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Jul. 1st, 2020
Spork: Eragon Movie article
Jul. 1st, 2020 02:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ultimate_cheetah I found this article about what Fox should do to make a sucessful Eragon movie- and a couple minutes into reading the article, I was internally screaming. So, being the person that I am, I decided to spork it. The article can be found here: http://www.shurtugal.com/2015/03/20/what-does-fox-need-to-do-to-remake-a-successful-eragon-movie-part-one/
( Prepare Yourselves... )
Should the franchise be rebooted, the production team doesn’t need to worry about the unknown. The series is finished and we’re sure Christopher would be eager to answer any questions the team behind a film had to ask.
With enough dropped plot threads to ensnare the Titantic.
By looking ahead, planning for long-term plotlines, and understanding the implications of seemingly minor plot points, the team will enjoy a story that flows and a happy fan community.
The story flows about as well as a pile of dung. Also, if you have a happy fan community, you'll have unhappy feminists, Social Justice Activists, and people who like decent movies.
Consider splitting the books into more than four films
I'm obviously hallucinating right now, because no one would ever write this. Right? Right?
The decision to split final books such as Mockingjay, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Allegiance were met with skepticism and anger by fans. Mockingjay part one and Deathly Hallows part one were both plagued by a sense of a slow, unfulfilled plot – something audiences and critics immediately noticed.
Like the whole IC, then.
However, there may simply be too much plot within the four books to successfully tell the story in just four movies.
I shouldn't have eaten those olives. I knew they smelled funny.
Five, or even six, films may be required to tell the stories in Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance, and that’s okay.
*Takes a shot.*
To do this successfully, however, will require care to ensure that each film feels like a full movie in its own right and maintains proper pacing.
*Takes another shot.*
By carefully analyzing the need for this change and avoiding decisions solely based on profit, Fox may be able to successfully split one or more books into multiple movies, allowing for a better-paced franchise.
*Chugs.* I think that may be too muceheirkjgmkdfsijugyrrfhujikl,.;/.
You know what? I think an accurate Eragon movie, with a few changes, can be made.
15 minutes can be of Brom beating the crap out of Eragon with a large stick.
30 minutes can be of them traveling.
The Ra'zac's disappearance is explained. They're just taking an anachronistic coffee break, and talking about how they'll retire in two weeks so they don't have to be in this idiot fantasy land anymore.
Ra'zac: Two weeksssss till Florida.
( Prepare Yourselves... )Let Christopher write the script. Before embarking on his upcoming scifi novel, Christopher wrote a screenplay for a science fiction movie. He has the know-how and experience to tackle such a project, and he knows the world better than anyone else. This would ensure that the core elements of the book remain the same, that the plot and characters translate well, and that any necessary changes work go over well with the audience and aid the film’s overall plot.
Hell no. Just look at how long and bloated his book are. You cannot have that with a movie script. Unless...
Producer: Chris, this is 200 pages and only half of the book. It's way too long.
Ken Paolini *Looms in the shadows with a spiked bat, while tapping it menacingly. Inheritance fans surround him.*: You said it was too long. We don't like those words.
Producer: *steps back*
Consult with him every step of the way, from screenplay writing to casting and set design. Get his blessing on changes, ask for his input, and bounce ideas off of him. Pick his brain on the intricacies of the world. Take advantage of that resource!
( Read more... )
First of all, the IC does not deserve a large budget. Second of all, there are no "big ideas" in the cycle. Third of all, who the hell would pour money into this thing?
Don’t stray far from the books
Ummm...
The unfortunate reality of book-to-movie adaptations is that changes need to be made. In some cases, events in a novel may not translate well to the big scene.
Like the racism, the sexism...
We’ve seen such changes made to Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, and others. Most of these changes had the blessing of the authors, and in all of our examples (with the exception of Lord of the Rings, for obvious reasons), the authors worked closely with the production team to assist with those changes.
No way Chris will allow anything that he doesn't like happen to his Sue. (Otherwise known as "anything that would give the story conflict.)
Changes are inevitable, but good intentions, informed decisions, and proper care can help ensure that these changes stay true to the series and don’t detract from the heart of the story.
The story has no heart! The whole thing is a bunch of ideas and better books sewn together into a horrific Frankenstein's monster! (With all respect to Frakenstein's monster.)
Hell no. Just look at how long and bloated his book are. You cannot have that with a movie script. Unless...
Producer: Chris, this is 200 pages and only half of the book. It's way too long.
Ken Paolini *Looms in the shadows with a spiked bat, while tapping it menacingly. Inheritance fans surround him.*: You said it was too long. We don't like those words.
Producer: *steps back*
Consult with him every step of the way, from screenplay writing to casting and set design. Get his blessing on changes, ask for his input, and bounce ideas off of him. Pick his brain on the intricacies of the world. Take advantage of that resource!
( Read more... )Films do not need mega-budgets to be successful. Sure, a large war chest of cash will allow the production crew more freedom in exploring big ideas, but sometimes a large budget can get out of hand. Consider Transformers: the movies have a massive budget, and while they have found commercial appeal, the films’ quality is regularly panned by critics and audiences. Money is not an essential element in the creation of a successful film, but it certainly helps
First of all, the IC does not deserve a large budget. Second of all, there are no "big ideas" in the cycle. Third of all, who the hell would pour money into this thing?
Don’t stray far from the books
Ummm...
The unfortunate reality of book-to-movie adaptations is that changes need to be made. In some cases, events in a novel may not translate well to the big scene.
Like the racism, the sexism...
We’ve seen such changes made to Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, and others. Most of these changes had the blessing of the authors, and in all of our examples (with the exception of Lord of the Rings, for obvious reasons), the authors worked closely with the production team to assist with those changes.
No way Chris will allow anything that he doesn't like happen to his Sue. (Otherwise known as "anything that would give the story conflict.)
Changes are inevitable, but good intentions, informed decisions, and proper care can help ensure that these changes stay true to the series and don’t detract from the heart of the story.
The story has no heart! The whole thing is a bunch of ideas and better books sewn together into a horrific Frankenstein's monster! (With all respect to Frakenstein's monster.)
Look at the big picture
This one seems a bit obvious, but we’re left wondering if the team behind the original Eragon film read and understood Eldest before writing the screenplay.
No one wants to read about training and hairless groins.
Significant changes were made that would have affected the story in future films, and in some cases, would have entirely prevented or ruined major plot points, including the final battle,
copied from David Eddings and won by a Deus Ex Machina.
Roran’s story,
Boring/Horrific.
the lack of dwarves and elves,
The former are generic, and the latter are evil and creepy.
Angela’s role,
WHYYYY??!! No one wants to read about an annoying...
and missed characters such as Orik and Solembum.
Both unnecessary.
Christopher should have been consulted on future plotlines.
After the mess he made of the second to fourth books?
No one wants to read about training and hairless groins.
Significant changes were made that would have affected the story in future films, and in some cases, would have entirely prevented or ruined major plot points, including the final battle,
copied from David Eddings and won by a Deus Ex Machina.
Roran’s story,
Boring/Horrific.
the lack of dwarves and elves,
The former are generic, and the latter are evil and creepy.
Angela’s role,
WHYYYY??!! No one wants to read about an annoying...
and missed characters such as Orik and Solembum.
Both unnecessary.
Christopher should have been consulted on future plotlines.
After the mess he made of the second to fourth books?
Should the franchise be rebooted, the production team doesn’t need to worry about the unknown. The series is finished and we’re sure Christopher would be eager to answer any questions the team behind a film had to ask.
With enough dropped plot threads to ensnare the Titantic.
The story flows about as well as a pile of dung. Also, if you have a happy fan community, you'll have unhappy feminists, Social Justice Activists, and people who like decent movies.
Consider splitting the books into more than four films
I'm obviously hallucinating right now, because no one would ever write this. Right? Right?
The decision to split final books such as Mockingjay, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Allegiance were met with skepticism and anger by fans. Mockingjay part one and Deathly Hallows part one were both plagued by a sense of a slow, unfulfilled plot – something audiences and critics immediately noticed.
Like the whole IC, then.
However, there may simply be too much plot within the four books to successfully tell the story in just four movies.
I shouldn't have eaten those olives. I knew they smelled funny.
Five, or even six, films may be required to tell the stories in Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance, and that’s okay.
*Takes a shot.*
To do this successfully, however, will require care to ensure that each film feels like a full movie in its own right and maintains proper pacing.
*Takes another shot.*
By carefully analyzing the need for this change and avoiding decisions solely based on profit, Fox may be able to successfully split one or more books into multiple movies, allowing for a better-paced franchise.
*Chugs.* I think that may be too muceheirkjgmkdfsijugyrrfhujikl,.;/.
You know what? I think an accurate Eragon movie, with a few changes, can be made.
15 minutes can be of Brom beating the crap out of Eragon with a large stick.
30 minutes can be of them traveling.
The Ra'zac's disappearance is explained. They're just taking an anachronistic coffee break, and talking about how they'll retire in two weeks so they don't have to be in this idiot fantasy land anymore.
Ra'zac: Two weeksssss till Florida.
The Eragon Film could have been good
Jul. 1st, 2020 07:10 pmultramega10 Okay, I know I'm a minority here, but I think Eragon could really work as a film. I mean, the Mortal Instruments movie was actually pretty enjoyable in the theatre because the cast and crew put the work in.
I have several reasons for this.
First off, making the book into a visual medium instantly cuts down on the padding a lot. This, in turn, drastically shortens the time of the various books. You could adapt Eragon into a film or miniseries; you'd just have to alter it in the right ways.
By altering the pacing, you could improve the content of the story. The Ra'zac were creepy and interesting villains. I say completely sincerely that they were gone a disservice by the film producers.
See, my impression of the film is that the people making it more or less concluded they were writing trash. So didn't even try to make it good. They phone in a generic story without trying to make art with what they have. They made a no attempt to maintain canon, and flat out ignored the lore. Granted, the lore wasn't all that great, to begin with. But that isn't an excuse for making changes which render a sequel impossible.
They literally killed off the hero's archenemy three books early. And this isn't something you could dismiss as a minor detail. The Ra'zac were clearly established as such in Book One. Imagine if the movie had been a success and you were hired to write the next one?
You'd have a plotline that requires Eragon to get even with the Ra'zac, with the Ra'zac already dead. Not only that, but they were portrayed as nothing more than mooks. So you have to either scrap the only interesting plotline or contrive some way to bring them back.
So yeah, the movie writers are not off the hook in my books.
Yes, Eragon the movie was awful, as was the book. The movie was going to be hard to make good. But that doesn't mean it is impossible. And I'd like for us to put our heads together and prove as much.
I'd like to make a post series. I'd like to have a discussion on how it would be best to adapt the first Eragon book to a film. For a start, let's talk about the beginning of the story, from Shade of Fear, to when Eragon and Brom set out on their journey.
What would you guys do with this part of the film?
For me, I would break down that sequence of events and figure out what is important.
The following things need to be accomplished:
1: The Empire's tyranny is established.
2: Arya is captured by Durza.
3: Eragon finds the egg, meets Brom and raises Sapphira.
4: Garrow is killed by the Ra'zac, and Eragon swears revenge before setting out on his journey.
5: The Sloan/Eragon feud is established, and Eragon's family are introduced.
These are the core accomplishments of that sequence. Overall, enough important things happen in this sequence, that I think it is worth keeping in some measures. To that end, I would begin much like a canon. But not by riding through the middle of the knight in shining mail. Instead, I'd have her going undercover with a caravan through the spine. Then Durza ambushes it using the urgals. Arya helps the survivors escape by holding off the urgals and killing many. Arya is captured but sends the stone away.
Eragon is then found hunting in the forest. He finds the stone, theorizes it is magical, and then finds some of the people who fled into the wilderness. Eragon offers to lead them back instead of continuing his hunt. He then reveals that urgal attacks have become more and more of a problem. He does some exposition on Carvahall.
The above serves several purposes. First, it establishes Durza as evil and Arya and Eragon as somewhat heroic. Eragon is also established as an accomplished tracker willing to go out of his way to help others.
Anyway, that's my idea for an introduction. What do you think?
Inspiration versus plagairism
Jul. 1st, 2020 10:19 pmedward9When exactly does Paolini cross from inspired by to plagiarism. Dragon Lance is clearly inspired by Tolkien: elves, dwarves, half elves, kender (hobbits), goblins/hobgoblins (orcs), palantir, swords, sorcery, magic towers... but I submit it was original work (probably transcribing some one's D&D session) and not plagiarism. When is the line crossed and when does Paolini cross it?
