Provocative... I used to be defensive about it, but in the end, I realized it's exactly right. It's what we're trying to do - to provoke thought and discussion and, you know, shake people up to start thinking about things in a different way. I'm interested in messing with what they think is the norm.
- Yorgos Lanthimos
This will be a short edition of the newsletter.
These past two weeks I walked away from two films, truly captivated. “Midsommar” by Ari Aster - which was truly inspired - and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” by Quentin Tarrantino.
It reminded me of a few differences that we see between the products of technology vs other professions, but mostly that consumer social hasn’t been driven through what I would call a director’s lens. Instead, it has acted more as a vessel. Providing a frame and tool, then allowing its users to determine what the images that compose our experience looks like.
This has obviously made a good amount of sense during a time where the majority of social has lived in a creation / consumption loop placed within a feed. However, as we expand into digital third places, the potential for the director’s view increases significantly.
It’s an exercise in building space. At scale, a world. The world has rules, conflict, rhythm. This is what tends to be most compelling in a film. But most importantly, it has style. “The Lobster” by Yorgos Lanthimos captures a world, with distinct rules, and defined style. From the slant dialogue to the grey repressed tonality.
What film has going for it that technology products, generally, don’t have the same luxury of… is a timed experienced. I sit down to watch a film, and that creator has achieved their job. They got me to the theatre. Now my role is to sit and experience this world and narrative that was created for me to consume. Then, after the fact, I will grapple with my place in it.
Current social reminds me of golf or bowling, it is based on self-generated motion. And wanting my position to improve, I partake in the rhythmic nature of creation for ~ statussssss. How do I create? There are some templates - 280 characters, AR lenses, 7 second videos - but it isn’t immersive as an experience. It can be, very entertaining. But entertainment tends to live on the surface. Immersion is the ability to passively and actively, place yourself within an environment. This is one of the elevations digital third places must strive for.
Maybe I’m wrong and this is fine for everyone. But it isn’t very vibrant. It doesn’t have much of a soul. And, more bluntly, I refuse to accept these will remain our core options over the next 10 years.
This issue is short because it’s not about handing over a framework. Nor is it about an exploration in how I feel about something. It’s about style. Watching “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” my mind was in awe that everything dripped in cool.
You either have style or you don’t. You either have the ability to generate a world that can be explored and expressed through, or you can’t.
It can take many forms, but the reason why I live in NYC is because I like being around style. The reason why I’ll never move to SF, is because no matter how hard they try… they (the city not unique individuals) will never understand style. For what SF produces, I don’t believe they need to. But this is why I would bet significant money the next wave of game changing consumer technology will not come from SF. It’ll come from LA or NYC or Tokyo.
Thanks so much for giving me your attention. I hope it was worth it, if not… unsubscribing will not hurt my feelings, and will give you back time you literally cannot have back.
Much love.