There is a myth that I’ve referred to for years called the Water of Life. Here is an excerpt from Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche by Robert A. Johnson:
The water of life bubbled up in an artesian well and flowed without limit. People came to drink… it was clean and invigorating. Gradually they fenced the well, charged admission, claimed ownership of the property around it. The water stopped flowing and bubbled up in another place. The people who owned the property were so engrossed they did not notice the water had vanished. They continued selling the nonexistent water, and few people noticed that the essence was gone. The passionate people find the new artisan well… the cycle continues.
As a design director in the film industry, I am often hired to pump a dry well. Chase the latest fad. Right now, everything has to be in 3D (meaning stereoscopic with glasses). Having worked on a number of 3D movies, I understand there is a time when 3D works… and a time when it’s thrown in because Avatar was in 3D. As the film industry evolves and struggles to define itself again, technology presents a major plot twist that is escalating the game on every level. It’s a dynamic time. A morphing landscape prone to dazzle… and miraculously amid the landscape of sequels and remakes, a brilliant story will occasionally pop it’s little head out. Ahhh. We want great story. We need that. That’s the water of life.