PDA

View Full Version : Why do people find character development boring?



Doc
22-Nov-2007, 05:24 PM
Do people have short attention spans these days that we must have ACTION ACTION ACTION, or in the case of horror KILL KILL KILL, in order to be entertained? Does no one else like scenes that serve only to help us get to know the characters better? :confused:

Legion2213
22-Nov-2007, 05:49 PM
I don't think it's the punters at all, I believe that it's the studio types who think the punters don't want anything to think about.

Doc
24-Nov-2007, 05:17 AM
I don't think it's the punters at all, I believe that it's the studio types who think the punters don't want anything to think about. I tried looking up the term punter ,but had no luck.:( So what's it mean?

SRP76
24-Nov-2007, 05:20 AM
He's the guy that kicks the ball to the other team on 4th down.

Anyway, character development itself isn't boring; character development of boring characters is boring! You can develop a character nobody cares about all you want, and people will still be bored.

Danny
24-Nov-2007, 05:46 AM
He's the guy that kicks the ball to the other team on 4th down.


FAIL

punters slang for customer.

Its an old term from back when every town whent to one local and after the sunday rugby the bartenders allways got ready to "serve the punters", and it whent from that to customer over time.

SRP76
24-Nov-2007, 05:49 AM
FAIL

punters slang for customer.

Its an old term from back when every town whent to one local and after the sunday rugby the bartenders allways got ready to "serve the punters", and it whent from that to customer over time.

:lol:

It was a joke.

Tricky
24-Nov-2007, 10:24 AM
I like character development,but as long as its well balanced out with the action/things happening.I dont like it when a film focuses on people talking for the whole of it,i was disappointed with "letters from iwo jima" because i was expecting to see a bit more action,whereas it actually focused on soldiers talking to each other in the caves pretty much the whole film while you could hear all the action going on outside :rockbrow:

EvilNed
24-Nov-2007, 12:00 PM
Yeah, character development can be done good or can be done bad. When it's done bad, which it quite often is, it's just not fun.

Look at Smoke. There's no action in that film. Purely character driven plot. But it's one HELL of a film. But there's no manual to tell people how to do it right, because if it was so then we'd get alot of better films than we already have.

Rottedfreak
24-Nov-2007, 03:17 PM
New BSG dares to focus on its characters, take them in directions Sci Fi seldom does and it gets bashed alot, even though it is doing what fans say they want. I wouldnt be surprised if the next season is laden with brainless space battles, pointless killing and takes characters back to square one and then be bashed even more.

Legion2213
24-Nov-2007, 03:50 PM
New BSG dares to focus on its characters, take them in directions Sci Fi seldom does and it gets bashed alot, even though it is doing what fans say they want. I wouldnt be surprised if the next season is laden with brainless space battles, pointless killing and takes characters back to square one and then be bashed even more.


The BSG writers listen to the fans...expect the same savvy scripts and massive story arcs in the final season. BSG is the best remake EVER

A few extra brainless space battles won't do any harm either...remember that they will be the last we will ever see. :(

"Set condition one, launch the alert vipers!"

Skippy911sc
24-Nov-2007, 03:55 PM
I didn't read your whole post or question but this is my opinion...

JK

;)

Yojimbo
24-Nov-2007, 10:02 PM
Anyway, character development itself isn't boring; character development of boring characters is boring! You can develop a character nobody cares about all you want, and people will still be bored.

Well stated.

I do believe that Hollywood underestimates audiences. They think that they can slap Will Smith or Keannu Reeves in a film, put together some flashy explosions and cgi and people will flock to the film soley on those virtures. Time and time again they prove themselves incorrect, yet they still persist with this stupidity. Or how about taking a foreign language film and dubbing it into English for the American market, or redoing the film entirely (and badly) These are the same idiots who innundate the market with films that are meant to appeal to the preteen crowd. They deserve to get herpes!

Doc
25-Nov-2007, 12:30 PM
The BSG writers listen to the fans...expect the same savvy scripts and massive story arcs in the final season. BSG is the best remake EVER

A few extra brainless space battles won't do any harm either...remember that they will be the last we will ever see. :(

"Set condition one, launch the alert vipers!"

What's BSG?

Danny
25-Nov-2007, 12:32 PM
battlestar galactica.

Doc
25-Nov-2007, 09:11 PM
battlestar galactica. Shoot, that a remake...I actually though it was original.....:|

DVW5150
25-Nov-2007, 10:19 PM
Character development has its appeal.
One thing to take into account, several different people can be reflected in one character.
I am still taken by the development in 28 Weeks Later .
Don Harris had a severe arc.
Try watching w/ commentary and youll get more insight.
Films can also take nearly the whole length for you to get under some character exteriors.
Example: The deaf girl in the film, "The World According to Garp".
She had her tougue cut out by men that raped her as a child.
Then, an organization "Ellen Jamsians" is formed where member women cut thier own tongues out in solidarity with Ellen.
But you find out she is not for self mutalation, near the end this is found it.
So characters developing over length of a story is also something that can keep you interested.

I am hoping for chewy character-goodness in "Diary of the Dead" .:skull:

Legion2213
25-Nov-2007, 10:39 PM
Shoot, that a remake...I actually though it was original.....:|

LOL. The original BSG came on the back of Star Wars in 1978 (as did lots of second rate sci-fi). It was considered a poor relation...massive over use of the same stock footage in every episode didn't help what could have been a great little series.

If anybody ever offers to show you the second incarnation of this show (called "Galactica 1980") shoot them in the head. :D

AcesandEights
25-Nov-2007, 11:15 PM
Shoot, that a remake...I actually though it was original.....:|

:eek: Am speechless over here.

Doc
25-Nov-2007, 11:23 PM
:eek: Am speechless over here.:lol: