Session 3.14 - S3Ep9: Battle in Beleriand

Maybe...perhaps the first but probably not the other; the execs want the episode to focus on the Green elves and convey a feeling of hopelessness. "Why isn't anyone coming? We're dying!" Thingol's triumph will be when he saves the Green elves.
 
@dietlbomb In my estimation, Episode 9 is already tighter than I really feel comfortable with. It is jam-packed. Between the battle itself, the Helcaraxë decision, setting up the progress of the Noldor, checking in with Angband, and touching on the frame story, we barely have enough space as it is, and it will take some incredibly tight writing to fit all of it.

Here's the deal: The Hosts have decided thusly. Many of us attempted to convince them to do otherwise at the time. If you wish this matter to be changed, they are the only ones who can. None of us have the power to do so in this fictitious TV show production, so saying a bunch of things we generally agree with doesn't really get us anywhere.
 
@ Nicholas Palazzo. I agree entirely. I am writing under the assumption that the Hosts are reading this and that they can be convinced. And I'm sorry I keep getting carried away with these internet discussions. :D

That being said, I also agree that Episode 9 is really tight. That's why I think we should make it longer, or split it into 2 episodes. My line of reasoning is that absent a dire need to do otherwise (to avoid blatant plot holes or contradictions in the storyline*), we should strive to never skip any of the story** that's in the published Silmarilion, and any constraints we have set on episode length or season length should be abandoned if they conflict with showing as much material in the published Silmarilion as possible. I believe that this is in the spirit of Prof Olsen's vision statement for the Silmarilion Film Project: "I want to do an adaptation completely untrammeled by reality. No restrictions of any kind—pure awesomeness without check."

*Or if it's completely unfilmable. But we did the Ainulindale, so we should be able to film anything.

**Action scenes and dialog especially.
 
@ Nicholas Palazzo. I agree entirely. I am writing under the assumption that the Hosts are reading this and that they can be convinced. And I'm sorry I keep getting carried away with these internet discussions. :D

That being said, I also agree that Episode 9 is really tight. That's why I think we should make it longer, or split it into 2 episodes. My line of reasoning is that absent a dire need to do otherwise (to avoid blatant plot holes or contradictions in the storyline*), we should strive to never skip any of the story** that's in the published Silmarilion, and any constraints we have set on episode length or season length should be abandoned if they conflict with showing as much material in the published Silmarilion as possible. I believe that this is in the spirit of Prof Olsen's vision statement for the Silmarilion Film Project: "I want to do an adaptation completely untrammeled by reality. No restrictions of any kind—pure awesomeness without check."

*Or if it's completely unfilmable. But we did the Ainulindale, so we should be able to film anything.

**Action scenes and dialog especially.

So, the hosts do not typically read the forum discussions themselves unless something is specifically called out to them unless we bring it up live. If those of us who listen live on a regular basis are reticent to bring up a point hoping to change a decision which has already been made, it is because we have already done so and been shot down. I personally, having been quite contentious with the hosts in the past (and likely the future), tend to save my social capital for the battles I have not already lost.

I agree with you on almost every point but one: making this a two-hour episode. It doesn't work in the structure we have created. If this is a two-part episode, it is actually two separate episodes and we have the same problem unless we push everything down and make the finale a two-hour episode. This would mean a page-one rewrite of E9-10, which I am willing to do if someone can get the hosts onboard.
 
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