Why are movies so important?

Use this forum to have philosophical discussions about aesthetics and art. What is art? What is beauty? What makes art good? You can also use this forum to discuss philosophy in the arts, namely to discuss the philosophical points in any particular movie, TV show, book or story.
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Mysterio448
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Joined: May 3rd, 2013, 6:44 pm

Why are movies so important?

Post by Mysterio448 »

Recently I just had a thought about the mainstream arts and entertainment industry. It seems that the goal of every novel, novella, children's book, comic book, or short story is to be made into a movie. The goal of every TV show or cartoon show is to be made into a movie. The goal of every stage play is to be made into a movie. The goal of every video game, board game, or action figure is to be made into a movie. The goal of every singer, rapper, model, comedian, or athlete is to become an actor in movies. Now I assume that the primary motivation is money, but why is that? Why is there so much money and attention invested in the mainstream movie industry? Why is it so important to our culture?
Sunbust
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Joined: April 13th, 2013, 2:42 pm

Re: Why are movies so important?

Post by Sunbust »

First of all I'm a bit confused about the fact that you addressed solely the "mainstream" media in your first sentence and than addressed all TV-shows/ Movies.... I, know for sure, that some movies are not made for commercial reasons (for example Dogvile or Antichrist) and I think many bands don't care weather there is a movie made about them or not, they play music because they enjoy doing so.

As for the question why there is so much money and attention invested in mainstream movie, I would assume that these too go along with each other. The fact that there are many people watching movies created an marked for advertising and thus much money is spend on creating movies and shows.

Leaving the question of why there are so many people paying attention to TV-shows and movies. Not only speaking about fanatic fans spending hours and hours of reviewing the same show but also the "normal" people who happen to watch their show when they get back from work or school. And I happen to wonder about the same thing as I realized how many time I actually spend watching TV-shows (for ex Games of Throwns running time ~40 hours). Generally speaking I think there are tow type of shows, one such as game of thrones which you discuss with friends or at work, guessing at who dies next. Then, you might watch shows like Lost Girl where you get the feeling of knowing the characters and sometimes it feels like sharing what they experience. Or you can either identify with a character or long to be like him. In conclusion, I think TV-shows and Movies have such an great impact one people because of our empathy, without that nobody would care for the end of the movie and nobody would care what happens to the people in the show. As to why it became so important, I think it is due to its omnipresence, it is after all the best way to share experiences and ideas with millions of people and that makes it the strongest tool to shape culture and society.
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Mysterio448
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Re: Why are movies so important?

Post by Mysterio448 »

It just seems to me that the focus on movies is kind of a waste of resources. So much time, money, manpower, and creative energy is dumped into movies, and then many if not most of them are garbage. It is probably the most expensive and manpower-intensive of the arts, and while the monetary profit may make it worthwhile, from an artistic standpoint it just seems incredibly wasteful. All the while, other more worthy arts, such as literature and independent music, seem to suffer.
Logic_ill
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Re: Why are movies so important?

Post by Logic_ill »

Seen by Mysterio´s eyes, some movies do seem to be a waste, but in my case, it is due to too much exposure. At my age, I´ve experienced so much, that I feel it´s difficult to surprise me. :) I do, however, see their relevance for the younger generations. Movies and other media may be their introduction to the world, or some perspectives in it.

I have known people who are so influenced by what they see in cinemas, that they are like carbon copies of some character they admire. This happens with other art as well. Sometimes they do so knowingly. At others, they have no idea where they picked up such manners, attitudes, lines, etc...

Movies are very influential. They spread ideas for better or for worse, but we are not all equally aware. Therein, lies the danger. I recall being brought up on tv shows, and gaining some insights on the world by watching them. However, I think some of my peers or many of my peers had completely different world views or interpreted media through different scopes. It´s as if, we each derived different messages from what we saw.

Some focused on the looks of the characters, others at their pranks or lifestyles, others at the subtle social and political issues, some others at the romance or sex, depending on the gender, etc.. Others took in the whole experience (music, lighting, background, plot, major themes) depending on their age...

I think responsible parents should discuss the effects and interpretation of media with their children, so that they do not get the wrong ideas because some movies are simply entertainment, and reflect very little of people´s realities. It may be dangerous to slip into these fantansy worlds and not see how people actually behave in their immediate environs.
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Theophane
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Re: Why are movies so important?

Post by Theophane »

Movies inform our lives (directly or indirectly), and the reverse is also true.
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