The Zen of Filmmaking: Balance of Heart and Mind
The Zen of Filmmaking:
A Balance of Heart and Mind
This thesis project is an amalgamation of the education I have received,
the experiences I have undergone, and the life lessons I have learned
during my time as a student of the University Professors Program. It is
a story of three years of personal and spiritual growth.
From a scientific-minded agnostic to a spiritually inclined practitioner,
I have altered my lifestyle and worldview. I now live in a community of
Zen laypeople and practice meditation everyday. I have realized the reason
Buddhists place so much emphasis on the “Middle Way,” or the
balance between two extremes. The journey that I took in the past three
years involved a balancing act of theory and practice, intellectual knowledge
and experiential wisdom, words and action. Without both sides of the equation,
neither my studies nor my quality of life would have been nearly as complete
or fulfilling as they have been.
From an academic-minded journalist to an independent narrative documentary
filmmaker, I have altered my sense of purpose. I no longer feel the need
to educate others in the formal, didactic manner characteristic of most
broadcast quality documentaries. Instead, I have found that the most effective
way to teach others something about life is by learning it firsthand for
oneself through one’s own experience. It is through one’s
own encounters with reality that one may convey any sort of truth, such
as the relationship between filmmakers and subjects that emerges from
the filmmaking process. By staying true to the character and integrity
of the subjects and sequence of events, one may present the viewer with
an honest, authentic account of the nature of a topic. By letting the
subjects show, rather than tell, the audience what it’s like to
live their life, one may give the audience the opportunity to see for
themselves and draw their own conclusions about the subject matter.
In the following pages, you will find my own story unfold through the
process of creation and development of both a film and a spiritual guiding
force. Like the film, it is presented in as honest and straightforward
a manner as possible to show my process of change. I invite the reader
to come along for the ride and experience the journey with me as I relive
the past three years.