Why film?

Why do we enjoy films? As somebody who has grown up watching movies, it can be hard to take a step back and think of a world without film. Yet, that has been the case for most of history. Although film itself is a modern invention, creativity has always been a central part of human existence. All throughout our history we can observe creativity. It is something that comes naturally to us. Every generation of people has their set of creative mediums, as creativity is something that evolves and changes over time. This is since creativity is a reflection of the thought of the society, it is a response of the society’s philosophy. Over history we have seen different expressions of art, music, literature, and theatre. These four in particular have been primary modes of creative expression that we can see in our past.

The artistic expression of our society is in one sense radically different to the society of our predecessors and in another sense no different. We are unique in that we combine the mediums of creativity in a way that no one has seen before. Technology has allowed us to create a medium that fuses the visuals of the finest artworks, the harmonies of the great symphonies, the thrilling plots of classic literature, and the drama of engaging theatre into one. Film does this, it is a combination of all our primary mediums throughout history. This is why we love a good film so much, as it is such a rich way of expressing humanity. It is a combined effort of creators with unique specialities. Film is also no different in expression to the societies of the past. To create a good film, one must still be skilled in writing, or acting. You still need an eye for composition like a painter, or the musical ear of a composer. The message and purpose is also the same. Humanity is just the same: creating to reflect our inner dialogue and explore issues facing our time.

It is for this reason I always believe the best place to start when wanting to learn film is by picking up a good novel. If you want to learn to write story, what better place is there to start? The novel is a tried-and-true method for preserving stories and the greatest narratives known to man are contained on the page. Every film begins in writing, but it is not just screenplay creation that is at stake if you do not understand literature. You see when we read we evoke our visual imagination. The writing conjures up locations, characters, and emotions all inside our head.

On a more practical level, for what purposes do we create films? The process of creating a film can be used in a huge number of different contexts. Primarily it is used to tell a narrative. We see this on the big screen in Hollywood films. In more recent times the internet has allowed an influx of film narratives on a smaller scale through streaming services. Films can be educational. Documentary films provide insight into areas of our world we may not normally experience. Whenever we don’t know how to do something, watching a YouTube video to explain is a very normal response. Film is also used for marketing, to promote certain products or services. Within the entertainment world there are many different genres of film that each evoke their own emotions and tell unique stories. When creating a film we must be aware of its purpose: what story we are trying to tell?

Film is such a central part of our lives. I know I love to sit down at the end of a long day and put on the next episode of that series I was watching. I feel that film is so important for people today and most of us don’t stop to think why that is. Nevertheless, if you want to become a filmmaker it is helpful to contemplate why we make them at all. You need to understand that your primary tool for making films is also something more important than a camera, computer, or software. The most important tool is your imagination!