Mad Men

I've been driving all day and am damn tired. After a night out in Tallahassee, my mother and I drove back home. That's a seven hour drive. And there was an accident on the Florida Turnpike, "The Less Stressway!"

Anyway, it gave me time to read, talk to my wonderful mother, and watch some TV. I downloaded a few episodes of Mad Men (on Netflix) and was blown away by the writing and acting. It transcends the soap-opera it could (and really should) be and makes it into some of the best television one could watch.

However, there was an episode specifically that caught my attention. The episode, "Far Away Places", was spectacular for numerous reasons (the direction is some of the most unique to be offered in television). But the thing that really stood out was the structure of the episode. Three different stories all diverging from one interaction, all about the relationships between the three leads of the stories (Peggy, Roger, and Don) and their significant others (Abe, Jane, and Megan, respectively). It was wholly unique, in a series that is willing to take chances, narrative-wise.

After watching this episode, I realized that I want my short to do something like this. I understand my time-restrictions, therefore three stories would be reduced to two, but I found something so rich for the story, as it wasn't using the structure as a way to deliver twists to the audience, but a way to present common themes in the piece.

I have no clue on how I would so it, but I think this has sent me down in the right direction.