The trend in this country and more disturbingly in other countries is that Style is more important than Substance. This has been trending up for decades and is evident in our films, television, writing and music. Although it is not absolute, the mass audience is acceptant of this. So, what does it mean and why is it a danger? What are the effects?
For this post, style can be defined as the decoration of a work, elements that do not enhance the story or ideas presented. Substance can be defined as the core ideas, story or messaging.
In films or television, style over substance is sometimes referred to as the
popcorn theory.
The popcorn theory is basically the idea that a hollywood is more concerned with money than the story. You may think, "Ha, that's always been the case." it has not. Character development, structured sub-plots and dynamic dialogue are fading at a fast rate. The computer generated imagery (CGI) is a major reason. Special effects are expensive, but they bring in crowds of popcorn munching viewers. Hence the name of the theory. This is money. Far fewer numbers go to see a dialogue film. And the result is that even an independent filmmaker is reaching for the effects film. Look at every hollywood film, almost all have CGI, even if its just for enhancing the image.
Well we are not aiming for hollywood, so why is this a concern? It is the conditioning of the audience that is a concern. People's attention spans are decreasing, there willingness to sit and listen to two people talking is decreasing. That effects us all. Obviously, other technologies have something to do with this as well, i.e. smartphones.
Music is another industry effected. Talentless pop "artists" are popping up everywhere. Their clothes, makeup , sex appeal and so on are much more important to record sales than the quality of their voice.
My concern with this is that this is what is being exported to other countries. Music TV in other countries is focused entirely on appearance, eye candy. The songwriting and crafted voice traditions are not. Therefore, some may jump directly into the style without a tradition of substance. Or worse, abandon their traditions to be more like us.
There is nothing wrong with style. I just think that one should start with a strong base, one that is primarily substance. And bring in your style with subtlety, as long as it is your style.
Please add your voice to this post,
What films are your favorite? Why? Is it Substance over Style or Style over Substance?
What about your own work?
Disclaimer: this is not an academic post, nor is it a complete thought, just a written thought, your input is encouraged.
