Escape or Engage

"So you enjoy living in the fake world over the real one?"

I was recently asked this after telling a gentleman about my love for film and plans to pursue filmmaking as a career in the future. 

This was an interesting statement. At first I was taken back, thinking he was telling me that what I do and what I want to do in the future was something that he found to be simple fantasy, a realm that, while cute, is inconsequential.

While that was my first reaction, the more I thought about it (in the 5 seconds in-between his statement and my eventual rebuttal), the more I realize that to an extent, he is correct. Part of what draws us into film and television is the idea of escapism, having a momentary respite from the grim or simply monotonous realities of the daily grind. Being whisked to galaxies far far away, checking in with our favorite group of youngsters in the '80s trying to save their friend from monsters, or even simply visiting the local pub in NYC to check in on how legen-wait for it-dary they are going to be (even thought we've binged every adventure 5 times through already); can be the very thing that can help us relax a little, laugh and cry, and be happy.

Entertainment, especially through the visual medium, can be much more than an escape from the real world via a fake one. It can do so much more. That is why my response to the gentleman was this: "No, I like to think I'm helping to capture the real world and helping many people engage with it."

To me, this is the power of filmmaking. I say to me, but in reality many others feel this way too. Take film critic/report/fantastic human Alicia Malone (if you are pressed for time, skip to 1:30. You should watch the entire thing though).

Or even my main man Christopher Nolan (start at 7:10).

There's a reason that a 2001 census found that 70,000 Australians listed "Jedi Knight" as their religious preference. There's a reason that protests or movements will use characters from movies as a default symbol for their struggle. Conversations are sparked and change begins when mainstream movies bring the conversation to the forefront.

Look at social media and how many times people share the Rocky Balboa speech because they need the inspiration for something they have, will, or are currently going through. Sometimes we learn more about people, cultures, struggles and triumphs through the lights on a movie screen, and we do not even realize it because we see it as "entertainment". This is not simple escapism; it is the opportunity to engage with something bigger than ourselves and find a way to help change our little corner of the world for the better.

This is how I feel about film, and this is why that is the hat that is my favorite. For Red Turbo Jacket Productions, our mission is to "tell entertaining stories that inspire conversation and change", and I fully believe that can be done. Next time you log on to Netflix, go to the cinema, or scroll through YouTube, I challenge you to look for something that does not simply give you an escape, but rather something that can help you engage and in turn, change the world for the better.

Need some suggestions? Here's a list that might help you out this October!