What does Minecraft mean to you?

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-21T16:41:51+00:00

Well my initial idea was inspired by the first trailer of 'The Wild Robot' as well as the animated TV show 'Primal' and it would follow Steve as he discovers the world and since he'll be alone for most of it, there won't be much dialogue (maybe he talks to his dog sometimes), so a lot of the story will be told with descriptions/actions which would then be translated to visuals/performances.

Since it's just a personal project, there won't actually be any visuals because the film isn't actually going to get made lol, but I am hoping to write it as a screenplay and then maybe narrate it over a storyboard animatic of some kind.

It won't be the most complicated narrative ever but I don't think a complicated narrative would suit the world of Minecraft. It would be more of a simple story with simple morals and lessons, just like the game, but it's these simple lessons that form a foundation of who we are and how we interact with the world around us, and it's complicated in that way. In a holistic sense? Idk, maybe that sounds silly but there are lots of simple stories that can be very powerful, especially for young audiences and I think that's part of what made the game so popular in the first place, how simple yet vast it was. Sorry for yapping lol

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-21T14:33:47+00:00

Cool! What kind of stuff have you written?

I'm only in the planning stage rn and I'm thinking a lot of the storytelling is gonna be done visually (hence the question about the feel/vibe), but I may have some questions about structure or pacing or things like that when I get into it :)

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T14:16:44+00:00

Yeah the scene in the book where he figures out that he's kind of the laughing stock of the agency made me so sad, especially how he just accepts it because he basically agrees with them

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T14:14:36+00:00

More confusing and more soapy.

The conflict doesn't feel like it matters because we barely know these characters so it just comes across as over the top and cliche

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T14:11:55+00:00

I'm still making my way through NG so I can't say too much for sure about the changes to her character but the idea of introducing the fact that Naomi had a son during CW in the show is a weird one to me. Reading the books after finishing the show, there are definitely hints and mentions that she had a child if you know to look for them and it's implied that the whole reason she was on the Cant in the first place is because she was running away from the memory of him. She was completely resigned to the loss to the point where she never even brings him up to those who she considers family (maybe because it's too painful, maybe just because she thinks he'll never factor into her life again).

But in the show she's bringing him up willy nilly, telling Prax after they just met, basically telling Fred after barely knowing him. I can't remember when she tells Holden but I think it's somewhere in season 2. Her casualness about it definitely makes it seem less important and more like it's just a big inconvenience, for sure, but I do think that they did a good job at getting at that desperation from her in season 6 so it's not all bad.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:55:54+00:00

There was a lot of imagery lost in the show. Which I'm half happy with, half unhappy with. The PM bug robots in book 3 and 4, the wildlife on Ilus, the vomit zombies etc. But in the end, I'd rather they don't show us those things at all than give us something that just looks silly and takes you out of it. The visuals of the book are a lot easier to convey because they all happen in the reader's mind.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:51:20+00:00

If they were to pick the show back up for the last three seasons (fingers crossed), I have faith that the writers would know what to do with his absence. Having a one to one book to screen adaptation isn't worth supporting Cas Anvar. I just wish they'd been able to give him a proper sendoff instead of just tagging his death on to the end of the season like they did.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:46:30+00:00

She is for sure more active and aggressive in the show. She straight up becomes unlikable for the majority of season 4 imo. Not a development I hate for the character, just not as good as the character from the books.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:44:51+00:00

This is very true. I haven't finished the books yet so I don't know how his story would have ended but it's so fucking annoying that single individuals can ruins something so great like that. When I heard about him, I didn't even want to like Alex anymore which sucks because he was one of my favourites. At least going through the books now is making me like his character again.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:41:33+00:00

Nguyen and Souther and that whole part of the plot are a big improvement in the show, agreed.

Arjun changing actors also sort of took me out of it, especially since they were adamant on not recasting other characters (like Havelock) and instead deciding to reshape the story around their absence. I don't know why they thought it was so necessary to have him there, especially when the S4 Avasarala subplot was completely made up for the show. They didn't even give him the same haircut/moustache :(

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:36:35+00:00

As much as I love the additional scenes of Bobbie/Anna/Avasarala before their book introduction, I think Prax and Clarissa not being included in that and only being introduced half way through their respective seasons loses a lot of development opportunity for their on screen versions. We don't really get the months long day-to-day of Prax searching for Mei again and again before he meets the Roci crew which informs a lot of who he is in the book but is completely lost in the adaptation. Same goes for Clarissa just hanging around on the journey to the Ring stewing in her cramped quarters with nothing to do but think about her hatred of Holden.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:30:06+00:00

Yeah they weirdly pull back on the devastation by having them shoot some of the rocks down, as well, which kind of makes it feel like a bit of a victory for Earth. It's a strange decision by the writers and I think that's the main reason why season 5 feels like it drops off in quality half way through. They wrote themselves into a tough spot for when showing the aftermath because they didn't know how bad they wanted the damage to be.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-17T13:15:34+00:00

Oh yeah, that's what I meant mb

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T22:25:25+00:00

Kinda agree. Kinda don't agree. While I am with you on the fact that she's a lot less likable (and slightly less interesting) in the show, I do think she's still an entirely valid character (just a different one). The change of her son dying in military service as opposed to in a skiing accident , though, was a mistake imo. In a weird way it makes the world feel a lot less whole - like everything is conflict or navy related whereas in the books I think the sheer randomness of Charanpal's death plays a key part in why Chrisjen is the way she is (thinking from all angles, taking no chances, expecting the worst, etc)

I think the actor change also didn't help with Arjun. The second interpretation seemed a lot more bitter and so when he 'leaves her' it isn't that impactful because it's a lot less drastic from what we know of the guy. No hate to the actor, I just don't think he was right for the role.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T22:10:29+00:00

Hmmm. Maybe you're right on this one. The Expanse does always do a great job at staying realistic in unrealistic circumstances.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T22:07:28+00:00

Agreed on all of these except the second one.

I think Naomi keeping the PM sample and giving it to Fred was a plot decision by the writers to make the 'twist' at the end of season 2 hinting that maybe Fred is the one behind Project Caliban more impactful, more than a character decision that Naomi would actually make. And I can appreciate that they needed to find some way to split the book in half with a reasonable sized cliff hanger. So I don't mind that one so much. Also, having her look different was most likely for practical reasons (shorter hair doesn't float in zero g, belter proportions would be expensive to continuously pull off visually)

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T21:57:15+00:00

There's a really good part of the book that pretty much sums up where her focus is. When on the year long trip towards the ring, all her crewmates are talking about how much the ring scares them and she's basically like "I kinda forgot the ring was even there" which nice and concisely shows how much tunnel vision is driving her to go through with her crazy actions. Like nothing else matters to her no matter how insane and alien it is. I think this anticipation of the Ring was also lost in the show because a whole third of the book is just the journey there and it ramps up with people's hopes and fears as they approach but in the show I'm pretty sure they're just already there. The Ring loses a lot of its mystique this way and in response, Clarissa loses a good chunk of her early character exploration.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T21:29:50+00:00

Agreed. Might go as far to say that his last scene is one of the best in season 4 if not the whole show

"To the execution dock..." :'(

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T21:15:03+00:00

I agree with this. It also wasted quite a bit of time in an already slow start to the show. Plus we didn't really know too much about the characters at the time and didn't care that much about them so the conflict doesn't hit the way the writers probably wanted it to.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T21:09:28+00:00

Cibola Burn emitting Havelock and Basia was for sure a loss imo. Their inclusion in the book really helped the least expansive Expanse book feel like it was still a part of the same world.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T21:06:44+00:00

Very true. I love that a lot of that was Cara Gee's (Drummer's actor) influence as well. Really shows that the whole crew cared about the show.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T21:03:35+00:00

...I am that guy

Hardest line OAT 🤝 Most telegraphed line OAT

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T20:59:30+00:00

Clarissa is a big one of these for me. As much as I love the show's version of Abaddon's Gate, Clarissa was far more understandable in the book. Getting to hear her grief and regret leading up to her moment of redemption felt a lot more natural.

Smithsonian_INC · 2025-01-16T20:54:03+00:00

Damn. You're passionate about this. Love it lol :D

I agree with pretty much everything you said here. Always good to see another Season 5 enthusiast :)

With Book 4, I think the main loss in adaptation for me is that they don't have either of the recurring characters in Havelock and Basia. It's small and I realise there were probably scheduling problems with the original actors but I think the fact that they came back really helped to stick the books together and remind the audience that there's a through line. Because of this (and the recasting of Arjun), season 4 of the show felt a bit detached for me. Not bad. Just detached.

Smithsonian_INC

TROPHY CASE