An Essay on Film

Ah...Movies.

Movies. Movies. Movies.

For most they are entertainment, for most they are something to watch on a Friday night while snuggled up close to a warm date.

And still for some, they are all they have thought about creating since they were eight years old. For some they have dedicated their lives to studying film, spent thousands of dollars on an education in the history of film- they do all this because they are destined to make films.

For these individuals there will always be a tear, a gaping chasm between the "moviegoer" and themselves. Quite simply, it's because they know too much.

How can you know something is cliche if you haven't seen the very films it's ripping off? How can you know something is predictable unless you've seen the numerous films prior that have gone down the same beaten path?

The individuals that will redefine cinema will undoubtably have a vision for cinema that is unforeseen by the masses. Don't feel bad for these individuals, don't feel bad that they can't self-lobotomize before viewing art- but rather rejoice! Because they will be the artists bringing you the films you're snuggling up to in the near future.

If we all enjoyed I am Legend, there will never be anything better. But for those that strive for more, for those that see in their heads where film can go in the future- we will make films that soar beyond the low expectations of the modern moviegoer.

For those that enjoyed I am Legend, they will sit...and they will enjoy the next film made the same way...and 10 years will pass and the bar will not be raised for them, the standards will never heighten.

When a chef sits down to eat a meal, they can tell you all the spices that were a part of it- all the ways the supper was cooked and prepared. For a person who just wants to get a full belly- they will simply say "dems was good eatin'!"

As a studied filmmaker, I know the spices, I know the history. A film isn't just a film, it has a recipe and a pedigree. I can tell you why it was made, where it was made- and how long it was "cooking". A heart surgeon knows the heart, studies the heart, knows the ins and outs the arteries and ventricles. We don't yell at them for "caring too much about the heart!"

We need to respect the artists, the creators, as we respect the Professors and the technicians.

A man destined to create will always want more and see more than is on the screen- if he didn't , his destiny wouldn't be in that art.

A lot is subjective...but a lot simply is not. There is a science to film, a language to cinematography. Fans of painting can tell when certain brushstrokes were introduced by certain artists, they can also explain which artists lifted those brushstrokes for the next 100 years. A lover of music can tell you which Jazz musician pioneered a sound that is still influencing modern radio today. A man whose mind is dedicated to creation in cinema will see cinema like no other, he will understand it so deeply- that cinema's flaws will become glaring. Films that trick most, will be mocked by the passionate filmmaker, films that bring in millions, will mean nothing to the passionate filmmaker. Because the filmmaker will see how to make it better, he will know how to take something to a territory that others haven't even seen maps for yet.

I don't want those who disagree with me to change their opinions on films. I want them to respect the differences between the intentions of those groups viewing the films. Don't expect us to view art the same way you do, don't call us names for having passion for greater things. Don't expect us to see world the way you do.

That's how it goes in history, those who change the arts- are ALWAYS dissatisfied with the current state of the arts. I encourage you to read an Art History book.

Who in this discussion can tell me the name of the man who invented the Steadicam without going to Wikipedia?

There's a reality to film and filmmaking as a profession that those on the outside will never understand. The outsiders see it as entertainment, as an escape. We see it as our life's work. God have mercy on me if my life's work is whittled away to mindless entertainment.

We are dedicated to honing our skills, refining the talents. Making music video after music video, short film after short film, researching and writing feature films since we were children. We have been pitching a feature film in Hollywood for 12 months now. We've learned so much, gained so much insight into this industry that you can only gain by DOING it. I can tell you what color the wallpaper was in Akiva Goldsman's office if you'd like. Before you check Wikipedia, he's the man that wrote and produced I am Legend. Some would say "What does that have to do with anything?" It means everything, knowing this industry means everything. Hearing from a producer from inside Weed Road Pictures paints a picture for every film they will ever make. I've heard first hand their opinions on films and I know just why they produced I am Legend. I sat on a couch in an office at Warner Bros. Studios (again Wikipedia if you don't know what that is) and heard opinions and faux insight from the very studio that backed I am Legend. Things become tangible when you're out there, faces matched with names and it begins to make sense just why this industry has fallen so low.

All of this means something, soaking in film, meeting the people that make the films, it is all building toward something- toward eventually expressing ourselves in this format.

If you side on the argument that if something makes bundles of money - than it has artistic worth to any great extent- than I feel sorry for you- because monetary prowess has never been a sign of spiritual or emotional depth.

A film of great worth can also make a great amount of money, but please know that they don't go always go hand in hand.

Don't feel bad for us, because movies aren't meant to mean the same thing to you as they are meant to mean to us.

They aren't meant to be simply enjoyed or not enjoyed- they are meant to help build and refine me as a filmmaker, or show me what mistakes not to make when I helm a feature of my own. What needs to happen amongst friends of mixed interest is that they need to once and for all recognize and respect the difference between the groups. Now, it's not better or worse, dumber or smarter- it's simply different. You are not a heart surgeon, you'll be happy as long as yours keeps ticking. But you won't ever ache to know how it ticks or dream about performing a transplant that saves an infant's life. You'll simply smile if it's ticking.

The filmmaker will never be satisfied, but that is his place- he will always say it could do more and be more. He will desire to know what light was set up where and why. He will desire to see new paths blazed and new genres defined.

That's how invention occurs- when someone sees something that for years prior simply wasn't there. One day film will be reinvented by those who saw what most thought...was simply never there.

In all my reviews of films and all my criticism of films I NEVER insult the viewer calling them "diseased" or ignorant. I criticize the artists behind the camera and the talent in front- because it is there jobs that I feel I could do better.

Do not try to convince or condemn someone out of a mindset or thought process.- that is presumptuous and unfair.

As far as the "then do it yourself!" directive...I assure you brothers, we're well on our way.