The Cost of Mass Production: Are We Losing the Art of Film?

 

The Cost of Mass Production: Are We Losing the Art of Film? 📽

Somewhere between CGI explosions and $200 million budgets, something subtle — but important — has changed in filmmaking. Movies today are bigger, faster, and more frequent than ever before. But are they better? Or have we traded creativity and personal vision for algorithms, box office safety, and mass production?

Classic film eras — especially the 1930s through the 1960s — were not perfect, but many films felt crafted. Directors had signatures. Actors had mystery and charisma. Sets, lighting, and costumes were built with intention, not generated in a studio at the push of a button. Films didn’t feel like content — they felt like events.

Today, many movies follow the same formula: repeatable plots, predictable dialogue, “relatable” characters, and easy endings made to please everyone. Studios lean on franchises and remakes because they’re safe — but safety often kills originality. When everything is focus-grouped and tested, there’s less room to take artistic risks… and risks are usually where real creativity lives.

(As the quality of films have gone down through the years, so has the attendance to view them) 

Streaming culture also changed how we watch movies. Films used to be experienced — in a theater, with an audience, on a big screen. Now, a new release might sit on someone’s watchlist for months before they finally hit play while scrolling their phone. It’s easier than ever to consume film — but harder than ever to feel it.

That’s why older films still matter. Vintage cinema preserves an era where filmmaking was more hands-on, experimental, and personal. Directors like Hitchcock, Wilder, and Welles left their fingerprints on every frame. You knew when you were watching one of their films. The artistry wasn’t hidden — it was the point.

(Pictured above is Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rope')

Maybe the solution isn’t to reject modern film, but to remember where it started. To appreciate special effects and handmade set design. To enjoy blockbusters and personal, smaller stories. Technology should help film — not replace it.

Because at the end of the day, movies are more than entertainment — they’re history, culture, memory, and emotion combined. And that deserves more than mass production.