In today’s world where we are constantly surrounded and bombarded by content- from brands, from companies, through newspapers, social media, etc, ‘content’ may start to seem like a derogatory word.
When everything—well-crafted reels, quick trend-based clips, simple quotes, heartfelt poetry, powerful stories, ad campaigns, feature films, and opinion pieces—falls under the label of “content,” distinguishing art from the noise becomes a challenge.
In a recent interview, the Normal People actor, Paul Mescal expressed his distaste for referring to films as “content,” saying he finds it disgusting.
He believes there are two concurrent industries- the one that works with a lack of care and artistic integrity, and the other dedicated to the true craft of filmmaking. These two should remain distinct and not be conflated.
When viewed from a broader perspective, we can see the other two distinct yet parallel content industries: one focused on self-made content with minimal production value, and another that emphasizes high-quality production.
There are reels that are made with a dedicated production team keeping in mind the lighting, direction, production design etc. On the other hand, there are reels that are made by people often for personal enjoyment or self-expression, with a more casual approach to production.
We still put both of them under content even if one has a higher cinematic value than the other.
So instead of labelling it as ‘content’ or ‘art’, we must start looking at it as storytelling. Everyone is trying to tell a story, be it with a well-built production team or without it. And maybe then the divide between art and content can be tackled.