ABOUT THE BLOG

The Cinema Series is a blog written by Joseph Masters about cinema and the opportunity it provides to see the world through a different set of eyes. Joseph, a Media Arts + Practice student at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, has a particular love for cinema and the power of the art.

A message about the blog, from the writer:

Now, it is more important than ever to look to movies for guidance, entertainment, and escape. For nearly 5 months now, we have been faced with great uncertainty about our collective future; the future of our country, and the future of our humanity. It’s no secret that the pandemic has taken a daunting toll. From lives lost to cases confirmed, COVID-19 has already left its mark on us. And it’s not just in those infected by it. The incredible isolation that many of us feel as we approach half-a-year in quarantine is equally damaging to the collective mental health of our people. If you are anything like me, you’ve spent countless hours fending off boredom by scrolling through social media, going for walks at a distance to others, or generally feeling confused about where to go next. It’s in this time of great uncertainty that we need something to ground us. Something to remind us of our greatest triumphs; and greatest heartbreaks.

I believe that cinema is now, more than ever, one of the most powerful outlets of expression. Not in the films we are making now, as the entertainment industry has come to a grinding halt, but the incredible vast breadth of movies that have come before us. In a time when we are looking for something to root for, to laugh about, or to watch in awe, movies are there for us. I have always said that movies are the best form of escape. For two hours, whatever is going on in our lives melts away as we are transported to another world. In this way, cinema holds a great power in its ability to move us.

Let cinema transport you. Allow it, openly, to give you new perspectives and ways through which to see the world. Let it provide you an escape from the constant uncertainty of today. Let it move you. Let it bring you to tears, smile from ear to ear, and laugh until you can’t anymore. Cinema has the ability to do all of these things, and as such is one of the most powerful gifts we have been given. In reading this blog, all I ask is that you come with an open mind and heart, and allow yourself to be transported into whatever world our movies have created.

I can’t wait to see where these movies take us. Together.