Dogme95 is an extreme twist on today's reality television. In fact, Dogme95 is in every sense of its meaning a reality film. Reading this manifesto made me chuckle at the relative lack of reality we actually see on television. I wonder what these current shows, such as "The Real World," or my personal favorite, "The Hills," would look like if they followed Dogme95. Our reality shows are filled with voice overs, shooting that is done in a studio for visual effect, and the use of special lighting/effects. I do disagree with the hand-held aspect of the shooting. I feel that placing the camera on a tripod would only further the realism of the film.

The Lumiere Manifesto focuses on one's individual ability/desire to contemplate the film. In such, the director does not zoom, use audio, or any effects, in order to convey a specific message. I am not sure as to how the 60 seconds limit plays a role in the Lumiere films. If someone has an opinion, please let me know. Could it simply be to follow the initial principles of the Lumiere brothers?

Truthfully, I found that the Mekas article was not too convincing. The article, first off, was written 12 years ago. The digital era was not as prevalent then. I read Mekas' article as extremely bitter; He does not see that the evolution of the camera and films are beneficial to our society. Maybe he just wants to give some credit to those that deserve it. Nevertheless, Mekas treats current film as non-art and does not give it the credit it deserves.