What's The Point?

(602 words)

A group of friends were having lunch at a crowded restaurant. The beverages, served without ice, and the butter chicken, too sweet; they had given up on the food a while ago. 
Conversations were the only possible way to make their outing meaningful. 
Aryan, realising this, took the onus of keeping the group entertained. 
"So this one time, I went to McDonald's with my family and there was no place to sit. We waited for almost half an hour, after which we finally saw someone get up from their table. Now, relieved as we were, it was unsaid that the table was ours. But before we could reach, a young couple, that had just entered, grabbed the table and made themselves comfortable. My mother lost it. She opened her purse, removed her - "
"Guys, I cannot drink this anymore. Warm Pepsi is the worst," interrupted Riya, her face contorted. She was fed up of forcing herself to avoid wasting it. 
Her comment was quickly met with nods of approval and similar complaints by the others. 
"I know right? How could they? I'm never coming here again," said Sachin. 
They paid the bill and left.
The End. 


What just happened leads us to debate over two possibilities - Either Aryan's friends were assholes or there was something missing in his story. Let's understand this analogy from the latter perspective. 
I have witnessed incidents like this a number of times, and I've been on both sides. When I look back, I can safely say that I've learnt a valuable lesson:
What makes a story interesting is not just its content, but the manner in which it is told.

The above incident might indicate a number of reasons why the story failed to generate interest, some being that he took too long to cut to the chase and that his friends, already bored, were more enticed by Riya's comment, something that actually made a difference to them. 
A lot of audiences tend to be selfish when it comes to stories, yes. 

And before my own article starts losing its purpose, let me get to the point.

How on earth do filmmakers manage to tell us captivating stories?

Films with extremely high budgets have been disasters. Films with star-studded casts have flopped. What's the secret to a good film?

Emotions. The ability of a filmmaker to tap into the emotions of their viewer determines the experience of a film. Contrary to popular belief, films need not always have the "relatability" factor. However, there's a lot more planning involved when you need to get viewers to empathize through other factors.
Expressive body language and an interesting plot are the bare minimum for a successful story, but over the years, filmmakers have evolved to generate interest not just through these basic requirements, but through a thorough understanding of what works for audiences and what doesn't.

In this blog, I will attempt to analyse scenes from films that manage to touch upon elements of human behaviour; elements that make for a riveting story. While I'm simply trying to understand why I call some of my favourite scenes from cinema so, I will also attempt to explore the "science" of storytelling and the successful tactics employed in order to evoke emotions. While my articles will primarily revolve around the unravelling of layers, those that produce compelling storytelling, I intend for this to be a discussion. 
Any kind of feedback or conversation regarding my writings is highly appreciated. Please feel free to comment or personally message me if there is a particular scene you'd want me to study. 

Happy Reading!