I really like video essays. Stories from for instance the Nerdwriter, Vox, Every frame a Painting & more. They explain different phenomenon's in bite size length, that can grab you and make you think about the content.

In this video Beyond the Frame, a new essayist I've come across, he talk about a film making subject that seems to be a hurdle for many screen writers: how to deal with the mobile phone in the story? The smartphone often breaks down, out of coverage or other obstructions that remove the tool we more or less use every day, staring at all the time (anecdotal but probably true for most), remove it out of the story.

I just saw La la Land and most of the problems could be solved by just simple mobile communication, just send a text or similar. Maybe a bit boring, but more realistic. But removing the smartphone can be seen as a missed opportunity.

I'm fascinated by economy in storytelling so this one scene from Better Things struck a chord with me. Pamela Adlon managed to tell plenty with a simple variation of three shots. This was the starting point for an investigation of how she did it, why it worked and what does it mean in the current panorama of film and TV.

 

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