I have name blindness on characters so I rarely write on them directly, but I like to write bits on general plot lines like for Star Trek shows I watch.
They have had some extra nice shows on lately the plot lines had more depth and matched the world better.
I thought the intel. wars were a nice touch for their space station...
It is hard to make a stationary place exciting...connecting it to the outside world with intel plots...Federation politics, Trade convoy wars, and smuggler plots is a good idea...space refugee plots from near by wars is also a good idea!
The convoy aspect is hugley under used space is scary and dangerous ships would feel safer flying in groups!
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I still think the strike team and boarding team aspect is under written on more training shots on ship and battle tactics, maps are under used in corridor fights on ship and in planetary battle to create suspense.
If the viewer cans see the flankers closing in on the Federation hero's it make a escape through a access tunnel or up a tree to get over a cliff in a box canyon far more exciting...will they make it in time?...are they cornered? Oh! No!
The art of flashing back and forth between Hunter and prey shots and showing closing danger is a art!
That was what made Tolken so popular he was able to generate this sense of closing Doom and dread to keep you on the edge of the chair Oh! No! will the poor little hero escape the coming trap?
Visual cues, or verbal cues, of impending Doom are very important to build suspense!
They do not have to be very big even just a flash of a twig snapping under a foot, or a shadow moving between Dialog sections can raise the suspense greatly.
Dialog can generate suspense too but it is less effective alone..words, sounds, visual cues...and position cues (maps) or (overhead shots used to show locations), can help greatly if all used together.
The space battles on voyager are under developed as well...I can clearly see Voyager has Battle blind spots on its weapons above, and above to the rear...in a real space battle a high speed approach would attempt to bank or spiral into those favored spots for attack. Voyager would have to try to turn hard to block that kind of attack run as well.
it would be better to use this Red Barron concept more in space battles...seat belts, and people getting tossed around more in a dog fight might be better to?
It is not very realistic to have people strolling around with no hull breach space suits on in the heat of a space ship dog fight battle...like they are at a picnic???
Also any battle or dangerous Aliens on board would trigger a serious general alert...that means space marines running down halls with weapons taking up battle positions on hall corners 1 high, 1 kneeling, and 1 prone on the floor on each hall corner, that is 6 Space marines total on a hall or air lock entrance.
..people also rushing to man space weapons...I think the button pushing on the bridge battle stuff is not very exciting.
..flash shots of troopers banging away with laser? cannons in weapon bubbles at enemy ships is far more exciting...as will actually showing troopers loading torpeado's as fast as they can go in battle screaming at eachother move! move! move!
How you cut the camera shots can make all the difference on generating suspense in battle.
That is my two bits for today on screen writing!
It is always better to show a thing, than to say it is happening, if you can!
