HBO and dialogue

[the_dramatica]

I love hbo due to their ambition, but they seem to be under some misconceptions. I'm watching Rome now after watching a Game of Thrones, and they really love one character being smug and in the right, and everybody else in the room being touche. Although it serves its purpose in dramatic effect it's rampant and in some episodes, the only type of dialogue that occurs. Occasionally in real life discussions are heated and both parties have valid points and I think hbo writers should consider this.

That being the points the one side often brings to the arguments of the shows are often more interesting than other types of writing, so if I absolutly had to decide for actualy dialogue or interesting points, i'd take the latter.

 

[Fappy]

To be fair most TV and movie dialogue is not in anyway reflective of real life speech. Not only are many characters unreasonably witty, but no one speaks in such a clear and concise manner. It's part of why improvised lines/scenes are some of the most memorable. They're "real", for lack of a better word.

Dialogue doesn't have to be realistic to be effective, however, and audiences can still relate to characters even when they speak perfectly 100% of the time. That said, I hate dialogue writers like Joss Whedon who make every character the cleverest person since clever went to clever town. I love the Avengers, but some of the dialogue just wares me out. No one is that fucking witty, Joss. Ugh.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Well, in real life 99% of every dialogue you're ever going to have is entirely incidental.
In fiction, dialogue serves a dramatic purpose - characterization, exposition, foreshadowing, and above all getting the plot going.
While there is such a thing as abuse (Joss Whedon is a fine example of how to not write dialogue), it goes without saying that dialogue doesn't need to be "realistic" - or at least, no more realistic than the plot it serves.

 

[WolfThomas]

To be fair most TV and movie dialogue is not in anyway reflective of real life speech. Not only are many characters unreasonably witty, but no one speaks in such a clear and concise manner. It's part of why improvised lines/scenes are some of the most memorable. They're "real", for lack of a better word.

Dialogue doesn't have to be realistic to be effective, however, and audiences can still relate to characters even when they speak perfectly 100% of the time. That said, I hate dialogue writers like Joss Whedon who make every character the cleverest person since clever went to clever town. I love the Avengers, but some of the dialogue just wares me out. No one is that fucking witty, Joss. Ugh.

It's weird you say you hate Joss Whedon for this kind of dialogue. When he is also pretty well know for his "buffy speak", which is irregular slightly more realistic awkward unplanned language.

E.G
Mal (to Jayne): You want to run this ship?
Janye: Yes.
Mal: Well... you can't.

 

[sageoftruth]

Personally, that's what I like about them. I had a roommate who watched reality TV and nothing bothered me more than the unscripted dialogue. All this filler, and those irritating voices grated on me so much. I can put up with it (to an extent) in real life, but when I'm at home and intend to relax, I don't want to be reminded about the horrid way people normally speak.

 

[Fox12]

To be fair most TV and movie dialogue is not in anyway reflective of real life speech. Not only are many characters unreasonably witty, but no one speaks in such a clear and concise manner. It's part of why improvised lines/scenes are some of the most memorable. They're "real", for lack of a better word.

Dialogue doesn't have to be realistic to be effective, however, and audiences can still relate to characters even when they speak perfectly 100% of the time. That said, I hate dialogue writers like Joss Whedon who make every character the cleverest person since clever went to clever town. I love the Avengers, but some of the dialogue just wares me out. No one is that fucking witty, Joss. Ugh.

It's weird you say you hate Joss Whedon for this kind of dialogue. When he is also pretty well know for his "buffy speak", which is irregular slightly more realistic awkward unplanned language.

E.G
Mal (to Jayne): You want to run this ship?
Janye: Yes.
Mal: Well... you can't.

Joss Whedon is a mixed bag. Sometimes his dialogue is effective and witty. Sometimes it's painful and groan inducing.

Nick Fury: we have no quarrel with you.
Lokey: a boot has no quarrel with an ant.
Nick: you planning to step on us.
Audience: *collective groan*

He was definitely at his best with Firefly. He's not as good as terantino, but I would argue he can deliver some gems when he wants to. The bounty hunter at the end of Firefly comes to mind.