24
Sep
We’ve heard a lot about TikTok the last few years. We’ve seen the headlines. TikTok is the Chinese Government spying on us. TikTok is the most addicting social media app of all time. TikTok is rewiring people’s brains.
I don’t know if any of those headlines are true, but I do know from my own experience that TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, feel far more addicting than any other social media experience I’ve had before. With these short form video platforms, users can continuously scroll, consuming hours of short videos ranging from 10 – 90 seconds.
Could our nation’s new addiction to short form video be reflected in all other entertainment? Could we see TikTok affect the type of movies that become popular, or worse, get made?
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The last few years, action movies have performed better at the box office than any other genre. Check out this list of top lifetime highest grosses) from Box Office Mojo. Nearly every movie in the top 20 are action films.
Films move faster than ever before. Scenes with dialogue aren’t longer than 2 – 4 minutes, and in action films, dialogue often feels like filler. But back in the day, black and white film plots moved significantly slower. Many scenes were filled with nothing but dialogue, and the camera only cut every 30 – 90 seconds. What caused this shift in plot and scene speed?
The biggest factor was the introduction of digital editing. Instead of physically cutting tape, editors were able to make hundreds of edits through non-linear digital editing platforms. But what affect did the internet, smart phones, and social media play in film plots and scenes moving faster?
With constant novelty on TikTok and other apps on our phones, it’s no wonder films have to move quickly to keep an audience engaged. I imagine we’ll continue to see films and TV shows with non-stop action or perpetual drama reign supreme while slower, more contemplative stories will fall to the wayside or not get made at all.
I love a good action movie as much as the next person. Top Gun Maverick was one of my favorite films released this year! But I love so many different genres of film, and I would hate to see one genre take over. To me, what makes film so powerful is the diversity of genres and stories being told. I love how films can inspire us, allow us to dream, catch us on the edge of our seat, and move us in so many ways.
If we lived in a world where all we had was action films, we would miss out on heart, on soul, on human connection. And how would those films, in turn, affect our society and the way we interact with each other?
We’re probably a long way from that reality. But, if you’re like me and want to continue to see films being made in a range of genres, and exploring diverse stories, remember that filmmaking is a business. Movies have to make money, and money is what talks. So if you like a certain movie or genre, see it in theaters. Tell the filmmakers what it is you want to see more of with your money.