Take 1... 10:44 am **Int. Home – Day** P sits down, her computer in her lap. Chaos ensues as crying and the sound of a slamming door echo behind her. She turns around to check out the drama, then immediately turns back around to type. Just write, she whispers to herself, allowing the chaos to continue for another moment. --- Happy Sunday crew. Have you ever noticed the difference in how we take in different forms of art? Of course the art itself is different, but the way we actually ingest it is entirely different from top to bottom. It's funny, from the amount of time we give to honor whatever the art may be, to the senses we use, whether it's solely our ears or sitting quietly in a small place, in a car, in a theater, or in a museum. Some experiences last only a few seconds if you're staring at an art piece on a wall or on a phone screen looking for hidden features, textures, and subtleties. Some last a few minutes, using your ears to catch a beat and listen to lyrics that can transport you to a different time or remind you of an old friend. Some art forms take hours, sitting in the dark, staring, listening, and searching for emotion, connection, and understanding through characters pretending. It's beautiful. Right? That we're able to ingest art in so many different ways and that it feeds us in ways that can compel us to create it or want more. Art has a way of creating feelings of confusion and interpretation as we look for understanding of its creator or the piece itself. It has the power to remind us of past memories of people and fleeting moments that can take us to different versions of ourselves, or help us realize ourselves in varying ways through characters on screen. And with all these differences in how we interpret art also comes how receptive we are to it, especially when we like it versus when we feel disappointed by the final product. As my first short film is nearing its completion in post, I find myself anxious about what others may think, how they'll take it in, and what their final thoughts of the film may be. It brought me to the realization of how different types of art impact us emotionally and internally, and how we react to the experience afterward. So I figured this would make a good blogging topic. I'm proud of my first film and excited for the world to see it. But the question remains. Why does a bad movie hurt more and feel less forgiving than a bad song or a bad piece of art hanging on a wall? Maybe it's because of the amount of time you dedicate to it, searching for a connection, understanding characters, and feeling the emotion of a film. The amount of trust it takes to buy an $18 ticket and sit down quietly, uninterrupted, hoping to be interested enough not to fall asleep for the next hour and a half. Watching a movie is like sitting down for an expensive meal. We expect the most of it. From the writing, lighting, cast, and directing, there is a lot that has to happen within a movie to consider it worth experiencing, which may be why we come to it hungry, hopeful, and far less forgiving when it disappoints. I reflect and ask myself, does this help or hurt my creativity when it comes to creating more... So what does this mean to me as a filmmaker? It opens another eye and deepens my understanding and appreciation of intentionality when creating films. It means that filmmaking is hard and exists at a high level of creativity, open to speculation and high expectations in every aspect to make the experience worth the investment of time and attention. All creativity serves a purpose in peace, experience, pleasure, bonding, escape, and realism all at once, coming from something inspiring and able to be appreciated in its own way. Keep the creativity alive crew.