One thing that remains constant is change. It is evident that everything changes over time, whether noticeable or not. Human beings have perfected the art of development, of course, with the help of machines, so much that things could change overnight. Let us call it transformation. If there is one niche field that has experienced the power of change, it is the film industry. Actors and actresses, producers, managers, and the way they do their thing has had one major time shift that we may not even begin to compare the past and the present in this noble industry.
Think of 1930, and think of what it meant to be a film star then. Think of how the stars then, were treated with extremely high levels of respect and adoration, and how they live on even after years of reigning in the industry. At this point, we want to blame it all on technology, because it is around it that everything is revolved.
The stardom in the film industry was perfect in the past years, built on firm stands and morals, which were paramount in maintaining the public image and status of a star. Back then, things were real and genuine, natural to the core, with the beauty beheld by every onlooker. If you want to feel the point, please watch a movie or two from the Barbara Stanwyck collections; it is all locked away there.
Manual versus Technology
We do not want to make the 1930s stardom seem backward. That is why we are calling it natural and authentic. There were no exaggerations in make-up, dressing, accent, or even presentation. Everything was beautifully exotic. Some movies still carry this mantle by producing films that feature the past times and everything’ and oh, they are catchy.
Then there came the age of change, progress, growth, and technology. Influenced by technology in all its aspects; acting, producing, and even presentation. This is the age that is propelled by machines that have been sophisticated overtime to perfect everything that goes through them. And this is the age we are watching in today’s films across the world. This is the age that makes the past of the film industry to look so cliché, manual, and backward. But wait; is that even the case really?
You will be surprised at how much you do not know about today’s film industry. It has become so crowded with stars, some of whom are born overnight and some who do not even need to go to acting schools. Some are becoming stars because of their families and backgrounds, and some are becoming celebrities because of their looks!
Do you want to know how it all happens? Here comes. We are living in a world that is ruled by social media. Over the recent past, numerous social media platforms have been created and modified to offer nothing but the best. However, the ‘best’ aspect is what brings around some controversial approaches. Look at Instagram, for example. If you can have more than five million followers, millions of likes, and comments to your posts, you are already a celebrity. And the film industry does not waste time in trying to win over social media celebrities to their shows because then, they come in with their followers and end up promoting their content and driving traffic to them. With or without substance, if you have social media dominance, you can become a star today.
Take an example of the famous ‘Next Level’ movie, one of today’s representations of the film industry that is trending for all the wrong reasons. The movie is made of young actors and actresses, most of whom were celebrities even before the movie. They pride in their millions of followers on social media platforms, and the young generation is taking after them already; admiring them and making them their mentors and stars.
One of the famous movie critics was recently quoted to be criticizing today’s film stars and generation in general. He recalled having his kids reeling off social media and Youtube celebrity names, some of which he had never heard before, while he and his wife sang along with names of famous athletes and artists! That is how far we are with the difference between the 1930s film industry and today’s social media celebrities’ craze.
Please Note: Today’s film industry is not only full of terrible actors and actresses; it is also producing movies and films that are not interesting in the right ways. Technology has taken over, and now the stars are born and are as modern as they come. If you have a great body, you can become a film star overnight because people will follow you around for the looks; even when you have no content and extremely poor acting skills! How well do we even expect to look when we are having the film industry producing movies for the wrong reasons and with the wrong people?
The diva mentality is slowly killing our film industry. All our actors and actresses are now acting to be seen and be given the stardom gazes as they cruise around town. The exaggerations have gone overboard, and they are not coming down anytime soon, because that is what the acting is based on. Movies are now dull and non-reflective of our heritage. The past actors and actresses cannot be traced in these new batch of stars. In short, the authenticity and originality of the film industry have gone south already.
What should be done, you ask? Well, that is a long call to make. But it has to begin with the basics. Let us stop idolizing the Youtube actors and actresses because of their looks or their backgrounds. If we embrace positive criticism, the producers and managers just might up their game. If we stop watching mediocre movies and stick to watching movies that are typical of stardom in all the genuine ways, maybe the cry will be heard. But that is really a big MAYBE; the love for stardom and social media celebrities has sunk deep in our hearts that we may be too blind to tell good and ‘pimped’ apart.