Image by PatCastaldo

Film directors can make cinematic masterpieces that don't tell a story in the traditional sense. Directing movies this way filmmakers might even meet some success, but not the success they could reach if their film had told a story. Movie directors may argue over the meaning of the word "story", but I mean stories in the classical sense. I'm talking about making movies that are about people trying to achieve things against odds.

Although the telling of any event might interest certain people, the one thing that binds us as humans is desire. We've all wanted something badly that we had to go through trouble to achieve, so we can relate to any similar story.

Gimmick To Keep People Watching

At the very base level a story will keep people watching your movie. A film filled with interesting imagery may not be enough to sustain an audience's attention but nobody escapes the allure of "what happens next". In this light a story is just a gimmick like explosions, sex scenes, and car chases. Though stories share traits with exploitative values they offer much more than just titillation.

Timeless Appeal

Stories don't only keep modern audiences glued to the screen, they often appeal to future generations as well. Human values don't drastically change, whereas what constitutes interesting imagery does. There's a reason why we still make Shakespeare movies but none from the copycat playwrights that filled the stage with cool dialogue and neat costumes. Stories are a structure we can put ourselves into and get a very personal experience from.

May Sustain Multiple Viewings

Not only can stories last for years keeping successive movie goers interested, they can also often stand up under multiple viewings. Many stories somehow resonate beyond their initial meaning upon second and third viewings, whereas cool car crashes get less and less cool each time they are seen. If you have a really compelling story it will not only keep the movie from being expendable, the enjoyment of it may change and grow as the viewer grows.

Story Skills Are Helpful

The ability to put cool stuff in the movie is valuable, but it's an ever-changing thing that will necessitate constant reinvention and keeping up with trends. The principles of storytelling really don't change much. The stories may change, but the underlying why and how stays the same. So once you learn how to tell stories the foundation will stay the same, whereas the rhyme and reason of fashion can seem to be unknowable at times.

Stories aren't just something you should include because people say you should. There are definite advantages to having a story in your movie and you should decide whether you want to go through the effort to take advantage of the opportunities it can afford your film.