Why I think the influence of Film is interesting

Hi! My name is Summer DeWitt and I am a senior at Egg Harbor Township High School! My plans after high school include going to college at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut where I will major in film and television, as they are praised very highly for their film work and long line of famous alumni. 

For me, film has always been a way I've connected to the world outside of my little town in New Jersey. It's allowed me to see the thoughts and ideas behind other people and even change my ideas and thoughts towards other people. Something I've found particularly interesting within the film world is the way film has influenced society. The way I would define film influencing society is it's ability to change a persons thoughts, ideas, or actions towards a certain topic or idea. 

When I was thinking of a topic to choose for this project I had just finished watching a TV Series where I was absolutely obsessed with the characters, the plot, the aesthetic, the message. Everything about the show had me at a choke hold and I had immediately wanted to go out and buy new clothes so I could be as cool as the characters I was watching. Then I wondered, why exactly does this happen to me after I watch any type of movie, documentary, or TV show. It allowed me to think of times where a type of film made me change the way I do things or think in my daily life.

The first example I thought of was when I first watched the Jonny Depp Willy Wonka and I watched as Veruca got dragged away into the garbage hole by a bunch of squirrels. Although it sounds silly, for about a month after watching that scene anytime I went outside for any activities, I'd always make sure to stay as far away from squirrels as I could in fear they would try and hurt me. Then I thought even bigger than my own personal experience. Jaws. The movie Jaws had a gigantic impact on the way the we as a society view sharks. Before the movie Jaws came out, there was little public fear towards the animal, people knew about the dangers but were never outright terrified of the animal. It wasn't until after Jaws came out that public opinion of the animal switched completely. More articles began to publish about the animals attacking at the shore, tv shows about people getting their arms or legs bitten off by sharks started to emerge, and the way people began to act when going in the ocean changed because they knew a shark could potentially attack them.

Even though sharks are harmless, public opinion was swayed because of the movie. This is why I am interested in this topic. I want to know why people's opinions can change so easily (whether its about sharks or some kind of political topic) and when those opinions change, I want to know what kind of action was by the people to stand behind those opinions (for example people not going in the ocean or someone starting a protest to back their new political view).