Have you noticed that the most successful films are usually the films that have substance? That is to say that a large amount of intense thinking, care, and respect for the subject-matter and for the audience went into the production. Substantial films often contain:

1. DEFINITE BELIEFS AND IDEAS ABOUT TOPICS THAT PROFOUNDLY AFFECT HUMAN EXISTENCE.

2. FULLY-DEVELOPED STORIES; THEY HAVE INTRODUCTIONS, CONFLICTS, CLIMAXES, AND RESOLUTIONS.

3. character-progression; the characters have certain dispositions when the film begins, and then, because of the course of events of the story, they have different dispositions by the end of the film.

4. choreographed music; the music helps to describe the characters and to convey the mood(s) of each scene.

5. bespoke fashion; the costumes, hairstyles, and cosmetics help to illustrate the personalities of the characters.

6. carefully selected or constructed locations and props in order to generate verisimilitude.

7. A LOVE FOR THE ART OF STORYTELLING IN GENERAL, AND OF FILMMAKING IN PARTICULAR.

Some examples of substantial films are:

1. The King Of Comedy (1982)

2. Superman: The Movie (1978)

3. Star Wars, Episode 4: A New Hope (1977)

4. The Godfather, Parts I and II (1972, 1974)

5. It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)

6. The Robe / Demetrius And The Gladiators (1953, 1954)

Have you noticed that the least successful films are usually the films that are superficial? By design, many superficial films are nothing more than rushed, poor copies of substantial films. They attempt to financially capitalize on the popularity of the substantial films, without putting forth any of the mental-effort that made the substantial films successful.

Case-in-point: after the success of Star Wars (Q2, 1977), along came Quark (Q3, 1977), Star Crash (1978), Laser Blast (1978), BattleStar Galactica (1978), Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (1979), and Flash Gordon (1980). These films copied the imagery and the action of Star Wars, but they imitated very little of the substance. Thus, more than three decades later, Star Wars continues to positively affect the world and earn billions of dollars, whilst the other films have enjoyed only minimal success at best, and are largely forgotten.

In a 1960s interview, with respect to the topic of non-successful people imitating successful people, Bruce Lee stated: “They always copy mannerisms, but they never start from the root of his being.” (Enter The Dragon DVD, Special Features).

Here are some questions for consideration:

1. Why do I make films?

2. Are there stories which are burning inside me that I must tell?

3. Are there philosophies, concepts, or emotions that I am compelled to communicate?

4. Do I love the art of filmmaking, and all of the creative and scientific disciplines that it encompasses?

5. Do I make films only because I crave the glamour, fame, and fortune that can be attained by the people who work on films?

6. Am I a filmmaker of substance, or a filmmaker of superficiality?