I can’t remember when movies starting being so predictable. I remember spoiling things for my friends in grade school when we went to the movies. I’d always guess who the killer was, or predict who would be the next victim. After high school things got even worse. I’d actually fall asleep during movies and not miss anything when I woke up. When I watched movies with my first wife, she would laugh and shake her head at me when I spoiled movies for other people.
It’s bad enough I can’t suspend disbelief – and thereby enjoy movies myself – but I’m not a lot of fun to watch them with either. My wife tells me I’ve changed the way she watches TV and movies forever. She’s able to anticipate the endings from about a quarter of the way through. Which is why it’s always such a thrill to be able to find a movie which we not only don’t want to predict the ending for, we aren’t able to predict the ending for. Doesn’t happen a lot, but it’s a happy day when it does.
Recently, I’ve been studying different writer blogs, web sites and anything from the library I can get my hands on to learn about proper story structure. I blogged about how excited I was to finally get it after so many years of doing things instinctively. Sometimes I got them right – my last two WsIP showed this when I compared them to the story structure I learned several weeks ago – but it was hit or miss. Mostly miss in the past, but closer to hits with my more current work. Encouraging for me, but a little embarrassing too – I mean, I’ve been a “writer” for how long, and only now learn about story structure?
Well anyway, what I’ve discovered is that knowing the classic three-act story structure (I learned it as the four-part story structure, which makes much more sense to me) has ruined movies even more … if possible.
For one thing, I can’t help but identify the major milestones of the story as the movie goes along. All movies are built on the classic three-act story structure, and they depart that structure at their own peril. I haven’t seen one yet which does. Since I know how this works now, I’m able to (accurately) predict when something major will happen in the movie. When the milestones occur. Unfortunately, I always confirm my predictions by using the progress bar on the DVR or the DVD player. Which is a little … um … annoying for people watching the movie.
I’m sure my wife is sick to frickin’ death of hearing me talk about this, and laughing maniacally when the movie falls into the pattern in perfect predictability. And TV shows do the same thing, because they’re essentially built on the same story structure framework. But for me, it’s been so fun, I swear I don’t even need to watch the movies anymore. Tell me the concept and I’m going to be able to tell you what happens. (Not really, I’m being braggadocios if you can’t tell.)
So all this learning isn’t for nothing, and I have a few more fine touches to apply before I feel I’ve “mastered” this technique. Still, it’s been fun. Fun as all get-out. And as I learn more I can’t imagine movies are going to become any more entertaining.
-JDT-
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En*DANE*gered 
Let’s test this predicting power of yours. Watch some pro wrestling and try to predict who will win each match.
But I thought wrestling was REAL. It’s NOT?!
A couple days ago, a guy who calls Seattle Mariners baseball games predicted when this one player would hit a home run. He also predicted the situation the home run would occur in and where the ball would land. This guy predicted the inning, the pitch count and the location of the home run. Unbelievable!
Or really, really lucky. Hope he made some money on that prediction/guess. I mean, beside his ridiculous salary to sit around talking about the baseball game.
Is there a job in which the main requirement is being a cynic? If so, jump on that bad boy. That is the career for you.
😉
I keep lookin’, but professional smart-ass yields nothing in my job search. 🙂
Write for this magazine.
I’d love to, WIGSF! I’d LOVE to!
I enjoy most movies, but the ones where a killer tromps all over the crime scene, yet the detectives can’t seem to find him make me yell, “Are you the only person who hasn’t watched CSI?!” Those ones usually go right back in the box.
Oi, CSI. Don’t get me started.
I usually make an effort to suspend my disbelief so my mind can relax and enjoy something fake.
It’s not for lack of trying that I can’t do it. I have no clue what it is; I just … can’t.
Oy is spelled with a “y.” Okay so name me a couple of movies you didn’t figure the end out ahead of time and that surprised you. I know, I know, why do I always want to know everything. Because in my last life, I grew up as your younger sister.
Let’s see … I think The Good Shepherd was one; I don’t remember any others at the moment, but I’m sure there had to be some. Maybe I’ll ask Falcon.
I don’t watch near as many movies as you. But I’ve learned that since every second of film cost too much money, everything in every shot has to have a reason–so unless the film is just arty, then you can figure out a lot just by figuring out why something is in a scene. Also if a movie is a 120 minutes long, then I can figure out certain things have to happen at certain moments because of the time frame. Like, if they catch the killer at 100 minutes then they must have the wrong guy–because what else are they going to do for 20 minutes?
Yeah, and it’s even easier than that. The main event which sets the plot in motion will occur, in said 120 minute movie, anywhere between the 20 and 30 minute mark. At about the 40-45 minute mark another event will occur which shows how high the stakes are, or the evil of the antagonistic force apart from the MC’s filters; at the halfway mark another event occurs which sets the protagonist on a direct collision with the antagonist; at the 90 minute mark or thereabouts, ANOTHER event showing how hard the protagonist’s quest is occurs; and at the 100-110 minute mark the final confrontation is set up and the climax initiated. EVERY. TIME.
But I am very happy going along for the ride once I’ve decided to watch a movie. After all, I won’t watch 90% of movies anyway, so if I am really going to watch one, I’m wanting it to work. Of course, if something is, say, a romantic comedy then I expect the couple to have a misunderstanding, part, and then get back together. The entertainment should be on the way they get there. So, it depends on the genre on how surprised I expect to be.
Movies like romantic comedies and the slasher flicks are always predictable and formulaic. Other movies offer more of a challenge, but they all follow that three-act story structure.
I like Miyazaki’s animated films because even though I know the characters will prevail–I can never guess where the film is going to go along the way. But whatever I watch, I want the movie maker to succeed and I’m vastly forgiving. But even if I get the ending and predict the plot, I don’t say so because I’m one of those people who hates to have someone else ruin a film for me. Then again, I’m also one of those people who won’t try to peak at presents before Christmas.
I love cartoons too. I don’t know why, but I seem to be able to suspend disbelief with those. They’re even MORE predictable, but they’re so much more fun to watch it’s tough to hold it against them. And the imagination of the film makers can make up for a lot.
At least now I’ve been warned not to watch a movie with you!
So you have.
Well, when I made the effort to change my novel into a screenplay, I borrowed a book about how to do just that–and it had the whole plan there. What page to have this, what page to have that. All very specific.
I can imagine. It’s pretty straightforward.
I don’t think Miyazaki is predictable. He does have a story structure, but he takes crazy turns in his stories.
Plot turns and twists are allowed, but I’d have to watch one of his films to see if I can still do this. I’ll see what I can dig up. 🙂
Braggadocios? Awesome, I need to be sure to use that tomorrow in a sentence. I’m checking out a new book club with my sister, maybe that is the place?
Anytime is the right time, if the context suits. 😉
I took part in an indy feature film a few years ago and it made movies even tougher to sit through…now I know even more things to critique….very distracting. It’s kind of cool to have your name on IMDB though. 🙂
I’ll never know. 🙂
You forgot me up there.
Nope, didn’t forget you, just trying to decide which movies to list.
He didn’t forget you…he’s trying to think of the perfect comment. 😉
Too funny! Have a great weekend everybody.
You too! 🙂
They say that once you become a writer you stop being able to enjoy fiction as fiction because you can taste the ingredients so to speak. For me anyway being aware of story structure and the way that one artist’s idea will filter through so many others is fascinating.
It’s certainly been interesting, no doubt about that! Fiction wasn’t ever as “fun” for me (especially movies) as for others, so this doesn’t really kill it more. I don’t think.
For instance, I just saw THE ORPHAN and I found it to be a lot of fun, but I also liked seeing the little bits of things like THE BAD SEED glinting in the background.
I do love being surprised however, GRACE got me at the end but the best part of the story was how it pulled me in to its mad world.
Now for my own work I worry a lot about originality- I thought A HANDFUL OF BUGS might have been too derivative but I just wanted to write it anyway.
I don’t think you should be concerned about that unless you start getting a LOT of people telling you it’s like something else. Nothing’s new under the sun after all.