There are many of you, when you read this article, may find it reprehensible that I would approach such a topic as you may find it deeply insulting, either in that it caters to idealistic thinking in a materialistic and realistic society of entertainers or that it flies in the face of logical thinking and is anarchistic in its portrayal of the media as a whole.  Hell, you may just find it sad and preposterous, the ranting and ravings of a sad, burnt-out entertainment fogey, too jaded with the industry to try and change it, so all he does is piss and moan.  Then again, you may agree.

The subject I’m referring to is the oft-seen, never addressed battle between the great 80% of people in this world and the much smaller 20% that round out our exploding population.  What do these two numbers have in common, other than when you add them up you get 100%?  Well, though not exact, scientifically-proven quantities, the “80 and the 20” is a term that refers to the generalized mentality of the human race.  The 80 being the majority, average to below-intelligence, simplistic style and intuition as to their place in the world, contentment with mediocrity, devoid of a “deeper” sense of imagination and thought, short to moderate attention spans, and little to no true interest in the world beyond what their eyes perceive.  The vast majority of the population.  Sheep, often with a shepherd who guides them with a digital crook called the Media.  They see the lie and they succumb to it.

Then you have, as I like to call them, the 20’s.  Individuals of above-average to high intelligence.  Individuals who do not see the face, but the motive behind the face and beyond.  These are the people who strive to touch a star, and oft stumble at a single straw.  They are fearless, intuitive, courageous, often selfish and easily annoyed by the 80’s.  They do not wait to find Heaven, they bring Heaven to Earth, through thought, imagination, ingenuity, and a drive that borders on downright frightening.  They have a sense of wonder about the world and they never lose their imaginations.  Often they are discarded or avoided, called insane or troublemakers.  They see everything in front of them and take nothing for granted.   They are the black sheep, not content to follow a flock, never desiring to pursue a shepherd other than one of their own choosing.  They see the lie and they balk at it.

Those “80’s” however know the status quo.  They fall in line, don’t make waves, and for that they are rewarded safe and risk-managed lives.  They have health insurance.  They have steady, committed jobs and lines of credit.  They often have the security of knowing their place in the world.  They are the majority, even if they don’t actually know it.

Generally these “20’s” are not the nicest people.  Sometimes their drive and willingness to achieve gets the best of them.  Often to detrimental ends.  They don’t know when to quit sometimes.  They push when they should back off, and vice versa.   They very much are always searching for who they truly are.  They could care less, to be honest.  They are the minority and the best and worst part about it is that they do know it.

What does this have to do with film making you ask?  Easy.  Look at nearly every picture that has come out in the past decade.  The new millennium they call it.  Easily, I could probably rattle off a hundred films and find more on IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes that cater to the 80%.  Thoughtless, mindless drivel with breast-enhanced starlets, chock full of clichéd lines and half-assed talent.  No-Thought editing and a score purchased because it broke the Top 40 that week.  You see it every week at the multi-plex.  Hell, there have been at least 10 so far this year.  Pretentious, silly, outrageous, or downright insipid films all budgeted for millions upon millions of dollars, to cater to those silly sheep who line up in droves, because the media told them to, to see them.

Now there have been a few 20% films and unless they starred a major A-list actor, they generally don’t do as well in the theaters.  Critics may praise them, but that doesn’t mean at all that the sheep will flock that way.  When trained to a certain shepherd, they’ll generally follow that one voice to a destination.

Well now that I’ve raved on about the terrible differences, what do we, as filmmakers, do about it?  Well therein lays the crux of the problem.  It is a sad, sad fact that films posited towards the 80% make a lot of damn money and those others, sadly, they don’t often do that unless you have a real sleeper idea or a major lucky draw in the word-of-mouth advertising game.   And no, I’m not going to cite examples of these films here.   You can guess as to the real motive behind that.

Anyhow, the only way I can see this trend of stopping is for two things to happen.  1) Independent filmmakers need to start pushing harder.  Look for those scripts from local writers that really push the boundaries.  Hunt down those actors who have a little more behind those pretty eyes and sparkling veneers.  Train in a film style that leaves much to the imagination and thought processes of your audience.  Decide in advance, does this film make someone think?  Does it make my actors think?  Hell, does it make me think?  If the answers are yes, get your ass in gear.  If not, why would you want to turn out a project that you and others will know, your heart just wasn’t in it and 2) the general population needs to strive to really start seeing things outside of their little protective bubbles.  Those “80’s” need to get the hell off the hill, stop searching for which shepherd is theirs and wander over to the shady part of the pasture where the black sheep hang out.  They need to open their minds and their hearts to the real message of film making.  Not who can hypnotize you the most with the greatest visuals, highest-paid actors, or latest in CGI technology, but to the message that we are here to entertain you, either through the deep emotions that connect us all or through the most powerful and intricate devices on the planet, our brains.

We are capable of so much more, but slowly and surely, we move to a realm of Idiocracy.  There was a time when filmmaking was revolutionary and seen as such.  When brazen directors and actors took risks the public today would never dream of and all in the search of the heart, mind, and soul.  And the only way we’ll ever find those times again is when we stop being 80’s and 20’s and start being 100’s.

With the utmost and greatest respect to all,

-JW