If you could change ONE thing in The Hobbit triology

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Marwhini

Does the word "average" mean nothing to people here?

That one chapter contains more visual exposition does not negate the rather lengthier narratives and dialog exposition that exists in other chapters within the book.

Riddles in the Dark being just one scene that would require nearly 30 - 40 minutes for the entire chapter (and about 15 - 20 minutes for JUST the Scene involving purely the Riddle-game.

I can do a scene-by-scene breakdown of a few chapters to give examples.


MB

Please see my last post re: 20 minute scenes. Your concept would require many.

[Marwhini]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Please see my last post re: 20 minute scenes. Your concept would require many.

I do recognize that most "Scenes" are around 3-minutes long.

But The Hobbit has a collection of scenes that would be very long.

The Scene involving the Dwarves showing up at Bilbo's home would be longer than three minutes.

The Scene involving the discussion of his job would be more than three minutes.

The Riddle-game Scene with Gollum would be very long. It is already about 20-minutes in the existing movie.

And each chapter of the book contains a great many "Scenes."

With a 20-minutes:chapter limit, that would limit each chapter to no more than 6-⅔ scenes.

Looking at JUST the first chapter of the book, we have:

• Intro establishing shot of Hobbits, Hobbiton and a Hobbit-Hole
–*The Book has details of Bilbo's life and history, which would need to eventually be dealt with in some way via dialog of some sort. meaning what could be a 30-second establishing shot would need the addition of 2 - 5 minutes of dialog. Of course this exposition needn't be included in this spot in a script. It could be included later in the film.
•*Gandalf showing up at Bilbo's Door, and the "Good Morning" exchange, and invitation to Tea.
•*(Bag End, Tea Time) Dwalin's Arrival, and introduction, Bilbo invites him in, pours Tea, and offers him a cake.
•*Balin's arrival (more dialog about Tea, Cakes, and Beer)
•*Kili and Fili's arrival. Conversation about the "throng" expected, and when the others might arrive (Bilbo begins to show exasperation)
•*Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, & Gloin's arrival.
•*Bilbo rushing about preparing coffee, and serving the dwarves as they talk among themselves.
•*Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Thorin's arrival; including Gandalf (lengthy dialog concerning Bilbo's pantry, the "getting down to Business, Bilbo muttering aloud to himself, setting the table.
•*Eating together.
•*Clearing up with the Song "That's what Bilbo Baggins Hates."
•*Playing of Music (A couple of more lively tunes, followed by the lengthy "Far over the Misty Mountains Cold"
•*THE Business: Lengthy dialog about Erebor, The plans for the Dwarves, and a bit of Hobbit History. Here we have the "Main" Scene of the chapter, including 9 pages of Dialog in the Book, translating to about 12 pages of dialog in a script - that would not include the Direction and Set Instructions).

If you give the main Scene 12 minutes, that only leaves 8 minutes for the remaining 11 Scenes, including two songs that would each take up roughly 2 - 3 minutes each (leaving 2 - 4 minutes for the remaining 9 scenes).

I'm not seeing how 20 minutes is either "stretching" the book, nor "rushing" the book.

MB

[Nerwen]

Marhwini, thus is a reply to your last post, with which I crossed.

You clearly don't grasp my point.

Yes, it is possible to write scenes 20 minutes in length. It is possible to write scenes 300 minutes in length.

The point is that you shouldn't.

Now rules can be broken, and "Three minutes" is a guideline, not an absolute, but I assure you that if you were to submit a script anywhere packed with 12, 15 and 20 minute scenes, it would almost certainly be summarily tossed in the bin.

[Nerwen]

Now can we please just stop this?

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Change one thing?

Easy: reverse the decision to make it in the first place.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Change one thing?

Easy: reverse the decision to make it in the first place.

Unfortunately, that would require Superman to reverse the orbit of the earth, thus changing the whole time/space continuum. Which would be messy, particularly for people with vertigo.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Unfortunately, that would require Superman to reverse the orbit of the earth, thus changing the whole time/space continuum. Which would be messy, particularly for people with vertigo.

Ok ok already...I'll get back to work on the time machine.

My one change would be for the director et al to pick a tone and stick with it. Kids movie? Teen drama? Do physics apply or not?

Will there be a 'message,' will I care about any of these characters, will it make me want to go back and reread the book?

Or, at the end of all things, will I wish that it were never made?