DO YOUR OWN THING
by Kalika on 03/04/12
We've heard that old saying, audiences know what they want, and that all we have to do is give it to them. But, how can you know? Most people can't. Unless you are psychic like me. I knew that "The Artist" would win Best Picture. How could it not? It was shocking in its uniqueness. Who would have thought anyone would have the guts to produce a silent film in black and white with no sound, in the 21st Century?
I wonder if Thomas Langmann and Michel Hazanavicius were nervous during the production of the film. Sure they were armed with fine talent like Jean Dujardin as leading man, and a good script, but there are no guarantees. Audiences can turn on you in the twinkling of an eye. But, thankfully, they were a committed group and stuck to their guns. Can you imagine if they'd all started trembling in their boots halfway through and decided to switch gears and make it a "talkie?" And at the premiere people started throwing rotten eggs as the credits began to roll? It would have been all over the news: "Idiots Fail At Making A Silent Film."And I probably would've been leading the band, because I must admit, when I first heard about "The Artist" going into production I was saying, "Oh, that's ridiculous! Nobody wants to see a silent film. How stupid! I'm not going to see it. But, after I really thought about it, I realized how I have always enjoyed Turner Classic Movies and all those wonderful silent films they often show. But, even so, I had to admit that I'm not always in the mood for a silent movie and unfortunately, the poor sap who thought he could make it work was in for a rude awakening. They had my condolences.
My point is, it's the height of lunacy to try and give everyone what they want all the time. Audiences will love you and leave you as quickly as...oh, this begs a Kim Kardashian joke, but I won't. What audiences like today, they might not like tomorrow, and what they like tomorrow, they might not like if they've just come from the dentist and got the wrong tooth pulled. So, as most artists should know by now, you must always be your authentic self while creating. If not, you're simply manufacturing. Big difference.
