HBO True Blood TV series vs. Twilight Saga Movie Series

Movies and TV series are some of the most powerful forms of media entertainment for many people around the world. The two forms of entertainment use similar elements, which include: sets, scripts, production, costumes, directors, actors, and a story. These elements are used to capture the audience’s imagination. Stark differences, however, exist between the two forms of entertainment, especially in terms of their avenues. These differences can be seen in the quality of the production techniques used as well as the length of the two forms of media entertainment. While movies and movie series depict a one-time creation of concepts that offer audiences the chance of watching some of the most popular film stars, most TV series lack similar properties that include the use high quality production techniques. This is because their general purpose is to sell ads. The popularity of the TV series has, however, risen in the recent past as the quality of techniques used to produce TV series has continued to improve significantly. The observation can be seen when making between HBO’s True Blood series and the Twilight Saga movie series. This paper compares and contrasts the “Twilight Saga” movies (Summit Entertainment) and HBO’s True Blood series. The “Twilight Saga” entails a series of movies that have been produced by the Summit Entertainment Company while the HBO’s True Blood is an American television series.

Both the movie and the TV series can be analyzed in terms of the techniques used for their production, their storyline, features as well as other aspects. Basically, the Twilight Saga movie involves a series of five movies that are based on fantasies that are meant to be romantic. The five movies are based on four novels that were written by Stephenie Meyer, who is an American author. The actors of the movie series include Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Kristen Stewart (Hasty). However, HBO’s True Blood series is a contrast of the Twilight Saga Series in several ways. True Blood is an American TV drama series, which was written and produced Ball A productions. The movie is based on a series of novels known as “The Southern vampire Mysteries,” that were authored by Charlaine Harris. The TV series, like the novel series, details the challenges that encountered in a fictional small town within the northwestern side of Louisiana where vampires lived secretly among human beings. The TV series is centered on the Sookie Stackhouse’s adventure. Sookie Stackhouse plays the role of a telepathic waitress who has some worldly qualities. While the two movies differ significantly in terms of their producers, production type context and some other aspects, they are both fictional. Their stories are also based on the interactions and conflicts between humans and vampires (Shadaliza). These aspects form some of the similarities and contrasting elements between the two film series.

One similarity between the True Blood TV series and the Twilight saga series is that they are based on a book series. The entire first season of the HBO show was based on a single volume of the book series titled ‘Dead Until Dark’ (The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1). The volume was authored by Charlaine Harris. The first season of the True Blood developed a devoted fan-based after a lot of viewers continued to develop a lot of interest in the series. The HBO TV series revolves around the story of Sookie Stackhouse who was a young and intelligent girl who had an extra-sensory perception (Schneider). The use of this character is very much similar to Bella Swan, who is a character in the Twilight Saga series. In the movie series, Bella ended up falling in love with a vampire. She she even confesses to Edward as they dance, “I dream about being with you forever” (Sutton and Benshoff, pg.227). The two characters are humans but forces of nature drove their love emotions into intimate relationships with vampires. In the True Blood TV series, Sookie rejected all advances of the men she had known during her lifetime. However, she was unable to resist the advances of a charming and romantic vampire. The two film series are also similar in that they filled with a lot of suspense and anxiety that is generated by the fact that their two main characters interact closely with vampires (Shadaliza).

However, there are some significant differences in both programs. For example, in the case of the True Blood TV series, vampires are known to exist within the community. The vampires try to very hard to integrate into the society of human beings and this phenomenon is seen in a significant part of the TV series (Schneider). The title, “True Blood,” is a clever name for the bottled blood which vampires are forced to use as their main source of food. However, in the Twilight Saga, the people living with the vampires in the movie are hardly aware that vampires exist among them as seen when Bella has to learn about Edward’s identity (Sutton and Benshoff, 230). The two groups of vampires in the movie i.e. the Denali clan and the Cullen clan can hardly resist their thirst for blood. This results in a conflict between the two groups of vampires especially after the intrusion of Bella (Sperling).

Moreover, in the HBO TV True Blood series, Sookie is eager to be turned into a vampire. This drive is at first free from the forces of love until she meets Bill. However, in the in the Twilight series, Bella does not have any interest to be turned into a vampire. After meeting Bill, Sookie she is completely captivated by him. “Unlike Bella, Sookie could allow Bill to bite her without turning her into a vampire as the procedure for “the change” is quite different in the two programs (Sperling). The character of Bill is played by Stephen Moyer while Edward Cullen is played by Robert Pattinson. The two actors are of a British origin and they play similar roles in the two different stories. Both Bill and Cullen seem frustrated by the circumstances surrounding them and by the fact that they are vampires. Both wish they could be like other normal human beings (Shadaliza).

The major difference in the story lines of both programs can be seen in the detailed structure of their stories and their length. Cullen’s roles are hardly as detailed as those of Bill in the TV series. This difference is brought about by the nature of each type of film series. Typically, a TV series is longer than a movie series thus making them sometimes boring. Movies and movie series are usually summarized to show the most important clips and aspects of their story, with each movie lasting for about three hours. This aspect has the effect of arousing the interest of most of viewers especially those who have very little time to watch programs that have a long storyline. The two characters are, therefore, similar in many aspects, especially in the roles played by their main characters. A major similarity between the Twilight Saga and the True Blood series is the case of shape-shifting. These cases are depicted through the human actors e.g. Sam in the True Blood and Jacob Black, in the Twilight Saga. In the two film series, the protagonists are women (Shadaliza). The protagonists in each case carry some unique voices as well as virtues that attract the audience. The characters of protagonists in both programs are greatly admired by the respective audience.

In both stories, the protagonists have relationships with vampires. However, in terms of their context, the protagonist in each case finds love and becomes comfortable around vampires. Romance seems to generate the powerful connection between normal human beings and the vampires in the two stories. The “girl” in each of the two stories, shows qualities that portray her as being attractive, generous and kind. These are virtues that portray the character of a good human being (Schneider). This type of girl ends up meeting an attractive, generous, kind, and gentle male vampire, who is ready to treat her with a lot of care and protection, in both stories. These vampires develop a strong urge to protect their “girl”. In the case of the actors, Anna Paquin ends up delivering in the True Blood TV series. In this case, Anna is in a position to portray sweet belle’s charm in a great way, but she maintains the consistent edge, which Sookie Stackhouse shows. She is generally sweet, but she has a low tolerance for stupidity (Schneider). This phenomenon can also be seen Bill’s character.

In the Twilight Saga, Cullen presents the audience with Bella Swan, a character who can be recognized from the book version of the series. Bella Swan is a very thoughtful and highly intelligent in many ways that are almost similar to those of Sookie in the True Blood TV series. Throughout the movie, she is fascinated by Cullen who is the leading man and a vampire in the movie series. This is similar to Bill’s case in the HBO True Blood TV series. In the case of HBO’s True Blood, Stephen Moyer presents the theme of inner struggle in an effective way, a way that portrays a unique TV cult to its audience (Cherry, pg.319). When playing his character, Bill, he is seen to have a consuming desire to protect Sookie. He is ready to face any form of danger that threatens the safety of his love. The same aspect is depicted in the movie series of the Twilight Saga. The directors of the two films wanted the audience to feel the pains of both Bill and Cullen as they struggled to protect the woman they loved (Shadaliza). In the True Blood TV series, the Audience could feel the Bill’s pain as he waited for his love during daytime (in the TV series, vampires are hardly able to come out during daytime especially when there was a lot of sun). This example brings out some strong feelings among viewers especially when Bill waits eagerly for a chance to rescue Sookie. The same thing also happens to Cullen in the Twilight Saga.

Typically, the two series have many similarities, but some differences exist as well. From aspects like their settings, to their characters, and their plotlines, both the Twilight Saga movie series and the HBO True Blood TV series have very close resemblance in many instances. Their themes and ideas are almost similar (Shadaliza). Their major differences are seen in the role of their various characters, the structure of both programs and the time taken to view the entire story. The HBO True Blood is much longer and detailed. This makes the series very popular including its aspect of receiving various nominations throughout the US (Cherry, Pg.319). It is created in a way that each season ends with some form of suspense, such that the audience are left eager to see the next season or episode (StepByStep.com). Moreover, one can hardly watch the entire story in one sitting unlike the Twilight Saga, which is shorter, clearer, and gives the audience with a chance to have the whole story within a short but interesting moment.

Works Cited

Cherry, Brigid. “Before the Night is Through True Blood as Cult TV.” n.d. 317-316. Print.

Hasty, Katie. ‘Twilight’ Bumps AC/DC From Atop Billboard 200. 12 Nov 2008. Web. 2 Dec 2013.

Schneider, Michael. “HBO rolls with Ball’s ‘True Blood'”. Daily Variety. 9 Aug 2007. Web. 2 Dec 2013.

Shadaliza. Twilight Series vs. True Blood. 11 Apr 2009. Web. 2 Dec 2013.

Sperling, Nicole. It’s official: Bill Condon will direct Breaking Dawn. 28 Apr 2010. Web. 2 Dec 2013.

StepByStep.com. Difference Between TV Series and Movies. 2013. Web. 2 Dec 2013.

Sutton, Travis and Harry M. Benshoff. “”Forever Family” Values: Twilight and the Modern Mormon Vampire.” Briefil, Avira and Sam J. Miller. Horror After 9/11 World of Fear Cinema of Terror. Texas: University of Texas Press, 2011. 227-235. Print.