Based on a False Story

Stereotypes are like a fast food restaurant—
you know what to expect.

What should we watch tonight? I dunno, do you feel like watching a doctor show, a lawyer show, or a cop show? Really, that's all that's on TV anymore. I could go into an extensive list, but I'll spare you. You know what I mean. And outside those, we only have reality TV, which is perhaps more fake than the fiction.

You could argue that doctors, lawyers, and cops are a part of our contemporary life, and therefore a part of the culture thereof. This is a fair argument, but allow me to ask: how often do you associate with these professions? Unless you work in one of those three fields, have a medical condition, or are a criminal, you likely don't enter that world. So why the media coverage, and at what cost?

To the best of my understanding, these jobs are famous for providing wealth, authority, and/or other resources like connections. Doctors and cops (especially detectives and FBI agents) are seen mostly as altruistic, while lawyers are stereotypically divided into defense lawyers (evil) and prosecutors (good). In my opinion, this is too black and white.

Basically, I'm saying that these characters are chosen because they're easy to use when trying to connect with a broad audience. Stereotypes are like a fast food restaurant—you know what to expect. This isn't bad in moderation, but it should never be a significant part of your diet. Unfortunately, the same problem applies to both industries. In body food, as in mind food, people consume too much junk.

These character types pretend to be based upon human experience, but are in fact, increasingly based upon previous works of fiction. When the system doesn't reward originality, writers get lazy (we're human, too). It is far easier to build upon what has already been done than it is to do the real research necessary to create one's own solid foundation.

So what is the cost? Lies based upon lies, sold to us as truth. Most people are too busy to know how to identify these lies anymore. If you stick to a single medium for your information, you have no frame of reference.

A balanced diet never hurt anyone.

FEATURED MEDIA: Super Size Me - Not what I usually promote, but nevertheless a worthwhile documentary. A surprisingly entertaining film, Super Size Me follows filmmaker Morgan Spurlock on a 30 day all-McDonald's bender—with health results that stunned even his doctor.

A Storyteller's Promise

It seems to me that every story comes with a promise. This promise is threefold. First, the promise is to conclude the story. Second, the promise is to balance the equation. Third, the promise is that the ending is worth the time spent listening. This is a sort of unwritten law which governs our reading, listening, and viewing experiences—a natural law, perhaps.

The very act of beginning to tell a story necessitates its ending. There is no purpose to a story that goes nowhere. A story's setup can be as simple as "I was driving on the freeway the other day..." or as complicated as building the world of Middle Earth. However, my driving excursions are of no interest to you, nor are the customs of hobbits, without an ending. If I tell you: I saw a wheel come off someone's Jeep in traffic, then you have a story. (That really happened, by the way!)

Of course, that's only the beginning. I have (at least mildly) piqued your interest. It is now my responsibility to "balance the equation." By this, I mean the act of satisfying the audience's curiosity. You might be wondering where the wheel finally stopped, or how it came off in the first place. I've given you the evidence in a [small] mystery, but not how the pieces fit: The wheel left its owner and bounced down my lane for about a half-a-mile, slowing traffic to a crawl.

Ultimately, you want to know what the point is. Depending on your temperament, or personality type, your preference may be for a long and detailed story or a short and to-the-point story. Nevertheless, you want the point: The wheel continued up an exit ramp, where my wife suggested I put on my flashers and stop the car. She then jumped out of the car and chased the wheel off the road. So what is the point?

First, I wanted to share a diversion from the routine. The reason you listened (or read) is because it opens fresh channels in your mind, which lead to possibilities in thinking and action. The story also demonstrated what I believe was the right thing to do under the circumstances. We were the "jerks" that held up traffic, but we stopped the traffic for safety reasons. We led by stopping.

A storyteller is temporarily responsible for the audience's perception of reality. He has the opportunity to influence them in a positive or negative direction. But if he lacks an understanding of the promise he is making in the telling, then he is likely to have a following with nowhere to lead.

Nothing will kill a storyteller's reputation faster.

FEATURED MEDIA: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Hobbit is the story of Bilbo Baggins' journey to the Lonely Mountain, during which he finds the One Ring. In Fellowship, Bilbo is completing his memoirs, but he leaves the last pages for Frodo to finish. Frodo's story is of a promise made to destroy the One Ring, and the ultimate fulfillment of that promise.

How to See Dead People

The unconscious mind is a powerful thing. Every exceptionally successful person has learned to master its potential. As we go through life we learn unconsciously. As we take in facts and go through experiences—both positive and negative—we learn how things are connected. This is the very purpose of a liberal education. When a mind is bombarded with diverse information, it searches for connections and therefore learns the significance of a library of nuances.

Sadly, far too few people recognize, let alone utilize, these subtle nuances. We are amazed at the accuracy of gut instinct guesses, and remain skeptical of them even when they prove themselves time and time again. Mostly we think it's "chance" or "luck" or even a "message from God," but never a simple matter of noticing the world around us.

My wife and I use our cellphones constantly. When we get separated in the mall, the very first action is to call the other person. This isn't wrong (what? a hypocrite? me?), but it makes me wonder how people managed in the old days. Really, I think we've gotten lazy because of our technology.

In the old days, people used ESP! You heard right. What we call "extra sensory perception" is not actually a "sixth sense," but a deeper, focused, more connected version of the first five. My dad and I had this conversation the other day. He doesn't own a cellphone, so when he and my mom get separated in the store, he doesn't have my knee-jerk reaction.

He just stops for a second, then marches in the direction that seems right. Within an unbelievably short amount of time, he walks right to her! Is it magic or psychic abilities? No, just a good ole sense of the world around him...and many years of marriage as well.

As dumb a superhero ability as it might sound, I've discovered that I can tell my grocery bill to within a dollar by just giving the cart a shove. Do I have knowledge of the future? No! A savant-like ability to add the price tags? Please, I'm usually chasing my son! What I have is experience pushing a cart and paying the bill. I didn't have to learn facts, I absorbed the information through my fingertips, then went with my gut.

FEATURED MEDIA: The Sixth Sense - A great meditation on surprise endings, the blatant evidence of the truth, and the superficially misleading events that disguise the truth. We can't see dead people, but we  can open our senses to a whole new world.

"LOST: The Last Recruit"

DISCLAIMER: In a previous post, I discussed the importance of ABC's "LOST." Therefore, I am beginning a series which briefly explores thoughts on the show with respect to FITmedia and Truth in Fiction. Being as the posts are philosophical in nature, I will try to keep story spoilers to a minimum. However, because many of the philosophical pillars are tied to critical events, it is impossible to discuss without some spoilers. For those of you not following the show, I hope that these posts will be worthwhile on their own merit, and should they inspire you to watch the show, that they will not have ruined the plot for you. You have been warned.

"The Last Recruit"

LOST has a history of creating titles with double meanings. Even the title of the show is a reference to both the physical sense of being lost on a "deserted" island and the metaphysical sense of being spiritually broken. However, this episode's title has a vague meaning.

Most likely it is a reference to Jack, who was left in the care of the Man in Black at the end of the episode. (You did read the disclaimer, didn't you?) The difficulty I have in being certain about this label is that the writers are normally very careful with their choice of words, using key words sparingly and with great significance.

The word "recruit" in the LOST universe refers to the DHARMA Initiative. The last recruit of the DI was Desmond, who was recruited by Kelvin Inman ("Live Together, Die Alone"). Desmond plays only a small role in "The Last Recruit" though we do see his boat once again—the boat we learned that Inman was prepared to leave the Island on just before the crash of Oceanic 815.

Far-reaching connections aside, there is one reference to the Man in Black "recruiting" people ("The Substitute"), when Ilana explains his motives for kidnapping Richard. In that episode, he fails to recruit Richard, but has a talk with James who goes along with him. James claims he isn't with anybody ("Recon"), having made a deal with Widmore and reporting Widmore's secrets to the Man in Black.

You're With Me Now.

The other bit of ambiguity in this episode is the rules surrounding the Man in Black's abilities. When questioned by Jack, he claims to have impersonated Christian Shephard. However, there are two problems with this according to my understanding of the Man in Black. First, Christian appeared to Jack off-Island in St. Sebastien's Hospital ("Something Nice Back Home"). Second, he appeared to Michael on the freighter ("There's No Place Like Home"). These references run contrary to the idea that the Man in Black cannot leave the Island, or even cross the water (at least in Smoke Monster form).

Following what must have been a long night of "catching up," Claire tells Jack that he's with the Man in Black now. When Jack says he hasn't decided, Claire responds that "you let him talk to you." This has been said of the Man in Black before, when Dogen tells Sayid to kill him ("Sundown"). It was also how the Man in Black warned Richard about Jacob ("Ab Aeterno"). Both men fell under the influence of the one they were warned against. I'm not sure what the significance is.

Nevertheless, despite going along with James' plan to "ditch Locke," Jack's intuition tells him to abandon the boat and return to the main Island. There he meets "Locke" and his band of recruits. After Widmore's bomb apparently kills off the red shirts, "Locke" carries Jack into the jungle and tells him, "You're with me now," a statement that leaves us wondering if Jack is about to be "claimed" like Sayid.

The Deal's Off.

Everyone on the boat, accept Frank Lapidus, let the Man in Black talk to them. I'm not sure if Claire was referring to chit-chat or a specific sit-down talk, but I thought that was worth pointing out. Especially seeing as all of the people who made it to Hydra Island are going to be killed—at least that's what it looks like. The deal that James thought he made might never have really been "on" in the first place, but if it was, it may also have been terminated given that Widmore would have known via Zoe that Sayid kidnapped Desmond—and Sayid would not have been sent if James had not shared information.

I'm putting my money on the assertion that the Man in Black is NOT the good guy, despite tantalizing nuggets that make him seem like he could be—like leading Jack to water. However, I'm less certain about Charles Widmore. To me, the archetype of the evil capitalist who wants to "exploit" the Island is both too overplayed and too overly simplistic for LOST. Besides we already have an unscrupulous industrialist in Mr. Paik.

Widmore knows far more about the Island and the cosmic game between Jacob and the Man in Black than perhaps anyone else. Though, if that were true, wouldn't he know better than to try to kill him with artillery? Certainly this was largely effective in killing off the Man in Black's men, but why exactly does Widmore want them dead?

FEATURED MEDIA: Reserve the Final Season!

Do You Fear Death?

You never know what astounding story lies just beneath a person's gruff exterior. His name is Bill, but I didn't know anything else about him. I'd seen him driving around heavy machinery at a building site, but never engaged him in conversation until today. He's a stocky fellow, but mostly muscle. He was using a pick axe to add character to large trim board (I'm serious).

He asked me where my dad was, to which I replied that he left early. For those of you who don't know, my dad fell out of a treestand last year and crushed a vertebrae. It also turns out he has issues with his bone density. He's not made of glass, but the condition might have made the fall worse. Anyway, he doesn't always work full days on account of pain—it is surprising he works at all.

Bill said he had my dad beat. Apparently, three-quarters of his body is made of titanium. As a fourteen year-old kid, he was on a dirt bike and was run over by a speeding car. Bill was apparently so mangled that his face was unrecognizable, and they had to do a blood test to confirm his identity. He died three times, and was in a coma for a while. The woman claimed she thought she hit a raccoon. Needless to say, she was sued heavily.

The settlement (of which I did not ask the amount) paid for numerous plastic surgeries; a titanium skeleton for his left forearm and hand (which clicks); numerous pins, hinges, and parts that make up his back; and various plates and screws throughout so much of his body that I lost track. He has no feeling at all in his left arm (he welded his wedding ring to his finger once), and surprisingly, he has no fear. That's the most inspiring part. Many people would be afraid to leave the house, but he still rides dirt bikes!

He agrees that a brush with death can do one of two things: you're either scared to live, or you don't fear death. Which are you?

FEATURED MEDIA: Unbreakable - This is dull movie, in my opinion, but does have a wonderful yin and yang comparison between Samuel L. Jackson's character, a superhero comic aficionado whose bones are extremely brittle, and Bruce Willis's character, who was the only survivor of a tragic train crash. Good snack media, but watch it when you're wide awake.

Four Lobes of a Media Channel

When you have a media channel such as Facebook, YouTube, or Hulu, several groups of people want in on the action. We are first most consciously aware of the people—whoever they are. Next we see what it is the people are crowding around to experience. Then we suffer the obligatory ad impressions, which drives the whole thing as a business. Lastly, most of us go unaware of the people behind the scenes—the creative genius who founded the enterprise.

The people are the audience—everyone from the casual browser to the dedicated fanatic. The people are the main reason for the channel in the first place. Without them, there is no point in building a website at all. Unfortunately, the larger the crowd, the easier it is to forget how important they are. It is especially easy to ignore the power of the überfans who make up the "tribe" that will preach the message of this channel's value.

However convenient it is to have a mode of communication, it is important that there is something to talk about and engage in. This is where developers come onto the scene. Depending on the channel's specific personality, they might show up sporadically and bring a variety of different media. Facebook's platform for communcation took precedence over the now-prevalent apps and games that have been developed for it. YouTube was open to user-submitted video before anyone had heard of it. And by contrast, Hulu contains only commercially created media.

Ultimately, all the people gathered around cost-free media become targets of commercial interests. There really is no way to talk about this practice without it sounding bad, but without advertising the people have to pay for the media directly. Creators know it's not really cost-free, even when it's a labor of love. For that reason, it is easy to give into the temptation to over-power your audience with ads—afterall, the more space you sell, the more money you make.

Money is a wonderful thing, especially when it enables you to do more of what is important to you—what is important to the world. However, offending your audience is hardly productive. There need to be referees between the forces of development and sponsorship, else the two will merge into an ugly beast. These orchestrators must communicate with the people (especially the überfans) to keep a running score of how they're doing, then actually respond in kind.

I'm not criticizing any channel, I'm merely offering a warning. Whenever a company forgets the people, it starts to die. Nobody benefits from that. However, the death of a once-great giant means open opportunity for a newcomer to set things right—by listening.

FEATURED MEDIA
Tribes - The phenomenal book by Seth Godin. What he calles "tribes" are groups of people who are loyal to an idea and a leader, and who have a channel through which to communicate. Are you part of a mass, or a tribe?

Build Thyself

For a number of years I've worked in the construction industry, painting houses for the family business. Needless to say, it was not my passion, but it did give me a visual framework (no pun intended) for understanding productivity. If we understand that this framework is in all business the same, just as it is in all houses, then it should come as no surprise that industries as different as film and construction bear enlightening similarities.

The Homeowner

In new home construction, the top of the heirarchy is the homeowner. Many times a new home will be commissioned by someone with the money to have it built. They will explain their dream home and their budget to an architect, then maintain a supervisory role while the experts handle everything. Sometimes the "homeowner" is a business entity which is looking for potential buyers, and sometimes that business is also the architect and/or builder. However singularly these roles may be filled, they are always present.

In artistic and entertainment ventures like movies and television, this is no different. The "homeowner" is the person with the spark of an idea, a vision for an end result, and the money to make it happen. The most common term in show business for this is "executive producer," though this title can be used for a number of different roles.

As a independent person he represents only a concept, but is largely unaware of the process and the details. While technically a creator and never a performer, he is also not a producer but a consumer. In this way, he exists in the movie industry only as the end viewer. His money would be pooled with others' to finance the media creator's next project.

The Architect

The main creative mind behind a new home is the architect. Though is status as a "creator" is only true if he is designing a custom home for his client. If he is merely altering plans that have already been drawn by himself or another, then he is performing a task, but not creating anything new. Innovation is the stretching of what has been done, in order to redefine what can be done.

The architect of a film is the lead writer. It is, of course, possible for a writer to push boundaries as a true creator or follow a formula that has been laid out by previous projects. Many rail against formulaic movies, but the fact is that there is a market to meet certain expectations. There is a way to create or perform with distinction and style.

The role of architect represents the main creative force whether it be "never-before-seen," or merely a fresh look at an old favorite. As such, the architect or writer can lead or follow the direction of the owner or builder.

The Builder

The builder is the main performer. In the construction of a new home, there are many people doing different jobs that can be loosely called "builders." However, what I mean is the head contractor. The guy (I have yet to work with a woman in this position) who orchestrates all the labor, actually getting the job done. He follows the architect's plans, and makes sure everyone else does as well.

This is the director and sometimes the producer of a film. They certainly have an enormous impact on the creative process, but in this role, they do the work of the film according to plans that have largely been created already.

All in all, these projects work best when these leaders and their respective "subcontractors" have tight communication. The most successful homes and films are build upon a foundation of people skills. The ability for a true team to develop a cohesive vision and each fill their roles (find their FIT), is essential to developing FIT media.

It is amazing to me that people don't realize that friction among people (even actors) WILL BE FELT in the finished product. You want to build a great house, start with a great foundation. You want to make a legendary film, start with the people. In fact, start with you.

FEATURED MEDIA: The Bridge on the River Kwai - Set during World War II, this is the fictional story of British soldiers being forced to build a bridge to aid enemy Japanese forces. When he discovers the poor quality of current construction, the British Colonel sets out to build a proper bridge for the sake of national pride and his men's morale. Despite the advantage this gives his enemies, he feels his team is more important.