The Meta-Story and Worldview of many films is discernible from little more than their first and final shots. Don’t believe it? Watch this video!
Master Shots: First and Final Frames of 55 Films Side-by-Side, by Jacob T. Swinney
Psychology Backs the Power of Developing a Positive Worldview, by Todd W. Hall, PhD
You can’t directly change your worldview, but you can seek out new experiences that create the conditions for change. “Implicit Relational Trust” is a good place to start…
How To Raise Money for Your First Movie: Interview with Producer/Director Mark Freiburger, Part 2
The one thing I get asked about the most by other aspiring filmmakers is not about those more high profile experiences, but about how to go out and raise money to make their first features.
All-Time Top Films for Deep Culture Impact
Tonight the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will award the 2015 Best Picture, yet the academy missed most of these “Deep Culture” Impact films. Will this year’s winner one day join this august company?
Why are ‘Deep Culture Impact’ Films so Rare?
In the past 40 years only three Academy Award-winning films managed to break into the coveted top 60 all-time box office earners. Here’s Why.
High Culture? Pop Culture? Shouldn’t a Great Film Impact DEEP Culture?
One helpful (if imperfect) way to estimate ‘deep culture’ impact is to look for films that have achieved success what at what Hollywood sometimes calls the “double bottom-line.”
The Oscar “Huh?!” Factor: Why Academy Voters Usually Pick the Wrong Film
The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg recently opined: “I try to vote in a way so that, in 50 years, people aren’t going to go, ‘Huh?!’” Sadly, history reveals that, when it comes to picking a film audiences will recognize as truly great 50 years from now, Oscar voters nearly always miss the mark. Here’s why.
Act One Hollywood Screenwriting Program: Coming Soon to a Computer Near You, by Chris Dalton
For over 15 years Act One has provided access to some of Hollywood’s best teachers and mentors in the world of screenwriting. Now you can experience this amazing program in our inaugural online cohort.
C.S. Lewis on Suffering and Free Will, by Maria Popova
“Try to exclude the possibility of suffering which the order of nature and the existence of free wills involve, and you find that you have excluded life itself.” -C.S. Lewis
100+ All-Time Top ‘Deep Culture Impact’ Films (2014)
Nearly two decades of using film to teach worldview to undergraduate students has resulted in a few surprises in which films have had the deepest cultural impact on a generation. Here’s our list of the top 25 films and our pick for “Best Deep Culture Impact” Film for 2013.
The Devil Wears Prada and Worldview Transformation
The fashion industry’s story opens up new plausibility structures for Andy’s decision-making. Her drive to succeed subtly shifts from her original goal of hard journalism to pursuing the goals of Amanda Priestly. Her journey toward the dark side begins with a single dress. But will it forever dominate her destiny?
Oscar Fail: Is an Academy Award a Reliable Indicator of a Truly Great Film?
Sunday’s Academy Awards show seeks to honor this year’s greatest film, yet history reveals that Oscar voters often miss the mark.