Subliminal Messages and Themes in Stories.

[MrJulesFletcher]

After reading and watching analyses on The Shinning, Blade Runner and other classic films.. I started wondering if a movie/story should always be based on themes and messages. How common is it for films to just make a story just out of imagination with no theme in mind or story structure? Can it be respected as well as a carefully planned story with themes and messages behind everything?

This is probably a silly question, but I like to throw my curiosity out there.
I'm still young and discovering the world of filmmaking and storytelling progressively, please excuse if my question may seem a little ignorant.

- Jules.

 

[Will Vincent]

A story without structure isn't really much of a story.. and even if it may not be readily apparent, every story has at least one central theme, or there is no story.

 

[geckopelli]

After reading and watching analyses on The Shinning, Blade Runner and other classic films.. I started wondering if a movie/story should always be based on themes and messages. How common is it for films to just make a story just out of imagination with no theme in mind or story structure? Can it be respected as well as a carefully planned story with themes and messages behind everything?

This is probably a silly question, but I like to throw my curiosity out there.
I'm still young and discovering the world of filmmaking and storytelling progressively, please excuse if my question may seem a little ignorant.

- Jules.

If you ain't got a Theme, you ain't got a story.

Of course, that doesn't mean you can't write the story first and figure out the Theme later!

 

[mad_hatter]

Messages... No. Your story doesn't need to be deep and philosophical. You can get away with simply being entertaining.

All stories have a theme, they just do. A lot filmmaking books tell you to define your themes. But that's not always necessary, it may not even be possible! Your theme may be as simple as "life and death" or "survival" or somethingeelse as equally dull. It doesn't really matter. Write a well structured, entertaining story, and you can guarantee there will be a theme in there somewhere.