One of the most important things I learned about myself as an adult returning to school, was that I was a visual learner. Put me in a car on my commute home with a book on tape and my mind will wander. I need to see the subject if It is going to capture my interest.
I recognize that there are other learning styles for different people, but I feel that the most powerful media combines visual with auditory output. Live theater does this but the scale of the presentation is diminutive. If you have bad seats, no amount of lighting or theatrics will make up for that.
Movies have become the most powerful form of media we have today. This is especially true since the advent of computer aided imagery and sound. A movie has the ability to speed up, slow down or stop time. The scale of the visuals are larger than life, fostering an intimacy which is experienced by no other means. Sounds are amplified or effects are created. The director can balance sound with the visual to make the viewer hyper receptive to the actions in the scene. Focal ranges on camera lenses can mimic the human eye by blurring some objects and emphasizing others. We cannot fly like birds but we can be taken on virtual flights through the use of camera drones. Lastly, music touches us all and has the power to transport. A great soundtrack in a movie is not only entertaining but sets and supports the director’s intent. Movies are life times infinity.