The Power of Discovery
I saw The Signal the other night and fell in love because it reminded me of just how important the element of discovery can be for a film. We always talk about conflict driving a story but, what about discovery?
As excited as we are about vicariously enjoying other people’s drama, we’re also just as equally excited about vicariously discovering other people’s findings. We love reading about a new phenomenon in space or watching a documentary about an unknown culture in our backyard. That’s because media invokes the same sensational feeling we get when learning something new…I mean, we are learning, only we don’t have to put in all the hard work and effort. So, what about fictional storytelling? What happens when you combine indie films with the feeling of discovery? Well, you get The Signal.
The sensation of discovering something much larger and more extraordinary than your self is very evident in William Eubank’s latest film. Three college kids wander into the desert in search of a hacker that’s been harassing them for days. Already before the first plot point you’re seeing a dynamic story encapsulate itself in mystery. From trying to find this hacker to the unfinished drama that plagues the group, Eubank pretty much drops you into a complex story that unfolds from there.
Now as you can probably guess from the trailers, they run into aliens and are presumably abducted only to find themselves back on Earth in an underground lab. The rest of the movie shows them being poked and prodded by our finest scientists as they try to figure out what happened to them. And of course, the kids are scared shitless so they’re constantly trying to find a way out. This only intensifies an already tense situation but as much as there is tension, there is an equal amount discovery.
Our characters constantly run into very surreal moments that force them to question the very nature of reality. It’s these moments that give the film so much power because it reminds us of how it feels to discover those things that we didn’t think were there before.
Ponder back to a time when you discovered that you weren’t the center of the Universe. Or maybe when you first started watching the news or reading non-fiction that wasn’t given to you as a homework assignment; when you realized your country wasn’t the greatest place in the World; when you discovered that people are really bad and really good and not just the middle-of-the road yuppies in your neighborhood.
It’s those moments that gives you the “ah-ha” sensation. You almost feel your very neurons making instant connections. And, then…The World around you is suddenly illuminated just a little bit more. It’s a hard-to-reach moment because it requires so much examination and introspection but when you get there, you know because you feel more empowered than you did the day before.
That’s what The Signal and other like-minded films help invoke within viewers. The movie doesn’t just captivate us. It cleverly makes us feel like an infant; always fascinated by our apprehension of the every-expanding reality that lies in front of us.
But don’t be mistaken by my praise. By no means is this story original. If you’re looking for a revolutionary film that’s timeless then, you won’t find it in The Signal. It’s been done over and over again but, what makes this film particularly fascinating is how the same story was told.
It emphasized curiosity and evoked that sense of wonder we all have about the World around us. And to me, that’s a rare trait to have in modern day films because we seem too fixated on conflict. It’s true that drama drives the story because stories themselves are sort of mental devices we use to help us process issues. But, that doesn’t mean we only have to focus on that one emotional response, especially if it’s all too common in film.
We need more stories like The Signal because it reminds us of how awesome it feels to discover something new. As kids, we’re reminded of this everyday because it seems that every moment provides new insights about the World. But as we grow older, it becomes harder and harder to discover those new insights. As an adult, it’s not enough to just walk down the street. You have to travel halfway across the World. But, no one has time for that so most of us watch movies instead. It’s not quite the same as discovering something new but, it’s pretty good at mimicking the feeling.
That’s why it’s important for us to emphasize this emotional response because one day, we’ll be sitting around with nothing to do. Robots will take over most of our jobs and we’ll be living on basic income…ideally of course. And if that happens, what do we do but discover new things…If only to stave off the boredom.
So if you’re a filmmaker and you’re looking to make the next best thing keep this in mind: Conflict drives a story and helps us process common issues in our lives. But, discovery? That inspires us to fix the issues. And isn’t that the real point of film?
I saw The Signal the other night and fell in love because it reminded me of just how important the element of discovery can be for a film. We always talk about conflict driving a story but, what about discovery?
As excited as we are about vicariously enjoying other people’s drama, we’re also just as equally excited about vicariously discovering other people’s findings. We love reading about a new phenomenon in space or watching a documentary about an unknown culture in our backyard. That’s because media invokes the same sensational feeling we get when learning something new…I mean, we are learning, only we don’t have to put in all the hard work and effort. So, what about fictional storytelling? What happens when you combine indie films with the feeling of discovery? Well, you get The Signal.
The sensation of discovering something much larger and more extraordinary than your self is very evident in William Eubank’s latest film. Three college kids wander into the desert in search of a hacker that’s been harassing them for days. Already before the first plot point you’re seeing a dynamic story encapsulate itself in mystery. From trying to find this hacker to the unfinished drama that plagues the group, Eubank pretty much drops you into a complex story that unfolds from there.
Now as you can probably guess from the trailers, they run into aliens and are presumably abducted only to find themselves back on Earth in an underground lab. The rest of the movie shows them being poked and prodded by our finest scientists as they try to figure out what happened to them. And of course, the kids are scared shitless so they’re constantly trying to find a way out. This only intensifies an already tense situation but as much as there is tension, there is an equal amount discovery.
Our characters constantly run into very surreal moments that force them to question the very nature of reality. It’s these moments that give the film so much power because it reminds us of how it feels to discover those things that we didn’t think were there before.
Ponder back to a time when you discovered that you weren’t the center of the Universe. Or maybe when you first started watching the news or reading non-fiction that wasn’t given to you as a homework assignment; when you realized your country wasn’t the greatest place in the World; when you discovered that people are really bad and really good and not just the middle-of-the road yuppies in your neighborhood.
It’s those moments that gives you the “ah-ha” sensation. You almost feel your very neurons making instant connections. And, then…The World around you is suddenly illuminated just a little bit more. It’s a hard-to-reach moment because it requires so much examination and introspection but when you get there, you know because you feel more empowered than you did the day before.
That’s what The Signal and other like-minded films help invoke within viewers. The movie doesn’t just captivate us. It cleverly makes us feel like an infant; always fascinated by our apprehension of the every-expanding reality that lies in front of us.
But don’t be mistaken by my praise. By no means is this story original. If you’re looking for a revolutionary film that’s timeless then, you won’t find it in The Signal. It’s been done over and over again but, what makes this film particularly fascinating is how the same story was told.
It emphasized curiosity and evoked that sense of wonder we all have about the World around us. And to me, that’s a rare trait to have in modern day films because we seem too fixated on conflict. It’s true that drama drives the story because stories themselves are sort of mental devices we use to help us process issues. But, that doesn’t mean we only have to focus on that one emotional response, especially if it’s all too common in film.
We need more stories like The Signal because it reminds us of how awesome it feels to discover something new. As kids, we’re reminded of this everyday because it seems that every moment provides new insights about the World. But as we grow older, it becomes harder and harder to discover those new insights. As an adult, it’s not enough to just walk down the street. You have to travel halfway across the World. But, no one has time for that so most of us watch movies instead. It’s not quite the same as discovering something new but, it’s pretty good at mimicking the feeling.
That’s why it’s important for us to emphasize this emotional response because one day, we’ll be sitting around with nothing to do. Robots will take over most of our jobs and we’ll be living on basic income…ideally of course. And if that happens, what do we do but discover new things…If only to stave off the boredom.
So if you’re a filmmaker and you’re looking to make the next best thing keep this in mind: Conflict drives a story and helps us process common issues in our lives. But, discovery? That inspires us to fix the issues. And isn’t that the real point of film?