Hollywood Formula

Posted by TA (A) on December 13, 2002 at 13:45:03

In Reply to: The 8-step "Secret" Hollywood Formula posted by Bambi B on December 13, 2002 at 12:24:29:

You didn't mention this: Hollywood films typically have two parallel stories, one public and one private, both of which resolve together.

For example, the public story is that the main character is a detective working to solve a whodunit, or a man being chased. The private story is that the main character is going through some personal problems, or there is a romance budding between him and another character, or whatever. In resolving the public story, the main character also resolves the personal story.

It is not a secret that films follow formulas like the above. You haven't said anything that people don't already know. Why does this "formula" work so well in, say, Vertigo but not in Pearl Harbor?

Because it's not about the formula. It's about *how* you get to the ending. Since you mention Star Wars, did you know that George Lucas consulted mythology expert Joseph Campbell to help construct his story to resonate with many of the themes found in mythology? Ideas that touched the Greeks will still touch us today - this is because we're funadmentally the same deep down inside.

Look, you can break any rock song down to verse-chorus-bridge-guitar solo-verse-chorus. So what if it's a formula. We enjoy it because of the tunefulness of *how* it's done. You say that you want something different from the formula, but I would suspect that you yourself have a more enjoyable time listening to a formulaic Mozart opera than the Ring cycle.

Now, what I don't like, and what I suspect you really have a problem with, is not formulas but cliches that get played over and over and over.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - The 8-step "Secret" Hollywood Formula - Bambi B 12:24:29 12/13/02 (22)

...is why I like non-Hollywood movies... - SmokeTest 19:09:36 12/15/02 (1)

Re: ...is why I like non-Hollywood movies... - TA 18:03:55 12/16/02 (0)

Is it any different than the strict formats of classic poetry? - cfraser 14:53:36 12/14/02 (4)

Formulas are necessary - Bambi B 20:07:06 12/14/02 (3)

Good response, and the movie "Adaptation" - cfraser 09:43:48 12/15/02 (2)

Re: Good response, and the movie "Adaptation" - Bambi B 11:43:28 12/15/02 (1)

Re: Good response, and the movie "Adaptation" - cfraser 12:20:00 12/15/02 (0)

Don't forget : self basting . . . - Pjay 11:35:37 12/14/02 (0)

GREAT DISCUSSION, all you guys... nt - clarkjohnsen 06:57:43 12/14/02 (1)

GREAT COMMENT, Clark. nt - BS 10:27:34 12/14/02 (0)

Hollywood Formula - TA 13:45:03 12/13/02 (3)

Re: Hollywood Formula - Bambi B 15:58:55 12/13/02 (2)

Bruce Willis dead in Sixth sense - SmoKeTest 19:12:16 12/15/02 (0)

Re: Hollywood Formula - TA 16:31:22 12/13/02 (0)

Re: The 8-step "Secret" Hollywood Formula - Victor Khomenko 12:46:20 12/13/02 (7)

Re: The 8-step "Secret" Hollywood Formula - Bambi B 16:46:33 12/13/02 (4)

"Clooney's Ocean Did Not Have Any believable inner...... - AudioHead 11:49:15 12/17/02 (0)

Re: The 8-step "Secret" Hollywood Formula - Victor Khomenko 17:55:09 12/13/02 (2)

Re: The 8-step "Secret" Hollywood Formula - Bambi B 20:03:13 12/13/02 (1)

Re: The 8-step "Secret" Hollywood Formula - Victor Khomenko 05:43:59 12/14/02 (0)

I blame it on the public's lack of monocles! (nt) - mvwine 13:42:08 12/13/02 (1)

You nailed it 50% - Victor Khomenko 15:02:17 12/13/02 (0)

Follow Ups

Hollywood Formula - TA 13:45:03 12/13/02 (3)

Re: Hollywood Formula - Bambi B 15:58:55 12/13/02 (2)

Bruce Willis dead in Sixth sense - SmoKeTest 19:12:16 12/15/02 (0)

Re: Hollywood Formula - TA 16:31:22 12/13/02 (0)

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