Hey, writers.  I recently saw the movie Searching.  Before I get to the spoiler-y things:  Yo, it’s a good movie.  It gets pretty sad at times (I mean it is about a father losing his daughter), but I highly recommend it.  Good times.  Unless you’re a father and you have a daughter.

Then…proceed with caution.

Otherwise, hit the jump, writers, and let’s discuss.

From this point forward, I’m going to assume that you’ve all seen the movie.  Let’s do this.

Writers, I’ve seen a lot of movies.  I still remember the first time I watched Wall-E with my friends.  I had never seen it before, but everyone else in the room had.  One of my friends asked if I wanted captions on, and I said yes.  I always prefer captions.  (I hate missing solid dialogue that a writer spent time writing.)  Another person said, “Why have captions on for Wall-E?”  In retrospect, I understand where she was coming from.

Having said that, that was one of the tamer examples of someone being anti-captions.  I’ve had people almost walk out of a movie when they realized that they would have to read.  Say, for instance, a foreign film.

(Keeping it real though, I tend to read captions faster than the actors speech on screen, and I’ve laughed more than once before anyone knew what was going on.  But still, words are good.  Words on screen?  Also good.)

That was roundabout.  Anyway.  I mention all of that because Searching actually has a ton of reading in it.  I’m surprised I haven’t heard more negative commentary regarding it.  Perhaps the general populace is getting more into reading?  Hey, I can dream, can’t I? 🙂

Scalpel please

Writers, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the visual choice of viewing everything through a computer.  I mean, yes, it was in the trailer, but I didn’t think the entire movie was going to shown that way.

First, hey, that was very outside the box and it worked.  Applause from Oahu.

Second, let’s take out a scalpel and do some light dissecting.  What are the benefits of having this perspective?

There’s a man that is an award winning traditional writer (think novels) as well as an award winner for comic book writing.  I believe he was the one that said that comics are really just another form of media, as opposed to being a lower form.  (Reading / creating comics come with a lot of stigma that I don’t believe is warranted.)

A great example that comes to mind is Sakura from Naruto.  There’s the stuff that Sakura says out loud, then there’s the stuff that Sakura actually thinks.

Teacher:  Here's your homework.  It's not too much is it?
Sakura:  ...
Inner Sakura (thinking):  How dare you give so much homework?  What's wrong with you?  Are you insane?!?!  We should all lead a revolt!  This is ridiculous!
Sakura (speaking):  No, ma'am, it's just fine.  (complete with a smile)

See all that “inner” stuff?  That doesn’t work on screen.  I was reading this book on screenwriting, and yes, once again I think of my friend (whom I’ll name London from now on).  London said, “Alvin, you read entire books to get one concept.”  I kind of want to argue back…then I realize that…my friend is right and I have no argument.  Haha.

Anyway.  In that book, it mentions that you can’t write anything into your script that actors can’t act.  In a novel, you can have a character take a pause and remember what it was like to eat ice cream as a child, but as an actor?  How do you show that your main character is remembering something from childhood?  Well, the short answer is…you don’t.

For instance, the above “Inner Sakura” stuff?  For an actress, you would have her say her lines, then maybe she would glare at the teacher behind her back?  Regardless, it’s hard to show all those thoughts on screen.

Back to the Searching movie.  It did something that was straight up masterful that only it could do without being super random and out of place (like I wouldn’t expect this in an Avengers movie).

A guy and girl are texting.

  Girl texts: Haha, you're funny.

  Guy texts:  Really?  I love you!  I've always loved you! I --
  Guy texts:  *delete delete delete*
  Guy texts:  I miss you.  We should spend more time together.
  Guy texts:  *delete delete delete*
  Guy texts:  It's been raining so hard lately.
  Guy texts:  *hits send*

Instantly, the reader/audience feels for the guy.

We saw this in the movie.  I think more powerful than the “Your mother would be proud, too” line itself is the fact that the main character had to wrestle with the idea of hitting send.

And, of course, when it appears at the end?  Solid, solid stuff.

Shoutouts to Hikes.  If I didn’t get a gentle nudge or two, I probably would’ve put this movie on the back burner to view after it was on DVD.  Thanks, Hikes! 🙂

A deeper close today:

Do you have a favorite medium you prefer writing on?
(e.g. comics, movies, novels, short stories, etc.)

Aloha,
Alvin