For my final project, I would like to do an alternate ending for Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog in the form of a script. I like happy endings and I’m really interested to see what would happen if Penny hadn’t died and Dr. Horrible would have had to face her reaction to his evil alter ego. I would like to explore the aftermath of the death ray attack at the homeless shelter reopening both as it relates to Dr. Horrible and Penny’s relationship as well as his entry into the League. Penny’s death obviously serves the plot in a very important way but I think reimagining the ending without her death could pose some equally important internal struggles for Dr. Horrible.

As of right now I would like to do a reprise of one of the songs, inserting my own lyrics. I don’t know how ambitious that idea is but I think it would be pretty awesome. I’d like to have one last confrontation between Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible and obviously, highlight the moment that Penny realizes who Billy really is. I could see her being very conflicted with the news and needing some time to process everything. Perhaps this is where I would explore Dr. Horrible entering the League but not finding any fulfillment in it without Penny in his life. I want to have the two characters reunite, maybe at the laundry room? Maybe with a frozen yogurt peace offering? Something symbolic of their relationship!

I feel like writing a script would be the best way to go about this so I can write exactly what I want and not be inhibited by my lack of media skills. I’m really excited to do this project and where these ideas take me!

Avengers Fan Film “Uncanny Avengers”

The first thing that strikes me is as interesting is the exploration of the X-men in partnership with the Avengers. The fans don’t have to comply with the same licensing laws as major motion pictures so they’re able to follow the X-men/Avengers storyline in whatever way they like. The joining of these forces is obviously the motivation behind the creation of this film which I find interesting. I imagine the intended audience is other fans of the Marvel Universe that want to explore aspects of the comic world that haven’t/can’t make it into the motion pictures.

I appreciate the film’s intent to mimic Whedon’s style of humor while maintaining a serious attitude. The film takes itself as a whole pretty seriously but still tries to entertain the viewer. If the audience is laughing it should be in response to intentional humor (not because they’re making fun of it) My favorite line is at 4:30 when Storm states “I did not know we had to kill anyone” to which someone in the group says; “Seriously?!” which sparks the Avengers and X-men all start bickering, interrupted by Hydra’s attack. I could potentially see this situation unfolding in a Whedon script.

Further, I am impressed with the action sequences and special effects. I initially had a hard time taking this film seriously mainly because of the obvious low budget, costumes, and instances of over-acting but the conviction of the actors grew on me while the special effects and the background music really helped to legitimized the film. I can definitely see the appeal of creating fan fiction to create story lines that might never develop on the big screen. As one of my first encounters with fan fiction, I was very impressed with this film.

This scene is a prime example of Whedon’s talent of creating ensemble casts and weaving comedy into otherwise serious scenes. Whedon opens with a brief shot of the group in the library with Buffy sitting in a chair across the room while the others conjugate around the table. This second long shot immediately places Buffy in a position of authority, the central figure that the group will rally around. Buffy opens the dialogue, “That’s the basic plan. So…am I crazy?” This question invites each member of the team to express their opinion on Buffy’s plan to overtake the Mayor at the Ascension. Whedon displays his talent for balancing many different personalities in an ensemble as each character’s response showcases their individuality and works to situate their roles in the larger group unit that is essential to Buffy’s success. Willow responds immediately as she attempts to remain optimistic, evidently she is the hopeful one of the group and is sensitive to the feelings of others. Giles provides the first inadvertent support for Buffy’s plan in the sense that he doesn’t rule out to plan completely. His body language, constantly turned away from the group with his head down, suggests he doesn’t like to commit to a plan before he is sure it will be successful. In typical Whedon fashion, Oz’s line “we attack the mayor with hummus” line speaks to his comedic character but also works to break up the severity of or tension in the scene. Cordelia is very opinionated and isn’t afraid to say anything, even if it make might disrupt or complicate the group dynamic. She states “Buffy is slay gal. Little Miss-Likes-To-Fight…” which hints she might have some unresolved issues with Buffy. Xander keeps things light and redirects Cordelia’s rant with “I think there was a yay vote buried in there somewhere.” He is overly excited to be a key role in Buffy’s plan which insinuates that it doesn’t happen often.As evident in this one minute segment from Buffy, Whedon is able to create dynamic, diverse and intriguing ensembles which keeping the audience engaged with unexpected humor.