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Dear TV writers:
I know that part of the writing process is to make the viewer feel empathy for the characters on the show. This is especially true for crime shows and the desire the writers have to make the viewers feel a connection to the victims because this make the show better. I also understand the in TV writing you have to take shortcuts and it takes work to establish empathy. So instead you choose to make the viewers feel vulnerable and exposed in their real lives -- the whole this could happen to you! schtick. No empathy needed when you lead with FEAR!
But please, make your characters smart/observant enough to be relatable. Now I get that my life experience makes puts me at odds with most TV characters (and by extension, I guess, most viewers). For example: when being chased by someone on/in a vehicle, people on TV run straight down the road. I mean really? You totally have the advantage on foot if just make the sharp turns and head off road. Have these people never played chicken with someone on/in a vehicle? Or driven one themselves? Even if you don't have a handy patch of woods to head to, the sidewalk is always good. Despite what you see on TV, a curb will take out a lot of vehicles -- there's not a 12 or 13-inch rim that can handle one and at speed even the 14 or 16-inch rims will be damaged. (Keeping in mind the variables of height of the curb, speed and the angle at which the car hits the curb.) And even if the tires hold, suspension and steering are probably messed up and that goes to your advantage. Don't believe me? Ask anyone who's ever hit a curb or even driven onto/off one at speed. It's all bad.
I understand that people don't think straight in panic situations. Perhaps, if I was suddenly faced with a car gunning toward me, I may run straight away from it because fear blocks rational thought. However, my flight or fight reflex is heavily weighted toward fight and I can't run worth a damn anyhow.
But I digress. What I really wanted to talk about is the recent string of evil people are using technology to watch you all the time theme that so many shows love to use these days. Like the Criminal Minds episode where the bad guy put cameras in his victims homes. They made the point that these camera's were small -- the 'nannycam' that's only about an inch square. Frightening, right? Except this guy went into other people's homes and attached these cameras to the walls. Or the CSI ep that had some guy living in the attic and drilling hole in the ceiling with a lipstick cam stuck in it. Huh? How does that work? How do you not notice a black 1-inch square thing suddenly appearing on your wall or a hole that was drilled into your ceiling? I notice when there's a spider on my wall, for Pete's sake! My favorite part of the show was when they found were one had been hidden behind a photo-frames that sat on a shelf. If it was behind the photo-frame, all it would video is the BACK of the photo-frame.
Ok -- It would be possible to possible to attach a camera where I might not see it straight way. Say, if it were a small, darker-brown camera you could put it up in the corner of the wall, hiding in the dark brown woodworking that is up there. That actually would give you the best view of the front room anyhow. I will grant you that, with a little more work, they could make the "hide the camera" thing work. Until you consider that the camera needs to be powered. See, all those little tiny cameras -- they don't have a power source included in that tiny profile. They need a battery or electrical outlet to power them. And a camera that sends video and audio over a wifi signal, especially one that runs 24/7? It needs a lot of power. Good luck hiding that.
And I suppose that if someone had access to my house for an extended period of time and had the electrical know-how and the camouflaging savvy, that someone could wire the camera directly into my electrical power and then hide the camera in something that is on my ceiling, like a light fixture. Although even that would be difficult considering the dubious wiring/lighting in my house. But that? A whole lot more work and talent and outright luck than to be seen as a "this could easily happen to you" theme.
And I know that the whole "School spies on students with laptops" was real. But that wasn't video, it was on computers supplied by the school and dealt with a segment of people who tend to live (study, watch TV, sleep) in one small room. And I may be underestimating the power of internet-addiction and the need people have to keep their laptop with them at all times, open and pointed at them so they can get social network updates at all times... Like I said, my life experience is different, so this seems like a stretch to me.
Still, it bugs me. So I want to know, I am wrong? Would you not notice when an odd inch-square black thing appears on your wall? Would you not notice if someone drilled a hole in the ceiling of your bedroom? Do you carry a laptop around and keep it pointed at you at most times? I'm willing to suspend disbelief and accept that my oddness in these matters keep me from relating to what the writing are going for. It will bug me less if I know that it's at least believable.
I know that part of the writing process is to make the viewer feel empathy for the characters on the show. This is especially true for crime shows and the desire the writers have to make the viewers feel a connection to the victims because this make the show better. I also understand the in TV writing you have to take shortcuts and it takes work to establish empathy. So instead you choose to make the viewers feel vulnerable and exposed in their real lives -- the whole this could happen to you! schtick. No empathy needed when you lead with FEAR!
But please, make your characters smart/observant enough to be relatable. Now I get that my life experience makes puts me at odds with most TV characters (and by extension, I guess, most viewers). For example: when being chased by someone on/in a vehicle, people on TV run straight down the road. I mean really? You totally have the advantage on foot if just make the sharp turns and head off road. Have these people never played chicken with someone on/in a vehicle? Or driven one themselves? Even if you don't have a handy patch of woods to head to, the sidewalk is always good. Despite what you see on TV, a curb will take out a lot of vehicles -- there's not a 12 or 13-inch rim that can handle one and at speed even the 14 or 16-inch rims will be damaged. (Keeping in mind the variables of height of the curb, speed and the angle at which the car hits the curb.) And even if the tires hold, suspension and steering are probably messed up and that goes to your advantage. Don't believe me? Ask anyone who's ever hit a curb or even driven onto/off one at speed. It's all bad.
I understand that people don't think straight in panic situations. Perhaps, if I was suddenly faced with a car gunning toward me, I may run straight away from it because fear blocks rational thought. However, my flight or fight reflex is heavily weighted toward fight and I can't run worth a damn anyhow.
But I digress. What I really wanted to talk about is the recent string of evil people are using technology to watch you all the time theme that so many shows love to use these days. Like the Criminal Minds episode where the bad guy put cameras in his victims homes. They made the point that these camera's were small -- the 'nannycam' that's only about an inch square. Frightening, right? Except this guy went into other people's homes and attached these cameras to the walls. Or the CSI ep that had some guy living in the attic and drilling hole in the ceiling with a lipstick cam stuck in it. Huh? How does that work? How do you not notice a black 1-inch square thing suddenly appearing on your wall or a hole that was drilled into your ceiling? I notice when there's a spider on my wall, for Pete's sake! My favorite part of the show was when they found were one had been hidden behind a photo-frames that sat on a shelf. If it was behind the photo-frame, all it would video is the BACK of the photo-frame.
Ok -- It would be possible to possible to attach a camera where I might not see it straight way. Say, if it were a small, darker-brown camera you could put it up in the corner of the wall, hiding in the dark brown woodworking that is up there. That actually would give you the best view of the front room anyhow. I will grant you that, with a little more work, they could make the "hide the camera" thing work. Until you consider that the camera needs to be powered. See, all those little tiny cameras -- they don't have a power source included in that tiny profile. They need a battery or electrical outlet to power them. And a camera that sends video and audio over a wifi signal, especially one that runs 24/7? It needs a lot of power. Good luck hiding that.
And I suppose that if someone had access to my house for an extended period of time and had the electrical know-how and the camouflaging savvy, that someone could wire the camera directly into my electrical power and then hide the camera in something that is on my ceiling, like a light fixture. Although even that would be difficult considering the dubious wiring/lighting in my house. But that? A whole lot more work and talent and outright luck than to be seen as a "this could easily happen to you" theme.
And I know that the whole "School spies on students with laptops" was real. But that wasn't video, it was on computers supplied by the school and dealt with a segment of people who tend to live (study, watch TV, sleep) in one small room. And I may be underestimating the power of internet-addiction and the need people have to keep their laptop with them at all times, open and pointed at them so they can get social network updates at all times... Like I said, my life experience is different, so this seems like a stretch to me.
Still, it bugs me. So I want to know, I am wrong? Would you not notice when an odd inch-square black thing appears on your wall? Would you not notice if someone drilled a hole in the ceiling of your bedroom? Do you carry a laptop around and keep it pointed at you at most times? I'm willing to suspend disbelief and accept that my oddness in these matters keep me from relating to what the writing are going for. It will bug me less if I know that it's at least believable.
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 09:11 pm (UTC)From:I almost hesitate to point this out.... but...
You DO appear to be using logic here....
GOOD logic, I'll grant you that!
But logic....
and are addressing Television Writers....
Um....
Good luck with that!
(No! Really! Good luck!!!)
;-)
no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 10:38 pm (UTC)From:A girl can hope, though. Right? *grin*