IMPORTANT Q for all Film Critics; Writers; Novelists; Film Buffs & Screen Writer!
Question: IMPORTANT Q for all Film Critics; Writers; Novelists; Film Buffs & Screen Writers ONLY!.!.!.!.!.!?
Ok, I'm writing a Screenplay!. It's a Christmas Comedy Thriller with an intricate Agatha Christie style Murder Mystery & I'm in the process of writing the final scenes BUT I need YOUR help: The Plot is quite heavy & I'm afraid there won't be enough time to show everything in the last 5/ 10 mins of the Feature!. Should I let the audience know who the Killer (Mr!.A) is a few mins BEFORE the Climax of the Film so as to shed @ least SOME light on the plot!? If I do, it'll be such a massive "aha!" moment in the Film as the audience will also get to see who is masterminding it all too as it is this Character, Mrs!. Jessop, who is talking to the Killer!.
I could let the audience know SO much in this 2 minute Scene & this would leave adequate time to explain everything else!. BUT would doing this ultimately ruin the Climax of the Feature, when the Killer, (Mr!.A aka!. Louisa Shaw), DOES take off her mask just 5 minutes later!?!?!? I was also thinking of the Killer NOT removing!.!.!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
I could let the audience know SO much in this 2 minute Scene & this would leave adequate time to explain everything else!. BUT would doing this ultimately ruin the Climax of the Feature, when the Killer, (Mr!.A aka!. Louisa Shaw), DOES take off her mask just 5 minutes later!?!?!? I was also thinking of the Killer NOT removing!.!.!.Www@Enter-QA@Com
Answers:
It is a good idea to wait until the end of your feature to reveal the killer!. As you know thrillers keep the audience guessing from start to finish!. Considering you have about 5 minutes left!. You could hint around with the killer's identity not revealing TO MUCH!. Do not reveal so much because it will ruin th climax!. In the last five minutes the audience may have a good idea of who the killer really is but then again not positive!. That way it will be more like " it was Louisa all along" rather than giving them the answer clear!. Revealing the killer this way will leave time to reveal more secrets and explanations!.
Hope your screenplay turns out wonderful!Www@Enter-QA@Com
Hope your screenplay turns out wonderful!Www@Enter-QA@Com
story in a film and story in a book are different!. Book you can get away with revealing the killer at the end, but in movies to satisfy the audience you have to reveal it before the end if your going to reveal it!. if you reveal it at the end the audience won't have enough time to process it and revealing the killer in the last scene will leave the audience satisfied but with more questions than answersWww@Enter-QA@Com
If the movie is good enough on its own (i!.e!. it has more to offer than just the aha moment at the end) then you can do the big reveal a little early and wrap up the story in the last few minutes!. The Sixth Sense is my favorite surprise ending of all time BUT it was an excellent film too and after the big shocker, the movie takes a few more minutes to wrap up the story!. (Man that was a good movie--What happened to Shyamalan!!?)!. If you feel your story is strong enough, then it merits a satisfying conclusion!. Hope I helped!Www@Enter-QA@Com
You need to think in cinematic terms for this one and it sounds like you're on the right track!.In suspense, it never pays to let the audience in too much too soon,althoug,you could leave a crumb or two to pique curiosity!. And remember,the Chrisitie films and pays are adaptations of her works and that's the key,adaptation!.In film,you can say so much in a little bit of screen time that would take a paragraph or two to get across on paper!. But you need a solid script to begin with and not having read it, the broadstrokes tell me you're doing the right thing! BE BOLD! You're resposibility to your audience is to not talk down to them,let them figure things out for themselves and ramp up the suspense every chance you get!. That way, the big reveal will be a kicka$$ momentWww@Enter-QA@Com