Author’s Note: It never ceases to
amaze me—the ongoing discussion people have regarding the birth, ideology, and the
techniques of Zen Filmmaking. …I get questions all the time. To provide some
basic answers, here is an article I wrote about a decade ago on the subject—for
those of you who have wondered…
I
think it is almost essential that I write a few words about Zen Filmmaking, its origin, and just what is or is
not a Zen Film. This is due to the fact that over the past few years I have
been deluged with questions about the essence and the truth of Zen Filmmaking.
Mostly,
these few words are for those of you who have heard about Zen Filmmaking
somewhere on the internet, or from a friend, and have not read my book on the
subject, Zen Filmmaking, which pretty much
spells it all out from A to Z.
History
The birth of Zen Filmmaking came about when Donald G. Jackson and I were making the film The Roller Blade Seven in 1991. The Roller Blade Seven began in much the same way as most films. Don had obtained financing for a film and he wanted to continue the concept he had developed in his film Roller Blade and its sequel Roller Blade Warriors. He wanted to take the concept to the next level and create a martial art driven epic film. He asked me to come on board, co-produce, co-write, choreograph the martial arts, and star in the film. Upon our entering into pre-production, our Executive Producer wanted to see what we planned to film. So, Don asked me to write a screenplay—which I did. If you would like to read this screenplay you can pick up my book, The Screenplays.
The
impetus for the birth of Zen Filmmaking occurred after the first weekend of
production on The Roller Blade Seven. Don and I were very disappointed with the
performances of the massive cast we had hired to take part in the film. We looked
at each other and realized that the majority of them did not have the talent to
truly pull-off the roll of the character they had been assigned. With this, we
came to a realization to just go out and film the movie, not expect anything
from our cast and crew, and make up the story as we went along. After a few
days of this style of production, I had a realization, based in my lifelong
involvement with eastern mysticism. I looked at Don and said, “This is Zen.
This is Zen Filmmaking.” And, that was it. That was the creation of the term,
the title, and the style. Zen Filmmaking was born. And, from that moment
forward, I began to define and refine Zen Filmmaking—making it both an Art Form
and a Science. From that point onward I have moved forward and continued to
refine the process of Zen Filmmaking.
After we completed The Roller
Blade Seven and its sequel Return of the Roller Blade Seven, Don and I went our
separate ways for several years. I immediately went into production on the Zen
Film, Samurai Vampire Bikers from Hell. Don
returned to predominantly screenplay—based productions. In 1995 we reconnected
and again set on the path of Zen Filmmaking, as a team. From this, we created a
number of Zen Films together.
Just What is a Zen Film?
Many
people believe that Zen Filmmaking is simply based upon the fact that no
screenplay is used in the creation of a Zen Film. Though this is the basis for
Zen Filmmaking, in reality it is much more than this.
Many
people ask, “Why no script?” Well, there are a few reasons for this. First of
all, and perhaps most importantly, from a philosophic perspective, screenplays
keep you locked into a stagnate mindset. If your film is created around a screenplay,
then your cast and crew are very reluctant to allow things to change. But, if
you go into a project with simply an overview of a story idea, then your
project becomes free and new inspiration is allowed to occur at any moment.
And, believe me, from someone who has made a lot of films, you never know what
new inspiration will strike or what GREAT unexpected situation will present
itself when you get to your location, have your cast in place, and are open
minded about what you will actually film.
The
other reason to not use a screenplay is based upon the fact that in your mind’s
eye you can write a great story, have it set in elaborate locations, and acted
out by great actors. For anyone who has ever been on a low-budget movie set,
you quickly see that this is not the case. So, what occurs by writing an
elaborate screenplay is that you are only setting yourself up for
disappointment. But, with no screenplay, you are free. Any production is
allowed to happen as it happens and become what it becomes.
The Six Tenets of Zen Filmmaking:
Though
Zen Filmmaking is based upon the concepts of creative freedom and cinematic
spontaneity, this does not mean that Zen Filmmaking has no foundational
elements. To help define Zen Filmmaking, I designed, The Six Tenets of Zen
Filmmaking. They are:
1. Make all unpredicted
situations work to your advantage.
2. Don't waste time, money, and
energy attempting to create your sets when you don't have to. Instead, travel
to them and allow their natural aesthetics to become a part of your film.
3. Just do it! Ninety-nine
percent of the time you can get away with it.
4. Never let your storyline
dominate your artistic vision. Too many would be filmmakers attempt to write
what they believe is a, “Good Script,” and then try to film it. Without an
unlimited budget it is virtually impossible to get what is on the page on the
stage.
5. Zen Filmmaking is a
spontaneous process. Just as the Zen understanding of enlightenment teaches
that though you may meditate for years, it is not until the moment when you
step beyond your thinking mind and realize that you are already enlightened
that you achieve Satori. Thus, if you acutely plan your productions, with
screenplays, storyboards, and locations, there is no room for the
instantaneousness of Cinematic Enlightenment to occur and you will always be
lost between the way your mind desired a scene to be and the way it actually
turns out.
6. Ultimately, in Zen Filmmaking
nothing is desired and, thus, all outcomes are perfect.
Make it Your Own!
I
am continually asked, “What do I think about other people making films and
calling them Zen Films?” Or, “What do I think about people using my concept of
Zen Filmmaking.” To answer, I think it's great! The entire reason I have
continued to focus on Zen Filmmaking, for so many years, is to make the process
of filmmaking easier, more joyous, and provide all filmmakers, (not only
myself), with a means of creating a film while encountering the minimal amount
of disappointments with the finished product.
So,
if you want to call your film a Zen Film, do it! That's fine with me. Moreover,
make Zen Filmmaking your own. There are no hard and fast rules in Zen
Filmmaking. I frequently receive questions asking if it is okay to change the
process a little bit. As I always answer, “Of course, do what works for you.
Make Zen Filmmaking your own! Take my philosophies and alter them to work for
you, your film, and your filmmaking situation.”
Donald G. Jackson and Me
I
often receive e-mails from people assuming that all of the films Donald G.
Jackson were Zen Films. This is not the case. Though my meeting and filmmaking
collaborations with Donald G. Jackson set the course of Zen Filmmaking into
motion, he was not the creator of Zen Filmmaking. That was me. In fact, virtually
all of the films he created, that I was not directly associated with, were
screenplay-based productions. And, this is in direct contrast to the primary
premise of Zen Filmmaking—that no screenplay should be used in the creation of
a film. So, all of you people out there who are discussing the fact that films
like Hell Comes to Frogtown, Return to Frogtown, Roller Blade, Roller Blade
Warriors, and even such obscure Donald G. Jackson films such as Rollergator and
Big Sister 2000 are Zen Films, you are incorrect. These films were all
script-based films that were written by one of Donald G. Jackson's friends,
most notably Randy Frakes or Mark Williams.
Critique
From the questions I receive about Zen Filmmaking, I have come to realize that there is a big misconception about the reasoning behind Zen Filmmaking and the actual method used in this style of cinematic creation. Mostly I have come to understand that many people just don't get it. Most people assume that simply because the process of Zen Filmmaking is a script-less form of cinematic creation, that means that a Zen Film is simply a mishmash of image and scenes strung together. And, people have used this misunderstanding as a means for criticizing Zen Films. They are really missing the point. Though there are no scripts used in a Zen Film, the process of creating a Zen Film is a very conscious process—a process that very few filmmakers could, in fact, ever employ due to the fact that it is a very refined method of filmmaking that is complicated in its simplicity. That is a very Zen statement, I know. But, the abstract nature of Zen is at the heart of Zen Filmmaking. Most people need structure and guidelines but structure and guidelines are never relied upon in Zen Filmmaking.
Imagine,
having the mental focus, as a filmmaker, to create a film that tells a story
and do so without any written dialogue or scene descriptions. Just like Zazen,
(Zen meditation), the focus it takes to create a Zen Film is a
refined/developed ability that few people have the mental wherewithal to
achieve.
Though
the essence of Zen Filmmaking is based upon the understanding of never relaying
upon the formalized structure of using a script, or any other limiting method
of story dissemination to create a film for that matter, there is much more to
Zen Filmmaking than simply that. At the heart of Zen Filmmaking is the
spiritual essence of Zen—understanding that all life is a pathway to Nirvana.
And, that we ALL are already enlightened—we simply need to realize it.
Therefore, in truth, Zen Filmmaking is not simply a process of filmmaking. It
is, in fact, a formalized practice of meditation leading to cinematic
enlightenment. How do you achieve this? Let go and you will know.
This
being stated, if you want to read a more nuts-and-bolts on-line article about
Zen Filmmaking, you can click over to an article I wrote, Just do it! The Art of Zen Filmmaking or view a discussion that is up on YouTube where
Don and I detail the basics about Zen Filmmaking during an
interview. Also, here is a link to a fun little improv piece Don did on Zen Filmmaking. I discovered this piece about a year after his passing. Finally, here is Donald G. Jackson embracing his feelings about his filmmaking in the purest sense.
I
trust these words will more precisely explain the essence of Zen Filmmaking for
those of you have wondered. For everyone else, either read the book or keep the
questions coming. I will try to answer them as best as I can…
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