Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2008 March 14

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March 14

term for time fictional character spends off screen doing things?

I placed this here because I was uncertain if it belonged in literature or entertainment (TV, movies, etc.) - but it's talked about more in books and sort of hidden here, so I placed it here.

Is there a term for the span of time and/or activities that it is normally presumed (by rational viewers, anyway) a character does which are not seen by the reader, or observed by the viewer? It's not out of character on the contrary, the person is assumed to still behave in character. I don't *think* it's off screen, though it could be; it just sounds weird because this applies to books as well as television - it's just more pronounced.

For instance, in "A Christmas Carol," even as meticulous a writer as Charles Dickens doesn't mention a character going to the bathroom, but it's much more obvious that there are no bathrooms visible on board the USS Enterprise in Star Trek. Suspention of disbelief is what you need to prsume that people use the facilities in both universes, but that's what readers/viewers use, and I'm talking about the actual acts of going to the bathroom, eating, paying bills, and so on.63.3.19.129 (talk) 02:05, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

There's a bathroom on the bridge of the Enterprise-D (although it is usually also off-screen!). Adam Bishop (talk) 07:12, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. I hadn't noticed. Is it okay to move this to the much more heavily trafficked Literature section, just post it again there? Seems like nobody comes here, although this is the area where such off screen stuff (I'll use that term for now) happens more, obviously; we only see 1/2 hous of characters' lives each week out of 168 they live, in a sitcom, for instance.209.244.30.221 (talk) 13:06, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, you might get more useful responses there. Adam Bishop (talk) 07:07, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Cashis a killer?

I've just heard an amazing song called Ms. Jenkins by Cashis which is all about him killing a rival gangbanger I was just wondering if this actually took place or is just a brilliantly written story with no truth to it at all —Preceding unsigned comment added by Grant1304 (talk • contribs) 14:05, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

So someone commits a murder and then confesses in song? I don't think so.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:04, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Biggest music group

Which music group has had the most members at a single time ever? I recall reading about a 20-member rock band a few years ago, but I can't recall any names. Aecis^Brievenbus 15:07, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Have a look at The Polyphonic Spree (approx. 20 members) and I'm From Barcelona (29 members). --Richardrj ^{talk email} 15:17, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

(EC) That's going to be hard to answer - most orchestras certainly have more than 20 members, and a friend of mine in Seattle is applying for a slot in a 300 person orchestra that will play during a visit of the Dalai Lama. Some of the groups from the Big Band era might also have had numbers in that range. Is there a specific type of "music group" you want to know about? --LarryMac | Talk 15:21, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

The main focus of my question is contemporary music (pop, rock, hiphop, metal, anything). What about the So Solid Crew? Aecis^Brievenbus 16:29, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Do choirs count? I'm in a 160-voice choir and we sing "contemporary" music. There are certainly larger choirs than ours.--Shantavira|^{feed me} 18:03, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Centipede (band) had at least 50 members at once. One album, a few live performances. / edg ☺ ☭ 18:30, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

There are some like groups like Menudo that have a rolling roster of members based that 'graduate' once they turn 16 or another age. Morning Musume grew/were marketed to such an extent that there were three subgroups and two splinter groups (and possibly more if you count Coconuts Musume and Country Musume). You could also count all the various Hello! Project groups as one which would give you a horrendous number of uber-cute squealing popstars in one band. Nanonic (talk)

I'm not sure how many members this group ever had at a single time, but fifteen members of the musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the number of individuals who have been involved at various points is considerably larger. As I said, though, I don't know what the peak membership was. Carom (talk) 04:39, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

Golden Palm

Many people are knowing, that the best film award in cannes is called Golden Palm. But in the official selection for short films the main prize is also called Golden Palm. Now the question - does the organization committee awards the same trophy to feature film and short film directors? I started a pic search via google, but I don't finde an image with a bright smiling short film director with a golden palm trophy ... Thanks in advance for your help! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.190.240.48 (talk) 23:08, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

The short film award is called the Short Film Palme d'Or (or Palme d'Or du court métrage in French). Perhaps using the full name will help in your image search. --LarryMac | Talk 13:37, 17 March 2008 (UTC)