The Pace Is Too Fast?

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  • The Pace Is Too Fast?

    I was browsing Syd Field's The Screenwriter's Problem Solver, mostly just looking at the checklists before the chapters because the book is so freaking dense, and he mentioned pace but said to be conscious of whether the pace is too slow or too fast.

    Too fast?

    For the life of me, I cannot think of a movie where I thought at the end, "If only it hadn't been so fast-paced."

    I'm really left scratching my head here. Anyone care to offer some insight?

    "We're all immigrants now, man."
    - Zia (Patrick Fugit), "Wristcutters: A Love Story"

  • #2
    Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

    Responding to my own post here...does "too fast-paced" refer more to having too much going on in a script or there's no relief from the non-stop action rather than an overall fast clip?

    "We're all immigrants now, man."
    - Zia (Patrick Fugit), "Wristcutters: A Love Story"

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    • #3
      Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

      It might be that, or it might be that the pace feels truncated or unnaturally swift. That is to say, the writer might be plucking the fruit before it's ripe.

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      • #4
        Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

        I can think of plenty of movies where the ending has been to swift.. came about far too fast.. but a movie as a whole... I don't know. I imagine there are, but can't think of any.
        I recently watched 3:10 To Yuma, and thought the ending was far too swift, and was somewhat of a let down to an otherwise enjoyable movie.

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        • #5
          Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

          Originally posted by boski
          Too slow is deifnitely much more of a real problem than too fast. (except in sexual matters; then the reverse is true.)

          Not to speak for Syd, but something that comes to mind for me that might be considered "too fast" are those movies where the lovers fall in love too fast. I know I've been watching movies with a love-story, and I've felt like things moved too quickly. The lovers went from strangers to passionatley in love too quickly.

          Something similar in a recent film--THE LOOKOUT. In that movie, I felt like the bad guys layed out their entire bank-robbery plan way too abruptly and early to the protagonist, given where they were in their relationship with the guy. They barely knew him when they put the whole scheme on the table and enlisted his help. Seemed unrealistic and a bit "too fast" for the plot.
          That's a really great post, boski.

          "We're all immigrants now, man."
          - Zia (Patrick Fugit), "Wristcutters: A Love Story"

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          • #6
            Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

            I'm going to chime in here, because I was actually thinking about this the other day while watching BLACK WATER - It's essentially a giant Croc movie. The main characters get stuck way too early in the film - like, within ten minutes.

            There was no build-up or character development, which in the end, made me care very little about them. I guess it's a tough balancing act - pacing is an artform unto itself.
            @TerranceMulloy

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            • #7
              Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

              Oceans Thirteen was on crack the way the first act was executed. They crammed so much information to get the ball rolling. They understood that the audience knew these characters and they took advantage of that fact. I think even well extablished characters need small moments to have some breathing room before diving into the plot. When everything happening is only serving the spine of the story, it feels fast.

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              • #8
                Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

                Originally posted by velysai View Post
                I was browsing Syd Field's The Screenwriter's Problem Solver, mostly just looking at the checklists before the chapters because the book is so freaking dense, and he mentioned pace but said to be conscious of whether the pace is too slow or too fast.

                Too fast?

                For the life of me, I cannot think of a movie where I thought at the end, "If only it hadn't been so fast-paced."

                I'm really left scratching my head here. Anyone care to offer some insight?
                This is why you use Beat Sheets to hit those beats, lower tension and increase tension so you hit the marks at certain times during the script. Audiences are like sheep and with genre films they expect something to happened at those expected beats.

                Joseph Campbell's Monomyth = 19 beats or sequences

                Christopher Vogler's Writer's Journey = 17 beats or sequences

                Blake Snyder's BS2 = 15 beats or sequences

                There are others of course..

                The idea being these sequences happen at specific set times within your script with the Blake Snyder model there is a beat sheet calculator to calculate the beats for any length of movie here http://www.rareform.com/screenplay-editor/beats.php

                But for the others you need to work it out..

                The idea being you build up from a valley where nothing much happens to a peak of conflict and excitement.

                Any pacing relates to the timing between the beats.. Receding, slowing down after a beat (valley) and then building momentum and speed to reach a beat (peak)..

                Quick, slow, quick, slow, quick.. Etc...

                Looking at Blake Snyder's BS2:

                Opening Image: pg 1
                Establish Theme: pgs 1 - 5
                Setup: pgs 1 - 10
                Inciting Incident: 12
                Debate - Half Commitment: pgs 12 - 25
                Turn to Act II: 25
                Subplot intro by: pg 30
                Fun - Games - Puzzles: pgs 30 - 55
                Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal: pg 55
                Enemy Closes In: pgs 55 - 75
                Low Point: pg 75
                Darkest Decision: pgs 75 - 85
                Turn to Act III: pg 85
                Finale - Confrontation: pgs 85 - 107
                Aftermath: pgs 107 - 110
                Final Image: pg 110

                Make page #1 rapid paced, then slow it down until you get to the end of page #4, leave a cliff hanger, force the reader to turn the page then make page #5 rapid paced, repeat for the remaining beats.

                Obviously the rapid paced nature of your writing will not fit on a single page for each beat but the idea is to capture a sense of excitement, a big moment at those point or beats within the script, like valleys and peaks with lowering and raising stakes, resolution and conflict, initiate and react..

                Only used as an example but you can use the beats to structure pace as well as the plot..

                For Campbell's Monomyth and Vogler's Writer's Journey you'll need to work out the beats for the sequences depending on your screenplay's intended page count. With the Blake Snyder BS2 you have the calculator to do this for you http://www.rareform.com/screenplay-editor/beats.php

                Bill Martell talks about the same thing in one of his excellent Blue Books:
                #2 SECRET OF OUTLINING -- Various outline methods, examples, pacing your script, more! (48 pages -- $4.99 + $1 P&H) http://www.scriptsecrets.net/products/bluebook.htm

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                • #9
                  Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

                  Opening Image: pg 1
                  Establish Theme: pgs 1 - 8
                  Setup: pgs 1 - 16
                  Inciting Incident: 20
                  Debate - Half Commitment: pgs 20 - 41
                  Turn to Act II: 41
                  Subplot intro by: pg 49
                  Fun - Games - Puzzles: pgs 49 - 90
                  Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal: pg 90
                  Enemy Closes In: pgs 90 - 123
                  Low Point: pg 123
                  Darkest Decision: pgs 123 - 139
                  Turn to Act III: pg 139
                  Finale - Confrontation: pgs 139 - 175
                  Aftermath: pgs 175 - 180
                  Final Image: pg 180

                  Some questions about my set up...

                  What exactly is debate - half commitment: Is that like a fued between characters about a decision to go about doing something. Like, if there is a cave, do they argue and talk about why they should and why they should not go in? And if this is correct, 20 pages/20 minutes of this is quite long don't you think?
                  We Are Legion.

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                  • #10
                    Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

                    Originally posted by Raw_and_Vital View Post
                    Opening Image: pg 1
                    Establish Theme: pgs 1 - 8
                    Setup: pgs 1 - 16
                    Inciting Incident: 20
                    Debate - Half Commitment: pgs 20 - 41
                    Turn to Act II: 41
                    Subplot intro by: pg 49
                    Fun - Games - Puzzles: pgs 49 - 90
                    Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal: pg 90
                    Enemy Closes In: pgs 90 - 123
                    Low Point: pg 123
                    Darkest Decision: pgs 123 - 139
                    Turn to Act III: pg 139
                    Finale - Confrontation: pgs 139 - 175
                    Aftermath: pgs 175 - 180
                    Final Image: pg 180

                    Some questions about my set up...

                    What exactly is debate - half commitment: Is that like a fued between characters about a decision to go about doing something. Like, if there is a cave, do they argue and talk about why they should and why they should not go in? And if this is correct, 20 pages/20 minutes of this is quite long don't you think?
                    Jesus Christ!

                    That's a 180 minute screenplay you're writing there!!!

                    Please tell me this is not a Spec Script?

                    Some would argue 90, or 100 or 110 pages for a Spec Script and in some cases 120 but 180?

                    That's an Historical Epic, man!

                    Your proposed script is way too long, man..

                    Bring it down a notch or two.. Say to 100 pages..

                    <- Shock, Horror!!!

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                    • #11
                      Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

                      Opening Image: pg 1
                      Establish Theme: pgs 1 - 5
                      Setup: pgs 1 - 10
                      Inciting Incident: 12
                      Debate - Half Commitment: pgs 12 - 25
                      Turn to Act II: 25
                      Subplot intro by: pg 30
                      Fun - Games - Puzzles: pgs 30 - 55
                      Tentpole - Midpoint - Reversal: pg 55
                      Enemy Closes In: pgs 55 - 75
                      Low Point: pg 75
                      Darkest Decision: pgs 75 - 85
                      Turn to Act III: pg 85
                      Finale - Confrontation: pgs 85 - 107
                      Aftermath: pgs 107 - 110
                      Final Image: pg 110

                      Debate - Half Commitment: pgs 12 - 25

                      This debate section is just that - a debate. It's the last chance for the Hero to say. "This is crazy." And we need him or her to realize that. "Should I go?" "Dare I go?" "Sure it's dangerous out there, but what's my choice?" "Stay here?"

                      The moment of truth may not be so clear cut. The debate section must ask a question of some kind. Usually something negative happens to the hero and this seques into them making that decision to act, to venture into ACT II..

                      Once the hero makes that decision it is not Half Commitment, the hero has to be fully committed, that's the choice they make after debating with themselves and the result is the hero acts upon it. Moves forward fully commited.

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                      • #12
                        Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

                        I don't want this to become a discusion about the pros and cons of using those cookie-cutter, specific templates (this goes on this page; that goes on that page -- I like to work a little more organically when I outline). God knows we have enough of those threads.

                        I was just looking for an explanation of "too fast"? Obviously, it varies per user. Some great observations have been posted by several people already. Personally I like "fast" when I'm watching movies. I don't like "choppy".

                        "We're all immigrants now, man."
                        - Zia (Patrick Fugit), "Wristcutters: A Love Story"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The Pace Is Too Fast?

                          I believe a recent example of this is "Aliens Vs. Predator 2: Requiem".

                          This movie is TERRIBLE (IMO) because it has no real act structure. I am all for challenging convention if it is warranted, but this movie is a prime example of what Angeloworx stated.

                          The Predalien (Predator-Alien hybrid) bursts out of the predator's chest on board the ship, slays everyone on board, the ship crashes in the woods of a Colorado town, the face huggers escape and quickly subdue a father and sun who are hunting. Not only that, but a Predator "Cleaner" is dispatched from the Predator home world to clean up this mess. This is all within the first five to seven minutes!

                          I am all for slam-bang action films, but it just doesn't stop once the ship crashes. We get one or two minute scenes with the teens and other adults who will be the fodder for this Alien/Predator war... And then bam! We're off to the races again because the chest bursters and Predalien are now devouring townspeople left and right AND the Predator Cleaner has arrived on scene and is mopping up. The movie is only 93 minutes, but there is just too much going on IMO given the film is supposed to be taking place in "real time".
                          Positive outcomes. Only.

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