u/harmonica2

A lot of advice from filmmaker to filmmaker I hear is don't have a title sequence in the opening of a feature film because you want to draw the audience in right away without distraction, but that also, it's not worth showing a title sequence in the opening to audiences if it's full of unknowns either, if that's true.

However, when I see indie films at festivals, they almost all have full title sequences in the openings. So I wonder if there are other reasons to do do thus that may be counterintuitive, if they almost all do it?

Thank you very much for any input on this. I really appreciate it!

When it comes to having the opportunity to market a soundtrack for your film some say not to do this if it means messing with the integrity of the tone.

For example , on the Batman 1989 soundtrack , there are Prince songs, but people say this was a mistake because Prince's style of music did not fit the tone of the movie.

But as for marketing a soundtrack , what is more important for having a consistent tone in the story world versus having a sountrack that is more sell-able?

Thank you very much for any opinions on this! I really appreciate it!

When coming up with the title for a story , the advice I often receive is to use a line of dialogue as the title.

But if i do that, how do you keep that line of dialogue  from turning into an automatic groan from the readers?

It seems that if you do use this title method, and then you see that line later, then it becomes a groan, if that's a legitimate side effect?

Thank you for any input on this! I really appreciate it!

My mom has always been really worried about the relationship because she's 26 and I'm 42, male.

She says there very well could be alterior motives, because its unusual for a younger woman to want to date an older guy. She also tells me that because she is younger, she will most likely be much harder to keep and that the competition of her leaving is more fierce.

The chemistry has been much better than usual for us since we are both autistic. So we ended up clicking much better, than other dating experiences.

There hasn't been any red flags so far and its all been green i would say.

I asked a couple of close friends and they said that my mom is going purely off statistics probably and not by the precipient evidence of this actual relationship.

But when I tell her I got engaged she is going to freak out.

What is the best way to bring it up or handle it if she does? She won't freak out in front of her of course, just to me, in private later or when my fiance is not around.

Thank you very much for any input on this! I really appreciate it!

For a crime thriller of mine, at two parts in the story, I want to have it so two different cops are overpowered by the villains. I thought I would write it so it's department policy for the characters to leave their pistols at the station when off duty, but so far a couple of readers find this hard to swallow.

Would this be too unrealistic of an explanation as to why they were overpowered? Thank you for any input on this! I really appreciate it!

I'm writing a screenplay , so I tend to use screenplays as examples.

The rule always seems to go that the protagonist has to be introduced with his/her ordinary life before the inciting incident.

However, some movies will break this rule and introduce the inside incident before the protagonist even.

Some detective movies like Dirty Harry or Bullitt, open on the setting incident and then introduce the protagonist after as he gets the case.

But I keep being told this is a no, and you must introduce the protagonist first unless they're doing something very specific, to get away with breaking that rule?

Thank you very much for any input on this! I really appreciate it!

When it comes to portrayal of autistic men in fiction, they are almost always portrayed as demisexual.

However , based on myself and to other autistic guys , I know, we're all willing to have casual sex , just fine.

But I wonder if fiction has had and influence on this in society and that women think that autistic men are only good for monogamous relationships?

A lot of people assume that couples with age gaps got together for that reason but that is normally not the case with most I don't think.

When it comes to the idea of people to being attracted to people for their looks, even though the person wouldn't be interested in giving them the time of day, it's been said before here that is impossible for one to lower their standards, they feel.

However, if a person were to go to a psychotherapist and tell the doctor that they felt their standards were too high or thet they were only attracted to people that are not interested, could therapists feel they could help treat that legitimately?

My job is paid by the hour but I'm forced to work a lot of strange inconvenient hours as a result, that doesn't really make a lot of logical sense.  I'm a video/audio editor for a company.

I want to give my boss the condition that i'd be put on a salary pay, rather than be paid by the hour.Because then I can just come in whenever get the job done and then go.

I talk to my girlfriend about it, and she says I should impose it on my boss and if he doesn't go for it , I should threaten to walk.  She says , i've been working there  for 5 years now and thinks it's probably time to make such a condition. 

However, if I were to give my boss this condition, I'm afraid he would probably say no, because no other employer area has a salary, it's all by the hour for everyone.

So if he gave it to me, I would be the only one.  But at the same time , the specific hours , they want me to work our sewing convenient to the point where I am very close to still giving the condition on principle.

What do you think is it a good idea?  Or will the blossom most likely be called?  But my girlfriend says that you have to make belts in order to get somewhere in life, otherwise some people wouldn't have their salary positions, etc.

If she has a point? Thank you for any input on this.  I really appreciate it.

My story is a crime thriller in modern times about a detective trying to bring down a group that is committing a series of kidnappings and sexual assaults.

Two front runner titles I have are All in a Day's Case and The Last Laugh, but is one better?

Thank you very much for any input on this! I really appreciate it!

I've noticed that some women in my social circle when they hit 30 ish, all of a sudden they had a revelation and wanted to settle down with a husband and kids.

Some guys here say they find this resentful because they feel they are being settled for when the woman is in a more 'desperate' stage.

However, are the women desperate most of the time or is it a positive revelation like they saw the light in a good way and see it as positive?

The ones in my social circle seemed to have seen it as positive, unless they are faking to not be seen as desperate.

It's been pointed out here before how men have found out from the women they are dating that the women have done naughtier, kinkier things with prior boyfriends, compared to them.

However, how do these conversations come up usually? Is it usually the women who bring it up, or is it usually the men who ask, or bring it up in conversation?

For a crime , revenge thriller story , I have the main character wants revenge on the group of crooks wronged him and the person behind it all , and therefore the most accountable, happens to be a woman compared to the rest of the group.

If I structure the plot so he gets revenge on her last before the ending, then it might come off as misogynistic, especially since the revenge for her, is the most personal and more darker, therefore.

I was thinking if it would leave a misogynistic sour note feel if I have it at the end, I could restructure the plot. ...So he gets revenge on her earlier and just reorder some things so he gets revenge on the lower levels at the end instead, rather than moving his way up the levels.

Would this most likely help? Thank you very much for any input on this! I really appreciate it!

A lot of times when i apply for a new job, the employer will say they need me start right away and i won't have time to put in any couple if weeks notice with my current employer.

I have been hesitant to take new jobs because of this but for a current job offer, should I just take it and do it, quitting without any notice, if thats the price?

Thank you for any advice on this. I really appreciate it!

I've been dating my gf for almost 6 years parents and my parents are worried about my relationship because I'm 41 and she just turned 26.

My parents fear it will likely not work out because of the age gap and its too high risk therefore.

However its worked out much better more than any relationship attempt I have had.

We're both autistic so the chemistry has been much better than usual.

But they fear its still too high risk because of statistics. Statistics are good but it seems to me that i should go with the evidence of how the relationship is going over statistical evidence though?

And if the evidence in front of me is not showing any red flags and it seems to all be green, than one cannot go by stats in every case?

Or what do you think and how should I bring this up with my parents before proposing, so they dont freak out or become too alarmed?

Thank you very much for any input on this! I really appreciate it!

It seems that when people have been in relationships with older people when they were younger, women are more bothered by their experiences with older men compared to vice versa.

I asked a couple of women friends why they are bothered by it more compared to guys are with older women and they say it's because older women are honest with their intentions unlike older men usually.

I myself had a short term experience with an older woman when I was younger for example, and I found it to be much more positive than negative.

But is that true though , and actually the reason, that older women give younger men more positive experiences because they are honest in comparison usually?

I'm writing a crime thriller, set in modern times and the main character goes through a negative character arc. He's a detective and he treats his assignment as professional for the first half about, and then when the midpoint hits, big dark things happen, and now it's personal for him.

However, I was told by a couple of readers so far that he doesn't become interesting until the midpoint, because it's then where he finally becomes morally corrupt and has moral flaws that make him interesting as a result. Whereas before, he was mr. clean for the first half, and thus not as flawed and interesting as a result.

I was told by the readers that I should make the midpoint, the inciting incident as a result. But the only logical way to do this and still have the plot make sense, is if I start out with the midpoint first, and then have the first half be a flashback until we get back to the midpoint again after.

But if I give away the midpoint first, I will also be giving away a twist involving one of the villains, who you don't know is a villain until the midpoint. So if I start out with the midpoint first, and then show the first half as flashback, I would have to give away that twist first then as well.

But would doing so most likely be worth it if it means that it makes the protagonist more interesting, since you know there is moral corruption to now look forward to? Thank you very much for any perspective on this. I really appreciate it.

For a crime thriller story of mine set in modern times, a witness in the case, gets police protection, after an attempt is made on her and they take her to some remote discreet location.

The main character detective finishes interviewing her and then leaves.  This is where the attempt will happen, but the MC spots it in progress after leaving, and helps her escape. 

However, even though the attempt on her is there to motivate the police giving her protection, I was thinking of perhaps making the attempt more interesting.

I could have it where in order to help her escape there is a stand off and he trades her life, for a crucial piece of info on the case, which will help the villains win the case, and thus no need to silence the witness.  Then they take off and he keeps her safe for the moment.

This would probably be more interesting of an escape and just simply running away with some gunshots exchanged, etc.

However, I wonder if this would cut tension for afterwards because then she is at a safehouse type location as a precaution, but since he gave the villains the piece of evidence they need to win, they now have no reason to look for where she is being kept.  So I wonder does that cut the tension or is that okay most likely because the readers know that other things will happen in the plot later, even if this one plot point loses tension?

Thank you for any input on this!  I really appreciate it!

For a crime thriller story of mine set in modern times, a witness in the case, gets police protection, after an attempt is made on her and they take her to some remote discreet location.

The main character detective finishes interviewing her and then leaves.  This is where the attempt will happen, but the MC spots it in progress after leaving, and helps her escape. 

However, even though the attempt on her is there to motivate the police giving her protection, I was thinking of perhaps making the attempt more interesting.

I could have it where in order to help her escape there is a stand off and he trades her life, for a crucial piece of info on the case, which will help the villains win the case, and thus no need to silence the witness.  Then they take off and he keeps her safe for the moment.

This would probably be more interesting of an escape and just simply running away with some gunshots exchanged, etc.

However, I wonder if this would cut tension for afterwards because then she is at a safehouse type location as a precaution, but since he gave the villains the piece of evidence they need to win, they now have no reason to look for where she is being kept.  So I wonder does that cut the tension or is that okay most likely because the readers know that other things will happen in the plot later, even if this one plot point loses tension?

Thank you for any input on this!  I really appreciate it!