Many artists in the entertainment field who were trained in Master of Fine Arts programs often mistake show business for higher art.
Show business is not art. It is not creative. It has no soul. It is not everlasting.
"It's show business, not show show" as one middling director instructed me in a correction of my expectation that spectacle must not triumph over plot in a dramatic performance.
"People want to make money, not a show," he went on to say, "This isn't about being smart or even interesting. It's about paying investors."
That lesson was hard to learn because you always want to do your best and try to win not only the bottom line but the day of the mind as well.
It was made clear to me the mind and soul do not play a role in show business -- only profit matters -- and that's why I always prefer to make my own show show so I can fight the want for a bottom line that won't ruin the greater intentions of humanity while the rescuing of the spirit of the people with the craft of the art and not the want for the dollar.
Hi David,
You are so right!
I can’t expect “Babel” to match “MI” as far as business goes – I think it’s the choice of the producer/director – whether to want to satisfy their pocket or intellect or both.
Hi Katha!
It's wonderful to see you here! Yes, your point is valid and keen. There are many variations in quality and smartness in writing -- but few authors are able to recognize the flaws and the greatness in others because of the bright, shining, belief in their "own" Shakespeare.