Spoilers Star Trek: Picard General Discussion Thread

[Danja]

Network TV scripts were four acts, plus a teaser if that was part of a given series format.

The old Quinn Martin shows (Cannon, Barnaby Jones, The Fugitive, etc.) had intertitle cards spelling out each act (Act I, Act II, etc.).

 

[Firebird]

The old Quinn Martin shows (Cannon, Barnaby Jones, The Fugitive, etc.) had intertitle cards spelling out each act (Act I, Act II, etc.).

As did the original pre-airing version of "Where No Man Has Gone Before."

 

[Danja]

I hate this cookie-cutter system, but there's also the pacing of the script. It's 90-120 pages for a screenplay. One page is supposed to represent approximately one minute of screentime. Then there's the Syd Field paradigm. There are three acts.

Act I is the first 25% of the story, Act II is the next 50%, and Act III is the last 25%. In theory. It's almost never this exact but we'll pretend it is.

In Act I, you introduce the characters, what their world is like, and establish what's normal. You also set up what the main conflict is going to be. Then, by the end of of the first act, there's an Inciting Incident that disrupts what's normal.

In Act II, the protagonists have to navigate through this changed situation and by the middle of Act II, 50% of the way through the script, they hit a Point Of No Return, where they're committed to this path now and there's no going back. By the end of the second act, 75% of the way through the script, things look their bleakest and all hope is lost until there's a ray of sunshine, newfound hope...

Which brings us to Act III, the last 25% of the script, where everything's finally firing on all cylinders, and leads up to the Climax at the 90-95% mark where the hero saves the day, the wrong is righted, and the goal is achieved. The last 5-10% is the resolution where we see where everyone ends up.

Formulaic as all Hell, but there you have it. That's the crap we were taught to write in Screenwriting Class. If you want to know why most movies seem formulaic, that's why. Then it's up to a good Screenwriter to find a way to make a good story despite this paradigm.

Then you have films like Memento, Sliding Doors, and Being John Malkovich who proceed to shoot it all to Hell.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

My season 3 DVD set arrived today so we begin watching tonight. But I'll stick to one episode each night and no binging

 

[Commander Troi]

Any interesting extras?

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Any interesting extras?

Not really. There is a feature about the main baddy, a gag reel, deleted scenes and other extras.

Having episode 1 and 2 (i broke my rule) the main baddy is comically over the top bad.

 

[Lord Garth]

Any interesting extras?

Half the episodes have Commentary Tracks, which I find to be a HUGE improvement. I was disappointed that the other seasons of New Trek didn't have many of them.

Then you have films like Memento, Sliding Doors, and Being John Malkovich who proceed to shoot it all to Hell.

All great movies!

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Yep I looked at the rest of the disks and s lot of episodes have commentaries which is really nice.

Might get to listen to those after I finish the series.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

After episode 3 I think this is worse then season 2

 

[Campe]

I’m rather outspoken about how much I didn’t like Picard season 3. But I will say episodes 4 and 5 are very good. The rest of the season? Not so much.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I finished the train ride......... It wasn't great, neither was it wholly bad, it had moments

 

[Nerys Myk]

I finished the train ride......... It wasn't great, neither was it wholly bad, it had moments

That much fanwanking can't be healthy.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

That much fanwanking can't be healthy.

The most egregious bit was the final scene

 

[fireproof78]

That much fanwanking can't be healthy.

Probably should see a doctor.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

That much fanwanking can't be healthy.

Is that why I have hairy knuckles?

 

[cooleddie74]

It would explain my double case of carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Is that why I have hairy knuckles?

And poor vision?

 

[cooleddie74]

I'm over here, Dude....

 

[The Wormhole]

I'm over here, Dude....

Actually, first is the line "I'm right in the corner, watching you kiss her." Then comes "I'm right over here" and, oh, wait, this isn't a song lyric thread?

Never mind.

 

[Lord Garth]

I've been re-watching VOY, starting from Season 4. Plus "Scorpion, Part I", which I wasn't going to leave out based on a technicality. I'm up to "The Killing Game". (VOY during the week, Disco during the weekend is how I'm splitting my rewatches up). It's interesting looking at how Seven of Nine starts off, compared to where she ends up at the end of PIC.

I have some thoughts about Seven's arc throughout both series, but they're premature, so I'll hold off for now. I'm also taking mental notes about what could be followed up upon in the Delta Quadrant if Legacy ever goes there.