Automatic Film Recombination

“Two in one” is a classic innovating and market strategy employed by entrepreneurs. Whether it be SONY’s laptop that also detaches to become a tablet, the reversible brown and black belt, or a toaster that also acts as a kitchen timer, they all employ this “two in one” tactic. These inventions aim to improve efficiency, value, and over all quality of life.

Neil Genzlinger, author of “Unhappily Ever After: Tales of ‘I Do’ and Death” aims to achieve similar goals in his satiric invention of an app that will “automatically take two films with similar themes but different tones and make one better movie out of them.” He calls it the “Automatic Film Recombination” app or “A.F.R.” for short. The release of two TV movies with shockingly similar story lines prompted Genzlinger’s innovative idea. “Wedding Planner Mystery,” set to release on October 19^th by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and “Dead Still,” which will be aired on Syfy both bring blood and murder into the pure white fabrication of wedding days. However, according to Genzlinger, both films do a poor job in conveying the “dangerous wedding” theme as they provide unenticing plotlines. Genzlinger’s dissatisfaction with the quality of modern cinema alludes to John Steinbeck’s claim that “there is only one story” among all novels, poetry, and now, movies. While Steinbeck’s statement may be an exaggeration, there is truth behind it. If we simply look at the predictability of modern romantic comedies, we can see that they all follow a standard outline. The two characters meet, they love each other, they fight, they break up, they forgive each other, they get back together, and live happily ever after. In an effort to avoid predictable plotlines, movie producers make an immense effort to provide an ample amount of plot-twists throughout the film. Otherwise, their movie is labeled as predictable and cliché. Audiences also often react positively to such changes. Moviegoers appreciate atypical plotlines, where characters are faced with alternative social and political norms. Movies such as Inception and Avatar became so successful because of their imaginative storylines.

7 Responses to "Automatic Film Recombination"

stephenesses says:

October 8, 2014 at 11:48 am

I agree that story lines in movies are very typical and that the most successful movies are the ones that break free of the mold. I think it becomes hard for producers as more stories are created and put in theaters, to come up with unique ideas to create new great movies. With that being said, it becomes increasingly important not to continue to give the same plot lines in every movie. Personally, I love when I am kept guessing in a movie and when a movie really makes me think. Not all people enjoy that, and some just want to enjoy a movie so there will always be a demand for both the cliche movies as well as the innovative ones.
Ann Privorotskiy says:

October 8, 2014 at 11:34 pm

This was an interesting read! I’ve never heard of an app that does this. In my English class, we were just discussing how hackneyed so many of today’s movies are. It’s like they recycle the same theme over and over, and thinking that by adding a little twist, it changes the entire plot. I think it’ll be refreshing to see some out of the ordinary story lines, although combining something ridiculous, like a slasher horror film with a romantic comedy, might turn into something pretty ridiculous.I hope some new ideas can be generated with this, because I could use seeing something that doesn’t make me think of 50 other similar movies.
Sydney Marino says:

October 10, 2014 at 8:32 pm

I feel as time goes on, the plots of movies or shows will eventually become more than it is now. I think it just depends on society. I mean, look and the Magic Flute and On the Town. When we were in class, we discussed how bland the story line was. The male character saw a picture of a women and was basically like “I like her face. SHE’S MINE”. Then, that same female character would instantly fall in love, some drama of finding each other, and the end result is a happily ever after. There was no love triangles or tragedy. It was simply “love at first sight.” That is something, in our society, we label as “bland”. Now, as love complicates, we are stuck in a generic wave of love triangles and tragedy. Especially hyped up by “reality TV” or shows. Back then, these types of issues were brand new to TV and movie. However, these story lines are so over used that society will eventually find a new story line to overplay.
Bethany Freynk says:

October 12, 2014 at 11:21 am

Having such an application would be stimulating as so many new movies can be made from the combination of old ones. It is true that many new movies have repetitive ideas and cliche chronologies. Often-time, I confuse such movies and end up having a jumble of various scenes in my head, a few from one film and others from another. In the present day we have the innovative abilities to create a multitude of varying movies. Cinematography can always improve as technology develops and ideas can easily be brought to life on camera. Even though the Oscars will always award the few directors with great cinematic achievements, many films cannot compete at that level. The movies discussed in the article may not be professional films for the big screen, but even lower budget television productions have room for improvement as many similar shows can be found.
holdencoreystein says:

October 14, 2014 at 7:28 am

Consumers in this day and age expect more out of what they buy. Consumers are no longer looking just for the cheapest prices or the most marketed brands, consumers are seeking out companies with good environmental standing, customer service, and quality. The same concept applies to movies. Movie fans are no longer looking to watch a simple, linear film that screams predictable from nearly every plot corner. People who watch movies are now looking for a complicated storyline, a new perspective, or new special effects. This is why films such as Inception and Avatar are so successful; they pushed boundaries and became super profitable because they were complex and original.
Beatrice Margolin says:

October 14, 2014 at 9:24 pm

I agree that many movies nowadays definitely stick to basic tropes and seldom try to be more creative or complex, and this app seems like a fun and innovative way to play around with the content of these films. Even though the success of films such as “Inception” and “Avatar” act as proof that audiences are looking for more complex plotlines, the film industry is obviously reluctant to break away from their rigid system for making movies. Maybe an app such as this one can spawn a larger movement and help Hollywood come to the realization that more emphasis should be put on creating movies based on unique scripts instead of the same predictable ones.
krystalau says:

October 14, 2014 at 9:54 pm

The whole two in one idea always caught my attention. Any products that has a two in one function always persuades me to take a second glance at it. I never heard of this app, and I am really intrigued about. I am curious about how this app works exactly and what it means by it will produce a better movie. It is very true that you see books and movies with very similar plot lines and themes, and sometimes the movies/books almost seem identical. I think it does get tiring once in a while, and that is why people are so interested with Avatar and Inceptions because it is so out of the box. But I also think that people like to read or watch these typical clichés once in a while as a guilty pleasure.

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