guanohead on 2/7/2007 at 09:51

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I admit that I haven't read your script Crazy Jon. I must say that I am impressed that you have actually completed a full length movie script! That is a HUGE undertaking, especially for one person alone.

I wanted to mention something that I've noticed about Thief. There is a lot of discussion about historical accuracy in this thread. It hasn't yet been mentioned that when Looking Glass was designing the first two games they actually took hundreds of pictures of historical architecture, clothing designs, etc that they shot during a trip/trips to Europe as well as studying many historical building layouts and doing other research as well. I'm pretty sure, due both to this and to the nature of many side stories, filler scrolls and such, that a fair amount of historical knowledge/study into the Tudor era philosophy and way of life was also involved in the game design. It was either gathered specifically for the game or known to the designers beforehand. This attention to detail is present all the way throughout in countless little examples. For instance: the interesting names given to different crimes in Cragscleft prison are, if I'm not mistaken, historically accurate.

More importantly than this, I have noticed that the writers of the world dug very, very deep when working out how the factions and individuals of the city worked and worked with/against each other. When they wrote the plot they just skimmed the surface of their created world to flesh it out. I take this to be true because nothing in the game feels gratuitously pushed on the player simply because it was really, really cool. It is also the reason that, if you try to make inferences about factions/characters, you will find that they are typically consistent to a far greater level than is presented in the game.

Both of these techniques add a great resonance and consistancy and I believe that this is the reason that so many people fall in love with the world above and beyond everything else (I know I did).
It seems that this method of creating a lot and using a little forces respect from the audience because anything that IS cool is automatically recognized as authentic and therefore that much cooler.
I think you can go overboard with this and fall so in love with the details that everything else suffers, but the opposite is a movie like VanHelsing (as mentioned above); a movie which may have sold a lot initially but is already all but forgotten because it was disappointingly obsessed with spectacle and the "coolness" factor above everything else. I think the Harry Potter books (not movies) are so successful because J.K.Rowling found the good balance between long-lasting depth and visceral immediate interest.

I also believe that these two techniques play a great part in Thief 1, a lesser part in 2, and a very small part in 3 (if any part at all, Ion Storm may have just followed existing notes), and this is the reason, that as much as Thief 3 is technically superior (and I do enjoy playing it for that), the story and world feels very flat.

Again, I am not critiquing your screenplay Crazy Jon as I haven't read it. I am just pointing out that Thief does have a meaningful attention to detail and strong historical underpinnings that make stick in your head long after you've finished the game.

EDIT:
I just finished watching "The Name of the Rose". Freaking good time! It was amazing to see the similarities to thief. The shots are gorgeous in a very Thiefy way, the costumes and speech patterns are similar as is some of the soundtrack! It starts out a bit slow, but the murder mystery grabbed my attention and the ending was very powerful and exciting too! Great characters, great setting, great storyline! I give it two thumbs up!

sailor_sierra on 5/7/2007 at 07:38

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I personally think it sounds like a great idea, and congratulations on actually doing it! Could you send it to [email]sailor_sierra@yahoo.com[/email] ?

b0hne on 9/3/2009 at 07:10

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Hey could anyone upload that script, if he still has it? I'd like to read it too..

(sorry for opening a thread that old again! ;) )

clearing on 9/3/2009 at 08:32

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b0hne, see PM.

b0hne on 9/3/2009 at 10:08

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hey thanks a lot.. is it a good adaption.. or you didn't read it?

thanks