According to Wayland High School parent and film producer Bill Haney, movie-making is simply a form of story-telling.
Haney has contributed to fifteen films as either a writer, director or producer. Although he recognizes the diversity of today’s films, Haney explained that most movies are made with a similar structure. This standard structure enables stories to be effectively told within a movie.
“Since Aristotle, the idea of story-telling has been pretty simple,” said Haney.
Movies often start by establishing where a story is taking place and who is involved. The beginning of a story typically introduces lead characters and gives insights about them, including an explanation of their daily lives and what they care about most. Showing these aspects of a character illustrates what is at stake for each character in the developments that follow. Haney has found music to be key in introducing a scene and establishing a mood.
This type of introduction is embodied in the 2008 movie American Violet, which Haney wrote. It begins with a scene of a family sharing breakfast, introducing us to the movie’s protagonist, Dee Roberts, and her children. Next we meet Roberts’ mother, who watches the children as Roberts heads off to work.
After the scene has been set and main characters have been established, movies often progress to introducing opposing forces or antagonists. With these opposing forces comes the disruption of peace or normalcy in the lead characters’ lives.
“The idea of storytelling is basically something happens; life is normal, then something happens,” said Haney.
In American Violet, the opposing force takes the form of aggressive police who arrive within minutes after the film begins. These police seize Roberts from her place of work without explaining the basis of her arrest.
As the story unfolds, Roberts, like the protagonists of most stories, is faced with more and more challenges. These challenges force her to make difficult and life-altering choices.
“In storytelling, as in life, you reveal your character by the choices they make,” Haney said.
American Violet is based on the real life of a young woman who experienced political oppression. The police arrested 15% of the African American population in a Texas city one morning, right before the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore.
After being arrested under false accusations of drug smuggling, Roberts must choose how to plead. If she pleads guilty, she will lose the government benefits that her family relies upon. If she pleads not guilty, she risks losing her children and serving a decades-long prison sentence.
Haney cast Oscar-nominated actors in American Violet but despite having been paid millions in past films, these actors were content to work for minimum wage in American Violet. Haney attributed this to how important the story was to them.
Above all else, Haney encouraged aspiring film-makers to make movies about things they care about.
