OBSERVATIONS, STATEMENTS AND IDEAS
by Patryk Rebisz

Ideas are made up of an observation and a statement.

Observation is often a matter of fact – it belongs to the realm of physical senses.
Observation is detected through accumulation of stimuli, including basic ideas, about the world around us. Observation is objective.
Observation cannot be banal, otherwise it will land on flat ears.
(“the sky is blue” is obvious to anyone that went outside; “the sky is green” poses a question in the mind of the listener and thus internal conversation starts – “why is the sky green?”)
If the answer to the question is obvious, uninspiring or banal it stops the conversation and the viewer’s attention drifts away.

Collection of observations turn into statements.
Statement differs from observation.
Statement is a sum of observations. To include some observations and exclude others is a necessary choice.
Statement is often personal and shows one’s unique point of view. It is often subjective (“The sky is blue thus it will be a NICE day” – if the statement maker considers sunny day a nice day). Statement is often a BOLD assertion (not necessary correct – correctness is not necessary for strong statement but rather its effect to allow the head’s gears to spin).
Statement has a potential to challenge the status quo.
There are “weak” statements. Weak statement is so close to the known reality that it doesn’t spark curiosity in the listener/observer. In that sense the weak statement operates as if it was an observation.
Statement, just like the observation cannot be banal if its intention is to peak the viewer’s attention. It NEEDS to give the viewer a perspective he/she never had before.

Collection of statements, in turn, gives birth to ideas.

Observations turn into a statement.
Statements turn into an idea.

Ideas are pieces of information that make our brain’s gears spin.
The idea can peak the viewer’s interest by being unique or by being EXTREMELY banal. For banality to be interesting it needs to force the viewer to re-examine conventions (although “the sky is blue” sounds obvious, the question “Is the sky really blue” might peak some interest in those willing to examine the questions). Moreover statement's obviously banal can spark interest to examine what really stands behind that banality (for instance someone important making an obvious statement - why is the statement made in the first place?)

A number of ideas make up a film.