A Pigment of My Imagination

    Tracing the history of film development, both as a storytelling medium and as a science and craft inevitably immerses us into the realm of silent films. From the earliest days of the medium, film was in a very unique position in the world’s evolution of artistic forms, being a mix of visual expression, composed images, and a literary sensibility towards storytelling and the development of words as a communication tool. Sounds and images, words and pictures. The potential for style and substance simultaneously, and the conflict that these seem to naturally incur. Filmmakers have always had to wrestle with this precarious balance, although ironically, these issues weren’t really visible for quite a while in the early days of film. For modern audiences, we seem to somehow instinctually accept the tension between high and low culture. In the earlier days though, none of this was a given. The early “flickers” were seen as cheap entertainment, as mere trifles, amusements for the masses. People would crowd around, absolutely spellbound by the simplest little tricks of light and shadow. Simple toys like the zoetrope seemed like magic to a generation hungry for something new. The audiences were ready for something different—and film was it.

I find it captivating to study the development of film as a social phenomenon. In the overall history of the human race, film is still an infant oddity, merely a century old, yet in that short time, film has become a major world force. Film is thus not only a medium that draws from a very rich artistic and social heritage, but has also served as a proponent of culture. It is thus, not just reactive to culture, but actually proactive in influencing and actually shaping the world. Film has practically become a world religion in its own rights. This is seen very clearly in the founding days. Hollywood became the new Mount Olympus. Movie palaces were erected as new public temples, shrines to the gods and goddesses of the silver screen, where the masses would flock to worship their idols. The very act of strangers coming together into a dark, silent space, all staring intently at one thing, with the one intention of partaking in a communal story experience is a testament to film’s unique potential.

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