5 Trends That Make Every Movie Look the Same

I'll be the first to admit that I probably spend too much time online. But it's so hard to say no when there's such quality time-wasters out there! One of my perennial favorites is Cracked.com, a humor site known for their bitingly hysterical, yet informative articles. It may not be the most reputable source available for filmmaking theory, but there was one article that I just couldn't keep to myself:

5 Annoying Trends That Make Every Movie Look the Same

This article covers stylistic trends that Hollywood seems to be stuck in a rut with. Included are:

1. Movies that are color-coded by genre
2. The excessive use of orange and teal tones
3. Time ramping use in action films
4. Faking the look of a documentary
5. Using 3D in a way that degrades the quality of the film

Reading the article, I was rather dumbfounded to see how predictable Hollywood has become, if you only know where to look.

Granted, this article does stem from the view of a snarky pundit. There are understandable rationals behind these trends rather than the production staff becoming "lazy," as the author suggests. For example, the heavy use of orange and teal imagery is really just a side effect of filmmakers wanting color contrast in scenes with the flesh tones of their human actors. You can't change the color of their flesh, and the color wheel dictates a nice blue looks great with the slight orange of skin. There is not much leeway there.

Also, there are considerable commercial reasons behind many of the trends listed. For example, the "color-coding by genre" argument never takes into consideration the importance of playing to the audience's expectation. If an unprepared audience is presented with something completely foreign, then they will not accept it as readily. Could you imagine Dark Knight done in vibrant Technicolor?

Still, some arguments ring true, especially the one about lackluster 3D movies. Some filmmakers have used the technique to immerse their audiences in a visceral way. Others do it for the 15 dollar ticket price they can charge. Though unfortunate, that is the way things are.

The article gives a refreshing perspective for me as a filmmaker. I have made a mental note to try not to unnecessarily add my work to the evidence supporting this article. Still, I believe filmmakers should be free to make their films using whatever techniques they want, regardless of how trendy or worn out they are.