The difficulty of making art

  As I prepare to shoot a small scene in one of my classes, I am reminded at how difficult it is to create art of any type.  I have had to spend hours writing this scene.  After this, I needed to secure a location, cast two actors (one of whom became ill one day before the scheduled shoot and I had to come up with a replacement actor at the last minute).  I had to find the appropriate props.  This morning I will be spending my time drawing storyboards, purchasing snacks and drinks for the crew, and familiarizing myself with the material.  This all occurs before one frame of video will be shot.  In fact, once production begins the lights will have to be set, the camera angles will have to be determined (utilizing the storyboard as a plan, but having to adjust it for the reality of the set), and the sound will have to be adequately recorded.  Any error is any one of these steps can literally destroy the art.  All of this ignores the fact that the actors hold the key to how well a film works.  Good writing is very important, because without it you cannot make a good film, but bad acting can ruin even the best written script.  Once production is done, the material is at the mercy of the editing.  Good editing may not be able to save a bad film, but bad editing can destroy a potentially great film.  And editing itself is not an easy process.  Even in a short four minute film, like I am shooting tonight, means that there will probably be at least an hours worth of footage to sift through.  This footage will contain errors that the editor will have to figure out how to cut around to make the footage work.  It is very clear that film is very labor intensive.  All other art forms share this burden of hard work.

 This, of course, flies in the face of the general public's perception that making art is "play".  It is true that many of those in the arts find enjoyment in the production of art (whether it is music, film, painting, sculpture, dance or creative writing [and any other art form I may have forgotten here]).  Yet, to deny how much effort is expended is a fantasy.  Artists, who often due not benefit financially from the fruits of their labors as much as those who market these works, work very hard for a living.  Art may not provide the basics for survival (food, clothing, shelter), but it does serve to make that life worthwhile.  Art educates us, entertains us, makes us think, all of which helps us in our everyday life.  Art has always been present in human existence because it is important for human existence.

So while it is perfectly appropriate to criticize any art form when it fails to achieve its goals, it is also important to remember that, with very few exceptions, no one tries to make a bad film, bad album or bad painting.  Even the worst films and worst music are the projects of a lot of effort (which makes coming across bad films and music a tragic situation).  While I criticize art, I also keep these facts in the back of my mind.  It helps to keep a perspective on things, and a little bit of empathy is not a bad thing even as you hate that film your are watching or album your are listening to.