(Alternate post title:
Do Video Games Need More Drama?)
(Alternate [alternate]
post title: Calm Like a [Drama] Bomb)
(Alternate [alternate
{alternate}] post title: HNGHFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF)
…Okay. Let’s get serious now.
It’s weird. I would have thought that I was a straight-up
comedy guy -- or if not that, then a superhero action guy -- but drama? Inconceivable! I mean, I’m pretty sure I’m on record saying
things like “why watch something that could make you cry when you’d rather
watch something that’ll make you laugh instead?” Not in those exact words, obviously, but the
intent is there. People like to
laugh. People don’t like to cry. Therefore, people don’t like things that make
them cry. Sounds simple enough…but then
you get into all sorts of things like catharsis and Oscar Bait
and -- nope, not gonna rail on gritty stuff again. I already did that today…forty-eight seconds
ago, in fact.
So yeah, I’ve had drama
on my mind for a little while now. Well,
maybe not drama per se, but the phrase I mentioned earlier: “dramatic
elements.” After all, I’ve always
thought that a good product manages to strike a balance between its parts; in a
lot of cases, I’ve always believed that a good mix of action, comedy, and drama
make for a good story (even though “action” doesn’t necessarily always equate
to punching out Red Skull, but work with me here). So it’s only natural that in order to nurture
that balance -- especially for my own opinions and efforts -- I need to figure
out what makes drama so good in the first place.
I’d wager I’m not the
only one, though. If video games are
intent on evolving and offering meaningful experiences, then chances are their
developers are going to have to learn how to put in strong, meaningful drama. By the looks of things, the intent to add it
in has already been proven -- via The
Last of Us, among a number of others -- and there’s no intention to stop
there, at least if early
PR speak on Battlefield 4 is to
be believed. But there are
problems. People are going to be looking
at The Last of Us and what it did,
but I sincerely hope that those same people -- gamers, devs, and bigwigs alike
-- are going to understand what did and DIDN’T work in the game, not just the
fact that certain things are in it and it got 10/10 reviews so oh my God it
must be flawless. As for Battlefield 4, I’m not convinced EA will
add any genuine human drama and emotion to the game unless they fuse it to the
multiplayer suite with an oversized staple gun.
The probability of that is not particularly high…you know, if I had to
guess.
With all that in mind,
a question still remains: how do you make good drama? Even if your product isn’t necessarily a
full-on drama, chances are high that it’s going to have some dramatic
elements. So what’s the key to making
them work? What gives some drama merit,
while others are shamed and derided as angstapaloozas? What leaves audiences breathless -- or even
teary-eyed? What pushes their patience
past their limits, crying over the fact that they wasted their lives with
something about as potent as the onions on a Whataburger?
If you ask me…I
wouldn’t know.
I don’t have a solid
answer. If I did, I’d probably have my
own throne right now surrounded by Allyson Hannigan lookalikes serving me hot
dogs and root beer. Sure, I’d like to
think I’ve got a handle on introducing dramatic elements (though the jury’s still
out on my actual skill level), but I’m convinced that as I am now, it’s not
enough to think. I want to know. I want to know, so I can be better than what
I am now. Not just as a would-be writing
hero -- as someone who can internalize, understand, and ultimately judge the
works of others. If I can crack the
code, I can crack myself…and come out stronger than ever.
Here’s what I’m
proposing. I’m going to open this space
up for discussion. I’ll use the rest of
this post to offer up my thoughts on what makes for good dramatic elements, but
by no means should you consider it a complete list or guide. That’s where you come in. Leave a comment offering your own thoughts
and opinions -- and of course, you’re more than welcome to agree/disagree with
me, or anyone else that raises a point in this virtual space. Got something on your mind? Need clarification? Want to know some of my favorite side dishes
with hot dogs? You know what to do.
And I know, as
well. Now then, time to see what I can
do.
The key to a good drama is…
1) Interesting, relatable characters.
All right, this one’s
pretty much a gimme. From what I can
gather, in most conventional cases in most conventional stories, YOU CAN’T HAVE A
GOOD STORY WITHOUT GOOD CHARACTERS.
That is non-negotiable. People
put heavy emphasis on characters, and how much they like a universe at large
depends on the characters -- or lead character
-- in it. My brother likes Batman but
hates Superman, so he’d much rather read about the plights of Gotham City than
adventures in Metropolis. I’m almost the
inverse; I don’t hate Batman, but I find Superman a lot more intriguing, and as
such would much prefer to read Superman comics.
Obvious enough.
I was about to call
this point on the list “strong, relatable characters”, but I didn’t want to
give the wrong impression. When I say
“strong” character, I mean that in terms of their quality, not in terms of
their disposition and definitely not
their ability. A character with
weaknesses, faults, and concerns is infinitely more interesting than someone
who glowers their way through an adventure.
In order to have drama, characters need to be able to react and respond
to the issues that crop up in their lives, no matter the source. Even if they’re not strictly human (Okami had you playing as a four-legged
deity, but that wasn’t to its detriment), they can still be understandable
thanks to their character, their dynamics, and their plight. Speaking of which…
2) A conflict that makes sense to the audience.
For the most part, you
can make any story, no matter how strange, work and impress an
audience…assuming that whatever you do, you do it adroitly. I know I’ve given Final Fantasy 13 a lot of guff over the
years, but its underlying conflict -- being a slave of the gods and the choices
that emerge from it -- is something that could have worked if it was done
well. There’s an intriguing story to be
had there. Hell, you could say the same
about 13-2 of all things, and I
thought that came out as a story harder to follow than a cheetah stuffed into a
rocket car. You have to know what to
focus on, even if your story’s concept is utterly bonkers. Although “bonkers” in this case can mean
anything with even remotely-fantastic properties; seriously, try explaining the
particulars of Star Wars out
loud. It’s silly.
There are ideas and
themes that are identifiable to any audience, even if the particulars
surrounding them are miles beyond the norm.
Just look at all the Pixar movies -- a good number of them don’t even
have humans in them (at least not in a leading role), but that doesn’t stop
them from tackling themes like friendship, betrayal, perseverance, family,
loyalty, duty, love, and more. It’s the
inspection of those familiar themes that helps make for good drama -- even if
it’s with unfamiliar settings and characters.
There are just some things that people can just say “Oh, I get it” to,
giving you the freedom to play with that conflict at your leisure.
3) Progression of conflict, either positive or negative, for the
character(s).
Otherwise known as
“highs and lows.” Though as you’ll see,
this isn’t an ironclad rule.
If you’re at least four
years old, you probably know that life is full of ups and downs. Good times as well as bad. You have to acknowledge that both happiness
and sadness are things that are going to occur in your life under normal
circumstances…but of course, there are times when works of fiction seem to
forget that for whatever reason. It’s
easy to connect “drama” with “never-ending seriousness and sadness”, but in
light of many, many movies that’s not necessarily the case. Remember
the Titans starts with the old gang going to visit a grave, and is
punctuated regularly by the pervasive racism in the town -- and the team itself
-- but it’s also got some good comedic moments, plenty of heartwarming and
spirit-raising sequences, and a moment that I swear was ripped straight out of Ace Attorney if the movie hadn’t predated the first U.S. release by
several years.
To be fair, there are
times when trying to add in a high or a low would be detrimental to the
product; you wouldn’t expect or want a sudden identity crisis introduced in a
comedy, especially if it’s played for
drama instead of laughs. But I’d like to
think that the differences in position on the imaginary plot graph help each
other out. The highs accentuate the
lows. The lows accentuate the
highs. Without an appreciation of one,
there can’t be an appreciation for the other.
4) Consequences for every action.
This is something that
could be extended to any plot, dramatic or otherwise, but I’d like to think
that this is certainly the case for a drama.
If the intent is to offer up something serious and/or meaningful for an
audience, then the creator has to do something to make events and actions have
meaning. The best way to do that? Reward or punish certain actions. I seem to recall Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet setting up consequences
for any more violence in Verona, and Act 3 being the payoff: Romeo kills Tybalt
in a fight, and gets banished as a result, setting up the rest of the conflict,
suspense, and drama to follow. If you’re
feeling gutsy (or in the mood to generalize heavily), you could argue that
drama relies on negative consequences rather than positive ones, even if the
leads do the right thing.
But then again, that’s
precisely the point. Characters need to
get taken out of their comfort zones, and the best way to do that is to shake
up their worlds via actions and circumstances that are almost destined to make
problems for them. In the audience’s
case, we need to see things going wrong, or every so often going right. If there isn’t -- if all we see are
spinning-in-circles dialogues about concepts we could care less about -- then
the drama rings hollow. Think about
it. If you’re trying to get something
out of your audience, the last adjective
you want to hear is “hollow”. And on
that note, we come to…
5) The payoff.
On one hand, this is
what everything else should funnel into; on the other hand, I think it’s all
right to consider this as its own point.
I mentioned catharsis
earlier, and that’s probably the best way to sum it up. Like with any good story, the drama has to
build up to something and deliver by the very end, so that we can gain
something substantial as a result. Something
that’ll make us cry. Something that’ll
make us think. Something that’ll leave
us breathless, and considering a quick dial of 911. For
better or worse, a story exists to get a reaction out of people. And the proper application -- of dramatic
elements, or just drama in general -- has a chance of not only doing that, but
making sure that the ideas held within stick with you for a long time.
It’s not necessarily a
matter of seriousness per se as it is about earnestness. A willingness to explore ideas and themes; a
desire to put characters, no matter how unreal, through the imaginary gauntlet
set before them; a curiosity test the reactions of others, of casts, and of
oneself; a hope to impart something, be it a thought, opinion, or emotion on
whoever stumbles upon your work.
That’s payoff. That’s drama.
And of course, that’s a good story.
…But I could be wrong,
though. Or if not that, then at least
hilariously misguided. Then again,
that’s precisely where you come in.
I’ve done about all I
can on my own, so let me hear your thoughts.
Think you can come up with your own answers? Have some examples based on the things you’ve
played, read, or seen? Care to divulge
your thoughts? Do you have what it takes
to reveal your own hidden celebrity crush?
Leave a comment, and let me hear what’s on your mind. And be sure to let others know, too. We’re not going to get anywhere unless we
build ourselves a little community.
Oooh, speaking of
which…
I need to watch this
show more. Stupid TV and its
inexplicable inability to clearly show NBC…why have you forsaken me,
antenna?! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!
Huh. Guess I learned something else about drama
today.
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