Potential Problems w/ Adaptation

[Jonias Snow]

I'm guessing you aren't too familiar with scripts. Usually, when the screenwriter puts an age, like "JON, 17, enters courtyard," the 17 is more of an approximation to help out the casting team, to give a visual cue of how old the character should LOOK. Unless their exact ages are explicitly stated in dialogue, this little discrepancy is going to matter very little on screen. If it's necessary later on to tell the viewer that Jon and Dany were born around the same season, there won't be anything to conflict with that tidbit of info, cause their exact ages were never told.

Also, just to clarify from my previous post, I'm not suggesting that HBO should throw beasties or soldiers in Bran or Dany's way, and diverge from the book. Rather, what's already in the book should be expanded upon. For example, Bran's near miss with the wildling group can be made more suspenseful, or they can add more humor with Hodor and Reed's kids, the way LotR added comedy with Gollum. Dany already has a lot of political backstabbings and love interests in her storyline, and they can be further developed. The writers can delay the reveal of Mormont as spy, or paint Barristan more mysteriously until his true identity is shown. The slave revolt can be more fleshed out and developed, allowing the viewer/reader to be more of a participant than spectator. But if these story arcs aren't developed further for the screen, I'm afraid people will find Bran/Dany boring and a distraction from everything else that's going on, and will unfairly dislike their characters.

I am wondering if they might have decided to age them up a couple of more years to say 17 and 18, since Richard Madden is 24 and Robb shares Jon's age. I have searched for Kit Harrington's age but have not been able to ascertain it, he looks to be around 21-22 though. I also noticed that many of the actresses who have auditioned or say they auditioned for Dany range in age from 18 thru their mid twenties, might this be an indicator that HBO is aging up Dany to around 17-18.

[Padraig]

I am wondering if they might have decided to age them up a couple of more years to say 17 and 18, since Richard Madden is 24 and Robb shares Jon's age.

We know already that Jon and Robb have been aged up to 17 and Dany will be 15. Because Dany's role involves a lot of sex, they want an actress who is at least 18 (but look younger).

Dealing with characters in any aFfC season will be interesting. I can't see Brienne been dropped though.

[fitheach]

Dexter doesn't say his thoughts out loud, they use voiceovers. And the show mostly uses the voiceovers as a comedic tool. Not to mention Dexter has a single, central character, whereas GoT is an ensemble cast. Are you seriously suggesting GoT should use voiceovers?

And no, I'm not saying they should cut Brienne the character, but to not bother showing the scenes where she traverses the countryside with Pod (or whatever the boy's name was). But that's a long ways off and who knows if we'll even get to Book 4.

Sorry, thought you were talking about V.O. narrative.

The characters in the series don't say most of their thoughts out loud, since it's POV, and I don't believe the script writers will use the characters thoughts as dialogue, that would be clumsy writing. Do I want it to be V.O. narritive all the time? No. But they could have it (sparingly) for Tyrions sarcastic inner monologue.

I agree that some of Brienne's travels with Pod will be edited down quite a bit.

[howland_reed]

Problem with giving anyone a voiceover, even if it does work for Tyrion, is that it gives the audience the false notion that this person is the main character. There really is no main character in GoT though.

Actually, what might work, and make the twist for season 1 greater, is to give Ned a voiceover narrative for all of season 1. Make his death more shocking for those who never read the book. I think Donnie Darko did something similar, if I recall.

The characters in the series don't say most of their thoughts out loud, since it's POV, and I don't believe the script writers will use the characters thoughts as dialogue, that would be clumsy writing

Haha, you'd be surprised by how many shows try to do it though. My screenwriting professor from college dubbed it "Dawson's Creek syndrome," where every character needs to express their feelings in words.

[fitheach]

Problem with giving anyone a voiceover, even if it does work for Tyrion, is that it gives the audience the false notion that this person is the main character. There really is no main character in GoT though.

Actually, what might work, and make the twist for season 1 greater, is to give Ned a voiceover narrative for all of season 1. Make his death more shocking for those who never read the book. I think Donnie Darko did something similar, if I recall.

Haha, you'd be surprised by how many shows try to do it though. My screenwriting professor from college dubbed it "Dawson's Creek syndrome," where every character needs to express their feelings in words.

Hhmmm, each season having a main character- with their thoughts and actions fueling the narrative... Would be good, but unfortunately all the characters are spread out too far logistcally, and I think the script for the pilot (and subsequent episodes) will be straight forward dialogue. Sad, I like v.o. when done well (which is rare) and sparingly.

Oh, and couldn't stand Dawsons Creek. Who talks like that? Particularly teenagers. Really, who talks like that?

**Sorry for the thread jack, won't do it again (for at least 24 hours).

[Padraig]

Yes, we'll just have to have faith in the writers to be able to explain what the characters are thinking without voiceovers. I think it is very doable. :)