Behind the Guise of Hollywood
The movie industry that we have come to love emerged during the early 19th century through a succession of technological improvements: the start of photography, conveying motion by compiling individual photos, and the fascinating degree of human and animal movement. While this experience is a stark contrast to the present—watching movies on retina display laptops and smartphones—time has proved that one thing has remained constant: our need for entertainment.
Throughout the years, Hollywood has always stood out among the titans of the film industry. Beginning from silent movies to realistic CGI graphics, Hollywood has proven itself to be the forerunner when it comes to entertaining viewers around the world. However, we seem to have overlooked this place northwest of LA. While this place takes the credit for giving us the most exhilarating movies, it also has its mysteries.
Hollywood in a Nutshell
Behind the aura projected by our favorite celebrities whose fame seems to have outlived them, the authentic and real version of themselves lies. How these stars went on with their everyday lives, how they interacted with their co-workers, and how they died can be perhaps more dramatic than the roles they portrayed. When talking about movie stars in the middle of our dinner, most times, we do not focus much on certain details from their movies; talking about their personalities or unforeseen tragedies can be more interesting. In short, what they did behind the camera, including their mishaps and misadventures, can be engaging to a certain degree.
How to get into Hollywood?
In the present era, breaking into the film industry is ridiculously hard. While most of us think it’s just churning scripts and screenplays, it can be similar to being an Olympian: one must train consistently and stay on top of their game. However, it is worth noting that apart from the individual movie companies that have been in existence since the early days of film, streamers, such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime among others, have also gained prominence. This being said, having stunning good looks and average is not enough to get you credits in films. Aside from thinking as an athlete, one must also think like an artist.
Many young and aspiring actors have set their gaze to be part of Hollywood. In the millions who have attempted, only a few noteworthy have made it such as Hepburn, Streep, Pacino, DiCaprio, and Blanchett among others. However, despite the differences in their genre, they have a few things in common: they are willing to work on their skills, they are driven and determined, and lastly, they are lucky!
Why Acting?
If not all, then most of the celebrities we have fallen in love with on stage or on screen have this way of playing different roles to a smooth, compelling, and awe-inspiring degree. All the magazine covers and red-carpet appearances surely reeks of glamor but being an actor requires much more than that.
In a CNN interview, Ethan Hawke pondered on what it meant to be a passionate actor; if one should reach 58 years old who works as an acting teacher, then Hawke is happy for you. If one, however, wants to be constantly celebrated at parties, then the individual must think twice. If one loves the art of story-telling and being engaged in an artistic community, then the The Good Lord Bird actor would be excited for you.
The Dark Side of Hollywood
As the center of the film industry, Hollywood takes pride in developing the most brilliant actors and actresses of our time. On the other end of the spectrum, Hollywood is also a place filled with people who take credit for the private lives and issues of celebrities. This isn’t entirely bad but this perhaps is a gentle reminder that the celebrities we look up to are just as human as us.