Playing with Homages. · 3:41am Nov 7th, 2018
You've all seen it. There's a scene or a bit of dialogue from a movie, and someone else decides to homage it for their works. It happens all the time, not just with fanfiction but with professionally-produced programs (seriously, there's a bit in the final episode of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann that feels like a reference to a bit from the final episode of Mobile Fighter G Gundam, but I'll admit that's probably grasping at straws), and even I've indulged in it. Trouble is, a lot of the time, writers aren't clever enough to play with their homage - they just cut and paste because they think it would be awesome to do so. I know I've done it.
So the trick is to do an homage, but be clever with it. I tried it once with a Transformers story I did, where I referenced a bit from the end of the first live action film, specifically Megatron's killing of Jazz. But I didn't just copy and paste - I played with it. Instead of the two lines being spoken by a hero and a villain, they were spoken by a villain and a hero, and instead of anyone dying, an attack was instead redirected by one party to stop another. It worked in context for both characters, and it worked in the context of the story.
Why am I bringing this up? Because I plan on doing it again with Many Happy Reunions. There's one scene from the start of one of the biggest movies of the year that I doubt anyone is unaware of, and I want so very much to homage that. And odds are I'll be able to do exactly that.
And I wouldn't be surprised if any of you managed to guess the scene in question.
Hmm. Sounds interesting...
"There's one scene from the start of one of the biggest movies of the year that I doubt anyone is unaware of"
I'm going to really disappoint you here.
Last movie I watched? Honestly? Zootopia. Over a year ago. I don't watch movies. Pretty much at all. Past 10 years of my life I have maybe watched 20 in total. So whatever homage your going to use is going to go over my head. I usually joke around with the phrase "It could be worse" but in this case I don't know. Its going to be pretty hard to find someone that can outdo me on missing pop culture references and other modern media related things in general.
For the record on why I don't watch movies much at all. I get more out of reading an equivalent book. When reading I can better picture myself in the scene and thus can get into the story better whereas with a movie I feel like I am a disconnected onlooker. A disconnected onlooker without any potential feeling of investment into the story ends up making the entire thing a rather dull experience. Thus unless its a documentary, where learning is the priority, or more fun and humor like Zootopia the interest I have is generally very limited in a movie.
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That's fair, I get that. Amusingly enough, I've yet to see that particular film. Heard lots of good things, though.
I did a lot of this in Becoming Twilight and other places. It's fun but you have to be subtle about it or it comes off as way too corny. *sigh* I really need to find my writing motivation again. It's so lost right now...
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Sorry about that. Here's hoping inspiration strikes for you.