The name for Truth & Spectacle originally comes from a video interview I saw with Tony Kaye, the maverick film director, talking about Stanley Kubrick.

Kaye described Kubrick’s films as being filled with spectacle and truth.

“Spectacle and truth are the two most important things in filmmaking. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous the story, or how implausible the scene, if it has truth and it has a special look, it will infiltrate into your audience.”

I did some more reading and it turns out Kaye's story was based on an anecdote about Stanley Kubrick when he was filming Spartacus in 1960.

Kubrick was asked to direct the film and inherited a script about slaves revolting against Rome which didn't have a big battle scene. He was not happy.

Kubrick told journalists at the time that every great film needs two things:

Truth, something that appeals to our hearts, and Spectacle, the film must reach out from the screen and grab the viewers by the throat.

Such an elegant test for quality.

Every memorable film, every remarkable endeavour, every hard-hitting campaign, and every wonderful organisation has a powerful story that grabs the audience and inspires.

We thought it would make a great name for a storytelling consultancy (or an optometrist).

Kubrick learned his lesson and never made another film that he didn't write himself.