Writing a story in real time.

[drc]

What are your thoughts on writing a story in real time. For example:

After refusing to sell out to a much larger organization, a family-ran criminal organization, on the verge of collapsing due to internal struggles, has 100 minutes to unite and prepare for their much larger nemesis, that intends to come at them with full force.

I know the log line needs help but what do you think. How do you feel about writing this idea in real time. No flashback, no overnights, just a couple of linear and intertwining stories about what four different members of the organization are doing to prepare for this. Would it cause problems with structure, scenes, holding the audiences attention.

Your thoughts appreciated.

 

[Murdock]

Kinda like 24??

 

[drc]

Kinda like 24??

Yea but this would be about 60% longer. Also 24 has a seasonal arc (I think) where each episode carries on a premise and story already established earlier. With a movie, however, you would need to introduce the premise in real time and solve the conflict in real time.

 

[DangerDigital]

Kinda like 24??

I thought the same thing. lol.

 

[Uranium City]

Check out the Johnny Depp movie Nick of Time which was an action movie done in real time and kept me quite entertained. You might get some pointers there on where/how to place your major turning point events.

 

[DangerDigital]

Phonebooth was real time.

Was it called phonebooth?

I have no idea, is that even a real movie, or is it medication time again?

 

[wheatgrinder]

run Lola run was fun too.. but it had some time twistyness that made it faster\slower than realtime..

 

[directorik]

I am a fanatic for real time stories. My 2006 feature "dark crimes" is
in real time.

I see a few issues in your story, but nothing that can't be worked out.
You should write it.

 

[harmonica44]

Personally I find that real time can limit the number of twists and turns a story has. 24 can make up for it since it's 24 hours long. But in the 90 minute 24 TV movie 24: Redemption, not much really happened. This is because real time can cause there not being enough time for a lot to unfold. If a story is allowed SKIP ahead in time, more can happen, sometimes. This is why I prefer epic crime dramas that take place over weeks or months. But even some of those don't even have as much plot as they could for such a long time line. If you can make the real time work in that short amount of time, go for it.

 

[drc]

Personally I find that real time can limit the number of twists and turns a story has. 24 can make up for it since it's 24 hours long. But in the 90 minute 24 TV movie 24: Redemption, not much really happened. This is because real time can cause there not being enough time for a lot to unfold. If a story is allowed SKIP ahead in time, more can happen, sometimes. This is why I prefer epic crime dramas that take place over weeks or months. But even some of those don't even have as much plot as they could for such a long time line. If you can make the real time work in that short amount of time, go for it.

I feel ilk the real time format can really help plot twists. If the characters find out, in real time, that something drastic has happened and now they have to change their direction, the audience experiences it with them, in real time. The audience knows exactly how the characters reacted and what is being done to adapt. I feel it creates a strong realistic relationship between the characters and the audiences. I'll definitely check out the 24 movie and the other ones mentioned here.

 

[indietalk]

Kinda like 24??

Yea but this would be about 60% longer.

60% longer than 24 hours?

 

[Lucky Hardwood]

I think that he meant 60% longer than a single episode of "24".

For creating tension and introducing plot twists, you can show the story arcs of both families unfolding together (just like "24" ) and balance the arcs off of each other. You can use color shifting in post to show emotion on an almost subliminal level (see the information on "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps").

I think that you have a possible winner there.

 

[harmonica44]

I feel ilk the real time format can really help plot twists. If the characters find out, in real time, that something drastic has happened and now they have to change their direction, the audience experiences it with them, in real time. The audience knows exactly how the characters reacted and what is being done to adapt. I feel it creates a strong realistic relationship between the characters and the audiences. I'll definitely check out the 24 movie and the other ones mentioned here.

Perhaps it can strengthen the twists them selves but you are still limited to what twists can be unfolded in such short time. The movie Nick of Time was a good example. It's about trying to prevent an assassination, before a big political speech. However that's all it was about. It couldn't go into any other plots cause it didn't have enough time for any series of events to occur to lead into other plots. I like movies where the actual plot and premise keep changing throughout, rather, than just have the same single premise keep happening for 90 minutes, like that movie. Nick of Time was fairly good, but it was kind of the same thing happening throughout. A close call could be assassination attempt, followed by another one, followed by another one, etc. Nothing wrong with that at all, I just think it can restrict coming up with plot after plot for a thriller.

The script I'm writing now, I'm trying to have the plot change up as much as I can for variety. It starts out as a crime investigation/indictment, then changes to protecting the witness from being killed, while hiding out, then changes to a kidnapping double cross, then a courtroom drama for a significant amount of time, then when you think it's over, it starts all over again, and becomes different premises that go one into the other, without being the same premise sort of repeating itself. You can still do that of course, though and Nick of Time did it well for what it was. I just think it's less common to stretch it out and more plot shifts, which could require no real time though. Or maybe I just suck at thinking up good plots to take place in such a restricting amount of time. With unlimited time, I can do what I want.