Star Trek
Watching the new (2009) Star Trek movie with my family. Watched it when it first came out in theaters, loved it, thought Chekov was adorable. Really like it now, so my mom can see it.
However.
It is also amusing and dramatic and science-fiction-y, and I'm garnering ideas for "Tea Boy" because, well, that's what I do now. When I see movies for the second, third, fourth time I'm watching for pacing, I'm dissecting their sets for ideas later, looking at casting choice, at costuming, lighting. I'm listening to the dialogue, making a note of pacing. Everything is about creating a story, it's the same as writing a short story or a novel, but it's also different, because you can use visuals and have them instantly appear, where as in text it's long and slow and you can't jump from scene to scene as quickly, it just has to move along or you get all choppy. Film is almost the opposite, going from all different shots and angles and everything.
And there's music and silence and sound effects and animation and live action and colors and so much not left to the imagination, where writing is all imagination and reader engagement and...
And the sound of a crying baby is different when you hear it than when you write it, and when Kirk's father dies in a big explosion because he's being heroic and it's so sad it's different than when you're writing that scene.
But there are things that can be applied. You can always improve dialogue. You can always get ideas for new monsters. You can always get new sets and costumes and problems.
And you can always laugh at a movie's need for car chases and action that I would never throw into a story (but maybe I should? Would "Tea Boy" be better served by more explosions and shoot outs and car chases?)
Also, a story can't just have a kid that you look at and see as adorable. You have to make them act adorable. Reading is slow, it takes time. You dig in, you get to know the characters. It takes time to get into it. Where as movies are instant gratification, loud music, colors setting the mood, body language and... I don't know. It's different. It's fun. It's not better or worse, just different.
It's so interesting how the colors set the mood. Deep blues, bright red uniforms, blood red on faces and hands and skin. Saturated colors. Tech-looking things in the background. Just sleek enough, just rustic enough.
Okay, and, can we talk about time travel for a minute? It hurts my head. Spock from the past and another one from the future and there are alternate realities and... *sigh* I think I'm going to confuse myself with the timelines of my own things, let alone something I didn't create.
Bones is pretty cool.
I'm rambling. The movie's still going. I love it. It's so... trekkie. Fun. I like movies with these colors. Fast paced, action packed, interesting stories, characters I like.
Kirk being a smug ass, cheating... it's fun. You kind of want Spock to win, but on the other hand you're rooting for that guy. You want Jack, arrogant ass he is, to send the werewolves away and send the creepy old guy off. You want Owen to be nicer Lisa, and Nick, and... everyone. But you also kind of like him. Or at least, I hope you do. Maybe you all hate him for shooting Jack in the latest chapter. I don't know. Actually, if you're reading this you probably haven't even read "Tea Boy" and think I'm a bit crazy. That's cool too.
However.
It is also amusing and dramatic and science-fiction-y, and I'm garnering ideas for "Tea Boy" because, well, that's what I do now. When I see movies for the second, third, fourth time I'm watching for pacing, I'm dissecting their sets for ideas later, looking at casting choice, at costuming, lighting. I'm listening to the dialogue, making a note of pacing. Everything is about creating a story, it's the same as writing a short story or a novel, but it's also different, because you can use visuals and have them instantly appear, where as in text it's long and slow and you can't jump from scene to scene as quickly, it just has to move along or you get all choppy. Film is almost the opposite, going from all different shots and angles and everything.
And there's music and silence and sound effects and animation and live action and colors and so much not left to the imagination, where writing is all imagination and reader engagement and...
And the sound of a crying baby is different when you hear it than when you write it, and when Kirk's father dies in a big explosion because he's being heroic and it's so sad it's different than when you're writing that scene.
But there are things that can be applied. You can always improve dialogue. You can always get ideas for new monsters. You can always get new sets and costumes and problems.
And you can always laugh at a movie's need for car chases and action that I would never throw into a story (but maybe I should? Would "Tea Boy" be better served by more explosions and shoot outs and car chases?)
Also, a story can't just have a kid that you look at and see as adorable. You have to make them act adorable. Reading is slow, it takes time. You dig in, you get to know the characters. It takes time to get into it. Where as movies are instant gratification, loud music, colors setting the mood, body language and... I don't know. It's different. It's fun. It's not better or worse, just different.
It's so interesting how the colors set the mood. Deep blues, bright red uniforms, blood red on faces and hands and skin. Saturated colors. Tech-looking things in the background. Just sleek enough, just rustic enough.
Okay, and, can we talk about time travel for a minute? It hurts my head. Spock from the past and another one from the future and there are alternate realities and... *sigh* I think I'm going to confuse myself with the timelines of my own things, let alone something I didn't create.
Bones is pretty cool.
I'm rambling. The movie's still going. I love it. It's so... trekkie. Fun. I like movies with these colors. Fast paced, action packed, interesting stories, characters I like.
Kirk being a smug ass, cheating... it's fun. You kind of want Spock to win, but on the other hand you're rooting for that guy. You want Jack, arrogant ass he is, to send the werewolves away and send the creepy old guy off. You want Owen to be nicer Lisa, and Nick, and... everyone. But you also kind of like him. Or at least, I hope you do. Maybe you all hate him for shooting Jack in the latest chapter. I don't know. Actually, if you're reading this you probably haven't even read "Tea Boy" and think I'm a bit crazy. That's cool too.