Don't Show, Don't Tell

Over the last few days, I've seen a number of films with the same central problem undermining the story. Because it's led to several discussions already, it seemed like an appropriate issue to bring here.

Most people who don't write and don't act think that the key to good cinema is showing, not telling. Actually, that's not true.

Don't show, and don't tell either. Act it out.

CInema, theater, dance, and the other performing arts share a language of action. At any given moment on stage or screen, the performer needs something to do. To give the show structure and keep the audience's focus, you need to pretty much give them one big thing to do, instead of lots of little things.

In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, that action is to get a bill passed through Congress. In Star Wars, it's to destroy the Death Star. In Lost in Translation, it's to find happiness in a foreign land. All of these things are active. In every one of these examples, the main character has a metaphorical mountain to climb.

In the film and theater I've been watching, the main character has been lead on a leash to their moment of truth. Supporting characters guide and cajole them along, lessons fall into their lap, and suddenly they decide to transform. Usually the last quarter of these stories has the main character getting off their rusty-dusty and doing something. By then, it's too late.

When a director does this, they justify it by showing, not telling. Show the putz with his wife before she died, so you see how happy he was before she died, and then show him chugging the booze. Show the guy finding out how much trouble his daughter is in. Show some dude watch his girlfriend move out. Show the dying grandmother. Whatever.

Then show the one magic person who comes into their lives to change everything, right?

Sorry, no. That sorry dude with the dead wife, dying grandmother, or whatever... He needs to go do something. Don't let something happen to him. He needs to go out there and make something happen.

Right now, you're thinking that sometimes in life, things just happen.

That's true, but not in cinema. Performers don't "capture the moment" - they do stuff. They find their daughter. They seek new love. They bury grandmothers, move out on their own, get a job and grow the hell up.

Actors need a throughline. We're not talking about a theme here, either. Actors need a mission. They need a crusade. Give every actor a mountain to climb, and your story will resonate with drama, power, humor, excitement, and all the colors of emotion.

Give your actors a lesson, and you're going to get some frustrated actors. More often than not, you'll also get a bewildered, irritated audience. If you get one at all.

Save the show and tell for kindergarten, people. Give that performer something to do. Every single time you do, your art will come alive.