The latest abridged script‘s opening made me laugh out loud:
EXT. LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES is getting ASS-FUCKED by ALIENS.
VARIOUS MARINES IN HELICOPTERS
(shouting)
OO-RAH! LET’S GO GET THOSE ALIENS!
AUDIENCE
Yay, they’re getting directly into the action! Maybe this will do that good-movie thing of jumping right in and cleverly filling us in on the backstory as we go along.
(pause)
Or it might do that bad-movie thing where...
TITLE CARD: “36 HOURS EARLIER”
AUDIENCE
Fuck.
Once the chuckles abated, I had to search hard to find out what kind of storytelling device this is: a how we got here trope.
I used to think this device/trope was a nicely grabby way of starting off stories until Battlestar: Galactica killed that enjoyment with overuse in its second season.
I inwardly groan whenever I see such a title card now. For me, it’s become an unnecessary obstacle a film or show has to overcome for me to continue watching. Grinning and baring it has been occasionally rewarding – Breaking Bad and Band of Brothers come to mind – but for the most part, deservedly or no, a time-travelling title card provides an excuse to stop watching and move on to the next show.
And how would yours truly do it?
In film, Memento and 21 Grams have shown the way in forcing your audience to work without title cards.
As for TV, I wouldn’t use it in a pilot
And as for Battle Los Angeles, I enjoyed it immensely despite health advisories from Mr Ebert and Mr Slevin. Maybe my low expectations carried me over that title card hurdle.
