You’re telling me stories!

“There’s an electric thing about movies!” said Oliver Stone, the man who gave us the insightful Wall Street and the Academy Award winning Platoon. Indeed. For nothing has told us stories better than how films have.

By the way, don’t we all like to tell stories, fiction or not? Presumably we do. So how do you like to tell one?

You can tell a story, by having your gang of buddies over at your place for a drink. If you are of the kind who would start and finish the narrative in a single tone and strain, chances are that more than half of the crowd would either wait for the end of it, or feign concentration or still pathetically, drift off. Well then, you can tell a story by simply writing one. Well, I read so I’d risk reading yours too. How about the bloke next to you who clenches his fists when you open your mouth, let alone read what you’ve written! Is he not missing something?

Simply, make a movie.

“Who, me of all the people?"
Yeah, why not? Did you ever want to be a film maker?
“Well, I don’t know. Nothing like I never got the idea.”
Then you have the worm inside you. Get it out or get going.

Technology is out there to be used. All you need is a good story to tell. A narrative on film is experiential and has the potential to arrest the imagination of the audience for the while you choose to. Effectiveness is the key word here. What speeches couldn’t achieve alone, OHP slides did. PowerPoint presentations overcame the shortcomings of the transparent sheets, with images and sound. And now, videos are increasingly doing the talking at meetings and conferences.

I tried telling a story above, maybe it didn’t quite hold you. Let’s try it this way. If you ever wanted to be a pilot but couldn’t make one, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make a movie. No, not on how to be a pilot, unless you choose to, silly! On the big screen, on the TV or on your camcorder, the medium is your choice. Make a movie and take me on your flight. I’m surrendering my imagination to yours. If you’re selling a product, I’ll buy the idea and maybe the product too, if I get taken in. If you’re taking my trip, I’m ready, only that I need to fly. And if you are simply telling me a story, I’m all eyes and ears!

Shoot, not with an automatic but an auto-focus. Shoot pictures, which move. You have shot and captured scenes for eternity. The time, the location, the light, the sound and the motion are all framed for everyone to see. All at the press of a button. The power of shooting is enormous, which you’d agree.

Did I tell my story yet? If I did, I’m still good at my craft. If not, no worries. I’m off to get my HandyCam and some folks like me to get in front of the lens. It’s an electrifying feeling.
I want my story to be told, at any cost! Well, almost any!

-Met