There are a lot of great quotes about writing out there; these are some of the most insightful, thought-provoking, or ‘ah ha!’ ones I’ve come across.
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‘The Adam West “Batman” teaches us that life is serious and angsty enough without having to get more of it from our entertainment. That it’s ok to be lighthearted and not always take things so seriously. The world would be a better place if more people took this approach.‘
–Matthew Marcinko, commenting on the Honest Trailer for 1966’s, ‘Batman: The Movie’
While this isn’t a quote on writing, per se, it’s still a valuable reminder that not all fiction has to be serious; fun is a part of life, too, and we should cherish and remember that.
There are a lot of great quotes about writing out there; these are some of the most insightful, thought-provoking, or ‘ah ha!’ ones I’ve come across.
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‘…when telling a story, it is important to commit to making the characters, plot developments and other narrative accoutrements actually work on their own merits. If the writers are simply rushing from one plot point to the next instead of making everything feel real and worthy of emotional investment, audiences will intuitively notice and penalize you for it.
In addition, a movie has to have fun telling its story; if it feels like a chore to make it, it will also feel like a chore for those who have to watch it. Finally, it is crucial to bring something new to the table beyond a few interesting ideas sprinkled here and there. Barring that, if you’re going to do a remake, make sure the story that you’re remaking is one that audiences actually want to have told to them.’
We all have our favorite moments in movies, books, and games, moments that stay with us long after the story is over. This column is my attempt to examine my favorite moments and see why they stick with me.
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The video
‘You, Me, and Optimus Prime’
Why it’s great
If you could spend a day hanging out with any fictional character, who would it be? What would you do? Would you go on an incredible adventure together? Go to a sporting event? Take a tour of their awesome castle/floating fortress/ intergalactic space station? Or would you act as two ordinary guys and gals just relaxing and having a good time?
One scene I wish we saw more of in fiction is seeing characters just relaxing and hanging out with friends, especially if those characters are non-humans, such as giant robots, aliens, monsters, etc. In fiction, where every scene should move the story along, there’s not much time for that to happen, but when it does, it taps into our childhood, when we were daydreaming about hanging out with our favorite cartoon and movie characters, conjuring up all sorts of adventures and fun things we would be doing together.
The music video for ‘You, Me, and Optimus Prime’ is a perfect example of such a scene: there are no bad guys to fight (except that dastardly business owner), nobody to save, and no worlds to liberate. It’s just a guy and his giant robot buddy having ice cream, canoeing, fishing, and watching the sunset together. Is it pure fan-service? Yes, but it’s silly, heartwarming, and helps rouse our inner child to remember the joys of imagining hanging out with our favorite characters, and reminding us, as creators, that it’s okay to tap into those fantasies every now and then in our own works.
And yes, I would hang out with Optimus Prime if given the chance. And I would be happy to let him ruffle my hair as we watch the sunset.
Imperfect Glass 