By Scott Shaw
I am often asked the question,
“Just what is a Zen Film?” Numerous people have contacted me regarding this
question and I have read a number of attempts by people to write a formalize
definition, defining what is a Zen Film—some have been good while others have
placed far too much analysis into the process. But to answer, I think,
first-and-foremost, it is essential to note that the ultimate understanding of
Zen is that there is no absolute definition, no one truth. This is the first clue into what is or is not
a Zen Film.
At the root of a Zen Film is the
understanding that, “The stories have all been told.” I say this over and over
again but people still don’t get it. So,
let me explain…
Think about it, every story
throughout humanity has previously either been written about or filmed.
Certainly, there are some very specific variants of life-stories that may seem
a bit more unique than others, but these minor unique variants are not the only
time that these life events have occurred.
Take a look at the bible. Every storyline is in that ancient text—from
romance to horror, onto science fiction. It is very hard to find any story of
humanity that is not alluded to in the bible.
But, why does this matter? And, how does this help to define a Zen Film?
Filmmakers, from the dawning of
the craft foreword, have attempted to tell a story. Many become very adamant
about how essentially important their film’s story is. They equally believe
that their film’s story must be told. So, they go and make a movie. Maybe it is good, maybe it is bad, but it is
certainly not a story that has never been told before.
You ask, “Why is this important
in defining a Zen Film?” Because Zen
Filmmaking is about freedom. A Zen Film
is about freeing yourself from as many constraints as possible. Why? Because then the filmmaking process becomes
much more spontaneous, natural, and artistic.
And, when freedom is allow to exist, then true ART is embraced.
Which brings me to the concept of
art.
There are beautiful paintings
that have been created since the dawning evolution of humanity where the
artists has studied for years, refined their techniques, and then spend weeks,
months, even years creating a singular piece of art. Are these pieces of art beautiful?
Well, if you like that style of art, then yes they are.
Now, here arises one of the key
concepts of what is a Zen Film. Just like beauty, art is in the eye of the
beholder.
To some, classic art is the only
art. But, to others, this style of art is
has all been seen before. It has become
old and expected.
In regards to filmmaking, the
same understanding applies. So many filmmakers, especially on the independent
level, attempt to create a film that looks much bigger than its budget—they
attempt to mimic what has been done before.
Though they most probably believe that they have a unique story that
deserves telling, what they are doing is no more than retelling the same story
that was most probably better told in a previous film that had a much higher
budget.
Let’s think about this. What if
you release yourself from this whole process? What if you remove the obstacle
of a highly developed story that took you months or years to write? What if you remove the need for training and
retraining and simply step into the arena of filmmaking and create? What occurs? Art is occurs.
Now, I am not saying that
everybody will appreciate a film created in this style—created from a mindset
of freedom. But, you can find mistakes in even the most expensive films if you
look for them and certainly those films are criticized, as well. So, a Zen Film
as it is created with art as its core can be expected to find criticism, but
the filmmaker maintains the mindset that this is all part of the package and
welcomes it as it simply reveals the limited understanding of those individuals
applying said criticism.
A Zen Film embraces art at its
most elemental level. Is everybody going to like it? No. Does everybody like
the paintings of the abstractionists or the neo expressionists? No, they
don’t. Art is in the eye of the
beholder! So, to make art, you will find
your critics. But, who are these people that are criticizing the filmmaking of
others? Are they artists? Are they making films? Most probably not.
From a personal perspective, as
an artist, someone who paints, I can tell you that no painting ever turns out
exactly like you expected. This is the same with film. Many filmmakers have a
concept locked firmly into their mind and they write and rewrite, film and refilm,
attempting to get an exact mental image on film. But, it will never happen. What will happen
from following this process of filmmaking, however, is a lot of anxiety,
frustration, and discontentment. Each of these things can cause a filmmaker to
toss in the towel and never complete their film. So, stop it! Allow your mistakes to become
part of your film. Because, in fact,
there is no such thing as a mistake, it is simply the perfection of the way it
turned out. Remove expectation from your life and your film and you become
free.
This brings me to the next point
in detailing a Zen Film. Trust the magic.
What is the magic? The magic is allowing things to happen that
are unexpected. The magic is allowing
the greater good of art and the positive forces of the universe to bring you
things that were never expected: be these people, locations, or ideas to help
you make your film the most perfect and complete that it can be.
Remove yourself and your desired
outcome from the equitation. Turn off your controlling ego. Let your actors
act, as they will. Let your crew do what they do. And, be open to new
inspiration and change and you will encounter elements in your filmmaking
process that will astonish you. This is a Zen Film.
Finally, as alluded to in the
beginning, there is no absolute definition as to what is or is not a Zen Film.
A Zen Film is based in freedom, not definition.
A Zen Film is based in art, not structure. It is what comes out at the end of a
particular films evolution when you simply allow the natural process to take
its course and you allow your film to be.
Freedom is Art. Art is Zen.
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