I was reading an article about an interview with Godard this morning, and he sadly proclaimed, "Cinema is over." In that, he meant that it had lost its chance to improve society. I don't know whether I agree or disagree. On one hand, we've managed to crawl our way out of the 80's with a new burst of talent and vision. On the other, a decade after that, film festivals are sprouting up as quickly as weeds. While it superficially seems like a good thing, I wonder whether we're witnessing a feeding frenzy of opportunism. When people think of Cannes, now, do they think of artistry or the red carpet? And don't even start with the Academy Awards, speaking of red carpets. So what does all of this have to do with wedding videos? And music video?

I remember someone walking by our booth at a bridal show, and they said "Oh, you're sort of like the MTV of New York wedding video." I rather took it as a good thing - it's always better to have some brand than none, I figure. And, well, we sort of are like the MTV of wedding video. But with a little more heart and sentiment. So why do I blame music video for the decline of civilization as we know it? Dismissing items such as the lack of substantive television (a completely different issue), I should say that I believe that music videos are their own unique artform, and some of them are just outstanding. They can be gorgeous and insightful in their own right. But I also think that a lot of times people take the wrong lessons out of them. It's like someone listening to a Mahler symphony (or for a more conemporary analogy, let's say Green Day), and taking nothing more out of it other than "Oh! My music needs to be louder!"

And there we have the problem. Too many videographers see music videos and pull out the "loudness." I call it the Michael Bay syndrome. Instead of finding ways to create more tension (and let's face it, tension in all its forms is what really keeps things going in a movie), people resort to finding more action. Too dull? Blow up a car. Still too slow? Have someone in the car. That's not tension. That's a headache. Tension is when the bomb is in the car, but it doesn't blow up until we're not expecting it. The same is true in wedding video. A bride who is nervous creates tension. "Will her day be as happy as she hopes?" Whispering in the groom's ear is tension. "What did she say? Will we find out?"

And so it goes. Cool is fine. In fact, I like cool. But what makes it even better is when each clip and each moment is placed where it is for a reason. When they build on each other, not just because they look good, but because they mean something, whether it be whimsical, dramatic, thematic, or something else altogether. That's the essence of creativity, and it might even be a way to restore civilization, while we're at it.