I was recently reminded of this recording from ages ago. I volunteered for a Blogothon, wherein you write a blog post every half hour for 24 hours, and get people to pledge money toward a cause of your choosing.
Being me, I decided not to write a standard blog, but to create and record a podcast-style story over the 24 hour process. On the half hours, I'd write the script and post about the process, and on the hour I'd publish the recorded and edited audio of the script.
I saw the new Hobbit movie recently (what is the actual title of that multi-part film?) and something interesting struck me. I've known the opening words to The Hobbit well enough that I'd recognize them if someone spoke them, and the words in the film are (at least in part) some of those. What I didn't expect was hearing them spoken differently than how I read them in my head.
Particularly, when Gandalf remind Bilbo who he is, he says the line, "I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me!" When Ian McKellen says the words, there is a discernible pause between "means" and "me", such that the audience is led to a particular conclusion about the spoken words. When I read the book, I hear Gandalf proclaiming that Gandalf is his name and everyone should know it, by golly! When I watch the movie, I get the impression that Gandalf is perplexed that Bilbo should have any other impression of what Gandalf means. The difference is subtle, surprising, and caused by a mere pause in the narration.
There must be intelligent life down here
I don't know what this is all about. I just write stuff and you read it. Or don't read it, I don't care.
