Split Screens

In the middle of the book The Ark Lords, I began to interweave a flashback 600 years in the past, from Rome and Rei's perspective, with their search for the Ark Lords path. There are four chapters about Jack Henry in the 29th century and four chapters leading up to our heroes' discovery of the Tevatron.

If this was ever made into a movie, I was thinking split screen. You'd see Rome and Rei, sitting in Commander Ursay's office, tracing the route with their fingers and on the other screen, the events depicted in the historical chapters would play out in real time. Then when they ventured out into the world, again, you'd see their physical journey while the Battle of Chicago played out.

If I did that, people would say I was stupid, of course. The dialog is important and you couldn't listen to two completely different conversations simultaneously. Also, the action in each screen wouldn't really match up. I think the gun battle between the rebels and the Ark Lords would be too intense for you to pay attention to Rome and Rei burrowing under the Tevatron.

I guess I'll have to abandon that idea and if the movie is ever made, have it switch back and forth like the book does. Or better yet, if it ever gets made into a Netflix series, you could have one episode inserted right in the middle called The Legend of Jack Henry and then Rome and Rei's research and journey would all make sense. I don't know. I guess I'll worry about that when the time comes.