As many of you are
already aware, I worked for a few years as a university lecturer teaching on BA
Honours film degree courses. As I
saw it, my job was to inspire the students to push themselves to explore the
limits of their technical and storytelling skills whilst in the supportive and
safe environment of education. I
would challenge them to not play it safe and to dare to tell the best stories
in the most engaging and compelling way.
After all, many would leave university and be restricted by client or
studio remits so what better time to experiment and find ‘their voice’.
I’ve always been a lover
of film; all film. I have my
favourites in many categories from shear entertainment to highbrow ‘connoisseur’
type films. For me it’s about just
a few things: am I engaged in the characters and the story, can I connect with
the characters and story and finally do I get completely lost and absorbed in
the whole experience. Once a film
achieves that, in whatever way the genre demands, then, for me, its job is
done.
A good film, always
starts with a good story. There is
real power in a good story, it has the power to allow us to reflect, challenge,
learn, assess, grow or even heal.
A quality story will not do this obviously but will achieve its outcomes
through careful and deliberate metaphors and the ‘takeaways’ from immersing
ourselves in good stories can run deep and be life changing.
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| Storytelling is how we have always passed on wisdom and teachings |
The reason stories can
have a profound impact on us runs hand in hand with how I create huge
life-changing seminar events for people.
It’s about the experience.
If the viewer, listener or reader of a story is having any form of
chemical release (emotional experience) associated with what’s unfolding then
their subconscious is learning. As
I’ve written before and talk incessantly about, the chemical releases we have
create our entire experience, which we interpret as ‘reality’. This means that if your subconscious is
giving you any form of chemical ‘hit’ during the story, it isn’t ‘aware’ that
it’s not real. Chemical responses
are there to prompt us to take physical action (our survival instincts) and
unless the ‘thing’ we’re reacting to actually exists in the real world, the
chemical reaction is redundant.
Good stories manipulate our subconscious to give us an experience, or to
create an alternative ‘reality’.
If we are not fully engaged in the story or characters we will not be
getting the same hit of chemicals and the impact of the story will be greatly
reduced. Conversely if we’re
loaded up with chemical responses during the story we will have a profound
experience and any message that is contained within the story will most likely
have been absorbed into the subconscious.
Remember to create any deep change in us this is where the learning
needs to hit. Stories can engage
the conscious mind to entertain but also stimulate the learning mechanisms of
the subconscious to facilitate small or even large changes of personality,
beliefs, behaviours or perspectives.
Next time you’re
‘having an experience’ from reading a good book or watching a great film take a
moment to think about what’s going on in your mind and body. Then think about what your subconscious
is learning and how this learning effects personalities. We are an accumulation of our
experiences and leanings to this date.
We learnt through our experiences, whether they be direct, witnessed or
taught to us. What we read or view
also constitutes our experiences and such moulds who we are. Think about this the next time you’re
watching a scary or violent film or maybe something depressing or
stressful…your subconscious cannot disseminate whether what you are engaged in
is real or not and will absorb the experience into it’s learning. Is that really the experience you want
to have? Is that really what you
want to teach you subconscious? Is
that really who you want to be? Is
that the world you really wish to inhabit? A ‘dip’ into violence here or there or horror or sadness
won’t hurt and can educate positively if done well but to constantly immerse
oneself in negative experiences will create change in you just as it would if
it was actually real. The degree
of impact of this will be determined by the degree of ‘experience’ had. For example if you enjoy a good horror
film and are entertained but are not having a negative emotional experience
then the chances are little or no negative learning has taken place. However if, like me, these film leave
you unsettled for some time after or play on your mind, rest assured, you’ve
had a negative experience and your subconscious is a little worse for it.
I argue against that telling yourself
‘it’s just a story’ negates the negative psychological impact of some film and
stories. The determining factor is
always going to be the experience you are having. And as I’ve already said, I good story is the one where you
are completely engaged and absorbed in it. If you are aware you’re watching a film, it’s not a good
film. If you’re aware you’re reading a book, it’s not a good book and
ultimately if you ‘know it’s not real’, it’s not done its job.
As a final thought,
nothing changes when applying the above to computer games. I wish it wasn’t the case but
everything I know tells me that what we watch, read or even play changes us in
a manner associated with what we’re watching, reading, playing. It’s possible the experience will show
us a better of being but it also might be giving us a distorted, negative
‘reality’. I think all stories are
valid but as with anything in life, be aware of the experience you’re having
and the associated learning your subconscious is doing and the possible
resultant personality or belief changes that might be occurring. We are here to experience as all
experience is living. My challenge
to my students is to be clear about what experience they want their audience to
have and what teachings or outcomes they wish to leave them with, all whilst
entertaining.
I love a good story
and I love great film and that’s why I’m delighted to be running the “Hollywood
Experience”, 3-day summer film schools for kids this year. The basis of the courses will be how to
tell stories and then convert them into film and ascertain the impact their
film will have on their audience.
The final films will vary in ‘quality’ and effectiveness but the
learning they get will last with them as will the fun time they have.
If you would like more
information on the summer film schools please visit:
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