Author (#5)March 2005 Archives
Something that’s bugged me for quite some time …
There is a tendency to use “commercial” and “art” as if they are the measure of the same thing — as if there is a scale that looks like this:
The problem, of course, is that “art” is not the opposite of “commercial”; it’s not even the privative of “commercial.” The opposite and privative of “commercial” is “non-commercial.” We can debate endlessly what the opposite/privative of “art” is, but for now, let’s just go with the simple “not art.”
Which means the ol’ Commercial-Art scale actually looks like this:
We can probably — no, make that “certainly” — we can certainly debate endlessly the truth (or lack thereof) of the propositions “Commercial = Not Art” and “Art = Not Commercial.” In fact, I have seen such debates take place among screenwriters, I’ve participated in those debates, I stopped participating in those debates, and I guarantee that those debates are still going on.
But accepting either of those propositions as “True” requires accepting as “True” two corollary propositions that are obviously and demonstrably false:
IF a work is “Not Art,” THEN it is “Commercial.”
IF a work is “Not Commercial,” THEN it is “Art.”
In other words, if you create something that is not art, then a lot of people will pay you for it. If you create something for which no one wants to pay you … it’s art.
And that’s just silly.
Sure, it’s nice ego-balm in the event your screenplay does not sell to be able to say “This town just doesn’t care about art,” and it makes it a lot easier to dismiss any studio notes you don’t like as knee-jerk Philistinism in pursuit of the Almighty Dollar, but the fact is:
If you write a screenplay and want someone to buy it, you are hoping it will be commercial — and the more commercial, the better.
If it does sell, then it is commercial.
If doesn’t sell, then it’s non-commercial.
If a movie is made, and people pay to see it, then it’s commercial.
If it is, and they don’t, then it’s not.
And none of that has any bearing on whether or not it’s “art.”
Coming soon: When did “indy/prod” go from being an economic statement to an aesthetic? And does the scale that goes:
— have any merit whatsoever any more?
