Got a thing going on where a mystery person/villain isn't revealed until the final scene - probably final shot.
They have a unisex name.
It's not necessarily their first name, middle or surname - but it's a fully explainable surprise all the same...
Imagine we have a female waiter called Carol, middle name Stevie, who's nickname is Candy (sweet tooth) - and surname is John. Then we can add visual clues/trip ups to the whole who's-who thing.
I hope I'm making it easy for you to follow ... I'm two VERY GOOD glasses of red in to the evening... so apologies if not.
I guess the question is, is this a cheap shortcut? I 'm not feeling I would react that way as a viewer - and it may not be the first instance of usage?
All thoughts welcomed
1 person likes this
I don't think I fully follow but I would put that down to my own intelligence over two good glasses of wine.
So you're saying is it a cheap shortcut to have the mystery be hidden because the villain has a unisex name and so it's like a cheap way to hide the true villain?
Which I don't feel is true. I mean the reveal is only going to really land because of how everything is set up. When the reveal occurs what do you want the reader to feel? Is it meant to be a complete shock? I think usually for murder mysteries (I'm assuming maybe this is what you might be doing?) Then as long as there are some hints through the story then it should be fine. The reveal would fail if it seemed to come out of left field with no possible way for the reader to have figured it out.
It's a tricky balance for sure.
Hey, Vic. I'm not sure what you mean.
Yes and no... all the clues will be there, but some more obvious than others. And, references to gender, sexuality / names can be puttied into a slow rising dough which doesn't reveal the result until the crust forms.
Maurice Vaughan - nor am I - hence, the question.
2 people like this
If I were you, I would read the script to 2014's Predestination. I don't want to spoil the plot but it treads into similar territory.
2 people like this
If you can't visualize it, nobody probably will, so don't put it in a script.
1 person likes this
You mean like The Usual Suspects? Keyser Soze is revealed in the last scene
1 person likes this
The only thing that comes to mind is to trigger that thought in the audience.
Person1 “Do you think he’ll be made”
Person2 “who say Danny is a guy?”