Story telling is an intrinsic part of film that must never be taken for face value. Stories add true depth and meaning to films that aesthetically pleasing elements are never able to achieve. It is true that a beautiful film is crucial to draw the audience in. Aesthetic elements such as visual styles, audio cues and large productions enable the story of a film to connect with the audience in an emotional pleasing way, giving the weight of the story something to rest on, so audience members maintain interest.
However, if amazing production elements are the only thing the film is giving to the audience, the film lacks substance, offering little and has nothing to say. Stories give meaning and value to visual elements, tying in real life thought processes and ideas that enable a rich understanding of what the film is about. When crafting a story, writing about an event or situation is not enough. Each story must uncover an underlying goal or motive that writers and audience members alike can relate too. This undercurrent that runs through the film is crucial to the story and conveys what a theme is.
This idea of a transparent veil that surrounds a film is called a theme. It describes the conviction of the writer and the overall climax and point of the story. What is the story trying to say? This is a crucial question that all writers must ask themselves when curating a story, for it is the motive for the whole film. The them is the intention of the film and what it’s trying to say. It is the way you get into the “Head and Heart” of the viewer. It it the connection that you can find in all good movies that provokes an idea in yourself when you walk away from it.
Once a theme is found, it can be easily converged into a story line to create an inner emotional experience for the audience. This rich emotional experience is what is sought through film. Without a proper understanding in what a certain story means to the you as writer, the possibility of audiences relating to the film is very little.
This understanding of a theme not only helps you as a writer, but as an individual who can critically investigate the nature of any film, delving deep into the mind of the writer and their intentions. Once you find this underlying tone of a film, the pleasure of watching a film becomes increasingly enjoyable. You can evaluate what the film means and take this information and craft it into a meaningful appreciation that can be carried and moulded into your own life.
