Good film bears a strong imprint of honesty

My inspiration to write about films comes from my experiences of observing the passage of life. In life, the biggest decisions cannot be made in haste or dishonesty, so it is true for films. One cannot make choices from haste or an atmosphere of dishonesty in crafting the film. When you observe a film keenly, it is easy to peel the structure of the story and find out the kernel of meaning that has brought the pieces together to make that film. The audience is attracted to this kernel right away, sometimes unbeknownst to them and it maintains their participation in the narrative.

What’s particularly hard to teach or learn in film making is that this kernel cannot be mastered by improving the quality of your craft or augmenting the production value alone. No choice of meaty words in your dialogue or major onscreen talent can hide the atmosphere of lies in dishonest and pretentious storytelling.

How does one master this kernel? By staying true to yourself and being yourself in your storytelling. Don’t try to hide the rotten parts of your being behind the finesse of storytelling, rather come clean and expose your weaknesses. There is no secret sauce to good films or good filmmaking. If all of this sounds abstract, it probably is because good films force you to confront life head-on, and life doesn’t give you pointed answers. Its clues are fuzzy and often need careful unpicking. In this, the prince and pauper are equal, although the prince might have a slight edge in their access to funds for making their films. If pauper is truthful, their films will shine through despite low tech or budget.