It seems like everyone is interested in film.
Everybody seems to be making their own films, writing for film, or acting in film. Coming from "an artistic haven" (as our city was once recently described), I enjoy the process, but from a distance. Yes, I considered it, since everyone else seemed to have good things to say about it, but in the end, I have admitted that my pleasure in entertaining people through my own imaginative efforts really lie either in print or online. I find the solitude in writing much more enjoyable than sharing the process with many others. Maybe it's because I have serious control issues, but I just don't feel comfortable enough with people changing my work. In film, because there are so many involved in the process, its easier to give up creative control. While others may offer valuable ideas that may turn out to aid the project, in the end, what's left with your original idea is pretty far from your original idea. Does not share well with others really wasn't on my report cards on school that often, but I suppose that is relevant in this case.
Acting in film is also something that I don't think I'll be doing, but I do enjoy acting on stage. See, the process of acting is completely different than the process of writing. The more input on how to emote a particular scene the better. It's vital to have that communication going between actors and directors. Without communication, you very rarely see a fluid performance, rather, it tends to be a string of particular moments only. It's distracting for the audience, and more difficult for the actors to control pace and staging. With a good cast that shares great communicative abilities, there can be magic onstage, where people are lost from themselves, transported to that world that only exists for a few minutes, to a few hours. In the end, it's gone, but the memories linger.
That's the problem that I have with film. Not that you can't have memories from it, of course. But as an actor, it is just so final. You can look back at what you did, and recognize that you probably will never get the chance to better your performance. On stage, you are always learning about your character and your story, each time you present your piece. The interaction between audience can change the way that your play is received and it is this interaction that makes it seem more tangible. On film, it takes time to see how it is received. And with so many people contributing to the process of presentation, how you acted in a particular scene and what you were trying to emote at the time is so easily changeable, particularly from the editing process.
Perhaps though, my uncomfortableness with acting and writing for film is directly related to my emotional attachments. What's done is done on one hand, and if you want the job done right, do it yourself on the other.