Quote:
Originally Posted by Zebedee DuBois
I sometimes feel that the miniseries format often stretches scenes in a way we aren't comfortable viewing. We've been conditioned by the 90 minute movie format to experience things in a fast-forwarded fashion. Exposition and character development are rushed and perfunctory. When the story is told over 10 hours we are shown a lot more character development, but not always in a well written manner. Sometimes they just say the same thing they would have said in the short format, but repeat it 4 times to fill the time of a 10 hour format.
In short: I hear what you are saying Mr. Plow.
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I don't think it's how short or long these types of scenes are, more how captivating and efficient and useful.
They could have used that same extended scene to say something passionate and novel about love, or whatever they wanted to convey, and if it drew you in, you wouldn't notice the time elapsed.
My personal bugaboo in the opposite direction, has anyone gone back recently and watched the opening minutes of Con-Air? It's almost like a comic book panel, one-shot pitch of the entire backstory for whomever Nic Cage's character was
Bam - out of jail
Bam - off to honkey tonk
Bam - girlfriend
Boom - endless love
Bash - bad guy
Bam - local ruffian
Zowee - In front of the judge
Wowee - Locked back up
Like 30 seconds elapsed. . . . I'm sure it was more like 5 minutes, but still you get the point.