'Dawn of the Debt': Notes From a Power Line Prize Winner

Ever since I saw “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” as a kid, I knew I wanted to make movies. Ever since I dated a liberal as an adult, I knew I wanted to fight for liberty. Growing up, I was never interested in politics. My imagination was too big to worry about trivial matters such as real life. I had too many movie ideas waiting to be shot in my backyard.

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But during the height of the 2008 election it was impossible to ignore politics, especially while I was in film school and living in Seattle (where I reside). I knew I disagreed with my instructors and girlfriend at the time, but I couldn’t quite articulate why. I was always proud to be an American, but it wasn’t until I educated myself in America’s founding that I realized just how badass America really is. This knowledge gave me the ammo I needed to fight back.

I always knew the power of film as a medium, but it wasn’t until I became politically active that I became aware of just how important this tool really is. The left have become masters at utilizing liberal subtext in their work to influence their audience. The problem is that our side doesn’t utilize this medium as effectively as they can. We don’t have Hollywood, but we do have the internet. Yet simply producing a video about conservatism does not a captivating video make. It’s not just about the content of the video, or the information written on the screen. It’s about connecting emotionally with your audience. There is only one real way to do this: storytelling.

We watch movies in hope of being swept off our feet for a couple of hours with a good story. Relating to characters, their goals, and ultimately their actions or inaction is what connects us to a good story. As dozens, if not hundreds of Big Hollywood articles have explained, taking back the culture is the key to reshaping the hearts and minds of Americans. Film is just one, albeit very important piece of the puzzle.

When I saw that Power Line was hosting a contest to dramatize the US debt crisis, I thought this would be a great opportunity to put this theory to the test and do my part. Although the US debt crisis is arguably one of the most, if not the most important issues is facing right now, it’s also one of the most boring. For the average American, the numbers are mind-numbing, the jargon goes over their head, and ultimately the entire issue is about as romantic as the debates I had with my ex.

So, how do you get people to care? Simple. You dramatize it, just like the Power Line contest requested. While most entries ended up explaining the technicalities of the crisis and how to get out of it, anyone who follows politics already knows what needs to be done. I was more interested in dramatizing how we got into this mess in the first place, in hopes of reaching a demographic who may not otherwise be exposed to such thoughts.

I tried to focus more on philosophy rather than policy, because ultimately, it’s philosophy which makes up policy, and as my film “Dawn of the Debt” states, we’re only in this situation in the first place because “we lost sight of those principles which made us a great nation to begin with.”