Subtext

Caught "Up in the Air" tonight. Avatar, in IMAX 3D, was a visual experience. Sherlock Holmes was a raucous action adventure. Up and Away was a story that delivered snappy dialogue, fine acting, and an emotional hook. From a writer's perspective I could ramble on all day about the value of contrast and subtext in writing. I was particularly entrigued by the films' contrasts and subtext. No spoilers here. Go see the movie.

Contrasts can be minor or severe. In Up in the Air, some of the contrasts include geographic differences. In one scene sequence the Clooney character goes from Miami to wintery Detroit. Miami is warm--emotionally and climatic. Detroit is cold, grey and miserable. The office building in Detroit is early Sixties functionality.  Contrasts in the film are meant to be extreme. The writer and director want to show the differences between a sedentary life and the lonely life of an extreme road warrior.

Subtext is the audience intepretation of what is not said. I learned about subtext from Linda Seger at the 09 Creative Screenwriting Screenwriters Expo. I am blown away when I catch good subtext delivered in a film. Subtext is like a bite of good dark chocolate with a full bodied red wine. When the combination mix in my mouth I lean back, make a yummy sound, and say "man that is good."

Contrast and subtext are crucial considerations in the creative process.  My creative expression is screenwriting. In screenwriting, contrast and subtext enhance a film's emotional impact. A film experience lasts 90 to 120+  minutes. Artists of other mediums like musicians, painters, sculptors etc don't usually have the benefit of a two hour captive audience. Their goal is the same...create an emotional experience for the audience.

You'll put your eye out

One of our holiday traditions is to attend the Denver Parade of Lights. A few years ago, my boys were throwing slush balls at each other before the parade. The Christmas Story tagline "you'll put your eye out" warning didn't matter to the boys. Boys will be boys no matter how urgent the parental warning.

Of course the inevitable happened. SPLAT! A slush ball nailed Caleb right between the eyes. He was unable to open his eyes for hours. For the rest of the evening I lead my teen son around by the arm. That year he experienced the parade as a temporary blind person. Kind of reminds me of Bill Cosby's 1967 skit Revenge. YIkes! I remember that?

We get warnings from so many voices. Don't do this. Don't do that. If you do X then Y will happen. Consequences. Danged Law of Cause and Effect. Sure, sometimes the Y absolutely sucks. On the other hand there are countless possibilities for the X factor. Randomness is the basis for Nassim Taleb's book The Black Swan. In a nutshell a black swan is an event that turns your world upside down. You can't plan for it. You won't see it coming. An unknown X-Factor.


This guy doesn't have resolutions for 2010. Just goals. Resolutions get sidelined by way too many day-to-day excuses. Self-imposed black swans if you will. There may be some black swans or stray slush balls in the year. Occasionally I'll need to be lead around as a blind man. Isn't that what blogs and the whole social networking scene are about?

I don't want to always listen to conventional wisdom. I want to push myself. I want to try new things. There is way too much to do and see. I may "put my eye out" with the things and experiences I desire. What the heck. Perhaps I will be better for it.

Quoted wisdom to close 2009

Recieved this quote in an email from Bob Proctor. I thought it was an appropropriate quote to close 2009.

"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored."

Earl Nightingale

1921-1989, Radio Announcer, Author and Speaker

Happy New Year and a prosperous (and creative) 2010 to you!