ABSTRACT
Unlike comics, which consist of singular, iconic images of action unspooling at a pace set by the reader, film unspools in a stylized “reality” of 24 frames per second. Within the language of film, you find several “Relative Media.”* For the purposes of this book, we will look primarily at the feature film medium.**
Where film excels is in telling contained stories that represent a complete journey for the characters; a beginning, middle, and end (just not necessarily in that order-if you listen to Jean-Luc Godard). As a visual medium, film operates best when the stories told are based on action; showing rather than telling. It is far better to show someone placing a bomb under a chair than it is to say, “He placed a bomb under the chair.”
