Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, or Jordan Peele didn’t just make films that exceeded the expectation of the audience; they made films that set a new standard of excellence. The audience expects to be impressed by a great story with the best actors, sound, music, and cutting edge special effects. These filmmakers compel us to want to see their films on the big screen instead of playing it on our phones, sitting in economy class, on a flight to Toledo. They have mastered the best methods of telling stories that engage an audience in such a way that we end up experiencing the film that goes beyond simply watching it. But with the quickly progressing new technologies that allow you to see the sharpest pictures and hear the best sounds on your phone, what makes you feel compelled to go all the way to the theater to watch a movie? You know that you are going to experience a really good story, or watch your favorite characters or actors, hear great music or get those amazing effects that pull you into the world. You get to share that with other people who wanted the same experience once they stepped into the darkened theater.
Driving to the cinema, purchasing tickets, selecting seats, and buying theater popcorn and drinks are all part of the journey that leads to our engagement with the filmmaker who successfully won our exclusive attention for the next two hours. There is the mystery of who will be in the theater with us. What energy will they bring to the experience? Will they laugh and cry with us? Will they be as terrified as we are when the monster jumps out?
You, the cool guy who snickers at the fanboy, are secretly loving the fact that this guy and his comic-con buddies are in the audience. You’re sitting next to this guy who is dressed up in a Stormtrooper outfit, who removes his helmet and holsters his laser-gun just as the lights dim, allows you to experience the film in a different way. It tells you that this film and whatever it is about that film really captures your imagination and that it is worth seeing. It’s not a coincidence that you chose that theater, opening weekend, and that time of day to see the latest Star Wars chapter. You want to be part of the moment as a first-hand witness to the blockbuster weekend that is sure to set records. You are a member of the crowd that is allowed to applaud wildly and laugh or cheer at the screen. We are in it!
So why do we do it?
We do it for the same reason people purchase a ticket to sit in the nosebleed section for our favorite NFL team in the middle of freezing cold December rather than just watching it on TV. We do it for the visceral communal experience and how it makes us feel. All the fans know that when we go out there, we are rooting for the same team, we are going to be entertained and we are all hoping the experience is worthwhile.
The energy we receive when we participate in an event with someone else is more heightened and lasting than participating in something on our own. You can feel tribal when you’re watching in a group about a film that deals with combat or you can feel a togetherness when watching an intimate romantic drama with your significant other. Watching a great comedy in a group can be like watching a horror film. You can get entertainment from the audience reaction as you can from what you see on the screen. As an African American movie-goer, I get a kick out of watching horror movies in a theater filled with my brothers and sisters. No matter what your race, religion, ethnicity or gender identity is, to see a horror movie with a room full of an African American audience is an experience not to be missed.
Every great film has, at its core, a great story, one that connects with the audience and allows the viewer to develop feelings for the characters as they get to know them. Great filmmakers can take those stories and create a film with whatever tools they have that is so effective that the audience responds with emotion. That emotion that is created is what allows us to connect and if deep enough, create devotion. Fan devotion can mean a loyal following and it can be devotion for a producer, a director, an actor, or even just the characters in the story. If you know that Steven Spielberg produces excellent stories, or Christopher Nolan will always get you the best visuals, you will want to watch their film. They have mastered the art of creating an experience which results in more resources to make a film such as access to the best stories, production teams that want to work with them and wider distribution. It’s the perfect storm.
As filmmakers, our goal is to create a film that can make the audience feel emotion, make them care. Make your story compelling enough that the person watching it will feel it and connect with it. Caring is what movie goers want from you and they will remember that feeling for the next movie you create. Caring is in the story. When you care, you experience.
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