What makes a movie fail?

[Cardinals.Ken]

This is has been a question that's been on mind for some time. The more I learn, if only on the surface, about all the effort that goes into a film production I'm left wondering:

1. How bad movies get made
2. How to determine what went wrong.

Sometimes it's obvious, but many times I find myself asking "was it the editing? acting? direction?"

 

[oaken1]

bad marketing.

 

[puckhead]

Not enough explosions.

/M. Bay

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Not enough explosions.

/M. Bay

Or...not enough slow-mo?

/J. Woo

 

[MrYeahBut]

A story not worth telling.

 

[AzStevenCal]

A story not worth telling.

Or, a story not worth telling again for the 87th time.

 

[Chaplin]

Or, a story not worth telling again for the 87th time.

I don't know. That didn't apply to Avatar.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

I don't know. That didn't apply to Avatar.

You work in editing don't you Chap? How do you save a movie in editing? I read how Star Wars stank to high heaven in it's first iteration, and Marcia Lucas "saved it in editing". How does that work?

 

[Chaplin]

You work in editing don't you Chap? How do you save a movie in editing? I read how Star Wars stank to high heaven in it's first iteration, and Marcia Lucas "saved it in editing". How does that work?

The simple answer is that editing can help a bad actor look good. You can cut around bad line delivery, which is essentially the number one aspect of bad acting. That was definitely an issue with Star Wars, with Mark Hammill especially.

You can also dictate pacing. If the pacing is tight, then the viewer subconsciously doesn’t have the time to think about how bad the movie is. Star Wars also has this going for it.

Granted these are simplistic answers to a question that deserves a more technical answer, but that’s a couple ways to help a bad movie.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

The simple answer is that editing can help a bad actor look good. You can cut around bad line delivery, which is essentially the number one aspect of bad acting. That was definitely an issue with Star Wars, with Mark Hammill especially.

You can also dictate pacing. If the pacing is tight, then the viewer subconsciously doesn’t have the time to think about how bad the movie is. Star Wars also has this going for it.

Granted these are simplistic answers to a question that deserves a more technical answer, but that’s a couple ways to help a bad movie.

Simple answers, but good ones!

 

[Stout]

The simple answer is that editing can help a bad actor look good. You can cut around bad line delivery, which is essentially the number one aspect of bad acting. That was definitely an issue with Star Wars, with Mark Hammill especially.

You can also dictate pacing. If the pacing is tight, then the viewer subconsciously doesn’t have the time to think about how bad the movie is. Star Wars also has this going for it.

Granted these are simplistic answers to a question that deserves a more technical answer, but that’s a couple ways to help a bad movie.

Great insight, Chap. Thanks for sharing.

Or...not enough slow-mo?

/J. Woo

Not enough lens flares

/JJ Abrams.

I don't know. That didn't apply to Avatar.

Avatar was a crappy movie made with a new hotness style.

 

[Mainstreet]

If I can't identify or find a redeeming value in a character, I will not like.

 

[jf-08]

I don't like too many groan moments like the following:

Someone is saved just in the nick of time by sheer coincidence.

Bad guys are cliche.

Good guys are cliche.

The hero is an unrealistic leader - a kid, weak woman, weak man, teenager, etc. who lead rough, rugged bad-ass dudes.

Story doesn't flow - jumps around too much, can be confusing.

Trying to force a character at you without any redeeming qualities.

Terrible dialog. too smarmy of dialog, etc.

When a protagonist is too good looking (like a knight who is never dirty, a woman in a post-apocalyptic world who is strikingly beautiful)

These are off the top of my head.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

I don't like too many groan moments like the following:

Someone is saved just in the nick of time by sheer coincidence.

Bad guys are cliche.

Good guys are cliche.

The hero is an unrealistic leader - a kid, weak woman, weak man, teenager, etc. who lead rough, rugged bad-ass dudes.

Story doesn't flow - jumps around too much, can be confusing.

Trying to force a character at you without any redeeming qualities.

Terrible dialog. too smarmy of dialog, etc.

When a protagonist is too good looking (like a knight who is never dirty, a woman in a post-apocalyptic world who is strikingly beautiful)

These are off the top of my head.

I think you missed "directed by William Shatner" on your list. :LMAO:

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Not enough lens flares

/JJ Abrams

Doesn't jump through time 3 times a minute, minimum.

//Christopher Nolan