When we go to the movies we are witnessing a real situation that has been magnified so that we can see all the angles and nuances that accompany any problem or issue. The members of the audience that are watching the film are made to feel sympathy with the character, or at least feel some emotion toward the character, that helps them to identify with the people in the movie. This helps the audience members enjoy the escape that the film provides.
There was a time before the use of home theater systems when the only way that you could view a movie without interruption was to go to the movie theater. The experience of sitting in a darkened theater with a giant screen was a part of the whole experience. Today, many people try to duplicate this experience in their home with the use of large screen televisions and home theater components.
If you are studying the theater, watching the films that were created in the 1930's and 1940's is almost the equivalent of getting a degree in the art of filmmaking. Some of the best directors that have ever worked in Hollywood came out of that generation of films. The stories were all well structured with the focus on the emotions of the characters.
With all of that being said, the focus of the filmmaker should be on the ability to stir the emotions of the audience. They must find a way to get into the hearts and minds of the people who are watching their work.
The pace of the film is one of the ways that the filmmaker can control the emotions that are felt by the audience. The experiences that the characters have on the screen are also the way into the hearts of the filmmaker. The main character should be in pursuit of a goal during the course of the movie. The plot should introduce obstacles to the main character in pursuit of his goal.
The change and growth of the character is what will give the story purpose and meaning. If there is no meaning or growth for the characters then the movie will just feel trivial and unimportant to the audience. There are many movies that just entertain the audience, but they are not the ones that remain in the consciousness of the audience.
The story is told through the different scenes in the movie. It is up to the filmmaker to determine what scenes should be in the film and which ones should be left out. Each scene must do its part to move the events of the plot forward and if the filmmaker determines that a scene does not meet those criteria then it should be eliminated.
Some of the things that will determine if a scene should be included in a film are the ability of the scene to move the plot forward. To determine if something is important the filmmaker might ask what would happen if the scene were not included in the film. Would the movie be less meaningful without the inclusion of the scene?
Films begin with a question that the main character must answer. The entire plot of the movie is dedicated to answering the question. It may not be apparent right away what the question is in the film, but through the telling of the story it will eventually become clear.
Some of the best movies are the ones that involve plot twists that leave the audience guessing till the very end what will happen next. Keeping the audience on the edge of their seats is not just true of suspense films. When a filmmaker can do this, he has truly created something wonderful for the audience.
About the Author:
Fred Bailey has a long list of credits to his name and his experience as a director, screenwriter and actor. He is a mentor at Asia's Premier Film School, the International Academy of Film and Television.
