This project began as a note posted to my Facebook profile approximately four months ago. The text has been reprinted below, as it bears more eloquent witness to the purpose of my entrance into the world of blogging.
"To Blog or Not to Blog?"
Those of you who know me know that I like movies... perhaps too much. Though I am currently a graphic artist and illustrator by trade and by choice, I often wonder if my real interests lie elsewhere. My girlfriend Jayme and I were talking last night, somewhat randomly, about talent and whether or not it is always inclusive with passion. "Sometimes I think I might love writing more than I love art," I said to Jayme. "Writing for film and about film has become one of the great passions of my life."
Knowing that I am the author of (now) two scripts for the JBU Student Filmmaker's Society that have gone into production and an avid reader and writer of film criticism, my sentiment hardly seemed to faze Jayme. "Maybe you should pursue it," she said, genuinely.
I find it interesting that she said that, because for some time now, having so many ideas for scripts and articles about film that I wish to write, I have considered creating my own blog on which to post them for all of my friends to see. A few of my Facebook friends have done something to this effect already: the director and producer of last year's short film "The Crossing" both post regularly about their experiences in shooting movies. Roger Ebert, a critic whose opinion I respect, says himself that the internet has opened up doors for an entirely new film culture, based not around traditional criticism but discussion.
While I have so far resisted the calling of the blogosphere because I don't wish to expose intimate details of my personal life to total strangers, I am hypocritical in doing so because I find that Facebook has become a handy medium for me to discuss film, and even matters of political and spiritual nature. For example, I felt specifically called by God to answer Bishop Wellington Boone's address to the JBU student body, and because I didn't really know what to do with the unwieldy result to get people to read it, it wound up on here.
The question, then, goes from "why blog?" to "why not blog?" After all, I essentially am already. I have a core of friends who seem to take stock in my opinions regarding movies, and if there is a career to be made from writing about film, then the internet could be a useful tool for putting my name out there.
This blog, if I decide I have time to maintain it, would have a slightly different purpose than those of my colleagues from "The Crossing." I have no experience with film aside from what I read, watch, and write. Therefore, instead of discussing my own experiences behind the camera, it will be a place where I will post reviews, opinions, and analyses. It will also, perhaps unwisely, be a place where I might sometimes post discourse regarding my faith and the political and social climate of today. As you'll soon see, discussion of faith and film may even become intertwined.
My hope, however, is not only that I would be able to offer intelligent opinion, but that this endeavor would foster an integration of my faith into my passion for film. Any career of mine, especially in film, cannot be successful apart from God, and I wish for it to be honoring to him and have the effect, perhaps, of furthering his kingdom in some small way. Criticism from a Christian perspective exists, but it is primarily concerned with counting swear words and looking for overt references to Christ. I hope to take a deeper route: looking for "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable," as Philippians 4:8 says. Obviously this means looking for praiseworthy content as the reviewers at Pluggedin.com say, but I believe this means also to look for what is creative, and what is excellent technically, and what is fundamentally true thematically even in non-Christian films. I'd like to think that human creativity and excellence pleases God, even if it is not directly aimed at him. And certainly fragments of God's truth can be found everywhere, even if the mark is missed in other areas.
In short, I hope to use faith to inform my criticism and opinion of film, and in doing so, to prompt others to consider doing so in their own interactions with the medium.
Enjoy the ride.
David Amonsen
5/6/11
