Film is Art.

If I were to watch some of Co Hoedeman’s work randomly on the internet, I may dismiss it as a film created for a child, and I’d probably turn it off. The second someone tells me to watch it as an art from, I begin to notice elements that I never would have caught before. Society rarely looks at films as an art form. Because of Hollywood and all the “good” they are doing for the film industry, much of the population simply considers a movie a form of entertainment. Going to a movie is the same as going bowling; playing golf, shopping…it’s just something to do. We pay to get into the theater, expect a substantial amount of entertainment, and leave with our own opinions on whether or not it was “entertaining enough”.

                  The second you treat a film the same way you would a painting in a museum, you realize how much there is to get out of the film, how much energy it took to make the film, and how much a film truly is art. Unfortunately in today’s society, that is a very rare sight to see. Documentaries, animations, stop-motion, and anything other than the expected is looked down upon as boring, and a waste of time. What takes first place is action films with violent explosions, guns, cursing and killings. Dramas with unrealistic fantasy plots that convince the viewer that it’s reality. Comedies filled with sexual innuendos, crude humor, and overall stupid and cheesy “jokes”. People pay good money to go see these just to fill their minds with awful thoughts, ideas of humor, numbness to death, and believing in unrealistic realities. These same people wouldn’t waste a dime on some of Co’s work however because it isn’t normal and they can’t believe it could possibly be entertaining in any way.

                  Film is an art. It takes creativity, persistence, motivation, skill, and time. Co’s work, in todays world, is often dismissed as boring and useless, however there is much to take away from one of his short films. Whether the time but into the film is understood, the creativity is realized, or the story is relatable, something can be taken from the film once you sit back and think about ANY film as, simply, Art.