The Zen of Filmmaking: Balance of Heart and Mind
The Zen of Filmmaking: Balance of Heart and Mind
Introduction
This monograph is organized in a chronological manner, according to my
experiences in the past three years in the fields of philosophy and documentary
filmmaking, the influences and encounters of which have helped shape my
worldview as well as narrow my scope of interest in my studies.
The first chapter encompasses my first year-and-a-half as an undergraduate
student in the University Professors Program. In this chapter, I trace
the transformation that occurred in my mindset: from an initial fixation
on denouncing the Catholic Church and an unyielding adherence to Western
principles of scientific reason and logic, to a sense of fascination and
awe in the spiritual dimensions of the universe and an open acceptance
of Eastern ways of thought. This change came about through both my intellectual
studies in philosophy and my practical internship experience in the documentary
industry.
The next chapter covers the legacy that the earliest documentary filmmakers
had left for contemporary filmmakers to build upon. The debate between
art and function, form and content, picture and sound, are still a source
of the differing approaches to filmmaking today. Issues concerning target
audience and “truth” also play roles in shaping the final
product of a film. The way a filmmaker takes these factors into consideration
determine whether or not their film is successful in conveying their original
intention.
In Chapter III, I discuss the process of pre-production, from my initial
documentary proposal to the ethnographic research that I gathered about
the Cambridge Zen Center’s residence requirements and about two
of its residents.
The fourth chapter delves into the topic of Zen. In this chapter I provide
a brief history of Zen, speculate on the reasons for Zen’s appeal
to American practitioners, explain the main principles of Zen philosophy,
and discuss the psychological and neurological benefits of Zen meditation.
The fifth chapter concerns the production phase of my film, in which I
revise my initial documentary proposal twice, provide some background
and history of the Cambridge Zen Center, compare Korean Zen practice to
that in America, and reflect on the production process in the context
of influences from established ethnographic filmmakers and of the issue
of collaboration.
In Chapter VI, I discuss the post-production phase, in which I look to
Jean Rouch’s and David MacDougall’s observational styles of
filmmaking for inspiration. This chapter also compares my filmic approach
with that of another film on American Zen Buddhism, called One Precept.
My critical reviews about these ethnographic films bring the reader back
to the earlier debates between form and content, words and action. At
the end of the post-production phase, I learn to let go of my fixation
on the words as well as of my need to control the course of the film.
The next chapter encompasses the six months after the post-production
phase, when the final cut emerges after developments occur for myself
and for my subjects.
The final chapter provides a critical review of my film, arrived at through
multiple private and public screenings of the film. I analyze each scene
technically and by how it fits in the context of the larger whole.
Thus, in a matter of three years, I found my faith and calling in life.
What more could you ask from a college experience?