And this isn’t simply true because I’m a filmmaker, as I’ve heard across the board (from friends, acquaintances, and audiences at testing groups), that they largely react to these types of characteristics in films the same way. On the other hand though, when I watch a film that is on the nose (as so many films today are), I become disinterested almost immediately. I look for clues in the actors performances, or subtle hints in other aspects of the execution that help me to gradually understand the constantly unravelling plot-line. When I watch a really great film, I feel like I am working to pick up every last bit of information that I need – it never feels like it’s being handed to me. Conversely, if you believe your audience isn’t going to “get it”, you are more likely to spoon feed them plot points, character details, and unnecessary backstory information that can leave them feeling bored and disinterested. The way that you choose to structure your film is a direct reflection of how you see your audience, and if you see your audience as intellegent you are far less likely to fall into the trap of creating an over abundance of unnecessary plot points in your film.
With that said though, the sooner the issues are nipped in the bud, the better. As I stated above, pacing issues in a film can come from anywhere (from the script to the editing room), but the reason why this is particularly important for directors and producers to recognize, is because these issues can be remedied to a certain degree at nearly any stage of the filmmaking process.
However it may happen, there is no question that many poorly executed films could have been more successful and more well received had the filmmakers focused on quality over quantity.įor the purpose of this article, I really am speaking to the directors and producers out there – even though many of the points that I am making will apply to screenwriters and editors as well. This can happen for many reasons – an overly ambitious screenplay, too much improvised dialogue during production, or a post-process that isn’t ruthless enough. So many films today (ranging from no-budget films to Hollywood blockbusters), jam pack so much content into 2 hours that there is little time to absorb any of it, and ultimately each and every plot point becomes less important since there is such an abundance of action and change happening constantly throughout the film. The films that really speak to me are told honestly – not only in terms of the characters and themes that they feature, but also in terms of the way the plot points are laid out.
I often take a “less is more” approach when it comes to filmmaking, and also usually prefer watching films that are more subtle and minimalistic by nature. It’s become quite common for the first act of a movie to be jam packed with enough plot points to sustain an entire movie, and while in some cases having a fast paced film may work (particularly if it falls into the action/thriller genre), more often than not it can disengage the audience from the story and actually work against the narrative. There is no denying that the pace of the average feature film today is faster than ever before.