Quotation:
“Creation requires influence. Everything we make is a remix of existing creations, our lives, and the lives of others. As Issac Newton once said, we stand on the shoulders of giants,” (11:56, Part 2).
Comment:
I enjoyed listening to what this author had to say. It is hard to recognize when something is a remix if it is hidden enough. There are some remixes that are more obvious than others, such as memes and voice-overs. However, it is a lot harder to see the similarities in movies. It is also very eye opening to see where certain ideas may have come from. It reminds me of a meme I have seen a few times explaining when you say something funny and no one hears it, then the person next to you says the same thing and everyone laughs thinking it was their joke. This is a skill I feel many successful movies have developed. Filmmakers have to get their inspiration from somewhere, so why not use existing material and make it their own. This seems fair enough, but there is a thin line between remixing and copying. Copying someone else’s work is not only wrong, it is lazy. There are many ways to be creative, but a common fear is that those new ideas won’t be accepted by the public, and the movie could fail. I am in no way a producer, so I have no idea what goes into making a movie, but the plot line is the starting point. If the plot line is boring, or too crazy, it will not be as successful. There is also the common idea of “a love triangle”, “a beauty and a beast”, “a hero and a villain”. These ideas will be recycled through all of the time. Yes, these are themes, but these themes are so common.
Question:
What is the line between remixing and copying? Is it subjective? Who decides that?
