I just had a realization:
It seems to me that pretty much all works of art which become hits have one single element which carries the work. One really strong bit.
In a song it might be the main melody line. Or the drum beat.
In a novel it may be the main character, or a setting.
In a picture it may be a combination of colors, or the lines of the central figure.
But it helps me to think of how to create a work, that to make something strong, I have to find/make one single very strong element, and compose the work around that.
Update: this is not meant to be an absolute statement, but mostly a help for creators. For example if you're working on something, and you can't point to an element which you are sure is really strong, the work is not likely to be successful no matter how much you fine tune it.
can't you really take that to mean just about anything? After all, you give as an example "the different colors" - so you're not referring to one but the combination. So really, you can refer to anything you want as an element, so your theory will always be true.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right, but let's test the proposition. According to Wikipedia the three best selling books of all time (after the religious writings) are:
ReplyDelete1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
3. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Is there a single key element carrying these stories? If yes, what is it?
I think the key element in the Harry Potter stories is the bizarre plot.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion each of Rowling's books is a masterpiece of storytelling.
I haven't read the last two, but in my opinion the essential element in HP is the feeling and notion that you can escape a dreary life.
ReplyDelete---
Hannah, you wound me! :)
Of course you have a good point. And in truth I think often a truly strong work has several strong elements.
But I think it is a worthwhile idea anyway.
For example I think in Seinfeld the element is Kramer. Without him you'd only have three egocentrists poking cynical fun of other people.
... BTW, I said "a combination of colors", that can be one element.
ReplyDeleteOf course you can always keep breaking things down, nothing is absolute.
It seems to me that pretty much all works of art which become hits have one single element which carries the work.
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's the chemistry of many different aspects........in music a combination of melody with the right lyrics, movies, (the score and or acting) many different things pieced together.
And Captain Eo, it could be one single thing as well, interesting thoughts for sure. Good post.
I've also heard, mostly anecdotally that many artist, musicians, and ect. didn't think their 'hit' was anything special. Indeed, some hate their hit piece. An example might be Stan Getz and 'the Girl from Ipanema'.
ReplyDeleteSo maybe the best way to succeed in your art, if we want to be simplistic, is to enjoy the experience. If you luv what you do ...
If you don't have a strong element, won't you basically have made something bland, by definition?
ReplyDelete"Hannah, you wound me! :)"
That's because the woman is sharp. :-)
"But I think it is a worthwhile idea anyway."
Let's try to improve its worth. How about: "You need a GOOD strong element, something really nice that people will notice and immediately like".
Wrestlers have their "gimmick". A good wrestler will also need a good gimmick to become really popular.
Thanks, Pascal. :) I'll take that as a compliment. And Eolake, it's simply thinking along the same lines.. or are you not open for criticism? :-P
ReplyDeleteI've been criticized for that, but I rejected it. :)
ReplyDelete1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
ReplyDelete2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
3. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
All three of these books are carried by the desire to solve the puzzle. They are mysteries. Granted, LOTR is also a great gob of fantasy, has a mythical quality too, an epic saga of daring deeds, but ultimately, we need to work out who is loyal, where Golem fits in and why Frodo.
For HP there is the magic of the humour, and the boys own adventure feel. But it is a mystery, what is the philosophers stone? how evil is Snape?, and then the twist at the end when it is suddenly the real villain is revealed.
As for Christie. We are treated to all her delightful twists and turns without being subjected to the twee mannerisms of Miss Marple, nor the pompousness of Poirot. Besides, everyone on the island dies, and the killer has the cast iron alibi of death... The ultimate mystery.
It occurs to me that the really huge hits may not be the best examples, since they are more likely to have more than one really strong element. HP certainly has.
ReplyDeleteSo there we have it: "to make a really huge hit, your work will need to have more than one really strong element". ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis strikes me as being one of those epiphanies that we get all excited about at first, but then on reflection it turns out not to be quite as good as what we thought. Sort of like all that deep shit you come out with when you're wasted, which seems pretty lame when you sober up.
ReplyDeleteToo bad it doesn't quite hold up, Big E, but it was fun while it lasted. :-)
Well, I don't think the Captain is in the habit of getting wasted while at the helm. :-)
ReplyDeleteThat probably won't become a timeless epiphany aphorism, but when you think about it, if you indeed intend to make a successful art creation, this remark might very well get you thinking usefully. Instead of getting yourself all lost in your own fun.
A Renaissance man jack-of-all-trades can't be a master in all of them all the time. I'll cut the big E (E like Epiphany?) some slack.
As we well know in Lebanon, the only way you'll be a universally-acknowledged perfect person is after you're dead. Really.