Of Story and Setting

So, we got the structure and script last post; now story and setting!

Now, I have trouble writing scripts, (Just yesterday me and Breggo agreed to transfer scriptwriting responsibilities), for the simple reason that I find it hard to connect on an emotional level with a format that doesn't really allow a lot of room for moments of silence, eyebrow raises, withering glares, etc. I just find the formatting constricting. I can direct a movie, produce a movie, or act in a movie, but I just can't write the script. It's annoying, trust me.

But even though that's the case, I can still pitch a good story. And we need a good story, because with the rather strict structure we have to follow, (keeping the episodes small enough so they won't take up a lot of time or actors) there needs to be a very clear plot line and character arcs. Because when you cut down on scale, special effects, even time, all that matters is the characters. If the audience doesn't connect with the characters, or they are too flat, or never change, then the project is a failure. (Box-office flop! :P)

So what are we left with? A character-driven story set somewhere quiet. It's a lot like a design project in my classes, you are given certain requirements and restrictions and have to create a solution that solves all problems and does not go beyond the limits. And there's one final restriction; bad guy minions. Now this may seem to fall under the "Not too many extras" category, it's a little more complicated than that. Because what are minions for? Being beat up by the heroes. Which means you need a lot. And unless you mask them, you can't use the same actors over and over again. And how many movies have the generic "Black-masked ninja minions"? Too many. A few of ours, to be perfectly honest. So we must create a villain without minions. Tricky. But that's where designing comes in. To paraphrase a good friend of mine, "Use the restrictions to your advantage." In other words "Think outside the box, then use the box."

I mean, how many villains do you know who don't have some sort of minions? Not many. And that's what makes this story special. Because we are left with a villain who must turn the heroes on each other to accomplish his goal. And that's pretty cool, if you ask me.

So, what's our plot? To summarize (Without spoilers!):

When a revered master hunter is found dead in his home, suspicion falls on his former apprentice. To prove his innocence, he sets out on the trail of the mysterious vigilante he knows is responsible. But when he finally catches up to his prey, he finds something he did not expect.

So now that we have a plot, we need a place to put it, a setting for our story. Well, we know we need to keep extras down, as well as sets simple. Now I don't know about you, but nothing is easier to film in than the woods. No worries about anything being in the shot that's not supposed to be there, there's nothing to set-up, and you can move a stone's throw down the trail and film an entirely different scene. So, we came up with a great Forest, whose folk live in on small farms scattered throughout. This creates a loosely tied society, where there are no towns, but perhaps a market, no taverns, but perhaps a watering hole. It also allows for a character interaction that works quite well in episode form. The heroes meet one person in the woods, he helps them out, then can disappear for a while before coming back. It's not like some shows you see where some random person (who's supposedly been living in town all this time) pops up for one episode, then vanishes without a trace (even though he never left town). When the people are scattered around a huge forest, it's less likely they'll meet up often.

Of course, this begs the question, who exactly lives in this great Forest? What characters shall we meet in this tale? Well, that comes next time! Try not to die of anxiety in the meantime :)