Flashing arrow
Encyclopedia
A flashing arrow is a metaphorical audiovisual cue used in film
s to bring some object or situation that will be referred later, or otherwise used in the advancement of plot, to the attention of the viewers.
The device is not introduced into the plot or the dialogue, but is something peripheral; however made obvious (hence the name) by a particular camera shot or background music.
An example of this device is a camera close-up in a horror movie that suggests information like danger from an unlocked door. A literal flashing arrow was used in the 1981 film Student Bodies
to mock this cliché
d use. The use of flashing arrows and that particular joke were both mentioned in Everything Bad is Good for You
, where the authors says works that have little use of this and require figuring things out yourself have a more deductive viewer base.
Another example of a literal flashing arrow can be seen in the Ouran High School Host Club
. This device is used several times throughout the anime—for instance in the first episode, a flashing arrow and high-pitched beeping noise indicate a vase that a character breaks later on in that scene.
Yet another instance is a cut,situation blank in an action film when the hero is in a difficult-to-escape situation
, to a brief shot of the item he will use to save himself.
A form of flashing arrows is used in some video games as well; in these cases, the important object or clue is itself glowing or flashing. However, this use can be forgiven to an extent, as a realistically sized key (for example) would be nearly impossible to see on a standard-sized television set without some sort of illumination.
A case in point of this can be seen in the film Natural Born Killers
during a scene where the protagonist stabs to death a young woman with a pencil. The pencil shows up in nearly every cut scene before the girl's death.
Another example of a flashing arrow is used in the film Stranger than Fiction, when the child with the bike and the bus driver appear in numerous scenes, before both of them become a factor in Harold Crick's "death".
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s to bring some object or situation that will be referred later, or otherwise used in the advancement of plot, to the attention of the viewers.
The device is not introduced into the plot or the dialogue, but is something peripheral; however made obvious (hence the name) by a particular camera shot or background music.
An example of this device is a camera close-up in a horror movie that suggests information like danger from an unlocked door. A literal flashing arrow was used in the 1981 film Student Bodies
Student Bodies
Student Bodies is a 1981 comedy film written and directed by Mickey Rose, with an uncredited Michael Ritchie co-directing. The film stars Kristen Ritter, Matthew Goldsby, and Cullen Chambers....
to mock this cliché
Cliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
d use. The use of flashing arrows and that particular joke were both mentioned in Everything Bad is Good for You
Everything Bad is Good for You
Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter is a non-fiction book written by Steven Berlin Johnson. Published in 2005, it is based upon Johnson's theory that popular culture – in particular television shows and video games – has grown more complex and...
, where the authors says works that have little use of this and require figuring things out yourself have a more deductive viewer base.
Another example of a literal flashing arrow can be seen in the Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran High School Host Club
is a manga series by Bisco Hatori, serialized in Hakusensha's LaLa magazine since August 5, 2003. The series follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at Ouran High School, and the other members of the popular host club. The romantic comedy focuses on the relationships within and without the...
. This device is used several times throughout the anime—for instance in the first episode, a flashing arrow and high-pitched beeping noise indicate a vase that a character breaks later on in that scene.
Yet another instance is a cut,situation blank in an action film when the hero is in a difficult-to-escape situation
Deathtrap (plot device)
A deathtrap is a literary and dramatic plot device in which a villain, who has captured the hero or another sympathetic character, attempts to use an elaborate and usually sadistic method of murdering him/her....
, to a brief shot of the item he will use to save himself.
A form of flashing arrows is used in some video games as well; in these cases, the important object or clue is itself glowing or flashing. However, this use can be forgiven to an extent, as a realistically sized key (for example) would be nearly impossible to see on a standard-sized television set without some sort of illumination.
A case in point of this can be seen in the film Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers is a 1994 crime/black comedy film directed by Oliver Stone about two victims of traumatic childhoods who became lovers and psychopathic serial killers, and are irresponsibly glorified by the mass media...
during a scene where the protagonist stabs to death a young woman with a pencil. The pencil shows up in nearly every cut scene before the girl's death.
Another example of a flashing arrow is used in the film Stranger than Fiction, when the child with the bike and the bus driver appear in numerous scenes, before both of them become a factor in Harold Crick's "death".
External links
- Google cache of "Watching TV Makes You Smarter" by Steven Berlin JohnsonSteven Berlin JohnsonSteven Berlin Johnson is an American popular science author.-Education:Steven Johnson attended the prestigious St. Albans School as a youth. He completed his undergraduate degree at Brown University, where he studied semiotics, a part of Brown's modern culture and media department...
, an article from The New York Times containing some information about the phrase.