Time Perspective

This video is about ten minutes, but is well worth the time investment.

It is the famous Philip Zambardo discussing the economics of time and the powers it has over our minds. He also goes in to how these things effect our current cultures.

Also, it is pretty amazingly animated. So check it out and we'll discuss:

Discussion as related to entertainment:

A lot of what Mr. Zambardo is saying about how this effects the attentiveness and alertness of young people's minds translate directly to how television and film is being shaped.

I was listening to the book-on-cd of STORY by Robert McKee while on my way into work and Mr. McKee was describing three types of story plots:

• The Arc-Plot: where everything happens to the extreme - situations are life or death, the characters go through extreme changes and as a result the audience goes through extreme emotions (anger, elation, sadness, etc.). THE A-TEAM was a perfect example of this (very enjoyable in all those extremes).
• The Mini-Plot: where the characters go through only minor changes during the course of the film, but it is more impactful and dramatic. I thought that AN EDUCATION was a really great example of this one.
• The Anti-Plot: where the filmmaker is purposefully not allowing the audience the satisfaction of an overall character arc. Very subversive. Very 1960's Traffaut. I loved THE BEATLES: YELLOW SUBMARINE which very much follows this form.

I have to say, I'm a big fan of the Arc-plot. I love the Arc-plot. Most people do. It's the type of movie that I like to go see and that I will (hopefully) eventually write. In-between those great blockbuster films though, I enjoy watching the more cerebral and intelligent films every now and then. Not sure so much about the Anti-plot style, I just don't have that much time.

Quick side note: I am really in love with the show ADVENTURE TIME on Cartoon Network. I can't tell you how much I love this show (and how much my wife hates it). It is a lot like the Anti-plot, but if you dig deeper you see an inner Arc-plot.

Here's a great article that illustrates how Spielberg's JAWS changed how the movie industry began releasing films. "Hollywood had been happy to hit for average, spraying singles and doubles around the field; after Jaws it began swinging for grand slams."

In other words, they have made it bigger, faster, harder, and more intense.

Getting back into what Mr. Zambardo was discussing, this fast-paced forward thinking society of ours has turned our entertainment (and most specifically, the films that spend the most money and make the most money) into nothing more than an onslaught of explosive action, excessive comedy and jittery camera work.

Our Arc-plots have to become more intense and absurd as a result.

Thinking about recent history, a film that I thought was beautifully done and excellently paced was THE KARATE KID (the Jaden Smith one). Although it was done quite well and I felt the 140 minutes flew by, apparently it was incredibly slow for everyone else.

Around the mid-point of the film, several kids in the audience started to get very restless. One teen in the front pulled out his iPhone and was checking facebook during the majority of the film. One kid sitting next to us said, "when's it going to be over?" Even my wife got the fidgets during the movie, but we've long discussed how difficult it is for her to sit through a movie so that's okay - she at least admits it.

What is the deal people? Am I taking crazy pills? Am I the only one in this world anymore that has the patience to let a movie take its time?

Hopefully not, but still - it's good thing to keep in mind when trying to write a screenplay or pilot: Today's audience is easily bored. Keep them entertained and engaged or else they will start tweeting during your film.

(Next Time: A comparison of two dramatically different trailers, one from the 70's, one from the present - and matching them according to the same principles of attentiveness and forward time thinking.)