Serialized storytelling has been around for decades. Going back to the early days of cinema, mini-movies, or “serials”, would often play before feature films. It wasn’t enough to watch the main event, you had to find out what’d happen next to Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon too. This was fun, but if you missed an adventure, there’d always be a recap. You weren’t obligated to watch every episode, even if doing so made you feel satisfied.
With the advent of TV, serialized shorts started to be phased out. But then came George Lucas in 1977 with the Star Wars franchise, which was basically theatrical serials for modern audiences. Four years later, Steven Spielberg, together with Lucas, gave us Indiana Jones and his adventures. Both franchises had larger stories, but each entry was also isolated and complete. This was especially true of Indiana Jones: each movie was a self-contained story.
Which leads me to today. While serialized, or long-form, storytelling is back, demonstrating that time’s a circle, the extent of its domination in pop culture can’t be understated. In particular, Disney, which currently owns Star Wars, Marvel and Indiana Jones, has profoundly impacted how serialization has transformed filmmaking. To paraphrase Movies with Mikey, franchises have a beginning and middle, but no end. They add additional lore to established canon constantly. The only “conclusion” they have is an arc, be it a trilogy or saga.
At face-value, this is a problem. How long can a story go on? But here’s where I challenge this by using a different medium: comic books. Comics, like those Marvel movies are based on, have been running for over a century, with longstanding stories culminating in crossover events that impact smaller runs. Even outside of Marvel and DC, Japanese comics, Manga, do the same, except for individual stories. There’s a reason Weekly Shonen Jump compiles action stories in their magazines!
It seems daunting to sift through decades of material, but remember that: a. comics often have recaps. b. the internet’s a great resource. And c. no one’s stopping you from skipping, backtracking or fast-forwarding a story, as it’s not mandatory. Comics don’t have to be a chore.
If comics have made this work, then so too can serialized storytelling. Remember, the Star Wars franchise has recaps in the form of opening crawls. We can easily recite these crawls by heart, but they’re still recaps. They serve the function of getting you caught up. And no one’s complained before, so why start now?
It seems daunting to sift through decades of material, but remember that: a. comics often have recaps. b. the internet’s a great resource. And c. no one’s stopping you from skipping, backtracking or fast-forwarding a story, as it’s not mandatory. Comics don’t have to be a chore.
If comics have made this work, then so too can serialized storytelling. Remember, the Star Wars franchise has recaps in the form of opening crawls. We can easily recite these crawls by heart, but they’re still recaps. They serve the function of getting you caught up. And no one’s complained before, so why start now?
This brings me to my other point: jumping into the middle of a story isn’t new with these sorts of stories. Back in 1977, there was no backstory to introduce the conflict of Star Wars. You had no clue, save the opening crawl, what was going on initially. You aren’t even introduced to Luke Skywalker, the protagonist, until the opening act finishes, and by then at least dozen questions arise. But it doesn’t matter, because you were in the moment.
That’s the key. In writing, there’s something called “being in the moment”. You don’t want a dry opening explaining what you’re venturing into, unless you’re really good at being engaging, because you’ll bore your audience. No one wants a Star Wars movie to begin with lore, but a ship being chased by another, bigger ship? Two robots fleeing a shoot-out? A tall, imposing figure wearing a black suit walking into the hallway, its voice obscured by a breathing apparatus? All set to an arousing score? Sign me up!
Critics of serialized storytelling keep forgetting this. They’re so insistent on being spoon-fed context that they forget that that isn’t the top priority. Focus on engaging the audience, the context comes later! That includes any “catching up” or “homework” you’re expected to do. Be in the moment.
That’s the key. In writing, there’s something called “being in the moment”. You don’t want a dry opening explaining what you’re venturing into, unless you’re really good at being engaging, because you’ll bore your audience. No one wants a Star Wars movie to begin with lore, but a ship being chased by another, bigger ship? Two robots fleeing a shoot-out? A tall, imposing figure wearing a black suit walking into the hallway, its voice obscured by a breathing apparatus? All set to an arousing score? Sign me up!
Critics of serialized storytelling keep forgetting this. They’re so insistent on being spoon-fed context that they forget that that isn’t the top priority. Focus on engaging the audience, the context comes later! That includes any “catching up” or “homework” you’re expected to do. Be in the moment.
I recently started watching Ahsoka in preparation for its finale. I’ve been a fan of Ahsoka Tano since she debuted in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but I don’t need to watch that and other Star Wars shows to be invested. I only need to know that she’s looking for someone, and that she’s afraid of a big baddie’s return. This isn’t subtext, it’s surface text. And it keeps me invested.
Being in the moment doesn’t have to stop at franchises. Look at Hayao Miyazaki’s oeuvre. Look at Castle in the Sky, arguably his most-serialized movie to-date in style. The opening doesn’t have a crawl with text, it drops you in the middle of a battle and expects you to fill in the gaps. We also get no names until a few minutes in, such that I completely misread the opening scene the first time. Context isn’t the top priority, engagement is.
I’m not sure how else to explain this: you want context? Go watch something else. You want to be spoon-fed information? Go to Wikipedia. You want to play catch up? By all means, knock yourself out.
Being in the moment doesn’t have to stop at franchises. Look at Hayao Miyazaki’s oeuvre. Look at Castle in the Sky, arguably his most-serialized movie to-date in style. The opening doesn’t have a crawl with text, it drops you in the middle of a battle and expects you to fill in the gaps. We also get no names until a few minutes in, such that I completely misread the opening scene the first time. Context isn’t the top priority, engagement is.
I’m not sure how else to explain this: you want context? Go watch something else. You want to be spoon-fed information? Go to Wikipedia. You want to play catch up? By all means, knock yourself out.
But to turn around and criticize franchises like Star Wars or The MCU for not immediately filling you in? That’s a you problem. And while it’s frustrating to hear that, I assure you that your brain’s capable of piecing together the context. I trust you. But if not, perhaps franchises aren’t for you?
A thought.
A thought.
Amen. We're seeing a lot of this in the bad-faith complaints about The Marvels: "yOu MeAn I gOtTa WaTcH tHrEe StReAmInG sHoWs To UnDeRsTaNd ThIs MoViE/?" No, you don't! The trailer for the movie literally includes part of the scene in the movie where they explain who Kamala is & what Monica's powers are (& we don't need to explain who Monica or Fury are, because THEY WERE IN THE FIRST ONE).
ReplyDeleteYeah, I guess that also works...
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