On Why Film Matters

The Set-up. An Escape.

Think of it as a vacation. An escape from reality. You sit on the seat in a movie theatre or on a couch at home and press play on your DVD system. Trailers, opening credits, and the film begins. For the next couple hours you’re about to have your eyes fixated on a screen that tells a story.

The Confrontation. A chance to impact.

Good films entertain, but great films impact. Why do people watch films? Better yet…why do people fall in “love” with films? Art is subjective, which makes films subjective. Films have the ability to create a bond within a specific character or emotion that is portrayed on the screen. That is when the seed is planted. When the viewer realizes this bond and forms an attachment. The chance to impact has formed.

The Resolve. “Fin”

I’ll end with a Woody Allen quote. He said, “If my films don’t show profit, I know I’m doing something right.” To me, it’s not about the money. It’s not about the fame. It’s not about the special effects. It’s not about how attractive someone looks. It’s about the story. A great story provides an escape, a great story impacts, and a great story has the ability to change lives both in the frame and outside the frame.