08-02-2004, 08:41 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-02-2004, 08:41 PM by Rhydderch Hael.)
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Pete and Tal.
The problem of crafting the story is a bit more daunting than it first appears. If we wanted little more than a plot-driven FX-fest that's little else than a big-screen video game demonstration, then I'm all set with exactly what I've described here.
Problem is, I don't really want that sort of movie. Character-driven stories will need, of course, engaging characters.
That's the problem. We have four factions at play: SkyNet; Human Resistance; Aliens; Predators. How these four come across to each other as well as sit with the audience's sympathies is a tangled web that needs to be set straight.
My real problem is defining the Predators. They are the wildcards here. The motivations and needs of the other three can be spelled out in black and white: the Predators are the ones that are grey (or more appropriately, black and white all spottled together). Are they here for selfless motivations (save humanity and the galaxy at whole) or selfish reasons (save humans as their potential quarry as well as have fun nailing both the Aliens and Terminators). Do the Preds have any respect for sentient races they hunt, or will they treat humans little more than cattle given as much regard as a ranch hand tending the herd on a drive to the slaughterhouse? Will they actively ally themselves with the Resistance, or simply fight their enemies indirectly? And by application of either (or both) these aspects, how does that play in engaging the audience to root for the humans (obviously) and (maybe) the Predators?
The problem of crafting the story is a bit more daunting than it first appears. If we wanted little more than a plot-driven FX-fest that's little else than a big-screen video game demonstration, then I'm all set with exactly what I've described here.
Problem is, I don't really want that sort of movie. Character-driven stories will need, of course, engaging characters.
That's the problem. We have four factions at play: SkyNet; Human Resistance; Aliens; Predators. How these four come across to each other as well as sit with the audience's sympathies is a tangled web that needs to be set straight.
My real problem is defining the Predators. They are the wildcards here. The motivations and needs of the other three can be spelled out in black and white: the Predators are the ones that are grey (or more appropriately, black and white all spottled together). Are they here for selfless motivations (save humanity and the galaxy at whole) or selfish reasons (save humans as their potential quarry as well as have fun nailing both the Aliens and Terminators). Do the Preds have any respect for sentient races they hunt, or will they treat humans little more than cattle given as much regard as a ranch hand tending the herd on a drive to the slaughterhouse? Will they actively ally themselves with the Resistance, or simply fight their enemies indirectly? And by application of either (or both) these aspects, how does that play in engaging the audience to root for the humans (obviously) and (maybe) the Predators?
Political Correctness is the idea that you can foster tolerance in a diverse world through the intolerance of anything that strays from a clinical standard.