frustration.

"Come on, calm down. No one is going to see you that way. You’re the expert on the topic," you insisted, trying to instill a bit of self-confidence in him. You moved a little closer, watching his expression shift between fear and concentration.

"But I get so nervous! And then I start to stammer and... ugh, it’s a disaster," he exclaimed, bringing both hands up to cover his face, embarrassed and frustrated. His fingers covered his cheeks as he closed his eyes, as if trying to shield himself from the world.

You laughed softly and reached out your hands toward his, gently moving them away from his face to reveal his features bit by bit. When you managed to see his face again, you noticed the blush spreading across his cheeks, perhaps due to the contact. It was a sweet expression, so natural in him, and you were surprised by the vulnerability he let you see in those moments.

"Do you want me to do it? You know I don’t mind. But I���m afraid people won’t get specific data or intellectual answers from me."

"I can do it," he assured you with a slight smile, though he didn’t sound the least bit convinced. "I just need to calm down, breathe..."

"Want a Xanax? I have a quarter tablet in my purse," you said jokingly, though you knew you actually had one. His laugh was immediate, and for a moment, his tension seemed to dissolve.

You both sat in silence for a while, and although he didn’t say so, you knew he was still worried. You wanted to do something for him, to lighten his load a little. In an attempt to make him feel better, you suggested he practice his speech with you, and he seemed agreeable to the idea.

When he started to speak, his gaze locked onto yours, but he soon realized his mistake. He had to look you in the eyes, and that only made him more nervous. The softness in your expression, the way you watched him so attentively... anyone in his place would have had a hard time, too.

You were very pretty; anyone could notice that, and he, of all people, couldn’t ignore it. However, the effort to speak in front of you also served as an exercise in resilience. If he could present his points to you, he could do so to any audience.

Despite his efforts, he failed. The words seemed to tangle in his throat, and in the end, he let out a defeated sigh.

"I’ll do it however I can. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m just here to present data, not to be pleasing to the eye," he muttered, lowering his head.

"Listen," you said, in a final attempt to make him feel better. "I have this; I always carry it with me because it relaxes me to touch the crystals. Use it."

You held out a bracelet full of purple quartz, adorned with a few artificial pink and gold stones. The piece had a warm touch, and you had carried it with you for years.

"Did you know that, according to esoteric beliefs, amethysts provide mental and emotional calm? They’re thought to help promote inner peace and emotional balance, relieving anxiety and stress."

"You see? It’s perfect for you. It’s like my lucky charm. It’ll help you feel secure; I promise," you told him, and the affectionate tone in your words made him blush as you took his hand to leave the item with him. You noticed how his fingers trembled slightly under your touch.

Spencer felt each part of the bracelet, lingering on the softness of each stone, almost as if hoping the luck and calm you mentioned would somehow transfer to him. Then, gently, he placed it on his wrist, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye and smiling in gratitude.

"Are you going to be here in the back? Or out front?" he asked, a bit more relaxed.

"Right next to you," you murmured with a smile. "Hotch sent me as eye candy for the old perverts. Remember?"

"That’s not true," he objected, with an offended expression. "You’re coming with me because you’re an exemplary agent."

"Oh, don’t think it only applies to me. Women will also pay attention just because a handsome man is speaking."

He looked at you with narrowed eyes and shook his head gently, as if scolding you for your comments, though you knew they amused him.

Someone from the staff called for you both to go on, and that was the end of it. Spencer walked the entire way clutching the amethyst hanging from his wrist, and after taking a deep breath, he seemed to transform completely once he appeared on stage. His gaze took on a new determination, and although you still noticed a slight stiffness in his shoulders, it was clear that the bracelet had given him some of the confidence he needed.

That bracelet never returned to your hands; you preferred him to keep it, as he seemed to have found in it a source of calm. Spencer kept it close, and whenever there was an important event, he made sure to wear it. Although, in reality, without knowing it, his true lucky charm had always been you.

[notlikearegularmom-blog]

I love you, Star Wars. It’s ruining my life. 

I resurrected my long-dormant Tumblr to write 2k words on my complicated feelings about the Bad Batch series finale, and I feel better now.  

I love Star Wars. I love this show. Earlier in the season, I went shot-by-shot on how great this series is when it’s on its game. 

Considered in a vacuum, that final episode is great. The sequence on Tantiss is tense and thrilling. The visuals, as always, are top tier. The epilogue hits the right emotional notes... and it all fell flat for me. 

I think my harshest, but most concise, critique is this: The season went in circles on stuff that ended up being irrelevant and ran out of time to tee up the emotional payoff. 

I’m aware I’m in the minority. If you loved this, I’m not going to tell you you’re wrong to love it. I’m glad people loved it; I wanted to love it. This show remains one of my favorite recent Star Wars things, and the fact that the ending didn’t land doesn’t change that. 

I’m genuinely bummed that this didn’t work for me, but here’s why it didn’t. 

The storytelling fails to get us where we need to be for that ending – and there are two main reasons for that: 

Structural issues with the season-long plot arc that have downstream effects on characterization and themes. 

An over-reliance on misdirection to create tension. 

Big time spoilers ahead, obviously.

Structure 

For the first two seasons, the show is episodic – you get these tight little two- or three-episode arcs but there’s never a season-long plot. For the final season, they set up a central story around the show’s mythology (Tantiss). All the action should lead to that end, even if we get some one-off episodes along the way. That’s something they hadn’t done before, and I was really looking forward to it. It’s ambitious to switch things up, and I like it when shows take risks. 

Setting up the mytharc 

The actual plot progression when we get there, though, is weird. No one loves a hunt for a MacGuffin more than I do – you often get some of your best character moments in those stories – but you have to eventually find the MacGuffin, or your audience starts to wonder where things are going. 

It takes nine episodes to get to a significant plot reveal. That’s more than half a season of not giving the audience information – not teasing partial clues, just not giving. And the main thing the characters find is something the audience already knows (what’s an m-count), even if the characters don’t*. The big problem is that there are no breadcrumbs leading to the next part of the story, and I started to get concerned that it was because the central plot wasn’t going anywhere. 

* I find that really hard to believe. In TPM, Qui-Gon tests Anakin’s m-count on his iPhone. There’s an app for that.  

The story arc 

Two-thirds of the way through the season, the arc laps itself and circles back to where we started. 

It’s a decision that could make sense – the basic premise of the show is Omega daddy-daughter bonding with these guys while helping them do their missions.  

You can’t entirely blow that up in the final season. You still need some episodes of exactly that, and that’s why she returns to them early in the action.  

But once she gets taken to Tantiss (again) we basically just do the arc over — and we’ve already had mini versions of that exact arc in both seasons 1 and 2. We’ve been here before and it doesn’t really show us anything new – and, for it to work, it should. 

This is all too bad because individual episodes are fantastic: 1 and 3, and 10 and 11 are all no notes amazing. Episodes 5-7 form a really effective short arc, and 9 has some of my favorite visual moments in the entire series in it. 

But episodes often felt like they’d been written in isolation – excellent by themselves, but they don’t do the thing they need to do: introduce the next progression in the mytharc. 

That isolation also seems to mess with some key characterization. 

Character 

Everyone feels a little inconsistent from episode to episode, but it’s especially noticeable with Crosshair because this is his season. 

Episode 7 Crosshair and Episode 14 Crosshair feel like different guys, both of whom aren’t quite the same character as Episode 15 Crosshair. 

In 14, Rampart says something to Crosshair like “people like us are only ever loyal to ourselves” and he responds, “I’ve changed.” But that’s never been his character’s central struggle. He’s incredibly loyal with deep values even when they’re badly misguided and THAT is his problem and has been for three seasons. He did war crimes out of a belief in something larger than himself. He’s a good candidate for the chip because he’s inherently loyal. They say that explicitly early on in the show.

And sure, maybe Rampart is projecting his own experience onto Crosshair – but then why does he accept that framing and respond like it’s true? And we get a foreshadowing moment like this tension is going to come to a head – but then these two are never in the same scene again and the question about Crosshair’s loyalty never comes back up. 

Also in 14, there’s an exchange where he tells Wrecker that he ‘owes’ Omega for not leaving him behind on Tantiss and essentially that’s why he’s there. 

But my dude has been openly established as loving Omega even more fiercely than the others, all the more for being late to it, since like a third of the way into the season. Putting us back in a place where he’s pretending that he doesn’t care as much about her as he does ignores like nine episodes of character growth.  

This was the point where I started wondering if they’d written the final two episodes first, and then backfilled the rest of the season. 

In 15, he’s willing to throw his own life away for everyone else, and that’s much more in line with the rest of his arc. But... 

This would be a really affecting line, but it kind of comes out of nowhere. I think it’s a moment to create tension: if their team as an idea – and the thing the whole show is centered around – is dead, maybe they’re also individually going to die? Probably, because they end this scene with a visibly injured Wrecker saying ‘we all know the risks.’ But up to this point we’ve gotten nothing about how Crosshair felt about Tech – or even more broadly about their team being irrevocably changed by their experiences. He literally never talks about it, even in scenes where it would have made sense to talk about it. 

(This would have been the perfect time to tee this up.) 

He avoided talking about it so thoroughly that I thought we’d get a watershed emotional moment at some point, like late in the third act of the season. Add 45 seconds of meaningful dialogue to Episode 12 (it’s barely 20 minutes and the shortest of the season, so there was definitely time), then this all falls into place and that Episode 15 line lands perfectly. 

(This is the scene, right here. It’s even nicely framed for it.) 

And I’m just not sure how to feel about the fact that they resolved Crosshair’s PTSD arc by... removing the outward symptom of his trauma. 

Misdirection 

They spent a lot of time on misdirection in order to create tension, like a whole lot. So much so that there’s not enough time spent laying the groundwork for the ending we get. 

These are the main teases: 

Omega is probably Force-sensitive, and that will have big implications. 

I love Ventress but there’s no reason for her to be here. The problems and questions she introduces don’t end up being relevant. ‘Can you grow to your full potential without giving up the people you love?’ But Omega doesn’t end up faced with that hard choice. 

No one ends up facing hard choices – like, have we earned our rest now or do we keep fighting? That’s a really compelling question — but the characters never have that conversation on screen. The choice just sort of happens to them in the space of like 10 seconds, right at the end. They’re not even active participants in it. 

No one is safe; everyone might die. 

Not a bad choice at all for a final season. But we go from ‘you’ll never grow with these guys holding you back’ at the midpoint to ‘you have to live because she needs you’ in the finale with no stops in between. It feels like Episode 15 is the conclusion of a different season than the one we’d been watching — and I think I would have really liked that season. 

CX-2 is someone significant. 

Even if a reveal is a non-reveal, you should still, uh, reveal it. 

The other guys, though, look badass and are cool af, and we should have gotten more than seven minutes from their first introduction to them dying en masse in the dark (in a sequence where it was hard to keep track of who was who). 

If it doesn’t matter who CX-2 is, what were these guys being held back for? 

There are a bunch of smaller moments as well that seem to be leading the story in a direction, never to be addressed again. You know that saying about how if you introduce a gun in the first act of a play, it needs to go off by the third? 

That one’s a literal gun, which is funny — but there are several plot elements that just appear and then disappear. 

Focus  

In the final season of something, you really feel that ticking clock. Where and how the story spends its time feels more urgent, and I thought the choices here were odd. 

We get a few side plots and character cameos that feel like filler, which is probably to be expected. But I think the best example of what I’m talking about is this: 

The comedy villain from season one gets nearly 35 minutes of screen time down the stretch, while Wrecker, a main character whose fate we care deeply about, gets maybe half that.  

And, sure, Rampart’s death was satisfying because that guy is the worst. But I honestly don’t know why they brought him back and chose to spend so much time on him. 

Justice for Wrecker, in general. He gets nothing to do. Echo has more impact on the plot (and possibly more dialogue), and he’s only in a third of the episodes. 

And to be clear, I would be fine spending time on things like past characters if the story had really hit the other beats along the way, but what we get feels unfocused. 

Is the main theme of the season redemption? Loyalty? Self-determination? Letting go of who you thought you were supposed to be? Ultimately, it’s none of those things because it tries, at different times, in different episodes, to be all of them — sometimes in contradictory ways. 

And with that… 

I’m being really hard on something I love here, but... I wouldn’t give this much thought to something mid. I care because it’s really good, even if, ultimately, I feel like the execution could have been better.  

(I went with The Tortured Poets Department for the musical joke in the title, because it’s topical — but Never Let Me Down Again was sitting right there.) 

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

I mean Personally I’m still glad they they Still made Sasha Waybright a character from Amphibia least get a better character journey than Catra even if we didn’t see most of her arc in Season 3. Which will personally always bug me since she’s my personal favorite character in the show since I usually love developing Villains/antagonists.

In your opinion why do you believe writers seem to have Such a hard time creating full level redemption arcs for these types of characters? I mean there’s GREAT potential in them if writers could just take the time and nuance in them after enjoying their time as the Villain.

yeah, sasha was really an intriguing character. i love how smart she was and how she handled things in a difficult situation. unfortunately, the writing of amphibia was a bit lackluster. they introduced deep elements and interesting lore into it, but never followed up. i feel like the writers really did not know how to balance a good plot and comedic elements. we never learn about why sasha was the way she was. it's implied that her parents are divorced and that could be part of the reason, but we really don't get enough exposition because the writers wanted to focus on wacky shenanigans instead.

as for your question, i think there are two reasons. one is that writers are aware that the audience loves a good villain. people are slowly drifting towards liking complex and terrifying villains. and for a villain to be terrifying, they have to do the most heinous shit imaginable. which is fine, i really don't think there's a limit to who can be redeemed. it's just that the writers either spend too much time developing a villain as an evil threat that they don't have enough time to give said villain a good redemption. or they're just plain bad at writing a good redemption.

another reason, and this pertains to spop especially, is that when writing an enemies to lovers arc, the writers wants to focus on the "enemies" part of it as much as possible. because that's where all the thrill comes from. the audience wants to see two people try to kill each other while being in compromising positions. they want to see tension, angst, drama. in theory, i don't think this is inherently a bad thing. with c//a however, since adora is not being as sadistic as catra is, it feels painfully one-sided. yeah, catra is a villain so obviously she's gonna be heartless, yada yada. but the whole "i always loved you" just adds another layer of toxicity. it implies that catra was torturing adora while she loved her or some might even say, because she loved her. yikes.

so yeah, it all comes down to bad writing. there are certain things to keep in mind when writing a good redemption but these writers just want to speedrun through the whole process so that their blorbo gets a happy ending. very few writers put in effort to build up a good redemption arc rather than slap it on whichever villain they like best.

[lilisouless]

Alina: maybe we have to redefine what fits on "its an emergency, come quickly"

Nikolai: its a million dollar plan, all we need to do its letting weird people to record us in a house

Zoya: we are NOT doing a reality , nothing its real anyway

Nikolai: duh, thats why i am assigning each one of you a role to play. I will be the protagonist

Zoya: there are no protagonist in reality shows

Nikolai: Zoya...please...alright, my role will be the guy with incredible charm, incredible leadership skills but still likeable that everyone admires and its incredibly modest. It will be easier since well...i play that everyday.

Mal: and i guess i´ll play the loser guy

Nikolai: i admire your self awareness Mal, but no, i actually need you to be my best friend which i have a borderline homoerotic relationship with that will be the most talked thing about the show. Now come here and hold my hand in a platonic-not so platonic way, and you better use a mint on our brotherly new year eve´s kiss

Mal: out what now?

Nikolai: We also need a diva, a queen, a girl who is cruel, rude but so and charming that people will see her rudness as "brutal honesty" and claim her as absolutely iconic, and we have the perfect person for the role, the only woman with the talent of creating such a charismatic yet outrageous persona...Zoya...

Zoya: ugh, if it means so much to you, then i-

Nikolai: plase move, i need to talk to Genya.

Zoya: seriously?

Nikolai: Genya, would you do the honor?

Genya: do i get to write my own lines and choose my victims?

Nikolai: absolutely

Genya: deal

Nikolai: now, Tolya, you will be the sensitive man

Tolya: oh, does that mean i get to recite my poems?

Nikolai: better...you´ll learn to play acoustic guitar, i need to you play it in every second the camera is on you.Now Zoya and Alina will be most of the time fighting over me-

Alina: no!

Nikolai:...over Mal?

Zoya: no!

Nikolai: ...over being Genya´s bestie?

Zoya & Alina: fair enought

Tamar: now if you think Nadia and I will kiss for a creepy male audience...

Nikolai: actually, i thought you could be besties and a come out as a couple a year after the first season...

Zoya: you want more than one?

Nikolai: Like, our secret weapon to regain audience and a renewal. Sure Mal and I will be the most popular thing at the show´s time but after the end, you two will have the "tamadia being cute" compilations

Tamar: fine, but we demand a higher paygrade

Nikolai: David is going to be the local relatable guy...

David: i still don't follow the "reality" but fake...

Nikolai: excelent work! and the glasses give it a nice touch...and about Leoni and Adrik, you will be the cute non problematic girl and the guy that everyone forgets exists...so, pretty much yourselves

More under the cut, to not make the most too long

Nikolai: what do you mean it got rejected?!

"Sorry man, but we have a new reality show"

Nikolai watching the tv: keeping up with the ketterdams?

Inej on tv: He can buy a boat but he can't fix his hear for me? i mean...does he really love me?

---

Wylan: i am changing the curtains, i want them in icy sapphire

Kuwei: icy sapphire? omg he is so pretentious, shut up! its blue...

---

Nina crying: MY WAFFLE FELL IN THE OCEAN!

Jesper: Nina , there´s people that are dying

---

Hanna staring blankly: huh...i thought this was going to be a cooking show...

---

Marya: oh Mr Fahey, shouldn't we talk about the obvious...(reads on smuged hand) huh...tension? between us?

Colm: Oh yes, our natural chemistry is undeniable and not fabricated for views at all

(awkwardly hold hands)

---

Alys: oh , i just randomly had the impulse to...SIIIIIIIING!

"SECURITY! WHO LET HER IN?! GET HER OUT AND YOU BETTER NOT FORGET TO EDIT THIS BIT OUT!"

---

"footage of Kaz falling facedown over a cake"

Matthias: is what he deserves (smiles)

[seaslugrambles]

THE BUILDUP OF DANGER (BLOG POST THREE - TENSION) (EPISODE SIX)

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder has many different elements that make it effective. As a mystery, it has to guide the watchers in many different directions in order to keep the suspense going and make the plot more appealing. The main element that allows them to make their mystery interesting, engaging, and keep you on the edge of your seat is tension, whether it is tension between characters, tension in the plot, or tension in the action. Without tension, the show as a whole would not be as effective and would not keep the audience engaged, but through their use of tension, the writers and everyone involved make the show incredibly interesting.

THE ELEMENTS OF TENSION IN A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER

In A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, tension is a big aspect of the show. They raise tension everytime Pip is in danger, about to find out something new that could change the case, or when they show the audience more details about the case that Pip does not necessarily see (e.g flashbacks). This tension is shown through many different methods, whether it’s music, lighting, dialogue, sound design, or the camera shots. All of these techniques work together to develop the tension and make the watcher engaged in the action.

The music is a very subtle technique of tension in the show. Most of the music rises up with slow intensity as the main point of the tension reaches its climax, which creates the slow rise of suspense and fear on what will happen next. However, they use the dichotomy of the slow intensity to allow themselves to do some high intensity music, that also adds tension and suspense that makes you want to scream at the TV. The scene with Becca in the tunnels uses both of these music techniques expertly, by having the music slowly rise as Becca explains that she put Andie in the well, and then reveals she’s going to kill Pip and throw her in the well, as well as the fact that she drugged her. The music, despite the song actually being rather upbeat, rises in intensity, and as Pip makes the move to run away, the music immediately hits to its highest volume as Pip claws her way away from Becca, but isn’t able to escape until Ravi and Cara save her. The use of the music and the more upbeat song makes the tension incredibly effective and portrayed really well, contributing to the rest of the elements to make the watcher anxious for what will happen next and if someone is going to get hurt. 

The lighting in the show is very natural, with every fluorescent light of the school, cloudy grey sky, lamp lighten room, and bright backyard filled with its natural light. I believe that this natural light is what arguably makes the tension rise more. When it goes from the bright, natural light of the world, and surprises you with the darker lighting, such as when Pip goes from the cloudy skies of the town, to driving in the car with Becca to the tunnels, where a dark entrance to the tunnel from the forest clashes against the natural greens of the forest and the grey sky. This creates a lot of tension, as the second Becca guides her in there, you know Pip is walking into danger. When she arrives in the tunnel, the slight blue tint to everything, along with the darkness and the decaying walls of the tunnel that they walk by forever makes the audience well aware that Pip is walking further and further into danger, but there’s nothing that they can do about it. The lighting, especially their use of darkness, expertly contrasts how most of the show is in light and makes you feel a bit of unease but mostly curiosity about what will happen next.

Dialogue is another crucial element of tension. The way characters phrase things, from innocence to maliciousness, allows the audience to notice the difference in their tone. When Pip goes to visit Elliot in the police station after figuring out that Andie’s killer is still out there, realizing that he didn't kill her dog because he was away in Oxford. They talk, and Pip is very cautious about discussing with him, despite his intrigue at her being there and he immediately apologizes. She is cold with him naturally, and Pip immediately goes in for answers, despite her conflicted feelings about Elliot and what he did to Sal. Pip calls him out on his horrible behaviour and how he deserves to be there, and the tension grows in her pain. The tension raises as Elliot begins to give details about the night Andie died and reveals that Jason Bell was very strict and could potentially be the killer of Andie. As he reveals the information about Jason, he gets more calm, but in his voice, you can hear the franticness begin to rise. He reveals that he looked for Andie and he got caught in the woods doing so, realizing that Jason caught him and would use that against him as a way to say that he was Andie’s killer.

As he talks about this “dark little seed inside of him”, any sanity he has left completely goes, and as he mutters that he “tried to make it go away”, the tension raises as he looks at Pip with intensity. Pip is fearful, and as he tells her that she has that dark seed too, it makes Pip question her goodness As he says that “it’s not him, but the dark little seed that’s evil.”, the tension is at an all time high, and the audience feels it. Although he isn’t attacking her, he’s being threatening and horrifying, making Pip freak out because the guy she knew that was kind and sweet is now gone and is a murderer. Overall, the dialogue through tone and wording, the indirection that Elliot makes by refusing to have accountability for his actions, and the fear and disgust Pip feels, especially as she says “She was 17, and you were her teacher.”, does a great job of building tension.

Sound design is a very strong element that develops the tension by playing with your ears, whether it’s loud noise that is alarming and unnerving, or quiet noise that sinks into your brain. Often, sound design is subtle, whether it’s people walking around, or quiet birds chirping, but it does a great deal in the environment of the show. In A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, simple sound design such as quiet steps, crunching twigs when they hastily search for Barney, or the crisp placement of a dollar bill on a table as Pip tries to get answers from Andie’s drug dealer, all rises tension by cutting through the music, or the quieter background noise, that brings attention to what they’re doing to make you tense. A wonderful example of subtle sound design that makes you fear for Pip is in Episode 5, where, after a really tension filled conversation with Elliot about he was in a relationship with Andie, and that she is gone, the room has filled with silence. Then, Pip hears the pipes drip and shake, just enough to make a noise. This immediately captures her attention and the audience’s attention, as we quickly realize that someone is in the house, taken by Elliot, and that he could’ve been lying about Andie. The audience is filled with tension, knowing that by Pip hearing this, and refusing to listen to Elliot, she is in danger. As she runs up to the attic, and the swift lock of the attic door clicks, we know Pip is in trouble and might not be able to get out.

As well as this, in Episode 6, when she is in the tunnel, we hear the soft drops of water, and the clunky footsteps on rough cobble is horrifying as she approaches the well. When Becca shows her the well, and accompanied by the darkness, we hear the soft drip of the water, the bottom of it feels so close, unnerving the audience. We then see PIp standing right by the well, and the audience just wants to scream at Pip to run away from the danger, keeping the audience engaged. Her being so close to the slowly dripping well is unnerving, especially for people who have not read the book, and don’t know if Pip will live through this encounter. You fear for her life, and that’s the beauty of tension in the show, especially done by the sound design.

The camera shots contribute to the tension immensely. When the camera changes to a different subject that you haven’t witnessed, your eyes pay more attention to it, such as when the camera changes to the well. Before Becca even proclaims that she’s going to kill Pip by throwing her in there, you know that that is her plan because of how the camera lingers on the well for way too long. For the chase, the camera is shaky, something that it rarely is, and shows Pip’s franticness to get away, knowing that if she doesn’t, she’s going to die. This shakiness raises the tension as you try to focus on all the details on what’s happening and if Pip is doing okay, which makes the audience more worried for her and how she’s trying to escape.

As for the car garage, the camera is simple, with Pip carefully walking through the car garage, but at the end of each shot, we see Jason Bell wandering through, trying to find the person that he thinks snuck into the car garage. She’s too focused on searching for his car to see if he’s coming, which makes the audience worried that she’ll be caught before she can find her answer. This simple filming that seems casual raises more tension because of knowing that Pip could be caught if he catches up to her and notices she’s there. When she hears him approach, she hops into his trunk and it goes dark, only seeing her pale face as she breathes heavily. Her heavy breath accompanied by the close up shot keeps the tension raised as you fear that Jason is going to open the door and catch her in the act. The switch in camera shots and the way it accompanies the lights makes a big tension raise that makes you fearful for what will happen to Pip. 

WHAT DISTINGUISHES TENSION IN A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER COMPARED TO OTHER SHOWS?

Tension is every show, whether it is tension between characters, tension in the action or tension in the material itself. Many shows use tension effectively to immerse the audience in the environment, but I believe what separates A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in its tension from other shows is the use of subtlety. When the tension shifts and grows, it doesn’t scream in your face that it’s getting more intense, but shows you it, from the elements of lighting, sound design, music, dialogue, and camera shots. It never dramatically changes the lights, from super bright to dark, but just changes the lighting gradually. With dialogue, you see the buildup of tension, as the characters slowly lose it, such as when Elliot begins to break down in the police station while talking to Pip, and Pip begins to slowly freak out at his behaviour and how the person she’s known has changed so drastically. The music is always subtle and raises over the dialogue and the strong sound design only occasionally, to make the audience more fearful of what's to come by not being able to hear much, such as when Pip is running away from Becca and all you can hear is Pip’s hurried footsteps and the music over her ragged breaths. The camera shots don’t drastically change, but usually move to a slow pan over to the cause of the tension rising, or switch between actors, such as between Pip and Elliot during their interaction in the police station. When the camera is shaky, it is purposeful and creates strong tension. The use of subtle changes that make the audience pay more attention to when the details change is what makes A Good Girl’s Guide’s tension so unique and intriguing.

HOW DOES TENSION CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHOW?

Tension contributes to the main mystery of the show and creates a focus on engagement and anxiety from the watcher. By having these built up tensions from a variety of elements, you feel for Pip, and are worried for her wellbeing as she further puts herself into danger. With every new text sent, and as she emerges through the tunnel, seeing the steady area of the well, you know that she is going to get hurt, and she nearly does. With each sound cue, soft music, switch in lighting, bitter dialogue and acting, and slowly zoomed in or direct on the actor shots, this immerses you more in the mystery of the case, while knowing that the case is not without risks. If there was no tension or anticipation as Pip throws herself into danger, it would not be as enjoyable to watch or immerse yourself in. You wouldn’t care as much about Pip if the tension was not there and did not make you feel for her as you worry about her safety. The case would be without risks, and parts leading up to a chase, like when Becca reveals she’s going to kill Pip, use that well written tension to contribute to the climax of the plot of the episode, and of the show. Without the tension, there would be no excitement and no fear from the audience, which would not make them understand the weight of everything Pip is doing and how much she’s putting herself on the line in order to get justice.

CAN THE WRITERS EXPAND ON HOW THEY PORTRAY TENSION MORE?

With the second season just recently announced, I am curious to see what they could do more with the tension. I really enjoyed the tension, especially in the last episode, and how they used darkness to make the watcher fear for Pip, especially as you know Becca cannot be trusted. Even though she killed Andie by accident and out of anger, her intentions are clearly not good by leading Pip to where Andie was buried. This episode was extremely strong in its tension with the use of intense music, having a chase scene, and shaky steps that reflected Pip’s panic on being unable to move after being drugged. The writing was really strong in this episode by providing those details to ensure that the audience felt with Pip and worried about her wellbeing, and by incorporating those details and techniques we see into the script, it added a lto to the overall episode. I believe the tension and the techniques used only grow as the season does, which allows the audience to be more intrigued as they continue watching. However, I know they could expand, especially through the writing. The tension always grows through its subtleness, whether it’s soft music, a quiet change in sound, a different camera shot, usually a close up, or a shift in tone from the actors, but all of these are subtle, but still noticeable and effective. Although I enjoy the subtlety of the tension and believe that it is really effective, I know that in the second season, they could definitely make the tension even more intense and concentrated, to use the strengths of the techniques that were very effective and expand upon it. They could add more details in the script that encourage even more fear and suspense, especially through the dialogue. The scenes where dialogue is the main motivator to the rising tension (e.g the conversation with Elliot) were really good, and I want to see the writers add more strong dialogue like this that really intrigues the watcher. Besides making the tension more intense and continuing to use those techniques, I believe that the tension has been very well written and used by the writers to make the audience immersed and intrigued by using intense dialogue and encouraging other techniques to be used.

WHAT CAN I TAKEAWAY FROM HOW THE WRITERS USE TENSION IN THE SHOW FOR MYSELF?

Tension and how it’s portrayed in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder teaches me a lot about scriptwriting and how the use of dialogue, lighting, sound design, music, and camera shots are crucial in bringing and raising tension as a scene progresses. It makes me acknowledge that although all those techniques are additions that occur during the production of the show, when writing the script, you can encourage those details by writing them in, and have specific control over how dialogue and camera shots will influence the tension. It makes me note how important tension is, whether it’s between characters in an interaction, a strong moment in a scene/episode, or how it influences the whole show and our feelings about the show. I believe the biggest technique I can take away from tension is by thinking about how all of the techniques in tension would be portrayed through my writing, and what I can do to contribute to that tension by using my writing as the inspiration for the other elements that I discussed. As for the writing itself, I want to focus most on descriptions and how tension is raised through dialogue, and really ensure that the dialogue motivates and builds the tension, while making sense for the characters and feelings of the show and the scene.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder teaches me how complex characters, tension, and strong dialogue make a good show, and most importantly, a good script that your audience will enjoy. I really enjoyed watching this show, and I truly believe that it gives some great pointers about how to write a good and content-filled script.

[alexhornefan]

Series 15 Contestants on Greg & Alex

*Click each contestants name for their full interview regarding series 15.

What do you make of Greg and Alex and their relationship?

Well, basically it’s a show about humility. So the framework is of the British Empire. That’s the artwork, right? So it’s Edwardian, late Victorian, music hall-type art. And this is the British condition, hubris. And also, the condition of comedians generally is narcissism and hubris.

So this is a game that is designed to create humility within those players. But then if you have a Taskmaster, then they’re not going to have humility, so Alex has Greg to humiliate him. And then Greg is the Taskmaster because Greg is a self-humiliating machine – all his jokes about himself, because he’s simply too large to have ever lived a normal life.

So it’s this agnostic reminder of humility all the way through the show. 

How have you got on with Alex: has he been useful, or just a huge hindrance?

By Scottish standards, Alex is a pretty helpful person.

-Frankie Boyle

Were you a fan of the show?

Yes, right back to the first series. And Alex, I’ve been such a fan of for so long, and obviously I like Greg as a stand-up. My parents love The Horne Section, so that’s the sort of thing I’d always try and take them to if they were ever coming to Edinburgh, like, ‘Here’s a nice, wholesome thing.’

The Horne Section gave me occasional guest spots at the Fringe years ago, so I felt like I had a little role in there. It’s a slightly eccentric universe.

-Ivo Graham *Be aware, Ivo does give a bit of a spoiler about one task.

How did you get on with Greg generally?

I recognise a very, very common streak of comedy in what Greg does and I adore the relationship he has with Alex. It really makes me laugh; I’ve become hysterical on occasion.

I once saw his live show called The Back Of My Mum’s Head, where I was almost incontinent with laughter. I went with my daughter, and it was in a small sweaty attic room in Edinburgh.

We were sitting next to a boy who had never seen stand-up before and afterwards, he said, ‘Is it always like this?’ and I had to say ‘no’. It was so special for him, he was wet with laughter. I had to say, ‘No, sometimes it’s shit. Come and see me tomorrow night.’

How do you describe the relationship between Greg and Alex?

Absolutely adorable. It’s a much more interesting Ant and Dec. And I love Ant and Dec. I’ve worked with them a lot and they��re great. But they’re not a patch on Greg and Alex, are they?

How do you describe your relationship with Alex during the tasks?

I felt sometimes that he felt very sorry for me but was trying not to show it.

He wasn’t as helpful as he could have been. He could have saved my bacon on a couple of occasions. He gave me the impression that I was allowed to do things that I actually wasn’t.

The thing is, in the studio, you know very well it’s not your show. It’s Alex and Greg that the audience have come to see. We are mere courtiers in the palace of.

So it is quite nerve-racking, being in the studio. There’s a tension amongst us all. We want to do well, we want to be supportive of each other, but we also want to be funny, and sometimes you feel a bit clumsy.

-Jenny Eclair

What was your tactic with Greg in the studio and trying to win a few extra points?

Greg was really annoying but I did try to convince him. Every now and then I was surprised by thinking that Greg was going to absolutely hate something, then he loved it, and vice versa, so I felt it was always worth having that conversation.

Sometimes it would be going in my favour and Alex would pipe up like, ‘Ah, but what about…’ Shut up, Alex, I’m chasing victory.

Was Alex helpful on the actual tasks?

He was at first, but then I felt he turned against me. He could be a master of destruction.

-Kiell Smith-Bynoe

The format is bulletproof so in a way it doesn’t matter who’s on it, it’s always amazing because Greg and Alex are brilliant.

Greg said I had poise, which was nice. I find Greg unbelievably magnetic. I don’t know what it is. I’ve met so many people in my life doing comedy, and I’ve never been more starstruck. For some reason, it’s like he’s the most famous man on earth in my heart.

I think I just fancy him. People warned me about that. They said, ‘You’re going to be shocked by how fanciable Greg is.’ And they weren’t lying. It’s because he’s so lovely. And it’s how quick they both are. And they’re so in tune with each other, it’s joyful. And so British.

Greg Davies and Alex Horne are both very observant, aren’t they?

They're good at cutting right to your core with an off-hand remark. I think we’re all probably low-level narcissists, so when someone really incisively sums you up – I mean, any attention is always attractive – you’re like, ‘You’ve really seen me.’ That’s very intoxicating. You’re like, ‘What else? Tell me more about me.’

Did you have a tactic when it came to dealing with Greg in the studio and trying to win him over?

I didn’t try as hard as Kiell or Ivo. I was happy to accept a loss. There were a few prize tasks where I got really shocked at the points given out, but it’s subjective, isn’t it?

I knew going into it that you had to defer to his personal taste, and I knew arguing wasn’t going to get me anywhere, but maybe I thought, ‘If I don’t push it, then maybe he’ll remember that he shafted me and he’ll pay me back. He’ll be more magnanimous.’ That never happened.

How useful or not did you find Alex on the tasks?

When he says, ‘All the information’s on the task,’ you want to chop his limbs off. Aside from that, I found him extremely charming.

As a North American, I felt like I was in a Roald Dahl book. It’s so quintessentially English that I was just automatically charmed by it.

Do you get competitive with each other over Charlotte (Ritche) though?

Over her attention? Sure. Alex asked her in front of us which of us was her favourite, and time froze. We all went silent. She said, ‘I can’t answer that.’ She was very diplomatic.

-Mae Martin

[creation-help]

do you have any tips on crafting good comic relief characters?

What makes a good comic relief character can vary wildly, so I usually follow a few hard rules on what doesn't make a good comic relief character. Firstly here's some things to avoid!

- This character is funny because they're fat and/or ugly and stupid. Stupidity can work as a good driving force for comic relief, but pairing it with the character being portrayed as "ugly" or having them be fat simultaneously just hits as demeaning a group of people. Fat people have been the butt of a joke for way too long and way too often, and it's never been funny. Avoid making the humor of your character based on them being fat or otherwise deemed as "undesirable". Be especially careful if this coincides with traits associated to certain ethnicities and stereotypes regarding them. Just be aware of stereotypes and don't punch down

- If the audience finds the character annoying it's not funny. Characters who are made to be unwatchably annoying are rarely very popular, you can usually tell. Of course, what is and isn't annoying can be very subjective but generally speaking, it's funnier to have the character be annoying to the other characters, than to the audience. I know this is a very vague piece of advice, but try to stay within reason of what makes a character funny instead of just outright insidious

- Coinciding with the previous point, keep a level head on what's actually harmless fun and what gets destructive. I've seen way too many sitcoms attempting to be funny or have a purely comedic character, only for it to get extremely twisted when you actually think about it. Either by way of "Is it actually funny to be laughing at this character for reasons x y z" or "This character is actually a horrific asshole when you put their actions into perspective but the narrative plays them off as funny so they get off the hook constantly". Discrepancies will create unease. It's a different thing for someone to be just sassy and make mean jokes in good faith (especially if it's between people who are close and know it's okay to joke about) vs being actually offensive

I think with all that considered, my main point is to make them an actual character most of all. Comic relief characters work best when they're supported by a fun and engaging story, and I'm not saying the character should be gritty or have tons of stuff put into them, they can definitely just be a jokester, but make sure it's also just an enjoyable character in general. Using a character purely for jokes kinda just makes them a narrative tool, which, I guess is fine but doesn't make them terribly engaging. Give them a role and relationships, maybe good banter and fun dynamics ykno, and be aware of what they contribute to the story/group. Maybe if they're a moderator/tension diffuser type, use that to your advantage, or if they're a foolish and arrogant jokester, show the consequences of that.

Obviously you can make your comic relief be a terrible person but consider that depending on how far it goes, you need reasonable comeuppance. I think a very engaging comic relief arc or storyline could be about someone who starts off as a casual funnyman but over time gets carried off and eventually finds themself in a low dark place, or maybe getting in trouble and ending up corrupted. And they can still be humorous! Ykno, a wisecracking antagonist/villain would be fun!

If you wanna go a lighter route, maybe someone starts off as standoffish and offensive but through their actions or other characters, realizes that it's hurtful and changes their ways to become more considerate. Wholesome funny is also nice!

My last tip is to not gender-lock this character type (I always see it being a man in popular media). Women can be funny. Genders other than man and woman can be funny.

[crystcllise]

stranger things and hsmtmts relationships: an analysis

before i start, i do want to acknowledge that i’m aware both stranger things and hsmtmts are nothing alike at all! this thread is just something fun i’ve put together based on what i’ve noticed when watching both shows in regards to relationships and their storyline progressions!

the main purpose in all honesty is to draw on similarities between certain pairs in both shows and how stranger things s5 could follow this same progression

i am also attempting to create this thread in the most neutral way possible. i am in no way trying to ‘slander’ a ship, i’m just comparing and implying what could happen if stranger things follows a similar path to hsmtmts with their relationship plots. it may lean more towards the final ships i talk about purely because of the direction of the storylines i analyse

for the purpose of the thread, nini is going to be el, ricky is going to be mike, and gina is going to be will and the relationships i’ll focus on are rini/mileven and rina/byler (portwell isn’t going to exist in this analysis)

1. ricky and mike not being able to say i love you to nini and el 

now as we know, ricky and nini (rini) and mike and el (mileven) have been the first primary ships to dominate their respective shows that the audience should ‘root for’. they are both first loves at a young age where the characters have formed a very close bond, turning into romantic feelings

despite this, both ricky and mike find themselves in situations where they struggle to say i love you to their girlfriends once they confess (nini writing i think i kinda you know and el confessing her feelings when leaving hawkins)

these catch both ricky and mike off guard, them both not saying it back. and when they do try to say i love you, it doesn’t happen (ricky mumbling the words i love you in his audition and mike writing ‘from, mike’ instead of ‘love, mike’)

this later causes tension in the pairs where rini break up and mileven go through a rough patch in s4, in which both girls seem strong (externally at least) and the boys are kicking themselves for the way they reacted

2. a built up love confession from ricky and mike at the end of the season

in the season finale of each show where relationship problems are seen, ricky and mike eventually find the courage to reveal their feelings back to nini and el in a long awaited love confession/monologue

here’s the similarities between the monologues:

ricky and mike having to find the courage physically to say i love you

apologising for not saying i love you

ricky: and that night in your room when you told me you loved me, i meant to say it… and i’ve kicked myself everyday since then because I didn’t say it.

mike: i love you. i’m sorry i don't say it more. it’s not because i’m scared of you.

drawing on memories

ricky: i’ve loved you since the first time you picked up your ukulele and you wrote a song about clouds. i’ve loved you since seventh grade

mike: …my life started the day we found you in the woods. you were wearing that yellow benny’s burgers t-shirt

the future of their relationship

ricky: all i know is… i want this feeling to keep going… i’m not ready for it to be over. for us to be.

mike: i am scared that one day you'll realize you don't need me anymore. i thought if i said how i felt it would somehow make it hurt more

these monologues ‘fix’ both rini and mileven, at least for a short period of time. will mileven suffer the same fate of rini, despite a confession of feelings both ways?

3. fear and lack of trust between rini and mileven

both rini and mileven have had instances of fear and lack of trust, affecting the strength of their relationships at times.

one that sticks out for me is ricky deleting the comment on nini’s post and mike not wanting el to use her powers to the extreme. ricky and mike don’t want to lose nini and el, and both situations would require the girls to complete a task without their respective partners. nini loses trust in ricky, el wants mike to trust her decision is the right one.

another instance is nini writing the rose song, projecting her feelings of being trapped with ricky and not liking the way he views her per se, and el believing mike sees her as a monster and just as a girl with powers, not ‘el’

nini and el want to be seen a certain way. not just as a girlfriend. not as a person with abilities but no genuine personality. but as nini (nina) and el. both girls feel uncertainty in how ricky and mike view them, also making them question how the boys feel about them truly.

now it’s time to introduce gina and will into our ‘love triangles’

4. gina and will crushing on a close friend

gina’s feelings for ricky were established in s1 of hsmtmts, but ricky was still pining over nini after the breakup. will’s feelings were recently confirmed for mike in s4 of stranger things, but it was revealed will has felt this way for mike since the very beginning

gina and ricky form a close friendship throughout their time in hsm and gradually over the seasons. will and mike have been best friends since they were little kids and their friendship continues all the way into high school.

obviously both of these friendships will face some tension with some crushing from gina and will

5. pining over ricky and mike, suppressing feelings

as seasons progress, the audience can see gina and will pining over ricky and mike, both close friends, and the people they’re in love with. however, both are in belief that they’ll never have them. ricky loves nini and mike loves el, right?

constant shots are shown of gina and will looking longingly at their respective loves, especially when with nini and el, wishing that could be them. despite this, both are willing to help ricky and mike repair their relationships, as long they’re happy, gina and will are happy.

we can see this in s2 when gina tells ricky to sing his song to nini over the phone on valentine’s day when they can’t reach each other, and will reassuring mike about ‘el’s feelings’ for him (despite them actually being his own) and encouraging him to help el when piggybacking

tension is also present between the two when ricky and mike talk about their girlfriends. ricky asks for advice in a hypothetical situation, upsetting gina. will and mike argue about mike devoting his time to el, sending letters and never calling him, upsetting will

longing stares and stolen glances are quite common between rina and byler throughout the seasons, almost with unspoken feelings

6. a love confession, ripping off the band-aid

it’s time to address the initial confession of feelings from gina and will.

it’s revealed that gina confessed to ricky how she felt about him before she was about to move away, saying “I wouldn’t quit on us if I wasn’t moving away.” gina has now gotten these feelings off her chest

will also confesses to mike, but not as direct as gina, as he disguises his feelings as el’s to repair mike and el’s relationship, but this allowed will to get these feelings off his chest

you could say that both gina and will were ripping off the band-aid of not having ricky and mike, ending in tears but holding their heads high and trying to suppress these feelings.

(bonus) some little rina and byler parallels!!

ricky: i don’t know what to say

gina: don’t say anything

mike: about the last few days-

will: you don’t have to say anything

gina and will tell ricky and mike things they don’t want the others to know

both gina and will are moving states and share a teary hug to say goodbye

the next few points are predictions based on how rini and rina have progressed and how mileven and byler could follow the same path in s5

1. rini and mileven mutual breakup

despite rini having a love confession and reconnecting as a couple, it did eventually lead to a breakup with more problems arising whilst dating, this breakup being mutual between ricky and nini

nini needed to be on her own path to further her music career, and ricky was on his own path, both of them wanting different things, even if it means they have to let each other go to get what they want

despite breaking up, they have shown to still care for each other no matter what, due to their history and their connection as friends and lovers

mike and el could follow this path in s5, where el realises she doesn’t need mike anymore and needs to be on her own, especially in the final battle of s5. this is the same for mike, who is on his own journey, finding what he really wants, also wanting to find validation and love

2. mike jealousy arc, now pining over will like ricky did

if mike and el break up, if this follow’s a similar path to ricky, he may discover some buried feelings for will, similar to ricky discovering his feelings for gina which may have been under the surface for a while. this means a mike jealousy/pining arc like ricky’s throughout s3

this time it’s mike having the longing stares towards will, helping will find his happiness, even if it means that he has to slip through mike’s fingers, like ricky described colour war with gina.

ricky denied his feelings for gina multiple times throughout s4, saying that him and gina are just friends, very similar to mike telling will that they are just friends too. suppressing feelings from both ricky and mike?

despite denying feelings, ricky also did admit them to people like carlos, and mike could similarly do this in s5, whilst others will just pick up on signs and chemistry like with rina (eg. the what do you know about love? performance)

3. rina and byler endgame!

and as we’ve recently seen, rina endgame! at the end of s3, gina similarly admitted her feelings to ricky like she did in the flashback scene, where ricky didn’t reciprocate due to nini. but this time he did reciprocate by kissing her, their mutual feelings finally received!

does this mean byler could follow the same path? where will finally openly confesses his feelings to mike and when he thinks hope is lost, mike stops him and shows reciprocation like ricky does with gina?

i’ve probably missed some important points but i hope this lil fun analysis was insightful!! please don’t be hateful as this was something i thought would be fun to right and draw on similarities between relevant couples in the media today! hope you all enjoyed reading!!

this theory will also be available on my twitter (bwayrouge) with some more photo and video evidence i wasn’t bothered to put in this post but regardless, hope you enjoyed!!! <3

[sterwerssunda]

Okayyyy here I go😭 THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT

I have to talk about this movie. Because it is a masterpiece and I am going to rewatch it many times to study the nuances, so *some spoilers*

>>>

Everyone’s been fixated on Pedro Pascal and for good reason. Javi is one of the best written and acted characters I’ve ever seen, and there’s a constant tension because you just want to like him but you’re not sure if you should.

But this is a Bromance. And he’s only half the equation.

Nicholas Cage held nothing back for this movie, and what’s absolutely insane is that this isn’t really him at all.

*glances nervously at the industry before continuing

Nicholas Cage, from everything I can find, is a quirky, average person. He likes action movies. He likes acting. He prioritizes his family, and he likes to read books and sit in chairs with a cat. And that is the basis of his reality. Explosions, popcorn flicks, get paid, relax with the family.

But Nick Cage. Ohhhoho no. Nick Cage is a tormented artist, struggling with the weight of what it means to create fine art in a world that only wants car chases and guns. He cares about meaning and purpose and finding meaning in life. What it is to feel alive, why art even matters…he wants things to move him. And he finds his match in Javi.

AND THIS IS THE UNBELIEVABLE PART OKAY?!? I DO NOT KNOW IF HE EVEN KNEW HE WAS CREATING A SELF AWARE AND BITTERSWEET BROM-COM. I DON’T THINK HE UNDERSTANDS THE SCRIPT AND THE MOVIE BECAUSE THATS NOT ACTUALLY HOW HE THINKS.

So what this means. Is that Nicholas Cage, a basic oblivious white actor with some films on his IMDb, who won’t even watch the movie, has just created a poignant queer lighthearted hopeful tragedy without knowing it.

These people not only got permission to make it, but coached him somehow to deliver very believable performances, and managed to create GAY LA LA LAND, complete with the tragically “happy ending.”

And only some of the people watching will even know what they’re watching. It could be a buddy comedy to them. It could have a happy ending. Good for them, they have girls in their lives. But they’re missing the complete point of the movie.

And what kills me the most is the real villain is the audience. The movie is a baklava of layered subtext, with the “movie” they’re writing often referring to the story they’re in. And both of them want a “beautiful character piece,” but they both realize that the people, the industry…those people wouldn’t watch it. Wouldn’t get it. Wouldn’t support it. They decide with heavy hearts that it should then turn into a “Hollywood blockbuster.”

They want a nuanced gay love story, a drama, a poignant art piece. But the only way it’ll get made is if they cleverly disguise it as a guns and explosions movie. Because that will get people in the theaters. And there’s a devastation, a heartbreaking turn as the story shifts. They know it has to. But they don’t want to point guns at each other. They don’t want cheap explosions and kidnappings. But that is the way it must be.

ALL WHILE NICHOLAS CAGE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THIS. I really think he mostly did it because of the explosions😭

But I just know that Pedro Pascal understood the assignment. That Javi’s forbidden love wasn’t just about some random girl, it was about his icon. About the person he understood the most. The one who asked to trade shoes with him.

PEDRO PASCAL IS AMAZING IN THIS MOVIE BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL THE ANGLES. JAVI IS A CHARMING BUT THREATENING GUY WHO TURNS OUT TO JUST BE THE GAY SOFTBOY WE ALL THOUGHT HE WAS.

NICHOLAS CAGE IS AMAZING IN THIS MOVIE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE CREW MANAGED TO PULL A HEARTSTOPPINGLY GAY PERFORMANCE OUT OF A STRAIGHT MAN WITHOUT HIM EVEN KNOWING. TURNING HIS MEMED AND CHAOTIC FILMOGRAPHY INTO THE BACKDROP FOR AN ACHING LONELY ARTIST PERSONA WHO WANTED ART AND LOVE AND TO FEEL SOMETHING AGAIN.

Sure, write your Javi x reader fanfics but don’t forget the Nick x Javi ones. Because this is a ship we need to protect. One that who knows how many people secretly fought for. A closeted masterpiece explaining why it can’t fully come out.

It was too short on purpose. It was fleeting and beautiful, and all our beautiful moments were exchanged for dark basements and kidnappings and guns, because that’s what the people crave. Mindless violence. Fast food stories.

SIDE NOTE IT’S ALSO HILARIOUS AND YOU’LL LAUGH SO MUCH LIKE HOWWWW

>>>

There are so many things that I know I’ve missed, and things I want to find once I own it😅

But here are bonus notes:

- the movie The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari is about an evil controlling man who makes an innocent pawn kidnap a girl.

- the movie Paddington 2 is about Paddington Bear being wrongly imprisoned and bringing the best out of his seemingly intimidating cell mates.

Already loads of theories just with that. Go dig up more. Study story and art and write the gayest shit you can. Fight for all the art. Because otherwise it’ll be taped over and replaced with what some grumpy old men with family money want just because they think they own everything. Ehehehe oh crud I’m gonna get cancelled. While I’m at it, yes. The title is a dick joke.

[pla-teau]

WANDAVISION EPISODE 6 THOUGHTS

SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

GOOD GOD I HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS

GIF NOT MINE

pietro maximoff as ‘himself’ | in the opening credits, pietro is introduced as playing himself? this just made me more suspicious about him and who he really is. it’s like wanda (since she’s the one broadcasting her show) trying to convince us, and herself, that this is her dead brother.

billy talking to us | i know tommy talks to the camera at the beginning for a brief minute but it’s mainly billy talking. i think this was a hint at his incoming powers. plus, in promo trailers for the ‘modern family’ episode, wanda’s the one talking to the camera. i bet we’ll see the kids talk to the camera in that episode but i just find it interesting that billy’s the one leading us through the beginning of the episode. plus, in rewatching the episode, pietro seems to be aware of billy talking to us and reacts to when billy talks about vision and wanda’s relationship going through a rough patch.

haydick hayward’s an ass | there’s no denying that hayward has something up his suspicious ass. first with showing the footage of wanda stealing vision’s body. then, putting in a missile and planning on killing wanda. yea, the five years were hard for everyone - no one’s denying it but there’s just something that isn’t right. we clearly see that he’s hiding something when darcy finds a file of sorts that only hayward can see and that he’s been able to track vision without telling the team. either he’s got a personal vendetta or he’s covering for something more sinister. personally, i think he’s just pissed that wanda, one of the most powerful beings in the universe, took away vision’s body when he needed it to create more weapons and whatever else he was planning. i wanted monica to punch him in the throat when he told her it was better that she wasn’t around when her mom died. bless monica for keeping her cool.

wanda’s interaction with herb | their brief interaction makes me believe that herb is just as aware as agnes (if she happens to be a victim in all this and not agatha harkness) about what’s happening. we got a hint about it in episode 3 when he tried to tell vision what geraldine’s purpose in westview was. we see him mimic agnes from the previous episode when he asks wanda if there’s anything she wants changed. he looks to her the same way agnes did when she was thrown off script. both these times involve vision throwing everything off. vision’s the one that’s been off script from the beginning of the episode this time around instead of after a weird event.

residents being in a loop or immobile | as vision gets farther from wanda and explores westview, it’s evident that there’s something off about the people. we get that shot of the woman and presumably her husband stuck in a time loop of hanging decorations and putting a pumpkin on the front steps. the woman not only sheds a tear but her hands look purplish presumably because of the cold or being stuck doing the same task for god knows how long. clearly, the woman’s in pain and is aware that she can’t break free. as vision gets closer to the loop, residents are completely immobile and stuck wherever they stand. it’s eerie and further proves that this may be wanda’s doing and wherever she is, it’s easy for the residents to be active or for her to control those near her. it could also mean that the closer you are to the hex’s border, that you become immobile as you’re farther removed from the fantasy life wanda has created.

yo-magic commercial | by far the creepiest and most disturbing commercial in the series. i’ve seen people theorize that this commercial is referring to wanda’s detainment on the raft in civil war. it would make sense since the yogurt could represent wanda’s powers and opening the lid should be simple and easy, just like using your powers. on the raft, wanda was detained with a straitjacket and a collar on her neck so she couldn’t use her magic. the island could represent the raft since it was in the ocean. ‘yo-magic, the snack for survivors’ could represent wanda being a survivor in many instances: strücker’s experiments, the battle of sokovia and the lagos incident.

pietro’s ‘part’ | when wanda questions pietro, he gets defensive about how he’s just trying to do his part: come unexpectedly, create tension with vision, stir up trouble with the twins, and ultimately give wanda grief. grief holding a double meaning. obviously, pietro did bring wanda grief when he died in 2015 but it also means to cause trouble which he has done since his arrival to westview. whenever wanda questions him about their childhood or tries to trip him up, pietro retorts with a question or makes rather meta remarks about westview.

the details are fuzzy | the comment pietro makes after a moment of silence between them. he claims he got shot in the middle of the street and next thing he knew wanda was calling her. i think when ‘pietro’ was brought into the westview reality, his memories mixed with those of wanda’s pietro or skewed them at least - it’s probably why things seem hazy to him and can see that wanda doesn’t believe him to be the pietro she remembers. pietro knows he looks different to wanda and it’s like a comment to us because even though pietro only appeared in one movie with wanda - we the audience know he’s not the same actor. this could also be mephisto really mind tripping wanda because she would remember what her brother looked like but the memories are remembered differently. enough to keep her on edge with him and make her suspect but not want to because he also says “i knew you needed me” no stranger would say that right? of course, siblings and family can tell when another member needs them. this episode really makes you laugh at pietro’s antics but go down a rabbit hole with every line he says.

the hex’s effects on people | when darcy explains to monica that her cells have been greatly affected by her entrance and departure from the hex, it doesn’t seem like monica is surprised. maybe this is hinting that monica already has her powers or simply mean that she’s putting on a poker face to hide her fear (or astonishment) at wanda’s level of power. it’s interesting to see if wanda’s gonna be responsible for birthing some mutants or at least awakening the x gene if it hasn’t already. does it mean that anyone can simply leave or that if you leave, you’ll come out with serious side effects that are possibly life threatening? monica states at the end that she’s seen cells in remission which makes me believe that this is hinting at the x gene. we’ve seen what the hex does once you go in, but what happens if an ordinary westview resident leaves?

agnes and vision | we see agnes in her car supposedly leaving town or as she claims, she got ‘lost’. when vision takes her out of her trance, agnes seems shaken and even questions if she’s dead. she also seems to confirm that wanda is the one controlling everyone because she doesn’t even let them think about leaving westview. we see more of where vision’s memory stands because he doesn’t remember (or know) that he was an avenger and that he died (twice). when she says that all is lost, she quickly starts laughing maniacally like a witch. this again makes me think that agnes knows more than anyone what’s going on. assessing what she got from vision, she’s probably laughing because it’s amazing to her that wanda’s gotten so powerful and maybe everything is going according to plan - she just possibly couldn’t overcome wanda’s control and only has a heightened awareness of the situation. there’s no mention of ralph this episode and you would think she’d bring along her husband to leave and go to her desired destination in town. i don’t know, i still think she’s got an ulterior motive and plays a bigger part in all of this.

the twins’ conversation | after sharing a sweet moment, pietro quickly calls out the obvious - the kids. only in episode 3 did children finally come into the show through billy and tommy. now, for halloween, all the kids are out and enjoying halloween. pietro, like rapid fire, remarks that wanda probably kept them peacefully asleep in their beds and didn’t wake them until now for the “occasional holiday episode cameo” so as not to traumatize them even more since she’s always been the “empathetic twin”. he seems to know that this is all in a television reality which gives him even more awareness than any other supporting character we’ve met so far. he even goes into assessing (and somewhat praising?) wanda’s handling of this whole westview reality as ethically possible. he knows that wanda wouldn’t rewrite everything: couples and families stay together and personalities aren’t far off from what they are. with this, it heavily hints that this isn’t the pietro we’ve known in the mcu or the peter from the x-men universe. to me, this furthers the point that this ‘pietro’ is just a puppet for whoever is behind all this (or just a multiverse version of piet) since he seems more impressed than anything by wanda’s powers. also, he’s been the only one to ask what we’ve all been thinking since the first episode: how the hell did wanda do this? once again, wanda doesn’t remember how all of it started which still makes me thinks she was probably taken advantage of by someone and earlier in the episode when recounting a childhood memory, pietro comments that she’s probably suppressed the trauma hence why she doesn’t remember it the same way. at the end, this could all be wanda’s doing due to her feeling so alone and grieving that she may have suppressed that memory of how this all started.

pietro’s corpse | again, us the audience and wanda are reminded that this universe’s pietro is dead. it’s another person closest to wanda that isn’t alive - harking back to her comment about feeling so alone and endless nothingness. this may just be that when wanda lets her guard down and is possibly at peace with a situation, this one being of her accepting that this is the pietro that’s going to be her brother that sticks with her moving forward, she’s reminded of the truth - none of it is real and she can’t bring them back.

vision’s breakout from the hex | as we’ve seen in promos, vision is able to break through the hex. what we were hit with was vision nearly getting killed...again. it seems that he can’t live beyond the hex either due to him just being parts when wanda recovered him or because wanda won’t let him go. either way, vision can’t live outside of westview. it physically seems like wanda can’t let him go because as he steps out of the hex and is being torn apart, the hex looks like it’s trying to pull him back into it. i know the hex was wanda’s doing but this physically makes it seem as if wanda can’t let him go and is holding him back. it’s kind of true because since vision became more aware, he’s been breaking away from wanda and she’s been trying to keep him in place and on script so that they can be happy together. in their fight in the previous episode, she says that all of this is for them as to say that everything she’s doing is for their happiness. it’s a twisted way of showing how vision can’t live without wanda since it seems that she’s the one keeping him alive.

wanda expanding the hex | wanda’s clearly gotten more powerful over the years and this episode really shows us how fucking powerful she is on her own. it’s hysterical that the base and the most of the agents are turned into circus acts such as clowns. i’ll admit i’m upset darcy got sucked in and not hayward. i’m very interested to see who monica’s guy on the outside is. with wanda expanding the hex, it’s becoming more evident that wanda may be the ‘villain’ of the show or if there is someone else behind all of this, we may not see them until multiverse of madness. still, i believe wanda is victim in some capacity - even if it means she’s fallen victim to her trauma and grief.

[sneezemonster15]

Calling bullshit on the opinion that Kishimoto doesn't know how to write romance.

The reason why this entire shipping business on Naruto has been going on for over a decade and still going strong, making fans go absolutely mindless, about a story which is not even about romance, about things that are so effective and impactful that the fans feel completely consumed with it, to the extent where they have almost completely defined their life and philosophies on its basis, is because Kishimoto can write a good fucking romance. And that's what he did. That's the reason why ships are fighting with each other, because it's not just about Naruto the manga or Naruto the series, it's about how they imagine their own romance, it's a deep, profound feeling. That's why they have strong motivations and convictions that drive their insight into the story. That's why there is so much polarity in Naruto fandom. They are ready to jump to protect their ship at a moment's notice because that's how much it means to them.

Are you telling me that it just happened on its own? Just happy coincidences and random factors?

No.

A lot, a lot of thought goes behind closed doors of the studios. I know this because I work in the business. The reason why I was so astounded with Naruto's story because it was actually a brave story. A brave concept. In a shonen. Because I am ready to bet a million dollars I don't have on the fact that Kishimoto knew what he was doing. Anyone who enjoys poetry, or literature, or drama can, if not approve, appreciate Naruto and Sasuke's story. Because it's that deep. Because it's that impactful. Because it's that dark. Because it's that tragic. Because it's that tender. Because it's that painful.

Because it's so...

(Applause.)

Romantic.

These are all the ingredients of a well written romance. This is the reason why I don't care about other ships because I know that SNS is not random or a projection. It's mindfully and carefully and even tenderly written and developed.

Kishimoto's projection? Oh sure. It stands to reason that someone from his real life affected and inspired his favourite character through and through. He did say that he based some characters on certain people from his own life. And he did base Naruto on his own self, if partly. And the reason why I am able to surmise that he could have had a real crush on someone like Sasuke in real life, is because how clearly and insightfully written and contrasted the two characters are. So nuanced. They are like poetry, that's why I am so dazzled with them. Their story is so beautifully shaped by their characters and growth that it creates a clear impression of who they really are in the story. Soulmates. That's the whole crux of the story. They are written out to be this literally 'once in several lifetimes' pairing that finally broke the bonds of hate with bonds of love and changed the entire world and as a result, grew themselves. This is reflected in themselves what with Sasuke being propelled with hate and Naruto with love and coming together finally in a world that they made happen, for each other. And all of their parts and counterparts with which they think and move and function are so well in sync with each other that they lock together perfectly, like two pieces in a two piece puzzle box.

To say that this intricately and intelligently and tenderly written story is just like, an accident, my lord no!

No. The content that is finally syndicated on screens all over the world, especially with the type of response Naruto has enjoyed, and believe me when I say this, everything goes through many levels of scrutiny during production; to the extent of why would this camera angle work better than all the other angles, here's a flowchart and analysis of all of them and let's spend three days on deciding it while the producers are going crazy frustrated with fanatic creatives. This is a very common thing to happen in most serious studios.

Naruto stood out at the time it came out and reached a much larger audience for several reasons. But one of them was that it got the right exposure and was shown to critics outside of Japan, who could appreciate and admire it's cinematic beauty and this reached a different subset of audience. This extra effort is not consistent but it shines at so many places, because it's just good storytelling technically and aesthetically. And the reason why Naruto and Sasuke stand smack dab in the middle of that storytelling, is because Kishimoto told their story with so much feeling, it literally shows. The nuance is just crazy. Note that I am saying nuance and not subtext, even though it's there in heaps. But I want to make a distinction clearly. Like I can write pages and pages over it. Anyway, their story stands out because the nuances are so well defined and mindfully drawn by Kishi, that one can't help but wonder if Kishi actually experienced them. And they are just small things but still get a lot of exposure in the manga and anime. And because they are so small but clearly noticeable, it makes us stop in our tracks and think. And the thing is Kishimoto could have easily done without them and it would have made everything still seem undisturbed but he chose Not to. That kind of decision is a direct result of deep understanding, feeling and thinking in terms of forming a certain visual approach and meaning. The visual language Kishi has used to show their chemistry, their bond, their need for each other, is so tangible, like you could cut it with a knife, that it makes one feel something is right below the surface, simmering and about to explode, but you can't put your finger on what it exactly is. Until you start to think. And it takes some time.

You think that kind of writing is random? Are you out of your mind?

No, Kishi is a maniac. He pulled something that was not easy at all. He is a genius. He is also sadistic because he knows he didn't give us a resolution. Resolution is cathartic to viewers and the reason that nobody got any with Naruto and still not getting any from Boruto is making everyone go crazy. Fifteen years is a long time man. And I can bet my other non existent one million dollars on it. He owns a lot of rights over Naruto franchise, I don't think he can be cowed down to such an extent even by the studio. Kishi fought studios for a few significant scenes of Naruto and Sasuke, he is not unfeeling about them.

Maybe I am being a mere deductionist but more often than not, deduction is right. It's a valid form of acquiring knowledge. Sherlock is right more times than he is not.

Anyway, my point is, Kishi can write romance. Kishi can write very good romance. He could have chosen to remove some tropes and make Naruto and Sasuke either just brotherly or friendly. But he chose not to. A lot of people think that they are platonic. And I think I know why. But I don't. They are not platonic. They seem like they feel physically aware of each other, acutely so. they just don't know what it is. Maybe Sasuke does, Naruto doesn't. Kishi used also such common tropes to show this element, but just because it is in shonen and between two boys, y'all won't believe it. Don't you feel that palpable feeling, the simmering tension and emotion when they fight at the valley of the end both times? And it makes you think maybe it's just you, and what you are thinking can't be true because this is shonen and it would mean they are gay, let me tell you, no it's not you. It is Kishi. And it takes skill to write. Something like this is almost always used as a trope of unaddressed sexual tension in media. Pick any romantic drama of this genre, where 'hate turned to love' or 'two unlikely people who fall in love' and you would find it in almost every single one of them.

Why do you think Kishi designed it that way? You think with all the detail (action moves are literally inspired by real life martial arts, lighting, sound, editing, dialogues that sound like out of a Bronte novel), that was him just playing innocent?

No. No. No. And No!

He wrote SNS throughout Naruto and Shippuden and is still doing something of an extension of it that has made Boruto a weird and uncomfortable to watch family drama.

[sophieoverett]

Disruptions of Ritual and Inciting Incidents

I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a creative development series lately which has come with a lot of great advice and guidance on storytelling, from the extremely specific to the really broad and sweeping. It’s covered everything from character motivations to specific genre structures to audience expectation to interpersonal conflict, but one of the things that has come up over and over again has been the idea of disruption of ritual as pivotal to the establishment of a story.

It’s been interesting to hear it articulated this way, because when I’ve taught creative writing in the past, and when I’ve thought about my own writing, I’ve always talked about this concept as the world we leave behind. It’s the pre-inciting incident stuff – the introductory grounding stuff – whether that be Harry’s life before Hogwarts, or the Bennet’s home before Mr. Bingley moves in next door.

You establish a world – or a ritual – and then you break it open.

It’s in the schism, in the disruption, where your story finds it’s legs and starts to move.

It’s had me thinking a lot about the relationship between the disruption of ritual and the inciting incident of a story, because in a lot of ways, that disruption of ritual directly sets up the latter. A story like Bridgerton has the disruption of ritual in Phoebe making her debut – a change for the whole family – but the inciting incident is really her collision with Simon Hastings and their mutual decision to fake a courtship. Similarly (but differently), Harry Potter has the disruption of ritual when the owls start descending on the Dursley home in the lead up to Harry’s birthday, but the true inciting incident is when Hagrid tells Harry he’s a wizard. Neither of these inciting incidents could’ve happened without the disruption to the character’s lives that got us there.

When we talk about inciting incidents, we’re ultimately talking about the point of no return for your protagonist. Where they either make a choice, or have a choice thrust upon them, it’s one they can never go back from.

How the disruption of ritual lays the groundwork for the inciting incident though is important. It’s not just creating the first bubbles of conflict to pop, but it’s a key part of establishing who your character is and what world they exist in.

But what does that look like? Generally speaking, I find it’s useful to think of this sort of pre-inciting incident (or disruption of ritual world) in three categories:

Change of Circumstance

Change of Environment

Change of Information

So let’s break that down a little!

Change of Circumstance

I think this one is probably the most common.

I’ve watched a lot of new movies lately and I think change of circumstance is at the heart of all of them – in Nomadland, Fern’s husband has passed away and she’s had to move into a caravan out of financial necessity; in The Father, Anthony’s daughter is moving to Italy and so she tells him he’s being moved into an aged care facility for his dementia; in Those Who Wish Me Dead, Hannah, a firefighter, has been benched after freezing during a fire which lead to the death of two teenage boys.

While all these changes are environmental too (which I’ll come back to in a second), they’re more punctuated by the impact these circumstances have on these characters – Fern is grieving, Anthony is losing his agency and independence, Hannah’s role in a job she loves has been diminished.

These changes to circumstance create the context for which the inciting incidents begin and ground the characters within their own emotional arcs. The inciting incident in Those Who Wish Me Dead is when Hannah finds another teenage boy in the woods who’s being chased by assassins; in The Father, the inciting incident comes when Anthony’s daughter hires a new nurse that reminds him of his other, dead daughter, in Nomadland, Fern connects with a seasonal worker at an Amazon factory who in turn connects her to the nomad lifestyle.

In this sense, the disruption of ritual starts a conversation that the inciting incident can either build off or interrupt or both. The examples above are all pretty big, but these sorts of circumstantial disruptions can be anything. They can be as simple as a promotion at work, a pregnancy, a new neighbour; or hell, you can go the other way, and get even bigger – start a war, go on the run, discover a new planet! What’s important though is that initial change of circumstance creates context for your protagonist and builds towards your inciting incident.

Change of Environment

This one is still pretty common, but I’d say it’s often used most efficiently and effectively in horror and fantasy.

Moving house or exploring new territory, whether that be campsites or cave dives or new planets or planes, is a natural way of putting your characters off-kilter and building environmental tension. This tension is really steeped in the unknown of the space your protagonist is interacting with, and in the promise of conflict within it. Movies like The Descent, Hush, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars are all fundamentally steeped in their opening acts involving drastic shifts to their environments that build conflict, whether that be because an environment becomes something to protect (Hobbiton in Lord of the Rings), or something that the protagonist needs to be protected from (The Descent), or that environment being invaded (Hush) are all factors that are essential to the story overall.

In these stories, these environments aren’t just a stage for the character to move across, they’re deeply interactive and often allegorical to the character’s circumstances.

My Neighbor Totoro is one of my favourite examples of this – Satsuki and Mei’s move to a new home whisks them into a magical world with soot spirits and forest creatures, but these spirits and creatures are an escape from the reality that they moved because their mother is sick in a hospital nearby. The environment they’ve moved to is them clinging to a child’s world as they live ever closer to their trauma.

The most important thing to think about with environmental change is to ask why? Environmental change isn’t about simply presenting a stage for your characters – all stories have that – but that that environment be a motivator in your character’s overall arc. After all, Nomadland might deeply love the American landscape, but Fern’s story is driven by circumstance, not environment, as I mentioned above.

Change of Information

Probably the least used of these three, an information disruption is often reserved for stories about whistleblowers or journalists. Spotlight, Bombshell, All the President’s Men, hell, even The Bourne Identity all rely on a transfer of knowledge as pivotal to creating the conflict that the story builds on.

Change of Information involves a character learning something that they didn’t know before, and the information could seem incidental in the first act (the journalist in Citizen Kane for instance learning that Kane’s final word was ‘rosebud’, or Adrian Toomes realizing there’s alien tech in what he’s been assigned to clean up in Spiderman: Homecoming), or it could be left as a landmine for our protagonists to discover (Spotlight did this by opening with the cops in the 1970s talking about the child molestation charge that our protagonists would start investigating in 2001), or be the overall driver for the film (Min-hyuk telling Ki-woo about the Park family in Parasite).

I think Change of Information set-ups though can also be broadened out to tie pretty closely with Change of Circumstances set-ups to the point that I actually almost considered condensing the two, but I do think they’re different enough to be untangled. Parasite of course straddles all three in its brilliance as the information Min-hyuk gives Ki-woo of the Park family creates both a change in circumstance and environment too, and Midsommar is a movie I’d consider to be all three too – knowledge changing hands is essential to that film overall, and the focus in the first act of Dani finding out that her sister’s commit suicide is pivotal to everything that follows. Her change of circumstances and environment hinges on her grieving her sister, yes, but the weight of the opening act is on the discovery of that more so than it is on Dani’s circumstances changing. Life goes on is, in many ways, pivotal to that first act.

Change of information, to me, is about a character’s awareness of something creating that initial disruption overall, and that new knowledge being the ultimate plot and character driver for the rest of the story. It’s the new knowledge or awareness that creates story mobility, environment and circumstance can just come along with it.

What are you talking about, Sophie?

Right, sorry, haha.

Disruption of ritual is ultimately the shift in the story that allows for the inciting incident to happen. It’s what creates the perfect storm of circumstance, environment and information which fuels your characters, but what you choose to prioritise and emphasise is going to impact the direction of your story and provide your readers or audience with the context that shapes their experience overall.

What drives your characters is what determines their path throughout the story you’re telling, and considering circumstances, environment, and the information they do or don’t possess is an important part of shaping that. You don’t have to pick one, of course – as I mentioned above, a lot of great stories embrace two or all three! – but thinking about each and asking yourself why and working out what’s the priority for your protagonist might just help you articulate the crux of your story and give you an opening act that resonates.

[itsclydebitches]

Hi! I was just watching good omens and I came up with some questions, but I didn't know whom to ask, so I was digging around for go analysis blogs and found you. *takes a breath* So, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on why Heaven's camera angles are the way they are. I noticed that, in heaven, the camera tends to focus on the characters' heads specifically, so they fill most of the screen. Either it's a meta reason or a reference to something (like Newt with the Office) that I'm not getting. That's the main thing, but I've also wondered why exactly Aziraphale uses the verb "fraternize" in the 19th century. It seemed an odd pivot from caring about Crowley's safety to Heaven's rules. Thanks so much!

Hello! Omg yes, let's talk Good Omens cinematography.

First, the obligatory Analysis Disclaimer: I doubt there's a specific interpretation that you're just not getting, some singular, "correct" reading of the scene(s). Two years past release, I'm positive the fandom as a whole has come up with plenty of ideas (I mostly hang on the periphery. I'm far from up to date with GO meta), but any and all of it will, by nature, be subjective. Thus, all I can offer is my own, personal interpretation.

So for me? It's about intimacy.

Not intimacy in the sense of friendship, but rather the broad idea of closeness. Confidentiality. Emotion. Knowledge. Understanding by means of literally getting into the thick of these conversations. I love the camerawork in Heaven (and elsewhere) because the camera itself acts like a person — an additional party to these interactions. And, since we're the ones watching this show via the camera, it makes it feel as if we're peeking into scenes that are otherwise private. Obviously all cinematography does this to a certain extent, the camera is always watching someone or something without acknowledging that we're doing the watching (outside of documentary-esque filmmaking), but GO uses angles and closeups to mimic another person observing these scenes, someone other than the characters involved.

The easiest example I can give here is when Michael makes their call to Ligur. Here, the camera is positioned up on the next landing of the staircase, as if we're sneaking a look down at this otherwise secret call. There's even a moment when the camera pans to the right to look at them through the gap in the railing, briefly obscuring Michael from our view.

Here, a standard expectation of any scene — keep your character in focus — is done away with to instead mimic the movements of someone actually hiding in the stairwell, listening in on the conversation. It creates that feeling of intimacy, as if we're really there with Michael, not just watching Michael through a screen. The camerawork acts like a person overhearing an illicit conversation prior to falling back on mid/closeup shots. We're spying on them.

To give a non-Heaven example, the camera helps us connect with Aziraphale during Gabriel's jogging scene. It's hard to show through screenshots, but if you re-watch you'll see that the camera initially keeps them both in the frame with full body shots, allowing us to compare things like Gabriel's unadorned gray workout clothes with Aziraphale's more stylish outfit; one's good jogging form and the other's awkward shuffle. However, this distance also creates the sense that we're jogging with them, we're keeping pace.

That is, until Aziraphale begins to lag. Then the camera lags too, giving them both the chance to catch up, so to speak.

Until, finally, Aziraphale has to stop completely and the camera, of course, stops with him. We're emotionally attuned to Aziraphale, not Gabriel, and the camerawork reflects that. Even more-so when we cut to a low shot of Gabriel's annoyed huff at having to stop at all, making him appear larger and more imposing. Because to Aziraphale, he is.

This work carries over into Heaven's other scenes. The closeups are pretty much a given since, whether it's Gabriel realizing Aziraphale has been "fraternizing" with Crowley (more on that below!), or Aziraphale choosing to go back to Earth, the scenes in Heaven are incredibly important to the narrative. Closeups allow the viewer to get a good read on each character's emotional state — focusing on minute facial changes as opposed to overall body language — and that fly-on-the-wall feeling is increased as we literally get an up close and personal look at these pivotal moments.

Compare a shot like this one of Gabriel to the line of angels ready for battle. We don't get closeups on any of their faces because their emotions aren't important. Yes, that's in part because they're background characters, not main characters, but a lack of emotion — their willingness to enter this war without question — is also the point of their presence in this scene. So they remain a semi-identical, nearly faceless mass that runs off into infinity down that hallway, not any individual whose inner life we get a peek at via a closeup.

I particularly like Aziraphale's conversation with the angel... general? Idk what to call this guy. He's just gonna be Mustache Angel. But, getting back on track, his scene has a lot of over the shoulder shots which, admittedly, are pretty common. From a practical perspective they're used to help the audience situate both characters in the scene — you're here, you're there, this is how you're spaced during this conversation — but it can also help emphasize that closeness between them. Keeping both characters in the shot connects them and though Aziraphale and Mustache Angel definitely aren't on the same page here, those shots help cue us in to the unwanted intimacy of this moment. They're both angels... even though Aziraphale no longer aligns himself with them. They're both soldiers in a war... but Aziraphale will not fight. This angel has a list of Aziraphale's secrets, including that he once had a flaming sword and lost it... but Aziraphale doesn't want to admit those circumstances to him. This angel wouldn't understand, even if he did. Intimacy here, connection and closeness, is something discomforting because Aziraphale can no longer embrace those similarities. They put him (and us) out of sorts, so when we get them both in frame, that connection creates tension, not relief.

And many of those over the shoulder shots are given sharp angels, or the camera is placed too close to the "off screen" party. Compare a shot like Luke and Rey to Aziraphale and Mustache Angel. Here, Luke is a clean, solid line on the left side of the screen, just enough there to cue us in to where he is in relationship to Ray, In contrast, Mustache Angel's mustache is Too Close and proves rather distracting. Rey and Luke are connecting here over being Jedi with responsibilities to uphold (or at least, Luke will acknowledge that connection later lol); Mustache Angel is forcing a connection with Aziraphale that makes everyone uncomfortable.

We are too close to him here. He feels too close to Aziraphale too. This whole conversation is upsetting and discomforting, pushing Aziraphale to finally choose which side he's on (his own with Crowley). The shots aren't meant to subtly keep the audience from getting lost and then otherwise be unobtrusive, we're supposed to be Very Aware of this angel's body and how close he's getting to the character we've come to identify with — both literally (he's leaning in) and in terms of forcing Aziraphale to finally make his choice.

When Mustache Angel marches forward and gets all up in Aziraphale's face, the camera positions itself behind Aziraphale in a way that makes it feel like we're hiding behind him, with Aziraphale taking up far more of the screen than Luke does. Like the scene with Michael or running with Gabriel, the camera often likes to mimic a "realistic" response to these events. This angry, shouty angel is getting closer, best take a step back and stay out of sight behind Aziraphale, holding his ground.

These closeups also serve as a nice contrast to the wide and longshots we get of Heaven. It's an imposing place with skyscrapers in the distance, lots of steel, immaculate floors, and endless white. It's overwhelming and it's cold. But then we cut to those mid-shots of Gabriel and Michael, telling us that they're in control of it all.

Aziraphale? Aziraphale is not in control. Not now, anyway. When he appears in Heaven we get a longshot to show off this endless void and he's just another, tiny speck in it. If he weren't flailing around — an acting move that likewise helps sell how out of his depth he is — it's unlikely you'd even notice him. Aziraphale's clothing and hair blends in perfectly with the background. He's forgettable. Easily overlooked. Someone to underestimate. And when he moves, he has to come to the camera. We don't cut to Aziraphale to establish control like we do with Gabriel. He's left to awkwardly shuffle up to Mustache Angel until he's finally come into view.

Yet when Aziraphale makes his decision, he aligns himself with the brightest, most colorful, most interesting thing in the room: Earth. Earth, with all its messy individuality, is the antithesis to Heaven's controlled uniformity and a bright blue orb hanging in the midst of all this white helps remind us of that. Aziraphale rejects becoming one of the identical soldiers and instead literally reaches out for the one thing in Heaven that doesn't fit in.

When he leaves, we get an extreme closeup for the first time. Mustache Angel is pissed and as such we not only get a good look at his face in the aftermath of Aziraphale's choice, but that extreme closeup on his mouth as he's shouting too. It's like he's shouting directly at us, the viewer who is currently cheering on Aziraphale's decision. There's a war, dammit... but we don't care. Not in the way he cares, anyway.

So there's a lot! And I could probably go on, but apparently I'm only allowed to add 10 images per post now (tumblr what the actual fuck if anyone knows a way around this please share!) and I've already had to merge a bunch of images like an animal. So let's awkwardly finish up with the duck pond scene.

...without a GIF because they apparently count as images too 🙃

Simply put, I don't think Aziraphale bringing up fraternizing is a pivot from one to the other — from caring about Crowley to caring about Heaven's rules. I mean yes, Aziraphale is lagging behind Crowley in terms of rebellion and a part of him is, at this point, absolutely concerned with how he'll come across to the higherups, but that worry doesn't stem solely from a (now very shaky) desire to obey for the sake of obeying. The thing is, Aziraphale's disobedience is, by default, also Crowley's disobedience. If they're friends and they're ever found out, they'll both get in trouble. Which, we know from the end of Season One, basically means being wiped from existence. That's horrifying! And it's a horror that threatens them both. I don't think Aziraphale cares about rules for the sake of rules; after all, he started off by giving away his sword, lying to God, is currently meeting with Crowley anyway... this angel has always ignored/bent the rules — established and implied — that don't suit him. Rather, he cares about the rules if he thinks they have a chance of being enforced. If there will be consequences for breaking and bending them. This is still about caring for Crowley (as well as saving his own, angelic skin). If they're found out, Crowley dies. And, as we the viewer learn, Heaven was indeed observing them that whole time. There was always legitimate risk attached to this relationship. Aziraphale's fear, hesitance, and at times forceful pleas to stop this stem as much from Aziraphale worrying about Crowley's safety as they do a learned instinct to obey the rules without question. He pushes to end the relationship because the relationship threatens the only thing Aziraphale cares about more than that: Crowley himself.

As for the term "fraternizing," that's a loaded one! I won't go into a whole history lesson here, but suffice to say it has military roots: to sympathize as brothers with an opponent. That is literally what Crowley and Aziraphale are doing. They are an angel and a demon, supposedly innate enemies, supposedly poised for an inevitable war... yet they've formed an incredibly strong kinship. They've both learned to love their enemy, the thing every army fears because, well, then your army won't fight (just as Aziraphale won't). However, beyond the enemy implications, "to fraternize" eventually took on a sexual meaning: to not merely love as a brother, but to lay with the enemy too, usually women from enemy countries (because, you know, heteronormativity). Nowadays, "to fraternize" often implies a sexual component. I've been rewatching The Good Wife lately and in one subplot, the State's Attorney cracks down on fraternization in his office. He doesn't mean his employees are forming bonds with assumed enemies, he means his employees are having sex on his office couch. So Aziraphale's phrasing here carries a LOT of weight. He's both reminding Crowley of their stations in the world — you are a demon, I am an angel, us meeting like this can have formal, irrevocable consequences for us both — as well as, given the fact that this is a love story, drawing attention to the depth of this relationship. They love one another, as more than just friends. Though whether Crowley's scathing "Fraternizing?" is a response to Aziraphale falling back on the technicalities of their positions, or acknowledging a love he's yet to overtly admit and commit to — or both! — is definitely up for debate.

[kireii-writes]

Can you write yandere Shigaraki delusional confessing his crush?

a/n: decided to link this request as a continuation of this fic! if you haven’t read it already, go check it out （╹◡╹）

-

You shiver involuntarily as a sneeze threatened to spill from within you. Hugging your knees closer to your chest, the rattles of the chains bound to your feet served as a constant reminder of your current situation- chained and locked up in a bar, supposedly the hideout of the league of villains.

How long has it been since you were trapped in here? You don’t know. Your belongings were all taken away from you, and you had no way of telling how many days it has been.

And it’s all because of your foolishness. How did you not see the signs? All those personal questions and coffee that you’d served the one that locked you up here- a blue hair man by the name of Shigaraki Tomura. Heck, you wouldn’t even know if he was lying about his name or not.

The last thing you remembered was Tomura injecting you with what seems like sedatives, and when you opened your eye the first thing you realised was that you were in an unfamiliar room, your hands and feet bounded.

It wasn’t like you didn’t beg for Tomura to let you go. You even threatened to alert the pro-heroes if he didn’t let you go, but all he did was stand in front of you silently, letting you cry till your throat was dry and hoarse. By the third time, you already knew that he had no intention of letting you go.

Lost in your thoughts, you weren’t aware that you were no longer the only person in the room when a pair of dirty red sneakers came into view.

“You’re awake.” A raspy voice spoke, startling you slightly. “Eat.” Tomura ordered as he placed a bowl of steaming hot food in front of you. As much as you hated to admit it, you were starving ever since you were brought here but no matter how delicious looking the food was, you refused to let even the spoon touch your lips as an act of rebellion towards your captor.

Shifting your body away from Tomura, you hugged your knees closer and said nothing.

“How long are you going to keep this up?” A hint of irritation laced the blue hair man’s voice as he scratched his neck vigorously. “You’re gonna die at this rate.”

Then so be it, you thought. You would rather starve to death than submit to a bunch of villains.

Hearing no response from you, Tomura sighed as he bent down to face you. “What do you want me to do, y/n? What must I do for you to eat?”

“Let me go.” A whisper cracked through your lips.

“Huh?”

“Let me go.” You repeated firmly, this time loud enough for Tomura to hear.

The silence that followed was eerie enough to cause you to tremble slightly. With the added tension, there was not knowing what Tomura would do next.

“That again?” Tomura finally spoke up after awhile. “When are you going to face it? There’s no way i’m letting you back into a society filled with false hopes and dreams. You’ll be safer here, why can’t you understand?”

No. He was wrong. He was absolutely wrong. There was no way you’re safer here, with a group of highly dangerous villains who would do anything to destroy anyone and anything who stood in their way. In fact, you’d be safer far away from them.

“No!” Your sudden outburst took Tomura aback. “You’re wrong. How am I safe here when you kidnapped me and brought me here just to keep me away from the outside world?!” You yelled at Tomura as angry tears streamed down your face. Your sudden shout of anger didn’t fall on death ears to the other villains as well, as heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the closed door.

“You’re delusional, Tomura. And to think I trusted you.” You continued throwing your anger and hurt at Tomura, who took your verbal assaults silently.

“You make me sick.”

That was the last straw. Tomura flinched at your harsh words, his eyes narrowing at the insult.

“Me? Sick?” Tomura laughed as he slowly stood up. “You’re the one that doesn’t understand, y/n. I’m protecting you from that filthy society, why don’t you understand?!”

As if on cue the door swung open, revealing the rest of his comrades. The man you recognised as dabi was the first one you noticed. But even with an audience, Tomura didn’t stop his rampage. Neither did you.

“What the society needs protect from is you. You’re delusional for capturing someone and locking them up with you for ‘protection’!” You yelled back, blurry eyes glaring at Tomura.

“No, no, no.” Tomura denied as his fingers started to scratch as his neck out of habit. “That society is filled with superficial beings who don’t know the harsh reality. This society needs to be reshaped. No, it needs to be destroyed along with the false image of justice the heroes have created. I’m merely keeping you away from them so that you wouldn’t be tainted like them!”

“And why would you do that?!” You yelled back defiantly.

“Because I love you, okay?!” The words flew out of Tomura’s lips before he even knew, only realising it when you didn’t scream at him.

“Ah, he finally said it.” A familiar voice piped up, disrupting the awkward silence between you and Tomura. Instinctively, the both of you turned towards the direction of the door, only to see dabi holding onto the doorknob while Toga giggled at Tomura’s confession, the rest of the villains who followed Tomura peering in curiously.

“Toga.” Tomura stated as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde girl. “I’ll deal with you next.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that you just said ‘i love you’. “ Dabi smirked at Tomura. “Everyone here heard it. Including you, right?” Dabi turned his attention to you, his blue eyes locking with yours.

“You love me?” You laughed at his words mockingly. How ironic. “You disgust me, Tomura. I wish I never met you.”

Once again, silence greeted everyone in the room, the tension in the air slowly suffocating everyone. More specifically, you and Tomura.

“Like it or not you’ll be staying here as long as i’m around.” Tomura said with a sense of finality.

Taking one last glance at you, Tomura turned around and walked out of the door, with the rest of his league taunting and poking fun at him.

[strawberry1212]

How Run On subverts the noble idiocy trope

Another week, another amazing two episodes from Run On!! This drama really hasn’t let me down, and I want to go into detail about one specific aspect I really like, before quickly reviewing the last two episodes as a whole.

One thing that really bothers me w Kdramas--and Kdrama fans will be familiar with this--is the noble idiocy trope. And this is a trope that is pretty uniquely Asian, I think because of a cultural tendency to put quiet sacrifice on a pedestal. In Japanese, we call in 我慢 (gaman). The trope has traditionally manifested in “rich guy parents threaten poor girl that she’s ruining his future, poor girl breaks up with rich guy “for his good”” or the same trope setting, but “rich guy breaks up with poor girl so that his parents won’t bully her.” Another very common version of this trope is the tangent to the Dying Sick Girl/Guy trope, where the sick person doesn’t tell the healthy person so that they may live on happily without them.

The issue with this trope is multifold. First, it is disrespectful. It is most respectful to tell the whole truth to a person, and let them make decisions about their own future. It is not your call to make decisions on behalf of them, pretending to know what is best for them. At it’s core, I think it’s honestly super rude and it feels like you don’t trust their judgement, and see them as a child, rather than a romantic partner.

Second, it drags on angst for no reason. It’s yet another thing that could be solved with a very quick conversation, but isn’t. I don’t know why show writers do not seem to get this, but as an audience it is simply boring, because the emotional tension is all false. It’s not like there’s actually any deep conflict, it’s just a misunderstanding.

It also upholds the romantic drama/romcom promise of The One True Perfect Love. Making it out as if the person is lying/hurting/breaking up for the good of the other person, allows for conflict, without ruining the fantasy that there could be no motive for the character’s actions other than The One True Perfect Love. It is in fact the overwhelming force of this One True Perfect Love that is destroying itself (hurting someone for their benefit, because you just love them so much), and there is no need for the writers to actually come up with other character motivations, flaws, etc.

And in the face of this, Run On completely departs to create an actual multi-dimensional, realistic conflict for the leads (and I am building on some of the thought’s written in this amazing blog post). It was absolutely painful to watch them (maybe?) break up at the end of the last episode, but the conflict was not rooted in some lame misunderstanding that could be cleared up with a conversation. And it was not their unrealistic, undying, all consuming love for each other that was the only motive to their actions.

Of course they want what is best for each other (especially Seongyeom, as it’s his dad that caused the problem, so of course he feels bad), but their relationship is also new, and the dad being a creepy and unethical snooper is an immense pressure on a new relationship that were realistically expressed. The lines I liked most were actually Mijoo’s, where she says “Must I continue seeing him at the expense of myself?...Why must I continue wearing shoes that don’t fit me?” Referencing an earlier scene where she gives him a book on self-love, and shows him the chapter that says “don’t wear shoes that don’t fit you.” Meaning, in the same way she wants him to learn to love himself, she also doesn’t want to sacrifice her own self-love for the benefit of dating him. And she goes onto say, “I am precious to myself, so I want to give up [on their relationship]...you said it was ok, to say a mistake.”

There’s quite a lot to unpack there, but I like how she is being honest about her emotions, but also aware that her words right now are emotionally charged and might not reflect her real thoughts, (”you said it was ok, to say a mistake”). But more importantly, her clearly stated motives are that she is important to herself. She values herself. It is not some noble idiocy that is motivating her to break up with him for his good or for the greater good--it is for herself. And that is so refreshing, in the Kdrama world where everything has to be done sacrificially in the name of romantic love, and self-love is covertly seen as selfish/conceited. I actually don’t know if I’ve even heard an Asian drama character ever even voice that they are precious/important to themselves, and will set boundaries accordingly. AHHHHH I love this drama so much...even in the heart wrenching break up scene where I was yelling “No! No! Noooo!” to the computer, it still managed to break stereotypes.

Some final thoughts on these two episodes: THE SECOND LEAD COUPLE FINALLY GOT TOGETHER!! Omg. My friend and I watching the drama together (check out her blog @dreamctz) replayed that scene so many times. Their banter about what she should call him (him wanting to graduate early so that she would stop calling him “haksaeng”/student) was just *chef’s kiss*. And are we going to talk about how Seongyeom’s dad literally said he thought it was too bad he couldn’t HIT MIJOO!! WTFFFFF. That gremlin can catch these hands before he so much as TOUCHES my queen Mijoo. Also Shin Saekyoung’s acting in this was really superb in this episode, just wanted to point that out.

Also! because I was talking about this with my friend, there’s an extension called Language Learning with Netflix that allows you to see the Korean CC, English translation, and when you hover your mouse over the Korean, you can see the definition/meaning of each word and save vocab words! Just thought it was a super cool extension--I use it when rewatching old shows I love! It only works w dramas that already have Korean CC, which Run On does, so excuse me while I rewatch my favorite scenes until next week :))