14 Comments
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Liberty's avatar

There's a great parallel in music. After I started playing guitar, I listened to music completely differently. I could focus on every instrument independently, noticed all kinds of things I couldn't even notice before, etc.

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Ed William's avatar

For sure! Even for something like watching sports - the more you know about the specifics of what's going on, the more you can appreciate something that may otherwise pass you by.

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Liberty's avatar

Another great example. Or writing. You read differently when you're trying to figure out how they did what they did.

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Minna's avatar

These things are so interesting to think about. It took me years to learn to watch classic movies, and learn to understand them -- and I often recommend TCM to everyone I meet. I wrote a thing here about how to enter that world of old movies. https://acabinetofcuriosities.substack.com/p/classic-movies-for-beginners

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Matthew Morgan's avatar

That's a great guide to classic cinema! And you have a fantastically warm writing style. You got a sub from me.

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Minna's avatar

Thank you, Matthew, for your kind words!

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Tom White's avatar

"As the arc of technological progress bends towards the frictionless, we risk becoming divorced from the thousands of human decisions that constitute art — decisions that give movies their living, breathing quality."

100%. As AI eats everything, taste matters more than execution and EQ matters more than IQ.

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Akos Peterbencze's avatar

And all this could be said about virtually anything creative. If you like something, seek it out, observe it, immerse yourself in it, and you'll understand and appreciate the effort that goes into making it. I still don't understand how this isn't a default mode for most people.

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Ed William's avatar

100%

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Kent Jones's avatar

This is great.

You should think about expanding to the other crafts. For instance, the light always has to fall on something - which leads to: production design and art direction and props; costume design and wardrobe supervisor and set costumer; hair; makeup; casting, BG casting.

In all great movies, no detail is too small.

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Ed William's avatar

Thanks Kent!

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Gail Lacey's avatar

Love this appreciation of the craft of cinema. Art is created from craft pieced together to make something original. I’ve never thought about cinema in this way.

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Ed William's avatar

Thank you!

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Mar 31
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Ed William's avatar

Thanks so much, Tracy!

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