I Think Cinema, Movies & Magic

“I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The earliest people who made films were magicians.” A quote by Francis Ford Coppola. (Director of The Godfather)

Film has always been a great wonder to me since I was a child. I would feel enchanted by the different stories on screen. The whole invention of Motion Picture was like magic, from a photo, to capturing 25 or more images per second to create videos! In 1877, it was like magic or an illusion to people. Film has evolved since, and my appreciation of Film continues to grow. I learned it is not only a source of entertainment but has the potential to teach us, how to better live our lives. You get to see characters in certain situations, you can learn and can relate or see yourself in characters, which I love! It makes me feel like someone out there is like me too! Even now, I still get captivated by the minds of the many writers and directors, who take us into different worlds. I’ve come to realize, movies are great teachers.

In the same way, music has its touch of magic as well. It transports you into different states. In a minute, it can get you up in a good mood and you’re out of your seat dancing, on the other hand, it can take you into a reflection, reminiscence, or melancholy. I learned that music is more than just notes and chords, it has a system and certain patterns.

To be honest when I came across its theory, it was overwhelming but I realized just how important learning the basics, foundation and structures are! I used to be satisfied with just playing the chords, till it crossed my mind to ask, why the patterns were the way they are. Learning more about key signatures, notes, how sound happens, etc, it enlightened me, and opened my eyes to how music should be perceived. It made me appreciate the work artists and musicians have put into creating their melodies.

I recognized that movies and music have similar qualities that draws me into these worlds. Before, my instinct was to simply capture subjects on camera and just play chords on my guitar. However, learning about Film History and the Theory of Music, I wasn’t even scratching the surface.

Hence, these two topics have taught me how beautiful to look deeper and ask questions. Unlike leaving my knowledge to just play the chords, or just watch the film, I learned new things and in the process I was able to take home new learnings. I was enlightened to see deeper into their worlds and now I have a whole new appreciation of these two everyday things!