The Official Flash Thread - Part 2

[Derrick9592]

Hey guys, here's a teaser trailer I made about a while ago

[YT]http://youtu.be/LGcIRL6lXxg[/YT]

 

[DrCosmic]

It's kind of hard to showcase superspeed without it becoming derivative of Matrix effects though. It's still in play to this day because no one can figure out how to convey it any different.

I agree. I think that's okay for a TV show, where the emphasis is on story and character development, and abilities, whether they be the ability to get DNA tests back in an hour, or fly, are all just plot devices. The attraction isn't in the spectacle. The fact that it is derivative, and well used, is what makes it possible to do on a TV show, and suited for it.

And it still *can* be explored, if you take a more Heroes/Click stop time effect to manipulate the environment, then you have a super speed character getting creative rather than just looking cool hitting people.

 

[gugumugats]

I agree. I think that's okay for a TV show, where the emphasis is on story and character development, and abilities, whether they be the ability to get DNA tests back in an hour, or fly, are all just plot devices. The attraction isn't in the spectacle. The fact that it is derivative, and well used, is what makes it possible to do on a TV show, and suited for it.

And it still *can* be explored, if you take a more Heroes/Click stop time effect to manipulate the environment, then you have a super speed character getting creative rather than just looking cool hitting people.

Flash #2 (New 52 volume) has a very good example of "environment manipulation." In case you have not yet read the fantastic New 52 Flash (SPOILERS), the scene below depicts Barry using his brain to tap the Speed Force such that he can calculate a multitude of scenarios and pick the best possible course of action. After the scene below, Barry stops a robbery by attaching the getaway car to a tow truck.

The Flash's new power of augmented cognition would also make for cool effects similar to the use of super intelligence in Limitless or No Ordinary Family. I think Barry's discovery of "AugCog" could make for a good alternative to a straightforward origin story.

 

[DyeLorean]

Anything that involves time-bending, time-travel or any other device about time, it's perfect in my books. I love that s**t. It's the superspeed power that I'm having trouble with, imagining how can look cool.

 

[terry78]

Basically most people forget that Flash has many more offensive and defensive abilities than just being able to run fast. He's a pretty dangerous character and could kill a bunch of people in a fell swoop if he wanted.

 

[ChickenScratch]

He could stop your heart with a touch if he wanted. Or stop the electricity moving about your brain. He could drill through you with his pinky. He could charge you with energy and make you explode.

With him it's almost endless when a person has influence over everything that moves, even the planets ... too bad many writers have not delved deep into the true power of the speed force.

 

[Airwings]

Who to direct? I give you Baz Lurhman, but outsiders like George A Romero, Tobe Hooper or Joe Dante should work, also

 

[DrCosmic]

AugCog sounds pretty awesome, and a very fun thing to explore. But the fact that he *could* kill people doesn't make for a very good story or compelling visuals. In fact, you have the burden of explaining why he doesn't just blitz and throat slice criminals of sufficient level.

Super speed doesn't look cool on it's own, it's only by contrast it's compelling. Seeing someone dodge bullets like you or I dodge punches (as opposed to matrix blurring), someone run on water and skid for a wave effect, knocking something over before having a super speed battle and then, when the extended contest is over, running back and catching the thing before it hits the ground. Contrast is what makes Super speed look cool, and if you keep finding new contrasts, it'll keep getting cooler and cooler.

But the Speed Force, to the uninitiated, sounds pretty hokey, like Flash is a wannabe Jedi or something. You have to 'earn' that suspension of disbelief from the casual audience, you can't just throw that in on day 1.

Another cool thing to include in Flash's bag of speed tricks is weaponization. Everything's a problem when it's moving at 200 mph. Even feathers. Add in vibrating at Superspeeds and how that can disrupt stuff - again, using 'real world' physics and not speed force metaphysics, then anyone can see how being superfast is a serious problem for anyone...

And then, again you've gotta figure out how one trick ponies like his rogues can cause a problem... but on a TV show, they don't have to until the climactic moments, which works! (plug plug)

 

[ChickenScratch]

Here is how you get the casual audience to get the full depth of the speed force. You throw in a villain like Savitar who actually mastered all the facets of the speed force way before Wally did. He created an entire army of super speed ninjas powered by himself, he could literally turn people into stone by robbing their body of all movement, etc.

Flash works better in a TV setting. Because you can start with him just going fast and slowly expand his powers with him always knowing there is more but not wanting to loose control.

 

[DrCosmic]

I'm with you on the slow build up over time. I'm not sure having the audience understand the full depth of the Speed Force is the challenge. You can explain a 'god' character pretty easily. The challenge is making someone care about it.

 

[ChickenScratch]

It's not the speed force itself that people might not get, it's all it's implications. It's more about movement than speed, we live on a planet he can stop moving, we exist in bodies he can turn to a useless carbon hunk. There is a lot to it more than just moving fast. Heck, when I saw that issue with Savitar charging up his army of ninjas with the speed force was insane! He has the power to just give other people powers!

 

[Airwings]

Listen guys, everything benefit from being made as TV series, story-wise. Not only The Flash, but Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Harry Potter, LOTR, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Star Trek etc. The list is endless.
But I don't buy people saying The Flash's powers will be better off in a TV production. I don't even know the logic in their thought, regarding that.

 

[Lord Valumart]

I think that what they're getting at is that with a TV show you can build on whats gone before with more ease. If after the first episode he's just a fast guy for two or three episodes then in the fourth BLAM! new power he's discovered and through time he learns to use the new power.

With a movie it would be laying everything or nothing at you. It just doesn't work the same way.

 

[DrCosmic]

It's not the speed force itself that people might not get, it's all it's implications. It's more about movement than speed, we live on a planet he can stop moving, we exist in bodies he can turn to a useless carbon hunk. There is a lot to it more than just moving fast. Heck, when I saw that issue with Savitar charging up his army of ninjas with the speed force was insane! He has the power to just give other people powers!

Yeah, that'd be a really cool thing to build up to. It's just important to show people the minor and practical uses of the power, so that really smart use of the power can be seen as brilliant instead of just hack writing.

Listen guys, everything benefit from being made as TV series, story-wise. Not only The Flash, but Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Harry Potter, LOTR, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Star Trek etc. The list is endless.
But I don't buy people saying The Flash's powers will be better off in a TV production. I don't even know the logic in their thought, regarding that.

Not everthing can be handled by TV, though. Superman, Star Wars, LOTR and Spider-Man TV shows would be so low on action it'd make us scream for the days of Smallville. Flash's powers are different. Virtually every trick he has can be done well on TV with a TV budget, maybe not even a huge one.

 

[Octoberist]

The Flash's powers are easy to do on paper, but when he's the main focus of his own film, you gotta get it right. When to see things from his point of view, when you see things from other perspectives. The use of speed, the use of slo-mo.

It's quite tricky to balance things out.

 

[Airwings]

Flash's powers working well on TV doesn't mean they work better in a TV series than on film.
With a film, the special effects will always be more amazing in comparison. Higher budget, bigger team etc. Especially since something like Flash is blockbuster material.

If people complain about how simple his powers are, it's not something that talks against a big superhero film about him. More like the oposite. To show the range of his powers and how breath-taking they can look, he needs to be done the big way.

 

[Young Superman]

How about Ryan Kwanten as Barry Allen / The Flash?

 

[Airwings]

How about Ryan Kwanten as Barry Allen / The Flash?

I still vote for Devon Sawa and Jozeph Mazzello. Maybe I should add a third actor to my wish list / short list, and that is David Gallagher.

 

[DrCosmic]

Flash's powers working well on TV doesn't mean they work better in a TV series than on film.
With a film, the special effects will always be more amazing in comparison. Higher budget, bigger team etc. Especially since something like Flash is blockbuster material.

If people complain about how simple his powers are, it's not something that talks against a big superhero film about him. More like the oposite. To show the range of his powers and how breath-taking they can look, he needs to be done the big way.

I see what you're saying, that it'd look even better on film, but I disagree that a film is needed to show the range of his powers. That's the point, anything you can in a Flash movie SFX-wise, you can do on a Flash TV show, just less often, or with less environmental damage. So you're right, it won't show the maximum awe factor, but no film has unlimited budget anyway - everything could always be more breath taking, even in the best films, so I'm not sure that's a worthy goal.

Constast that with all the disadvantages of doing a film:
- shorter storyline, smaller scope overall in storytelling
- smaller powerset, no time to build or explain a large expansive set of powers, in that way, a TV show will show the range of his powers much better than a 2 hr movie ever could
- Competition with all the other blockbusters for summer slots that fill up fast, where Flash is a small fish in a big Harry Potter/Twilight/Batman/Superman-sized pond, as opposed the market need in television

 

[Steve Holt]

I still vote for Devon Sawa and Jozeph Mazzello. Maybe I should add a third actor to my wish list / short list, and that is David Gallagher.

really? do you hang out in a gang with these guys?

 

[Airwings]

really? do you hang out in a gang with these guys?

Yes, in fact I do. Just like some people on the board are close friends with Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling. We are here in disguise as "normal" posters just to help our mates to get high-profiled roles.

 

[HighFivingMF]

Steve holt!

 

[Boy Scout]

I think Daniel Gillies would make a damn good Barry Allen.

 

[Young Superman]

I think Daniel Gillies would make a damn good Barry Allen.

I could see that.

 

[Boy Scout]

He's a fantastic actor. I'd have to see how he'd look in the suit before I officially sign off on him, though.