I noted something truly remarkable this afternoon.  A colleague and I were discussing the Japanese animated movie "Akira."  I spoke animatedly of the motorcycles in the anime, and how unlikely their designs were to work in the real world.  My colleague mentioned that he thought one of the female characters in the film was "really hot."  I realized at that moment that I didn't really recall a female character in the film, much less any "hotness" involved.  What an interesting situation:  I looked at the motorcycles and found them attractive, and my colleague looked at one of the human characters, and found her attractive.  Hmmm....

Please understand:  I've been riding motorcycles since I was 14, and I'm a great deal older than that now.  Motorcycles are a central fact of my life -- I own two currently, which I use to commute to work on a daily basis.  I have been married for over 26 years now to a woman I have to consider my soulmate, and therefore really don't spend a great deal of time looking elsewhere for "hotness."  My colleague does not ride motorcycles, and is single, so I'm guessing he's not riding much else, either.  Isn't it fascinating that I saw the motorcycles, and he saw the character, and we each perceived the film differently based on our own experiences?  The next time I make a film, I will have to remember that people perceive others' work through the prism of their own experiences, and therefore may not see things exactly as I had intended.