Invisible And Disinterested

Many boys, when they're young, go through a stage when they pull things to bits - it doesn't really matter what it is so long as it's sufficiently complex. I wasn't one of those boys. I figured things were assembled for a reason, and taking stuff to pieces wasn't a logical thing to do. As you've probably guessed, I'm not mechanically minded. Today, however, I was initiated into the mighty ranks of disassemblers - sort of. I spent the vast majority of the day taking apart a script (that I had written) and then putting it together again visually. In other words, I created a shot list. It took a shocking amount of time for a very modest result: the script was only three pages long. At the end of it all I was tired, hungry and mentally spent. Very few of those who've not made a shot list really realise how much work goes into planning a short scene. Everyone notices the general impression that is given, the emotion that is conveyed, the prowess of the actors. But no one thinks about the angle and framing of every shot. And just as well. If the audience was cognizant of all the minutiae of filmmaking method there would be no room left for appreciating the big picture that is, of course, the main thing. The method should not be noticed. Only the result. Some (usually inexperienced) filmmakers can forget or even resent this principle; the result is exhibitionist and personality-oriented work, not made with the highest good of the audience in mind, but rather the kudos of the artist. Many people are quite happy to serve others but most are, even while serving, calculating what they can get out of the service; praise, credit, prestige, comfort. Charity (both word and idea) is fast being forgotten - anyone can be benevolant, but charity is disinterested benevolance. It doesn't care if what it does is invisible. It doesn't stop to think what it can get back. It expects nothing. It only gives. This is what the apostle John meant when he wrote Above all, little children, love one another.