Why You Should Appreciate and Support Art Forms and Entertainment Other Than Your Own

Your movie-making skills can be enhanced, and it may not be the way your 55-year-old film professor has been preaching through your college career.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Photo Sourced from refrencerecordings.com

"Watch a bunch of movies," they said.

"The more movies you experience and analyze, the more you'll spark inspiration and learn," they lectured.

While these statements are true, it doesn't mean you will become a filmmaking god just from practicing and preaching movies alone. Opening your heart to the other forms of art will not only help you through your creative block, but will also give you a better understanding and appreciation for artists in different fields than your own.

I recently visited the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for a class assignment. I am personally a fan of the orchestra, but hadn't been in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a jazz performance done by the Pittsburgh Pops Orchestra, led by some absolutely above talented individuals: conductor and trumpeter Bryon Stripling, singer Carmen Bradford, and tap dancer Leo Manzari. I walked out of that theatre happy, excited, and filled with an odd cathartic feeling I experience after going to watch a movie in a theatre.

This feeling was not normal though, and instead of breathing a sigh of relief after experiencing a well-told story for 120 minutes, I instead felt lighter, happier, and in-tune with the music and sounds going on around me. I found myself repeating the rhythms in my head and tapping my foot days after the performance. Ironically, after walking out of a music hall, the bar across the street was playing more jazz music. Funny.

Photo by Kendall Hoopes from Pexels

I point to this example of travelling to visit other forms of art other than my own because it brought new wind into my lungs as an artist. It was magical to experience someone else's craft. I watched tons of violinists and brass instrumentalists- professionals at that- showcase their talents on a stage. You get a good feeling in your gut when you go watch people with different talents than your own that are above and beyond special.

Fellow filmmakers in Pittsburgh- there are so many options for you to choose from. The symphony, Broadway shows that come into town, stage plays performed at local playhouses and dives, jazz performances in bars, the ballet, or even the opera. Maybe you live in a smaller, more suburban area. You can still support other artists by visiting your community theatre, maybe a basement rock show, or even the local high school's musical. Hell, even a circus coming into town counts!

I once went to see the Pittsburgh Opera perform a film noir version of Don Giovanni, originally composed by the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was a very beautiful show and I enjoyed my experience. The opera had been modernized into something very interesting, yet the themes, concepts, and ideas behind the original still shined through. This was a very eye-opening experience since it was my first time ever to step foot into an opera setting, but it was very rewarding. These individuals on stage could sing like no one I'd ever known.

During the second act of Don Giovanni. Photo sourced from broadwayworld.com

So what does this do for you as a filmmaker?

Sometimes you are working a set and are trying to get a concept across to others. Maybe you are the director and are looking for the right way to lead your actors to the performance you desire. If you open yourselves to other art forms, you may be able to have the actors relate to a character's development in a famous Broadway musical that you take a lot of inspiration from.

Maybe you are the sound designer, and there is a melody from a piece of music from the Romantic Era that would be extremely useful to show to your composer to make a new song that fits your scene perfectly.

Maybe you are the cinematographer and you recently saw a stage play where the actors were completing scenes in interesting lighting concepts, and you think recreating those concepts will make your film really pop.

There are so many reasons why other form of art can help you along your way, and vice versa. There are plenty of other artists who look towards movies and find inspiration and new beginnings from a very well-told story.

Don't just take it from me, go experience it for yourself. Buy tickets to see a show, or see if you can get a discount for being a student. Ask around and see what events are going on, or do a quick Google search to see what entertainment is happening in your area. Find some way to support your fellow artists.