Listen to Them, the Artists of the Past, What Great Movies They Make…
It’s that time of year again – of pumpkins and pie, tricks and treats, holiday décor and home. And no fall season would be complete without the annual influx of old, classic movies. What is it about these films – Dracula, Hocus Pocus, Monster Squad, It’s a Wonderful Life – that are so compelling that they keep us coming back for more every year?
In 2013, the film industry has become a behemoth of technology, profit, glitz, glamour, and creativity. The 7-year olds of today no longer have to settle for a Saturday Blockbuster visit; they can visit the theatre and literally have the action come to them in all of its 3-D glory.
For adults, it is largely about the special effects. There’s no more wondering what the apocalypse might look like or a questioning how a 15-car pileup on an L.A. freeway happens; or what a portal to another galaxy looks like when it opens above the Chrysler Building in New York. Even invasions of aliens and zombies have been graphically and realistically designed down to the most minute detail. But despite these clear accomplishments in production, makeup, set design, and special effects, I can’t help but wonder if something might be missing in all that ornamentation.
A recent Wired article determined that old movies, in spite of their obvious technical limitations, are more creative than new ones. The analysis was conducted partially by comparing keywords of the more than 2 million films on the Internet Movie Database, and found that some of the most creative films were produced in the 1960s - attributed to the novelty of plot lines and the presence of independent filmmakers at that time period.
Connecting the dots to business is the sad and somewhat surprising fact that creativity is waning in organizations, even though resourceful thinking is a critical skill for employees today. In fact, one study found that 60% of “creative workers” were not given adequate support, time and resources in the past year to bring some of their best ideas to life, and 1 in 4 is considering quitting because of such challenges.
The technology that is at our fingertips today – both in the movie industry and in typical 8-5 desk jobs – is unmatched. And yet, it seems that the prevalence of these tools and platforms is obscuring the big picture and inadvertently creating shortcuts that undermine quality. For example, the movie The Matrix Revolutions featured groundbreaking special effects but lacked a cohesive and compelling storyline (it is rated a poor 38% on Rottentomatoes.com). By contrast, the special effects in Bing Crosby’s White Christmas leave a little something to be desired, but the dialogue between characters and the plot continue to make it one of the most popular holiday films in history (with a hearty 76% rating on Rottentomatoes.com in comparison).
Like most everything, striking a balance between the presence of a guiding strategy and the specialized skills needed to get there is key. Relying too heavily on one or the other dilutes the outcome, resulting in failing to see the forest through the trees.
As the weather continues to turn colder and more of my nights are spent reliving the films of yesteryear, I’ll continue to think about the lessons these films can teach us – about the value in originality, the emphasis on relationships and plot – and not rely just the coolest state-of-the-art special effects. And of course, in the spirit of keeping the equilibrium balanced, I’ll also be seeing Gravity in 3-D at an Imax Theatre nearby.