People ask me, “Why are you so weird?”.  “I’m not weird”, I say.  “I’m just acting in an appropriate manner so as to incite an appropriate manner in you!”  I go on to explain that life is filled with illusions.  The Film business is built on creating illusions that captivate people.  The absolute best teacher I had throughout childhood was my English and Filmmaking instructor in high school.  On the first day of class he wrote on the board, ‘Film is an Illusion’.  Little did I know then that I would one day make a living in the film business.  At the time I thought it was just an interesting way at looking at life.  Now, I live by the philosophy that all of us are apart of some big weird illusion.  

I’m not saying that we are all fake.  I’m saying that we all have our own realities going on, and that we all are intertwined with each other, and thus share these illusions with the people around us.  I’m putting on one reality, or illusion now.  Tomorrow, depending on whom I’m with, or the situation I am in, I will put on a different…front.  Yep, a front, like a mask.  I will play out a different character as it relates to the circumstance.  There might be subtle differences, but many times I will put out a uniquely captivating character so as to garner one’s attention.  I truly enjoy affecting people in a positive way.  I love distracting them from their own humble lives.

We all have realities in our lives that aren’t always pretty.  We’re all looking for something better.  We all want more….a better job, a more loving relationship, a nicer car, more time for a passion or hobby, and certainly more money.  We can’t seem to have enough money.  Shit happens to us.  That’s life.  Good stuff and bad stuff happens to us.  We are so caught up in our own realities, and they’re not always pretty.  So, I love to snap people out of their everyday lives.  I love to act a little weird.  It captures people’s attention.  Then, I get the opportunity to leave that person, or people, with a little something positive.  Hopefully it will change their day…for the best.

So what does all of this have to do with illusions?  Great question.  Remember, film is an illusion.  We filmmakers spend everyday of our professional lives creating illusions that sway a viewer in one direction or another.  We thrive on fooling you.  We love surprises.  We want to make you think.  We want to compel you in very unique and deep ways.  We get really good at it.  You, as a human, also excel at fooling people.  You too create illusions.  So my question is, what are you trying to fool people with?  Why are you trying to fool them?  How are you going to fool them the next time?  When are you going to strike next?

Ok, you’re going to do it, so why not make it great?!  Why not go big?!  If you’re going to create some illusions in your life, and I assure you, YOU ARE, then why not create something great.  Go big, go with your dreams.  Imagine your someone amazing.  Picture yourself as the best lover, a leader in your field, a superstar, a kind soul, or a hot air ballon pilot.  It really doesn’t matter, just fake it until you make it.  There’s a lot of truth in that philosophy.  Go for it, create a human illusion in yourself that inspires others to want to love you.  Entice them to hire you, to marry you, to have you paint their house!  It doesn’t matter what you want to do, just sit down and write out a story, or character, or an ending to the greatest illusion you could ever dream of attaining.  Give it a shot, it just might work for you.

Love you kiddo,

Max

PS   Max, that’s my nickname….another illusion.