For over 130 years, filmmakers have been trying to find equilibrium between transmitting their art and entertaining people. There seems to be a very thin line that separates a film from being merely entertainment to being a work of art. Who exactly is responsible for classifying films into one category or the other?
There are several opinions regarding this matter. Some people say its the Academy, others conspiracy theorists assure it is the government. I say it is the filmmakers and the viewers who are responsible for the categorization of a film. This goes beyond our personal preferences and it all happens in one place, the human brain.
I am no expert when it comes to the study of the brain, but I do have the ability to observe and analyze people. This hobby of mine has led me to the following conclusions:
1) People do NOT like change.
2) People do NOT like surprises.
3) People do NOT like what their close acquaintances do NOT like.
This last conclusion has its exceptions to those who are leaders in one way or the other; as for the first two conclusions, it is a fact of human psychology. Where I am going with this is that at the end, no matter how much technology advances or time changes, we will always like and dislike the same things in general.
This is one of the main factors when it comes to the classification of a film, since people can only take so much “art” before a film becomes unappealing to the common eye. On the other side you have the filmmaker, the artist of the show. As filmmakers we want to explore, to try new and different things. The problem is that the economy in such a mess that we cannot afford to take these risks because we need to eat. Ambiguity becomes an issue since an artist gets caught between the choice to satisfy him or herself, or satisfy others.
The truth of the matter is that whether a filmmaker produces a film for an audience or for themselves, it is up to the viewers to decide whether or not they like the movie. For those who think it is the Academy, they are wrong. There have been several procedures that the Academy follows in order to determine a year’s Best Picture.
The latest report on this matter states that the decision is based on what the people like. Here is an article by Variety’s John Anderson that discusses this topic at a deeper level.
Film is an art that we have decided to create. Whether you are a filmmaker that wants to express personal emotions or entertain other people, you are going to be categorized based on your talent to tell a story. Regardless of the Box Office and Hollywood productions, in the long run what matters is that you get enough people to prefer your film to others.
With this I leave you, dear filmmakers, to prove to yourselves and the world that film making is more than a business; that it is about people. If you look close enough you will find that in one way we all think alike. Study the people around you, look closely at their taste and figure out how much you can push the limit before they give up on your film. It is a matter of trial and error, but at the end, it will all be a benefit to your growth as an artist. Take that risk and explore your horizons, you will find a balance between making yourself and others happy.
