Browncoats in the Army of Independance

, Browncoats , C. David Dent ,

I have this idea that is similar to the original Browncoat fan site.  They'd award points for doing activities.  I wonder if that idea could be revived.  The model I was thinking was the "Cheddar Knights Academy" concept the folks over at Darths and Droids are doing.

Here is a suggested set of rules (based heavily on the D&D rules):

• Browncoats must be registered on the "browncoat forum (whever this is hosted)" to join the Independant Army.
• Challenges are worth points as described on each task.
• All challenges will remain open until (some date TBD).
• One new challenge will be posted each Monday.
• Browncoats, of course, must wear their brown coat* during all challenges.
• Points are awarded at the discretion of the Independant Army Command upon receipt of evidence of challenge completion. The Independant Army Command are calling the shots so their decisions are above reproach.
• The Independant Army Command may award bonus "style" points at their discretion for challenges completed in particularly Browncoat-y ways. Browncoats are strongly encouraged to try to gain style points!
• Browncoats may re-attempt challenges to improve their scores if they desire. New points will replace the previously scored points, not add to them.
• Browncoats do not engage in rules lawyering. Browncoats, in fact, HATE lawyers as they are the essence of Alliance meddlin'.  However, Browncoatsdo respect order so try to adhere to the spirit of competiton without resulting to flaming, name-callin, cheatin' or killin' each other.  Do the neighborly thing.

 * A Browncoat, A Cunnin' Hat, a Hawaiian Shirt, A pair of suspenders with "bits" added, A Jumpsuit (with or without flowers painted on it), a Gentlemanly Vest, a neck-string and firearm (or replica firearm), or a Frilly Skirt and Combat Boots.

Some sample tasks (in no particular order):

• Acquire ONE of a Browncoat, A Cunnin' Hat, a Hawaiian Shirt, A Pair of Suspenders with "bits" added, A Jumpsuit (with or without flowers painted on it), a Gentlemanly Vest, a neck-string and firearm (or replica firearm), or a Frilly Skirt and Combat Boots. This is your "brown coat" and will be required for each of your tasks. Passing this first task establishes your "brown coat" for all of your challenges.
• Assemble a "Browncoat-y outfit" suitable for a shindig or fer watchin' Firefly or Serenity in. 
• Write an essay about Firefly or Serenity.
• Do some good works - Donate at least $10 to a charity.
• Watch the BDM with someone who hasn't seen it before.
• Obtain a loaner set of Firefly and loan it out.
• Have a letter, essay, or voicemail about Firefly/Serenity read or discussed on apodcast.
• Appear or help with a fan-produced media production (podcast, movie, series)
• Help with organizing/setting up/running/cleaning up after a Browncoat-themed event (Fan-track at a con, shindig, CSTS Showing)
• Show a video of your home world in the 'Verse
• Show a video of your ship and her crew (And if it's a solo ship, that's ok) - All Browncoats from the same crew will get the same points.
  
• Visit a Browncoat Themed Event.

You kind of get the idea.  Heather has had a lot of fun doing her Cheddar Monk Academy tasks and this would be a neat way to keep going with the fun.

Care to Comment?

36 hours ago...

, Writing , C. David Dent ,

Last night's episdoe of Fringe opened in media res with an action-packed teaser.  Heather turned to me and said "I hope this isn't one of those 20 hours ago things."  I had to agree with her.  Cue the credits, a commercial break and then 36 hours ago caption on the screen.

Once upon a time, the flash-forward teaser was cutting-edge.  Few people were doing it and it made for compelling TV.  It allowed you to start in the middle of something and then fill in the story.  But frankly, it has become lazy storytelling of late.

Case In Point:

A recent episode of V featured a thrilling adventure with this opening scene:

Kyle Hobbes takes aim with a stinger missile launcher. He fires. KABOOM! It’s a direct hit! A V shuttle explodes in the sky. Jack realizes something isn’t right. He races to the scattered wreckage. The shuttle was supposed to be filled with V trackers sent by Anna to hunt down those responsible for stopping her soldier. But there weren’t any trackers onboard. No, this shuttle was carrying humans.

 The show then jumps backwards to show the progression of the story then shows us a recap of the opening scene and then continues the story.  It was clear what had happened in the opening.  I saw only a few lines of dialog that needed to be added to the opener to expand on what had happened up to that point.

It would have been so much more compelling if we had just kep going from the opening scene.  Then, we could have had real emotional dialog as they run over what they had planned looking for where it could have gone wrong.  They could have had real tense investigation as they track down the possible leak.

We could have completely avoided going over the same thing we'd already seen and gotten right to the gripping revelation that they unintentionally and innocently did it to themselves. We might have even seen some real acting and growth in these characters.

In the Fringe episode it was less egregious.  I understand the desire to make the body found to be unexplained which added tension. I can see how there was a need to explain the presence of the other characters (even though they didn't last long) but I am not sure that I needed to see it presented that way.  The cancer-ridden body wasn't identifiable and so it could have been cut in a way to eliminate the flash-forward in favor of a cut placed just after they are in a circle and the one character falls down.

Then we cut to Twolivia (clever, eh?) with infected!Charlie arriving on the scene...more or less what we saw in the teaser. I think it would have been more compelling and certainly less jarring.

And less jarring is my point. It sort of takes the wind out of our sails to have an action-packed opener followed by a milquetoast lead-in. I understand that the teaser+three-act structure doesn't leave you alot of leeway for plot but the "N-hours before" storytelling pattern is getting tiresome. It is robbing your shows of energy.

I suspect this is some sort of network inititive to try to catch viewers in the first few moments of a show.  Those precious seconds of slop-over when their DVR catches the beginning of the next show or that they come back from the toilet break during the credits and have yet to change the channel.

And while it might grab a couple of hundred viewers for a few seconds they'll be completely lost again when it hits them with "N-hours before".  The energy is gone. 

                                                                   __Finale__
TEASER_____                                __Act III___/
                  |n-hours later           /
                  |              __Act II__/
                  |__Act I__/ 

Compare that to this

                                                                              __Finale__
                                                              __Act III__/ 
                                               __Act II__/
TEASER___                  __Act II__/
               \ __ACT I__/

What happens in the first is that you have to kill all the momentum of your story and hope that the anticipation of what has been seen will hold to fuel that extra jump in intensity between Act II and Act III.  That is needed to make the viewer feel like they've had a good ride on the show with an energy level at the end abovethe energy level at the beginning.

It can be done, but as the structure gets overused the anticipation gets lessened until that boost isn't realized.

By sticking to the more traditional second structure the energy level is an extra degree higher at the end leaving viewers feeling excited at the end of the hour. The slow build asks less of your audience to bring to the process.

I think it is time to give "N-hours before" a rest for a while. It isn't as edgy as it used to be and in the long run you are going to hurt your shows by over-using it.

Care to Comment?