We The Economy offers 20 short films exploring and explaining economic issues, created by Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Production and Morgan Spurlock’s Cinelon.
The economy is one of the most important issues facing modern society
The economy is one of the most important issues facing modern society. Economics itself is a complex, inexact social science. It was invented by humans as a way to govern the trade, exchange and allocation of resources but it’s far from being perfected. Despite centuries of experimentation, no country or individual has figured out the ideal economic system. That fact has been made especially apparent in recent years, as economic downturn has presented unforeseen challenges to nations around the world.
We The Economy‘s goal is to help the average viewer understand the economy and its accompanying issues
The most startling aspect of the economy is that many people simply do not understand how it works. It’s easy to blame the economy for difficulty finding a job, paying the bills or receiving low wages for work, but it’s tough to place individual concerns in the larger context. Even those that have studied economics for centuries have differing opinions on major economic issues, so it’s no wonder that it’s such a challenging topic.
We The Economy is an inventive online filmmaking experiment designed to explore the most pertinent economic topics around the world today. The site, which was created via a partnership between Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions and Morgan Spurlock’s Cinelon production company, seeks to explain the economy through a series of short films. There are 20 films hosted on We The Economy, with the majority falling around the 5 min mark and none surpassing 10 minutes. Different directors and filmmakers worked on each project, including one film directed by Morgan Spurlock himself. That film — called “Cave O Nomics,” humorously describes the earliest years of humanity’s conception of economics.
Morgan Spurlock livens the project with his signature form of humorous, educational filmmaking
The series of films is broken up into multiple chapters. Chapter 1 is titled “What Is The Economy,” followed by “What Is Money,” “What Is The Role Of Our Government,” “What Is Globalization,” and, finally, “What Causes Inequality.” Under each of these chapters is a collection of films that dives deeper into a related topic. Several of the films take a documentary-style approach, with talking heads of major economic analysts and academics providing insights into the way the economy works. There’s also an impressive mix of animation, live action, with a good, healthy dose of humor mixed in.
An important filmmaking experiment offering “20 Films you Can’t Afford To Miss.”
Watching through each of the 20 films in sequential order is like taking a crash course in economics 101. Except with Morgan Spurlock as the dean of the school, so it’s guaranteed that it’s an enjoyable, quirky, offbeat ride while still remaining informative. Also, all of the videos are available for free streaming. That’s an important element of the project’s entire mission — making the understanding and appreciation for the complex nature of the economy more approachable to the average citizen or consumer. It’s incredibly important to have at least a limited grasp of the economy and the many issues facing it today. We The Economy makes that possible in an extremely entertaining and informative way. 
