Creation Ends as it Begins

And so we’ve come full circle, traveling by virtue of a philosophic machine. Welcome back.

But what if we aren’t building a home. What if our chosen field of creativity is another art entirely? Does the philosophic machine still hold true?

The answer of course is yes. Let’s say you are a scriptwriter. Your purpose is to write a killer script.

8. We begin our countdown at infinity, drawing out information we need to begin the process of thought.

7. At the level of thought we examine the facts, we add up pluses and minuses, and look for patterns in the data. We study surveys and statistics, and we engage in analysis and evaluation. Here are the powers of logic applied. Now we have an idea for our script. Perhaps it is to be a who-done-it.

6. Now we decide where in the world the script must take place. Film makers call this the milieu, or social environment. Does the story take place on the open ocean or in Hells Kitchen? In what time does the story takes place? Is this modern time? Is it in the future or distant past. Perhaps it is a who-done-it in the 1200’s! And now we have our playing field.

5. No script can be written without a cast of characters. And so we bring in all the elements of life. Who is the good guy? Who is the bad? Who is on their side? What friends to they have? These are the players on the playing field and the opposing teams.

4. But what drives them? Scriptwriting books mistakenly believe conflict drives the story, but you can’t work with that. If you don’t believe me, just try to write a story based on conflict. Conflict doesn’t drive anything. Purposes drive things. People can have conflicting purposes -- that is the nature of a game. So here at this level of unifying themes, we have the name of the game. And we have other unifying things such as art motif. In The Matrix the art motif was the color green. And we have more: is this to be a comedy? A drama? A tragedy? And further, will this film be fit for the whole family with a G rating? Or will it be PG or R rated? Any work of art may have several unifying elements.

3. Now we move into the realm of organization. Games are composed of three things: purposes, freedoms and barriers. (Again, that is not my discovery). So how does the story play out. And so, at this level we have plot. Do we tell the story from beginning to end? Or from end to beginning, as in Pulp Fiction? How do we group scenes together? Do we tell the back story first? Or show the results of it and then tell the back story in flashback? These are decisions of organization; of sequencing and grouping.

2. Now that our plot stands firm, we reach the level of creativity. We have ideas for costume designs, and we consider the aesthetic sensibilities. Why? Because we want to create a work of art and that means quality. To produce a quality product, we must consider all the parts of the final work and give each part it’s due creative diligence through ornamentation.

1. Finally at the level of symbols we can start writing. But not a script. First comes an outline, and even before that a treatment in some cases. Here further details of the story are hammered out and discussions are held amongst creative people.

1. With the outline done, you are ready to write a script, creating the actual object that will be used to shoot the film. This actual object is itself a symbol for the story itself which will one day exist on film.

2. Next we re-encounter the step of creativity. Yet now others are involved: the director does his treatment of the script and takes over as the guiding force of the film’s creation. The lighting people do their plan. The art director does works out the art motif. The casting people propose actors. The makeup artists do their plan. The sets designers do their part. The location scouts propose their locations. The cameramen workout their camera angles.  

3. And then comes organization and that means shooting schedules, cues, people and equipment showing up on time. Film is shot and reviewed. Then the editor organizes the film, grouping shots together to tell a story. Matching sound and music and visuals. Then the film is mastered and copied and sent out.

4. Marketing does their magic and comes up with a creative strategy for the film. This strategy provides a unifying identity for advertising and popularizing the film on the world stage. All PR, advertising and promotion adds up to a single message about what this film is.

5. Now again we encounter life as the film is seen by people in theaters across the nation.

6. If popular enough, if its message is powerful and well done, the film continues to move out across the world.
 
7. And as it does, it changes thought patterns and ideas. Countless examples in history illustrate this exact fact. To wit: the Renaissance.

8. And impacting in many subtle ways, the film leaves its mark on the pages of history and thereby upon the fabric of infinity.

And with its next tick tock, our creative sweep moves from infinity to zero where the cycle starts anew.

Next: The Parallels of Life and Art, Chapter 11

© 2008 by Steve Hall. All Rights Reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without written permission from me, Steve Hall, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. That does not mean I will not grant permission for reproduction, especially for student use; simply contact me first. I am easy to reach. Readers are invited to link to this page.