Filmmaking

Film is a visual storytelling medium. Most movies that get awards at film festivals are “cinematic”. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the visuals go a long way toward telling the story.

This is certainly true of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a movie I just saw. It’s hard to imagine seeing this story on a stage. The emotions do not arise from the words so much as the visuals. I would have liked to have seen it on a screen larger than our small TV.

There are exceptions. Aaron Sorkin is a “wordy” screenwriter. While his movies may include great visuals, they typically could be staged. A Few Good Men and The Social Network are two examples that show how words can also be effective in telling a story.

Nevertheless, the most highly regarded movies depend more on the visuals. Recall the opening scene of Star Wars: A New Hope. The visuals are what pulled the audience in! I remember the exquisite feeling of watching something I had never seen before.

Karilyn and I have made two full-length movies: a modern adaptation of Macbeth and a comedy called Coloradoland. Neither has won awards at film festivals. Both are “wordy”. This is not to say that they’re entirely lacking in interesting visuals. I am very impressed with our cinematographers!

It’s just that I want our next movie to be more cinematic. And yes, I do want to make another full-length movie!