What makes movies successful? More than any other factor, the bottom-line narrows down to how well the film tells a story. Audiences flock to films that resonate with meaning. As I've stated in this blog before, people love to hear a good story. It should come as no surprise that Pixar, a studio that focuses on delivering films that weave well-crafted stories with state-of-the-art animation, has dominated at the box office. Their latest release, Up, features a 78-year old protagonist named Carl Fredrickson. Cantankerous and, well, old, Carl is stiff in the joints and not quite as spry as he once was. The charm of Pixar's Up lies in it's heart-warming tale, a story that develops and engages the audience. People connect with the characters, and become enraptured by the plot of the story. This is not to say that well told stories are the only aspect of films that attract audiences to the movie theaters. There are plenty of examples of movies that were box office hits solely because of a particular leading actor or actress. Pirates of the Caribbean is a case in point. People admitted that there was no great plot in the films, but the charismatic charm of Jack Sparrow, as portrayed by Johnny Depp, was enough to lure audiences back to the movies.
As a form of digital story-telling, movies have the incredible power to visually bring a story to life. One of my favorite adaptions of book to screen is the J.R.R Tolkien's epic tale The Lord of the Rings. Each time I view the film adaption, I am always amazed at the attention paid to details. As the director, Peter Jackson had a grand vision for the film. He took great care in writing up the script, in casting the characters, in the areas of production, etc. Jackson took the written words from a beloved tale and transformed them into a visual story. He designed an immersive experience for his intended audience. Peter Jackson desired to tell a story, and to tell it well. He set out to create an epic saga, and he succeeded.
We may ask ourselves why we are attracted to good stories. And what constitutes a universally appealing tale? The earliest surviving work of dramatic theory dates way back in history. Composed by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle around 335 BC, Poetics breaks down the components of successful story-telling. Whether it be a play, a book, poetry, or a film, Aristotle's Poetics has sound advice for them all. His writings are still very influential today. Fundamentally, the art of storytelling has not changed for literally thousands of years.
A well told story will be sought after. Master the art of story-telling, and tell a tale that is infused with resonating themes and emotion. Invest passion into the endeavor. This is the pathway to success. Or, it has been the traditional pathway to success.
There certain types of people who are 'shakers'. They think on a different sphere than most. They do not see things in the same light. They are known as visionaries. Visionaries see beyond, and are not afraid to try something unconventional. They are innovators, and the unexplored territories are their domain. In the area of film-making, George Lucas is an example of a visionary. When he created Star Wars in 1977, Lucas took several risks. He explored new territories in special effects. Everything about his film was unconventional. Yet his efforts were met with grand success.
When you take risks, you are not guaranteed success. There will be times when you fail. But it is important to press on. The future always brings change. Each of us has the ability to influence and impact the future. You can change the way that stories are told. Share your visions with the world.
We may ask ourselves why we are attracted to good stories. And what constitutes a universally appealing tale? The earliest surviving work of dramatic theory dates way back in history. Composed by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle around 335 BC, Poetics breaks down the components of successful story-telling. Whether it be a play, a book, poetry, or a film, Aristotle's Poetics has sound advice for them all. His writings are still very influential today. Fundamentally, the art of storytelling has not changed for literally thousands of years.
A well told story will be sought after. Master the art of story-telling, and tell a tale that is infused with resonating themes and emotion. Invest passion into the endeavor. This is the pathway to success. Or, it has been the traditional pathway to success.
There certain types of people who are 'shakers'. They think on a different sphere than most. They do not see things in the same light. They are known as visionaries. Visionaries see beyond, and are not afraid to try something unconventional. They are innovators, and the unexplored territories are their domain. In the area of film-making, George Lucas is an example of a visionary. When he created Star Wars in 1977, Lucas took several risks. He explored new territories in special effects. Everything about his film was unconventional. Yet his efforts were met with grand success.
When you take risks, you are not guaranteed success. There will be times when you fail. But it is important to press on. The future always brings change. Each of us has the ability to influence and impact the future. You can change the way that stories are told. Share your visions with the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment