A friend of mine recently sent me the link to a Variety article addressing the evolution of character/story arc in both TV and Film. The final verdict; TV shows, rather than films, provide a stronger foundation for believable character development and elaborate story arcs. While I believe this argument to be true, one must take into account relativity, or the context in which TV shows and movies are developed. Not all TV shows exercise the option for elongated story arcs, simply because the show's premise doesn't fit to the mold. For example, a sketch comedy show like MADtv doesn't have grandeur story arcs, but shows like The Wire, Lost and Mad Men take full advantage of the "novelistic latitude."
The same relativity holds true for film. Movies such as Date Movie or Disaster Movie have minimal character depth, while on the other hand, films like Lost in Translation or American Beauty offer stronger, more developed story arcs and character revelation. In other words, as with TV, a film's substance is largely dependent upon any number of factors, but predominantly the Writer's voice. This being stated, film (typically with a 90-120 minute time limitation) can only accomplish so much, where as a full season of TV (anywhere from 12-24 hours) offers greater latitude for development.
The original Variety article can be found here.
Welcome...
I'm Adam Reynolds, a producer, writer, and surfer based in Los Angeles. I use this space to catalog my media consumption, post research and pay tribute to the people and events that inspire my career. I can also be found on Twitter, or for examples of my production work, visit here. Feel free to email me with any questions or comments. Thanks for visiting.January 30, 2009
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