“Or HOW TO MAKE A MASTERPIECE MOVIE”

The best thing about movies – ever since the invention of cinema in the 1930’s – is that movies are the product of desire. There is no right way to do it, nor is there a wrong way either.
Through the years, this concept was demonstrated by the different individuals with different approaches to each and every aspect of a movie being all labeled a ‘Masterpiece’. Kubrick’s genius, Shahine’s depictions, and Nolan’s perspectives were all testimonials to the grand idea behind making the movie, ‘The Non-way’.

Ironically speaking, ‘it does not take a genius’ to make a masterpiece. Make no mistake, the people I’ve mentioned are something else, but it is not a high level of intellect that makes a masterpiece, but a unique one.
You’d wonder, how is it then that a unique intellect makes a masterpiece? The answer lies in the composition of the movie. We all recall the times where we praised an actor, or danced to the soundtrack composed by a film’s musical scorer, stared in awe for a plot twist – courtesy of a great writer – that left us speechless, or even fell in love with a single shot that took us to the perspective of a director.

So, in order to compose a masterpiece of a movie, you need a crew. This crew will include; The Author, The director, The Lead Actor, Supporting Actors, The Producers, and of course The Fans.
And when you gather this wild bunch, it will be time that you put them in motion, a 10-main-acts picture that will tell you a story.

(The Author)

Even Anthologies start somewhere. As the first you begin with is finding yourself a story worth telling. In this phase, you can use all your imagination in the story with no limits at all. With your deep desires, fancies, passion, and all your dreams of a perfect life, all can be added to the story. Make no mistake, where you start makes a whole lot of difference. The day you were born would set you somewhere in your parents’ stories, and it is up to you to proceed from there. Find a good point to start a story that everyone would love to hear to the end.

(The Lead Actor)

It is hard to tell a story without demonstration. Just ask yourself what is the difference between being told of the process of hanging a man, and the hanging of Hassan, the friend that you spent most of your school days with who grew up into being a murderer who was captured and you will witness his actions from being dragged to the gallows until the spark fades from the whites of his eyes. A Lead Actor is the main character that helps visualize your story. A lead must reflect your story to its maximum extent, the history of characters, the attitude, the looks, the reaction to and interaction with humans, good times, hard times, relationships, and work. Bear in mind that the story’s moral is embodied in his goals, values, and principles and whether they are achieved or not. It is by how relatable you make the character that you make it possible for others to watch your movie and listen to your story in amusement and empathy, the two main reasons behind these pieces of art and literature.

(Supporting Actors)

In order to put on a great show, you must admit that every story needs to take its rage on someone. Someone has to point out something, someone has to help us realize where the twist lies, and someone must show us how it feels to find true love. Your supporting actors must be chosen very carefully, you have to make sure they all point out the elements that complete the story. Sometimes it is all about supporting or challenging the lead actor. In any case, everyone plays a part that adds up to the story. A masterpiece does not select which part of the narrative it likes, it puts the whole narrative in display.

(THE DIRECTOR)

There are two eyes that see the whole picture, the Director’s and the Fans’ eyes. A film director visualizes the screenplay by guiding the whole throughout the story as a viewer. He is the first true fan of a film. Hence, he is the first to attempt to tell the visual story through the eyes of the fans. And in that regard, he must choose who can help him tell the story from all the aspects. Remember that when you see the movie from a perspective that you can relate to, it is probably because the director and your eyes met.

(PRODUCER)

Let us admit a fact; sometimes the best story ever told is not worth being told, if it’s being told in a cheap bar. Movies are a prime example of that. If you do not have a scene in an intelligence building, then you do not have a spy movie. Enter the producer, the person who believes in the movie so much, they would literally ‘pay’ to see it. But let us do not put it in shallow waters, a producer’s role is far more complex than that of just throwing away money on a bunch of stories being told. A producer is an archangel that protects the whole movie from the bleak reality where everything needs a cheque, reservation, or license.

(THE AUDIENCE & “THE BIGGEST FAN”)

The most lovable and absurd friend that the movie has is the person that takes a cut of his time and wage to ask themselves whether this was ‘the masterpiece’ they’ve been looking for. Fans go above and beyond if they love a story. That’s why we sell VIP tickets, merchs, promotions, first screenings, and even nights to spend with your favourite actor. And all is done for the love of the story. In reality you, my dear viewer, have always been a loyal fan for a 80 years long movie.

But are you in control of your movie?
Have you ever looked at a moment of your life and had this perspective that you couldn’t tell if anyone had it like you did? Have you ever looked at the mirror and thought of how much you have changed both physically, and in character? Have you ever considered your life events, your relationships, your career and your very own behavior? Are you the one writing this story?!!!
You surely sensed this in every action that you took that affected you. Every small behavior of you. Every time you question society, rules, religious beliefs, friends, family, where you set from humanity, I am sure that you are watching but haven’t you wondered why you relate so much?.

Maybe this is what happened you, my dear viewer;
10 main phases

Act 1: A Lead Actor walks into a bar.

One day you sat down in one of these dimly lit bars and thought; Who are you in this life?, What do you want? Where do you stand? And from what?
What are your habits, routine, rituals, beliefs?, Who are your friends, and family? The infrastructure of your life is explored, and you, my dear viewer, are self aware. And from this point, you have a story to tell, and a goal to reach.

Act 2: The Unforgettable fire.

You surely do not think that longing for peace is not the product of war. With the snap of a finger, the circumstances that will lead you to choose your journey, and take the path, will occur. It takes your perspective to tell if a car crash is just something you saw on the news or if it is what you’ll always remember as the moment that changed it all.

Some people see things as great reasons to find even more greatness, and some people see it as an excuse to become miserable. It is up to you to see the good in every bad and see the bad in every good but at the end of the day, you must see what adds to the narrative. You saw the unforgettable fire, and you realized what you can do to prevent it from happening again.

Act 3: A thousand miles road starts with a step.

You decide to start the action, your real journey, after thinking and inciting a story, you start telling it. It’s the time to start taking your life in the game, you start a career, follow a passion, or decide to follow your dreams. And every morning you decide to wake up dressed up like a hero, thinking that you are on an adventure. You control every scene, each minute you manage it by how you see yourself in your own movie.

You do not quite write very often what this part of your movie may play out, instead you guide every single member of the crew that they must work together so you won’t end up dreaming or imagining but not doing. You enforce your perspective on those who lead, think, and point out the journey. You have successfully shown everyone that you are heading for an adventure to stop the unforgettable fire. And it was very important to be aware of that.

Act 4: When did that happen?

It finally happened and “Reality” hit you. There is no fire, there is nor journey, you are simply stuck in society. You are bound by rules, custom, usage, and history. The economic situation is forcing into the lane that you always mocked and pitied, The political scene says that there wouldn’t be any american dream of any sort any time soon. You’ve become the stereotypical higher education degree holder who must consider the financial status and what a decent job is. Every little detail adds to the betterment of the story. Consider this, this world full of ordinary people, those who led the life that you are avoiding and would be terrified of these obstacles. And what better moment in your movie than that when you realize the difference between what you want and what was brought on you?

A challenging reality is what defines the lead’s development. Great men live for centuries in books and legends, and all their stories are glorified for the hardest of situations. Let it be known that there is no better chiche than that of the moment when you look up to the sky and take a ‘hero’s’ breath. The downs in your movie can be essential in order to test your integrity, relatability, and your willingness to put on a display. It’s all how we see it, and if you are a fan of Gotham, you will know ‘why do we fall’.

Act 5: On the other side of the paper, another great story is being written.

What do you make of your past relationship that didn’t work? Or the love of your life that you couldn’t keep? What about your only friend who failed you? your partners who betrayed you – and probably shot you in the back in a very Tarantino-esque way? And millions of other issues that you face every single day. These matters are not just events that add to the hero narrative. These, my dear viewer, are well developed side stories that your story would not be what it is without them. Once more, your view on life will either end your story and quickly stamp that “fin” on your screen and go straight to the credits, or it could help you develop a great second half of a movie.


Life is full of side stories that we must decide how they add up so the show could go on. Side stories can be random in origin but one cannot allow it to build its own narrative and disrupt the movie’s sequence. It’s very hard to continue without seeing the whole picture, and though they constitute a part of that picture, you cannot drown inside stories and get “stuck in a moment”. You can say that it is no shame to be a fan of a side story that ends tragically, but do not pay full price for a half value sequence.

Act 6: “and for the final ingredient, we add something explosive”

What happens when you add the last two acts altogether? A nuclear blast of course, by this act you have probably had your business collapse, or lost a friend or a family member to a pandemic, or – for some reason – you wake up empty longing for someone who’ll never come back. I cannot tell you what you should do in this one, it is totally on you. But I may lay a warning for you, be prepared when you mix the ingredients for a nuclear blast, be prepared to deal with issues whenever they occur. And let us be honest, there is no awesome movie without an explosion.


And now that you woke up in the wake of the explosion, with all the hurt in the world. Take a deep breath, we are almost at the climax.

Act 7: In here we fall as heroes, or rise as kings.

This is it my dear viewer, here you face your disappointments and fears. You go into one final battle and rise as the king you longed to be. In here, you finish the journey you started. All your beliefs, work, aspirations, heartaches, patience, and wisdom are put to test. If this battle does not tell you how determined you are, or Show you what sort of a movie ending you have written, then passing a hard test, or nailing a job, or even running a business against all odds would do.

When you get up on your knees and say “I am coming for everything” and when you really believe in your story. This is the moment when a battle is won and all what ye bid on is finally paying off. You watch yourself moving forward, encouraging yourself, and truly falling in love with your story, and you truly feel sympathy for yourself. Maybe it will hit you eventually, but lead actors don’t lose, they don’t die before their time and achievements are due.

Act 8: Hear my words, for they are divine

This act is pretty self written.History is written by the victor, and you my dear viewer are entitled to write down your own history upon surviving the past seven acts. Do not think hard, or try to establish something very deliberate. You see, the moment you win the battle, your history prior to the battle will be recorded. Think of what Muhammed Ali clay once said, “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” in spite of the wording, you can tell that this phrase is self fulfilling because Muhammad Ali that we knew as a champion amplified Muhammad Ali the human who when we knew as a part of the champion, we couldn’t help but be more interested in what history was.

Act 9: “fin”

You can finally sit down, take a deep breath before your time comes, and look back and make sure you left quite the impact, and left memories that would be cherished. By this moment you would have finally made sure of how people will remember you, and what legacy you have left. The end is as important as the start.

I told you before, my dear viewer that a masterpiece can be demonstrated in 10 acts. And it should not come as a surprise to you by now that the 10 act is dedicated to how you will go on from this movie. This “Masterpiece” is only possible when you assume all roles to tell your story, and manage every single scene. You are the one who sees things from the view that the fans would love to see it from. You wrote the story from the very beginning and only you make it a unique one given the differentiations and admiration you give to it.

The more you’ve shed light on your past, understood it, and learnt from it, the more you plan your future scene by scene.

None of what I have told you would matter, if you are not willing to become all.

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it—then I can achieve it.” Jesse Jackson – 1983.