Few have done as many movies and certainly blockbusters as Steven. He is a master of not only telling a story but to have the whole Western World enter his story, pay to see his story and corporations wanting to license the advertising rights. He is a Hollywood and pop-culture icon.
Tari and I watched a Spielberg movie last night and then went out to IMDB to check on the date that he made E.T.. We wondering how young we were when that movie came out. It seems so long ago … yet made such an impression.
For some reason I had no idea how many movies he has directed, produced or been executive producer. It is an amazing list of Blockbusters, documentaries, etc.
What struck me about his quote above was his acknowledgement of how hard it is to please people with just special effects …. it takes a real story to move the audience. (Think War Horse)
My son often comes home from movies saying, “The special effects were awesome, but there was no plot … no real story.” I guess he, like me, is like the “audience” Steven is referring too.
When I read the quote I thought of what Stephen Covey said in the introduction to, “7 Habits Of Highly Effective People.” That for 100s of years prior to the 1900s all of the Western “success literature” was based on moral and character principles. Yet, in the early 1900s through to present most success literature, self-help, interpersonal communication, sales, etc books have been based on “personality ethic.”
Personality ethic defined as using human skills of persuasion, body language, tonality, types of speech etc to “influence” people to have them do what you want. Whether that is to get you a raise, a sale or a yes from a marriage proposal.
Stephen, bemoaned the fact that our western society and it’s pop-culture writings have drastically departed from character, principles, morals and true human empathy and compassion.
As our read Spielberg’s lifetime observation …. of observing and catering to us … the mass of people in America … who watch our TVs, rent our DVDs, stream our Netflix and fill the movie theaters to see the latest Block Buster … how striking is his observation. How polar opposite from that of Covey’s observation of another great art form … literature.
Here are two men who have studied and applied themselves to two distinct communication mediums in our culture. On one hand you have Spielberg entertaining us with powerful plots and dazzling special effects. On the other hand you have Covey attempting to educate us and draw us back to a moral and principled center.
Spielberg says the flash and dash is not enough substance to “keep” an audience entertained. Yet Covey says our culture is addicted to the “Special Effects” of personality ethic to attempt to get when we want from life.
It seems what won’t entertain us and keep us as an audience is the very thing that the majority of us (Popular Culture) rely on to keep the “audience” of relationships in our life engaged in us through a personality ethic and ego (self) centered communication style.
What a strange world we live in at times.
Yet, one things I have noticed, at least in my circles, is that the tide is changing. More and more men and women, whether due to financial crisis and “rude awakenings” or a spiritual or character revival in our country … are finding that they long for and are returning to REALationships.
Relationships based on trust, love, faith, hope, personal responsibility, the art of true empathetic communication, educating expectations and true commitment.
Empathy defiend as , to be in the path of. Only a character based and compassionate style of communication stemming from Chirst’s love can suffice.
That is the Epic Story I’m writing out and acting in! A story of love, unity, compassion, genuine listening and deep covenant relationships. And yes, I’ll take some “special effects’ from time to time … but never over the meat of a true REALatiosnhip.
I’m taking a casting call and looking for co-producers and co-directors, actors, technicians and anyone and everyone … who’s in? Let’s make an epic story worth making another chapter in HIStory!
