TA TALKS BACK: HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE DETAILS?

[Team Switzerland]

TA TALKS BACK: HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE DETAILS?

For today’s TATB, I take a look at how important the details from the books are to the production of the Twilight movies.
 
How Important are the Details? By: Becky
Pictures have surfaced from the set of Eclipse, specifically from the reconstructed police station. One of those pictures showed the name plate on Charlie’s desk which read Sheriff Swan. Wait. Sheriff Swan? When did Charlie become the sheriff of Forks? The reaction from at least one Twilighter I spoke with was an upset one. Others apparently don’t think it really matters, that it’s only the nameplate on a desk that likely won’t even really been seen, especially up close, in the movie.
This had me wondering. What about the other little or not so little details that have been changed from the book to the movies. Have they hurt the story? How important in the grand scheme of things are they to the telling of the Saga on screen versus being important to the fans?

We all know that the story was changed in a number of ways from the first book to the first movie. Some of that was necessary. It’s not always possible to convey on screen the same things you read in a book. Scenes were added, scenes were taken away. Details were changed to better fit the telling of the story onscreen. Some of them were relatively minor, like the look of the Cullen’s house. That really doesn’t affect the story line, and it made for a better scene of Bella and Edward’s first run through the woods to the meadow. But minor things like the color of Edward’s car are important to fans. Was it really impossible to leave it silver for Eclipse? Did that have to change? Some of the changes were major – anyone else realize at first that Jasper is now in the same grade as Edward, Bella, and Alice? That never even occurred to me until recently, when it was pointed out after we saw pictures of Jackson Rathbone on set in costume as Jasper when they were filming graduation. What does that mean for the rest of the story? Why was this change made?

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http://twilightersanonymous.com/ta-talks-back-how-important-are-the-details.html

[LexiconAficionado]

Interesting article Becks! I reckon that this series and possibly the Harry Potter series would be the only ones where attention to detail is noticed by fans - of course I have not read the Harry Potter books to notice any discrepancies. Indeed, I have never really seen any other book adaption movies where such details are scrutinized at such minute levels. It must very daunting for the film makers to face such criticism almost every step of the way.

I agree that some things had to be sacrificed to make space for other scenes, that's inevitable in books of such lengths that the series have. I dare say I did not understand the magnitude of Kristen's continued reiteration of that until I read the books saw the level of discussions there are out there about this.  

I think Twilight was perfect as is since it managed to pique my interest as someone who had not read the books - though I wished we'd had time to see more of the Cullens after I'd read the books. I trust the same omissions/additions may occur in the other movies too and indeed that may well garner more interest from non-readers to become fans as well.

As for that important stitching scene being omitted, I reckon Melissa sacrificed that for other scenes but it was wise of Chris Weitz to take Peter Facinelli's input into account and add that in. I think it's also the director's prerogative to consider input of others involved in the movies and thus far, they have done well with that.

Notwithstanding, I do understand that other Twilighter's dissatisfaction that Charlie became Sherrif rather than Chief since that has nothing to do with cinematic creativity, rather it showed a lack of knowledge of how the characters should be addressed. As for the volvo suddenly becoming black, I wonder how they will explain that. I agree that in the grand scheme of things, that detail is quite minute albeit important but it is so unlike a film maker of Chris Weitz's calibre to overlook it. There must surely be a reasonable explanation.

[Becky in Philly]

Seriously...its called a PAINT JOB. Cost ya about $500US.....


and save ya millions of pissed off fans

[LexiconAficionado]

Are we talking about the car? Nah, can't be a paint job. It's a totally different model. This new black one looks bigger than the previous model.

[ifellhard]

As for that important stitching scene being omitted, I reckon Melissa sacrificed that for other scenes but it was wise of Chris Weitz to take Peter Facinelli's input into account and add that in. I think it's also the director's prerogative to consider input of others involved in the movies and thus far, they have done well with that.

Notwithstanding, I do understand that other Twilighter's dissatisfaction that Charlie became Sherrif rather than Chief since that has nothing to do with cinematic creativity, rather it showed a lack of knowledge of how the characters should be addressed. As for the volvo suddenly becoming black, I wonder how they will explain that. I agree that in the grand scheme of things, that detail is quite minute albeit important but it is so unlike a film maker of Chris Weitz's calibre to overlook it. There must surely be a reasonable explanation.

Agreed!  I'd love to hear the WHY for the black Volvo.  I see silver ones in all sorts of models in my jaunts around town every day, so they're not hard to come by.  I wish that they would realize that the car, while inanimate, is pretty much a character all to itself.  The silver Volvo is iconic to the fans of the TS.  I don't mind them changing the car from the S60 that Stephenie originally had him driving, but the color shouldn't change.  I like the car that they are using now much better than the girly C30 that Catherine Hardwicke had him driving in Twilight.  Edward drove his siblings to school.  How in the heck were the five Cullens supposed to fit in that car - especially with Emmett and Jasper?

[Becky in Philly]

HA no I understand that they may have had to switch the car model. But um....a quick paint job to make it actually SILVER and not black would have been a good idea.

[LexiconAficionado]

Good Lord was this the car that Edward was meant to drive?



I never bothered to find out! I like cars but I can never remember which series is which!    I did wonder about the car in Twilight. This would have definitely made more sense. I guess the C30 was cheaper to lease when one is at an indie film stage.

As for the black volvos, now that the trailer is out with the black volvo making a starring role, I wonder how long before Chris is asked the question. I, for one, would be tuning in to hear his answer.

[Becky in Philly]

Volvo doesnt make the model Meyer said was Edward's car anymore.

And like I said, why couldnt they have stopped and though for 1/2 a sec and just given it a paint job?

[ifellhard]

Volvo doesnt make the model Meyer said was Edward's car anymore.

And like I said, why couldnt they have stopped and though for 1/2 a sec and just given it a paint job?

Yeah, it was supposed to be the S60R, which Volvo doesn't make anymore. 

I am baffled on the color choice.  I wondered if they were going to do something in post-production but after seeing the black Volvo in the NM trailer, that idea was shot.  Bella continually refers to the color of the car throughout the books.  IDK.   

[LexiconAficionado]

Aaah thanks for clarifying the model bit Becks and I see your point about the paint job. I look forward to the explanation.

[mamelia]

Isn't it hard to play catch-up when you are filming a franchise if too much in formation is left out or changed in the initial movie?  Twilight did have some vital parts(the Volturi/Carlisle) left out that Chris W had to get into New Moon so that things in Eclipse and Breaking Dawn would make sense.
 I've read all the HP books ad the first 2 movies were almost exactly like the books, it was from the 3rd one on that things started to change and get left out. Probably because the books were then so much longer 4,5,600 pages. I know you can't have everything in the movie that is in the book. Fans did complain about  what was changed in the HP movies but if you loved the books & story you went to see them anyway.

Personally, I just do not see why some of the simple details are changed. Things being left out maybe understandable but why leave out what is in the book and put in something that is not ? It doesn't make sense to me, unless it's needed to make the story more interesting, but the Twilight series is so full of great story lines already it's hard to imagine they can be improved on by a screenwriter.

Marianne
zero"t"

[inujo]

I really don't mind the small stuff, it makes it kind of a game to read the book and watch the movie and catch the differences.
What I wonder about is how on earth are they going to fix the storyline where Bella has to "guess" that Jacob is a "werewolf"?  He can't say.."remember when we were talking on the beach and I told you all about the Cullen's being vampires and my tribe being wolves?"
Thanks to Twilight the Movie that didn't happen...she got a book, opened it up to a picture - went online - Google-d all the information she needed about the cold ones - miss spelled words and all!
My guess they will totally ignore it and have Jacob pop in her window and say "Guess what Bella - I'm a werewolf give me a big old hug"
 

[Team Switzerland]

Well they did talk about it at the beach - with the flashback scene, tribal elders, and all that. So I think that portion of the story can still stick with the books.

[Anitamichichi]

I don't mind changes so much either. But agreed, a paint job would've been good.

[Twihardad]

Ok, I would like to hit a few points home here on the issue of the details.
Yes they are very important. However in the issue of Charlie being the "police chief of forks". Stephanie Meyer is to blame for this inconsistancy. Several times in the books, she refers to Charlie's Deputies, and when he takes her from Sam Uley in New Moon, MEYER references a sheriff's jacket. I am a law enforcement officer. The difference between the two is that a Sheriff is elected to a term, a sheriff has deputies like in the old west. A police chief can be appointed by a mayor etc.... The inconcistancy in this comes from the book and the author, and not the adaptation on the big screen. I hope this clears a few points up for some of you. Spanks!!!