sci-fi

Structure: Inception

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It’s by far the most talked-about movie of the year, because of its high concept and intelligent execution. The movie has an aura of complexity but when you examine the dramatic structure carefully, it is deceptively simple. See for yourself. My first viewing of Inception was at the world’s largest IMAX screen in Sydney’s Darling … Read more

Best o/t Web 1 Aug

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:: Massive Scifi attack in August!
:: The Opposite of Writer’s Block
:: The plot of Inception as an infographic
:: The Hangover took $100m more than 2012. A lesson?
:: The key: emotion and identification with the hero
:: The Fight Club theory applied to Ferris Bueller
:: What if your stories are offbeat?
:: Nick Cave to pen remake of The Crow.
:: Michael Arndt’s Hollywood fairytale.
:: What to do if you’re an overwriter.
:: The End of History: an analysis on craft.
:: Chris Nolan’s sleight of hand.
:: The art of obsessive keyboard dusting.
:: Sigourney Weaver’s sci-fi geek out.
:: What KIND of story is it? Subgenres and Inception.

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Exposition in Cameron’s The Abyss

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Yesterday I had the enormous privilege and honor of watching James Cameron’s The Abyss on the big screen, sitting next to the movie’s concept designer Ron Cobb. The last time I saw the film in a cinema was at a preview before its release in 1986.

The scene in this clip is a trademark Cameron setup.

Remember the unobtainium – ‘floating rock’ scene in Avatar? That is a case of exposition that some love and others loathe.

This scene from The Abyss sits around about the same time into this movie and sets up an equally important concept, which will be crucial in the movie’s climax.

The scene is in my view one of the most supreme examples of exposition. It combines character and tension with essential story information.

It shows how James Cameron has always been a tremendously gifted screenwriter.

Enjoy!

In fact – and contrary to the unobtainium scene – Ron Cobb confirmed to me that the fluid breathing system is not sci-fi but fact.  Hippy’s rat is submerged in actual fluid breathing system liquid and in this scene it is really breathing underwater. Apparently, Beany the rat survived for quite a while afterwards and died of natural causes.

(On the contrary – as you might have guessed – in the movie’s climax Ed Harris did not breathe liquid. The glass of his suit was tinted amber to suggest it was filled with the liquid.)

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