Seed Planting

[RobertScorpio]

Sometimes, in a movie, or tv show, they will have a scene where they linger on an object with the camera...and then, at the end of the movie/episode, that item is used to save the day.

In the movie JAWS, the camera kind lingered on the airtanks that Brody would eventually shoot at and explode in the shark's mouth.

In TUC, the floating blood. It was so obvious the way they lingered on the blood following the killers onto the transporter pad that the blood would figure into the plot...

Can you think of such incidents? Where the director tipped their hand a wee bit to obvious..

One tip that worked so great was "I SEE DEAD PEOPLE, THEY DON'T KNOW THEY ARE DEAD", with the camera lingering on Willis as the boy says that line....and if you say you saw the ending coming from that, I don't believe you...

Rob

 

[stueyross]

This goes back as far as storytelling itself as a basic form of foreshadowing. Perhaps the most popularly known method is Chekhovs Gun. No, not Mr Chekov from Star Trelk.

Chekhov's gun is a literary technique where an element is introduced early in the story, but its significance does not become clear until later on. For example, a character may find a mysterious object that eventually becomes crucial to the plot, but at the time the object is found it does not seem to be important.

 

[RobertScorpio]

This goes back as far as storytelling itself as a basic form of foreshadowing. Perhaps the most popularly known method is Chekhovs Gun. No, not Mr Chekov from Star Trelk.

Chekhov's gun is a literary technique where an element is introduced early in the story, but its significance does not become clear until later on. For example, a character may find a mysterious object that eventually becomes crucial to the plot, but at the time the object is found it does not seem to be important.

Pretty cool info there. I know they do it for the purpose of moving the story. Its a catch-22. If the good guy suddenly finds the "chekhov's gun", without any foreshadowing, then the viewer will say "that's bullsh-t, that just came out of nowhere"...but if they are too obvious then the viewer (reader) will say "I saw it coming from miles away"

To do it just right, to strike the balance, is greatness. SIXTH SENSE'S twist, which was foreshadowed early on, was, I think, the best ever. FIGHT CLUB's twist as well, is long hinted at in the movie, in retrospec, but I didn't see it coming.

Rob