INTEGRAL CINEMA STUDIO Mark Allan Kaplan, Ph.D. An Introductory Article Series on the Application of Integral Theory for Cinematic Media Theory and Practice Originally Published on Integral Life | Integral Post (2011-2012)
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INTEGRALCINEMASTUDIO
MarkAllanKaplan,Ph.D.
AnIntroductoryArticleSeriesontheApplicationofIntegralTheoryforCinematicMediaTheoryandPractice
OriginallyPublishedonIntegralLife|IntegralPost(2011-2012)
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TableofContentsIntroduction...................................................................................................................................3TheHolonicLens............................................................................................................................4TheQuadraticLens.........................................................................................................................9TheDevelopmentalLens..............................................................................................................15TheStatesLens.............................................................................................................................18TheTypologyLens........................................................................................................................21TheZonalLens..............................................................................................................................25TheAltitudinalLens......................................................................................................................33TheEnergeticsLens......................................................................................................................42TheMethodologyLens.................................................................................................................62
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IntroductionIntegral Theory has several perspective-taking frameworks or lenses of perception throughwhichwecanperceive,experience,andintegratethemultipledimensionsofexistence.Inthisseriesofarticles Iwillbeexploringapplying thesevarious Integral lenses to thecreationandviewingofcinematicmedia,whichIamdefiningasanymediathatusesmoving(kinetic)imagesasameansofexpression.
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TheHolonicLens
TheMatrixReloaded(2003)andNeo’sMultipleExistences’Discovery
ThefirstIntegrallensIwillexploreistheHOLONIClens.Thislenshelpsuslookuponeverythingwe perceive as a HOLON; a whole that is part of another whole. Holons are the essentialbuildingblocksofourreality.Awholeatomispartofawholemolecule,whichispartofawholecell,whichispartofawholeorganism.
We,assentientbeings,areholonsaswell,beingawholeindividualorganismmadeupofwholeindividual cells, molecules, and atoms. We, as individual holons, are also members ofsocial/systemicholons,whichincludefamilial,cultural,social,species,andecologicalsystems.Everything is a holon, sentient and non-sentient aspects of reality. In architecture, a wholeroom ispartofawholefloor,whichispartofawholebuilding.Inlanguages,awhole letter ispartofawholeword,whichispartofawholesentence.In the cinematic arts, awhole frame ispartof awhole shot,which ispartof awhole scene,whichispartofawholescenesequence.
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Holonsevolvethroughaprocessoftranscendandinclude.Awholeatomistranscendedandyetstillincludedinthedevelopmentintoawholemolecule,etc.,etc.,etc.Thisiscalledholonicorholarchicdevelopment;andthisholarchicdevelopmentcreatesaholarchy.Aholarchyisdifferentthanahierarchyinthatwhileeachstageofdevelopmenthasgreaterdepthandspan,nostageisconsideredbetterorinferiorthananother;wewouldneversaythatanatomisinferiortoamolecule.Inthecinema,compellingstories,well-developedcharacters,andpotentvisualandauditoryjourneysneedtoevolveholonically.Likeanunbrokenchain,everyword,action,event,image,andsoundmustriseoutofwhathascomebeforeit,simultaneouslybirthingsomethingnewwhileholdingtracesofallthathasprecededit.Inaddition,thisholonicchainmustextendbeyondtheconfinesofthecinematicwork;characters,storyevents,andaudiovisualthematicpatternsmusthaverootsintheunseenworldbeforethefirstonscreenimageappearsandmusthaveasenseofpotentialresonanceextendingbeyondthefinalframe.Whilemostaudiencemembersarenotconsciouslyawareofthisholonicprocess,theviewernaturallysenseswhenthereissomethingmissinginthisdevelopmentalstructure:Weconsciouslyorunconsciouslynoticewhenacharacterdoesorsayssomethingthatseems“out-of-character;”orwhenastoryeventseemstocomeoutofnowhere;oranimageorasoundseemsoutofplace.Theseholonicbreaksalways“takeusoutof”thecinematicexperienceandreducethelevelofimmersionbysomedegree.Byusingtheholoniclens,cinematicartistscanshapericher,deeper,andmoreimmersivecinematicvisions,bymoreaccuratelyandcompletelycreatingholonicevolutionarycinematicstructureswithinthetext,image,andsoundstreamsofacinematicwork.Whenusedinamasterfulway,holoniccinematicstructuringcanproducegreatcinematicexperiences,fromHitchcock’sclassicshock-and-horror-inducingshowersceneinPsycho(1960)totheprofoundah-hamomentinTheSixthSense(1999)whenthefinalpieceofthestorypuzzlegivesthefilmanentirenewmeaning.InthecaseofPsycho,Hitchcockusednumerousshotfragments,wholesuntothemselves,eachonestrungtogethertotranscendandincludethepreviousones,tobuildawholeexperiencethattranscendsthepiecesthemselves.
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Psycho(1960)ShowerSceneShotStream
InTheSixthSensetheentirefilmisessentiallytwocompleteholonicstreams,oneonthesurfacethattakesusthroughtheentirefilmholdingacertainperspective;theninthefinalscenes,amissingorhiddenwhole/piece(holon)ofinformationisgivenus,andsuddenlyweseeawholenewdimensionofthestorywehadnotseenbefore,andawholeotherholonicstorystreamflashesbeforeourmindsinaninstant.Whenviewedasecondtime,wecanseethatthisotherdimensionorholonicstorystreamwasalwaysthere.Herethefilmmaker,M.NightShyamalan,usesthemissingorhiddenholoninapositiveandmasterfulwaytocreateaprofoundsurprisemomentattheendofthefilm.
TheSixthSense(1999)andMysteryoftheHiddenStoryStream
AsTheSixthSensedemonstrates,therevelationofmissingcinematicholonsisanessentialdeviceinthecreationofmulti-dimensionalcinematicstorytelling,whichappearstobeontherisewithintegrally-informedcinematicworkslikeTheMatrixTrilogy(1999-2003)andintegrally-informedtelevisionserieslikeLost(2004-2010).IntheseandotherIntegralcinematicworkswe
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findstoriesthathavemultiplecomplexlayersthatarerevealedonebyone,increasingboththedepthandspanofthecinematicworkasitunfolds.InTheMatrixTrilogy,theselayeredrevelationsrangefromNeotakingoftheredpillanddiscoveringhisworldisacomputerprogramtohisdiscoverythathehastakenthesamequestmanytimesbefore.
TheMatrix(1999)andTakingtheRedPill
IntheTVseriesLost,layeruponlayerofrealitiesarepeeledawaythroughitssixseasons,culminatingwiththefinalrevelationthatwehavebeenonajourneythroughthebardosbetweenlifeanddeathitself.Thistypeofmulti-dimensionalcinematicstructuring,createdbymultiplelayeredchainsorstreamsofinformation,character,andstorybuildingholonsprogressivelyrevealedbytheemergenceofpurposelyhiddenholons,canproducebothahighlyimmersiveandrepeatableviewingexperience.
LostTVSeries(2004-2010)FinalEpisode
Inadditiontoinformation,character,andstorybuildingholons,andmissingorhiddenholons,thoseemployedforausefulpurposeorthosethatcreateholesorgapsinthecinematicexperience,therearealsoquestionandanswerbuildingholonswhichareessentialtocinematicnarrativeandaudiovisualexpression.Thequestioncanbeassimpleaswillthecharactersurviveacertainchallengeandtheanswerassimpleasayesorno.Usuallythequestionmustbeansweredbytheendofthescene,sequenceorcompletecinematicworkforclosure;butthe
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questioncanalsobeleftopenifthenon-answersparksadeeperexistentialquestiontobeleftfortheviewertoanswer.Cinematicholonsalsohavepositive,neutral,ornegativecharges,muchlikeatomicparticles.Attheleveloftextanexampleofpositiveandnegativechargescanbeillustratedbytheenergeticdifferencebetweenmomentsofaffinityandconflictbetweencharacters.Neutralholonsareelementsthatimpartneutralinformation,likeanestablishingshotofalocation.Ofcoursethesecanbeturnedintopositiveornegativestreamsbyjuxtaposingthemwithpositiveornegativeelements(i.e.,aneutralshotofacityatnightjuxtaposedwithforebodingmusic…thisisacombinationofaneutralvisualholonandanegativeauditoryholon).Therulehereisthatwhenaneutralholonisjuxtaposedwithanegativeorpositiveholontheneutralholontakesontheattributesoftheopposingholon.Likealllensesofperception,theholoniclenshasthecapacitytoofferusadeeperand/orfullerperspective.Whendirectedatcinema,thisintegrallenscouldpotentiallydeepenandclarifyourunderstandingandappreciationofcinematicstructureandnarrativeform,andincreasethecreativeandexpressivecapacitiesofthecinematicartist.
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TheQuadraticLens
ThenextIntegrallenswewillexploreistheQUADRATICLENS.Thislenshelpsuslookuponeverythingweperceiveasbeingmadeupoffourdistinctyetequalandinterrelatedessentialdimensionsofperceptualreality.Thesedimension-perspectivescanbelabeledinvariouswaystorepresenttheformofexistencewearelookingat.Forexample,whenlookingatourselvesandanyothersentientbeing(sentientholon)throughthequadraticlens,wecanseethatwehavefouressentialdimensionsorQUADRANTSofexistence:Experiential/intentional,physiological/behavioral,relational/cultural,andenvironmental/social.Theexperiential/intentionalaspectofourbeingisourindividual-interiorsubjectivedimensionwhichincludesourthoughtsandemotions.Thephysiological/behavioralaspectofourbeingisourindividual-exteriorobjectivedimensionthatincludesourphysicalrealityandourphysicalactionsandbehaviorpatterns.Whentwoormoreofusgettogether,weexperienceacollective-interiorintersubjectivedimensionofsharedand/orconflictingrelationalandculturalwaysofbeingandperceiving.Wealsoco-existwithinagreaterfieldofsocialandenvironmentalsystemswhichisthecollective-exteriorinterobjectivedimensionofourexistence.Thesefourdimensionsarereflectedthroughourlanguagesintheformoffirst-person(Iorme),second-person(youandIorWE),third-person(IT),andthird-personplural(ITS)linguisticpatterns.
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TheQuadrantsorQuadraticDimensionsofourBeingintheWorld
Assentientbeingswiththesefourquadrantsordimensionsofexistence,wealsotendtoprojectthesedimensionsasperspectivesorlensesthroughwhichweviewtheworld.Aswemovethroughtheworldwenaturallyshiftbetweenthesefourlensesofperception,alternatelyfocusingonourinnerthoughtsandfeelings,onourinteractionswithothers,onphysicalactionsandbehaviorpatterns,andonourenvironment.Whenweusethequadraticlenstolookatsentientaspectsofexistenceweareabletoseeallthesequadrantsordimensionsofsentientreality,andwhenweusethequadraticlenstolookthroughthequadrantsatnon-sentientaspectsofexistencewecreateaquadraticvisionthatgivesusamorecomprehensiveperspectiveonourinnerandouterindividualandcollectiverealities.Together,thedimension-perspectivesoflookingatandlookingthroughthequadrantsmakeupwhatIamcallingthequadraticlens.Usingthequadraticlensinthecinematicarts,wecanseethatscreencharacters,asrecreationsofsentientbeings,shouldhaveallfourquadrantsordimensionsofbeing(psychological,behavioral,relational,andenvironmental)forthemtobeperceivedasrealisticandbelievable.Whiletheterm“three-dimensionalcharacters”isoftenusedtorefertorealisticandbelievableonscreencharacterizations,ifwelookcloselyatthevariouscharacterandactingtheoriesandpractices,suchasthoseofmastertheoristConstantineStanislavski(1989),wediscoverthatwhatwearereallytalkingaboutare“four-dimensionalcharacters”thatfullyembodythefour-dimensionsofpsychological,behavioral,relational,andenvironmentalexistence.Thesefour-dimensional(quadratic)charactersliveandmovewithinacinematicworld,interactingwithothersentientcharacter-beingsandnon-sentientforms(tables,chairs,rooms,cars,etc.),andcinematicartistsnaturallyattempttovisuallycapturethismovingrealitythroughacinematic“shotcoverage”quadraticlensconsistingof:Acharacterclose-uporPOVshot(subjectivelens),amedium-shotortwo-shotfocusingoncharacterinteractions(intersubjectivelens),aclose-uporinsertofphysicalobjectsandactions(objectivelens),anda
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master-orwide-shotofthewholeprocessandenvironmentsurroundingthesituation/event(interobjectivelens).
TheCinematicShotCoverageQuadradicLens
Eachkindofshotisoftencorrelatedwiththeactualcameralenses’focallengthusedtocaptureeachtypeofshot(wideanglelensforthewideshot;normallensforthemediumshot;telephoto,close-up,and/ormacrolensesforclose-upshots).Acinematicartistcanalsoplaywiththisconfigurationtocreatevariousdramaticandvisualeffect;forexample,atelephotolenscanbeusedforawideshotbyplacingthecamerafarawayfromthesubject,therebyflatteningthespacewithintheframeandcreatingawideshotwithlimiteddepth.Sometimestwoormoreperceptuallensescanbecombinedinonecinematicshot.Theclassicexampleofthisisthezoom,goingfromclose-uptowide-shotorvice-versa.Thesefourcategoriesofshotsorvisualframings,whenusedseparatelyorincombination,representonewayinwhichthefourdifferentlensesofperceptionthatmakeupthequadraticlensareexpressedthroughthevisualfieldofacinematicwork.Additionalmodesofvisualexpressionthatcanandareoftenusedtoexpressthesevariouslensesofperceptionincludetheexpressiveuseofvisualeffects,visualarchetypesandsymbols,andthebasicvisualelementswithintheframe,suchaslight,tone,color,space,shapes,movement,andrhythm.Thefourperspectivesofthequadraticlensarealsoexpressedthroughacinematicwork’stext(themes,characters,story,andsetting)andsound(music,dialogue,soundeffects,andbackgroundsounds).Ideally,theshotcoveragequadraticlens,alongwiththeothercorrespondingvisual,auditory,andtextuallenses,areusedinunisonbycinematicartiststocreateanevolvingpatternofperceptionfortheaudiencetolookthroughandintothecinematicreality,muchlikehowwenormallyperceiveoureverydayworldthroughoneofournaturalfourperceptuallensesinany
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givenmoment.Inthiswaythecinematicartistattemptstocreateanebbandflowofperspectivalfieldsthatresonateswithournaturalwayofperceivinginacinematicwork’stext,images,andsoundsastheyunfoldthroughtime–alocationorsettingisestablished,suchasalargeopenfieldinthemiddleofthecountryonasunnyclearafternoon,wehearbirdssinging,andinthedistanceweseetwocharactersstandingandfacingeachother(interobjectivelens);ourattentionisdrawntothespaceanddialoguebetweenthesetwocharacters(intersubjectivelens);thenwemoveinclosetooneofthecharacterstoseeandhearhowtheyarereacting(subjectivelens);andthenourattentionisdrawntooneofthecharacters’handsholdingsomethingbehindtheirback(objectivelens).Oneofthechallengesofcreatinginvolvingandimmersivecinematicworksisforthecinematicartisttomatchthenaturalalternatingflowbetweentheseinherentshiftsinourfocusofattention.Thecinematicartistcanalsoestablishanewpatternofattentionshiftingorplayingagainstthenaturalshiftforadesiredeffectaswell.Manycinematicartiststrytocovereveryscenefromallfourdimension-perspectives,givingthemthecapacitytoplaywiththesealternateperceptualpatternsintheeditingroom.Whenacinematicworkachievesanaturalorwell-designedshiftingofdimension-perspectivessynchronizedacrosstext,image,andsound,theviewerbecomesmoreimmersedintheunfoldingcinematicreality.Thisevolvingsynchronizationofthequadraticlenswiththetext,image,andsoundofacinematicworkcanalsobemadericherandmorecomplexthroughtheuseofvariousadvancednarrative,visual,andauditorytechniquestomorefullyexpressandintegratetheinternal(subjectiveandintersubjective)andexternal(objectiveandinterobjective)dimension-perspectives.
TheFountain(2006)andtheConcretionoftheSubjectiveLens.
Forexample,inadditiontousingcharacterclose-upsandPOV(Point-Of-View)shotsandvariousothervisual,auditory,andtextualsubjectiveapproaches,thesubjectivelenscanbemademoreconcretebyusingvisualandaudioeffectslikethoseusedintheaboveshotfromTheFountain(2006),inwhichwearegivenaconcreteorexternalizedaudiovisualexpressionofthecharacter’stransformationalsubjectiveinternalexperience.
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IHeartHuckabees(2004)andtheConcretionoftheIntersubjectiveLens
Intersubjectiverealitiescanalsobegivenconcretecinematicexpressioninthissameway,asintheaboveshotfromIHeartHuckabees(2004)inwhichtheintersubjectiveinternalWE-spacebetweenthetwocharactersisgivenconcreteandexternalizedexpressionasfragmentsofeachcharacter’sbeingnessfloatsbetweenthem.
GroundhogDay(1993)andtheIntegrationofSubjectiveandObjectiveRealities
Intherealmofintegratinginternalandexternalrealities,relationshipsbetweencharacter’sinternalrealitiesandtheexternalrealitiesaroundthemcanbeestablishedandusedfordramaticeffectbyintegratingvariousinternal(subjectiveandintersubjective)andexternal(objectiveandinterobjective)textual,visual,andauditorylensesofperception.Forexample,theclassicintersubjectivetwo-shotstructurecanbeusedcross-dimensionallybyplacingacharacterorcharactersononesideoftheframeandanobjectformontheothersideoftheframe,asintheshotabovefromGroundhogDay(1993),inwhichatwo-shotbetweenPhil,themaincharacter,andhisbedsideclock,emotionallyamplifiestherelationshipbetweenhimandthetemporalexternalrealityloophefindshimselfcaughtin.
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TheMatrix(1999)andtheIntegrationofSubjectiveandInterobjectiveRealities
Thiscinematicintegrationofinternalandexternaldimension-perspectivescanalsobeusedtoheightendramaticmomentsandbridgethegapbetweenacharacterorcharactersandtheirgreaterenvironmentorinterobjectivereality.Forexample,intheshotabovefromTheMatrix(1999),Neo,themaincharacter,wakesupfromthematrixandrisesupoutofthepodthathasbeenhisbody’sprison,andacinematicshiftfrominternaltoexternaldimension-perspectivesheightenstherealizationofthedepthofhissituationasNeoandwe,theaudience,suddenlywitnesstheendlessfieldofpodsinhissurroundinginterobjectiveenvironment.Theseadvancedtechniquesfortheintegrationoftheinternalandexternaldimension-perspectivesofthequadraticlenscanbefoundinmanycinematicworks,butareespeciallydominantinintegrally-informedcinematicworkssuchasthoseusedintheaboveexamples.Theextensiveusageoftheseadvancedintegrationapproachesinintegrally-informedcinematicworksalsoappearstobepartofwhatmaybeahighlydevelopedcapacityamongintegralcinematicartiststousethequadraticlensinamorebalanced,integrated,andmasterfulway.Inessence,thequadraticlensinthecinematicartsactsasaperceptualbridgeorgatewaybetweenthequadraticdimensional-perspectivalrealitiesofthecinematicartist,thecinematicwork,andtheviewer.Apooruseofthislensproducesamismatchanddissonancebetweenthecinematicworks’andtheviewer’sperceptualfield,reducingviewerattention,involvement,andimmersioninthecinematicwork.Skilleduseofthislenscancreateaseamless,powerful,andmoreimmersivecinematicexperience.Masterfuluseofthislenscanassistthecinematicartistinmorefullyexpressingtheirvision,whileopeningtheviewertomoresubtleandprofounddimensionsofacinematicwork,andpotentiallystimulatingnewandtransformativewaysofperceivingthemselvesandtheworldaroundthem.
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TheDevelopmentalLens
TheImaginariumofDoctorParnassus(2009)
Having previously explored the HOLONIC LENS and the QUADRATIC LENS, this time we willexplore what I am calling the DEVELOPMENTAL LENS. The Developmental lens includes twoseparateyetintimatelyconnectedperceptuallenses:LINESandLEVELSofdevelopment.If we look closely through the Quadratic Lens we see that within each quadrant, there arevarious lines of development (i.e.: emotional, cognitive, moral lines of individual-interiordevelopment;culturalvaluesdevelopment in thecollective-interior;skeletal-musculargrowthin the individual-exterior;ecosystemgrowth in thecollective-exterior;etc.).Wealso see thateachoftheselinesevolvesthroughvariouslevelsorstagesofdevelopment(i.e.:egocentrictoworldcentric levels of subjective care and concern; mythic to rational to pluralistic culturalworldviewstages;stagesoforganicbraindevelopment;industrialtoinformationaltechnologysystemstages;etc.).
LinesandLevelsofDevelopmentinAllFourQuadrants
InthecinemathereareseveralareaswherewefindLinesandLevelsofDevelopment,includingthevariouscharacterandnarrativeplotlinesthatdevelopandevolvethroughthelevelsofset-up, conflict, climax, and resolution in classic cinematic structure. For example, inTheMatrixTrilogy (1999-2003), numerous inner and outer character, relationship, story-event, and
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social/environmental/systemicdevelopmentallinesevolveinparallelthroughthefilmsvariouslevelsofcharacterandnarrativedevelopment.
Character-RelationshipDevelopmentinTheMatrixTrilogy(1999-2003)
Below are a just a few of TheMatrix Trilogy’s various lines of development in each of thequadrants:
Inner-CharacterDevelopmentalLines
• NeodevelopsfromEgocentrictoKosmocentriccircleofcareandconcern
Outer-Character/Story-EventDevelopmentalLines
• NeodevelopsMatrixskills(i.e.,martialartstraining,mind-over-matrixcontrol,etc.)
Character-Relationship/Group-CultureDevelopmentalLines• NeoandTrinity
Relationship• NeoandMorpheus
Relationship• ShipCrewDynamics
Social/Environmental/SystemicDevelopmentalLines
• Theefforttofreemindsfromthematrix
• Thewarbetweenhumansandmachines
ExamplesofTheMatrix’sVariousLinesofCharacterandNarrativeDevelopmentbyQuadrant
Inadditiontolinesofcharacterandnarrativedevelopment,therearealsonumerousaudioandvisual lines of expressive element development that also evolve through the same stages orlevels of development, as well as often having their own parallel levels. An example of thecreativeuseofparallelandintertwinedaudio,visual,character,andnarrativedevelopmentcanbe seen in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), where characters who enter theImaginarium are transported into an abstract imaginary world that reflects their own self,culture, and world in narrative, visual and auditory form; and then this audio, visual, andnarrativeimaginaryworldproceedstohelpthemevolvetothenextleveloftheirdevelopment.
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TheImaginariumofDoctorParnassus(2009)
The stages or levels of development of a cinematicwork can also vary greatly fromwork towork, from a simple beginning, middle and end structure, to numerous levels or acts. TheImaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a good example of the use of numerous levels or acts,basednotonclassicnarrativestructure,butratherstagesbasedontheinnerdevelopmentofallitsmaincharacter’s.Therearealsotwomajortypesofdevelopment:Verticalandhorizontaldevelopment.Verticaldevelopment is development thatmoves through complete stagesor levels of development,whereas horizontal development occurs within a specific stage or level. For example, in asimple love story, a character candevelopvertically fromegocentric toethnocentricor frombeing self-centered to We-centered; or a character can also develop horizontally fromdysfunctional to functional (or from lack of ability to competency, etc.) within a level likeethnocentricorfrombeingWe-centeredbutblockedbyafearofintimacytoovercomingtheirfearsandbeingabletofullylove.BringingusbacktotheHolonicLens,weareremindedthatdevelopmentevolvesholonicallyinthateachlevelorstageofdevelopmentisawholethatistranscendedbyandincludedasapartofthenextlevelorstage.Thebeginningofastoryisawholethatistranscendedbyandincludedinthemiddle,andthemiddleisawholethatistranscendedbyandincludedintheending.SincetheDevelopmentalLensholonicallyincorporatesLinesandLevelsofDevelopmentwiththeQuadrants,thislenscanalsobeapowerfulsynthesizingtoolforCinematicArtist.PooruseoftheDevelopmentalLenscanleadtocinematicworkswithmajordevelopmentalholesorincompleteorobscurecharacter,relationship,story,andvisualorauditorythematicexpressions,whichinturnreducesviewerinvolvementandimmersioninthework.Conversely,skilledandmasterfuluseoftheDevelopmentalLenscanproducecinematicjourneysthattakeusprogressivelytodeeperandmoreexpansiveimmersiveexperientialrealms,andpotentiallymodelfortheviewerthepossibilityoftheirowndevelopmentalevolutionarycapacity.
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TheStatesLens
TheFountain(2006)
Having previously explored the HOLONIC LENS, the QUADRATIC LENS, and theDEVELOPMENTALLENS,thistimewewillexploretheSTATESLENS.InadditiontodevelopmentalLinesandLevels,eachquadrantalsocontainsSTATES, transientshifts in various inner and outer dimensions including experiential states (i.e., psychological,emotional), physical states (i.e., biological, behavioral), relational states (i.e., cultural,communication),andsocialandenvironmentalsystemstates(i.e.,weather,economic).
Inacinematicwork,atthemostbasiclevel,thesevarioushumanrealitystatescanbecapturedand replicated to somedegree through text, image,andsound.Forexample,wecanvisuallyandauditorilycaptureastorm(aweatherstate),andaddthetext/storyofapersontryingtogetoutofitsway,includinghowthispersonisreacting(i.e.,afearfulemotionalstate).
A closer lookat thisprocess through theStates Lens reveals thata cinematicwork canhavevarious TEXTUAL STATES, including character emotional states (joy, sadness, etc.), characterrelationshipstates(attraction,aversion,etc.),andnarrativeeventstates(suspense,ambiguity,etc.). There are also VISUAL STATES (visual contrast or affinity, static imagery, freneticmovement, etc.); AUDITORY STATES (harmony, dissonance, silence, etc.); and TEMPORALSTATES(lineartime,nonlineartime,flashbacks,etc.).
These four general categories of states correlate to the four quadrants when we look at acinematicworkfromtheperspectiveofitsConstructedCinematicReality,orthelevelatwhichweareimmersedinitsprojectedworld.Fromthisperspective,wetendtoperceivetheimageas the primary objective dimension. The text tends to be perceived as the invisible interior(subjective)dimensionthatanimatesandemanatesfromthisobservablevisualworld,givingitits meaning, purpose, value, and emotional context. The dimension of sound is primarilyexperienced as an invisible force that extends the invisible interior emotional and meaningdimensionof textbeyond the screenand intoour subjectiveexperiential field,establishingashared intersubjective relationship between our interior and the interior dimensions of theConstructed Cinematic Reality. The dimension of time is generally experienced as theobservable systemic (interobjective) unfolding of the Constructed Cinematic Reality (Kaplan,2010).
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When these four realms of cinematic reality states are combined in a skillful way by thecinematic artist, their coordinated expression can replicate the multidimensional sensorystimulationof actual lived-experience, and in sodoingheightenand transform the cinematicexperience into a deeply immersive state-inducing experience for the viewer. This process iswhatRussianfilmtheoristSergeiEisensteinreferredtoasthesynchronizationofthesenses(Formoreonthisseemy2010JITParticleTowardanIntegralCinema).
TheFountain(2006)andtheSynchronizationof
Textual,Visual,Auditory,andTemporalCinematicStates.
Arecentexampleofthiscinematic-reality-statesensory-synchronizationprocesscanbeseeninthe feature film The Fountain (2006), in which the main character is transported into aprofoundother-worldly state experience that is supportedby corresponding visual, auditory,
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andtemporalcinematicstatestructures,givingtheaudienceamulti-dimensionalfelt-senseofthecharacter’sinner-statejourney.
TheStatesLensisoneofthemostimportantLenses,inthatitisthegatewaytounderstandingandmasteringtheimmersivepotentialofthecinema.Inandofthemselves,individualcinematicstatesandtheircombinationintoSensorySynchronizationStateshavethecapacityforpowerfulaudiencestateinduction;whenmasterfullycombinedwiththeotherLensesofcinematicperceptionandexpression,theyhavethepotentialtopowerfullyeffectindividualandcollectiveperceptionandbehaviorforbothhigherandlowerpurposes,fromcommercialandpoliticalpropagandatothecatalyzingofshiftsinstagesofhumandevelopmentandtheevolutionofbothindividualandcollectiveconsciousness.
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TheTypologyLens
SourceCode(2011)andtheMarriageof
MasculineandFeminineCinematicTypologiesHaving previously explored the HOLONIC LENS, the QUADRATIC LENS, the DEVELOPMENTALLENS,andtheSTATESLENS,thistimewewillexploretheTYPOLOGYLENS.In addition to States, anddevelopmental Lines and Levels, thereare also variouspatternsofsharedCharacteristicTypesorTypologieswithinallfourQuadrants,includingindividual-interiorpersonality (introvert, extravert, etc.) andgender types (masculine and feminine); individual-exteriorbody (ectomorph,endomorph,mesomorph)andbloodtypes (A,B,AB,O);collective-interiorcommunication (verbal,nonverbal,etc.)andculturetypes (clan,adhocracy,hierarchy,market, etc.); and collective-exteriorecosystem (tropical, desert,mountain,marine, etc.) andsocietytypes(agricultural,industrial,informational,etc).Inthecinematicartstherearealsovariousspecificcinema-relatedtypologiesincluding:
• Character(protagonist,antagonist,etc.)andstorytypes(arch-plot,mini-plot,anti-plot,etc.);
• Genre(action,drama,comedy,horror,etc.)andstyletypes(Expressionism,Neorealism,FilmNoir,etc.);
• Screenformat(widescreen,fullscreen,IMAX,etc.)andmediaformattypes(35mmfilm,70mmfilm,digitalvideo,etc.);
• Media platform (theatrical, television, DVD, web, gaming, mobile, etc.) and mediaaudience/markettypes(general,independent,foreign,etc.).
Through the integrally-informedTypology Lenswe can classify these cinematic typologiesbyquadrantandgetabettersenseofhowthesetypologiesworkandrelatetoeachother,the cinematic medium as a whole, and other typology systems beyond the cinema (seechartbelow).
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Cinematicartists,theorists,critics,andaudiencemembersregularlyusethesecinema-relatedtypologiestoquantify,qualify,anddiscussthecinematicexperience.Whenwesaythingslike“thatwasahorrorfilm,”wearequalifyingitasbeingpartofaspecificgenretype;orwhenwesaythataparticularfilmwasSpielberg-esque,wearereferringtoastyletypologymadepopularbydirectorStevenSpielberg;andwhenwesaywewatchedafilminIMAXoronYouTube,wearereferringtoscreenformatandmediaplatformtypologiesrespectively.Inadditiontotypologiesthatarespecifictothecinematicarts,cinematicworksbytheirverynaturealsoincludehuman/worldtypologiessincetosomedegreetheyattempttorepresentthehumanworld.Believablescreencharactersembodyreal-lifehumanpersonality,genderandbodytypes;inorderfortheirinteractionstobeperceivedasconvincingtheymustcommunicateandrelatetoeachotherthroughreflectionsofrealhuman/worldcommunicationandculturaltypologies;andfortheirconstructedcinematicrealitytobeexperiencedascredible,itmustemulaterealworldatmospheric,environmentalandsocialsystemtypes,eitherdirectlyorinstylizedforms.Athirdformoftypologiesalsoappearsincinematicworks.ThesearewhatIcallcross-overtypologies;typologiesthatbridgetherealmsofcinematicandrealworldtypologies.Themostcommonofthesetypologiesisthatofthemasculineandfemininegendertypes.Besidesmasculineandfemininetypologiesappearinginscreencharacters,therearealsomasculine-andfeminine-orientednarrative,visual,andauditorystructuresandpatternsinacinematicworkthatresonatebetweenthescreenandtheaudience.Themostuniversallyrecognizedformofthiscross-overtypologyisthatofmasculine-andfeminine-orientednarrativestructures.Masculine-orientednarrativesaremoreevent-andaction-(agency)drivenstories;andfeminine-orientednarrativesaremorecharacter-andrelationship-(communion)drivenstories.Whenwesay,thatmoviewasa“chickflick”orthatwasaguysmovie,wearecommonlyreferringtothesedifferentnarrativestructuretypes.Thisdistinctionisnotassimpleasitappearssincemenandwomentendtohavebothmasculineandfemininetraitswithinthemtovaryingdegrees;sosomemencanhaveahigherdegreeoffemininetraitsandsomewomencanhaveahigherdegreeofmasculinetraits.Ingeneral,mostviewerstendtoleantowardoneformofcinematicstorytellingovertheother,andarelessinterestedinandbecomelessimmersedintheoppositeform,dependingontheirmasculine/femininetraittendencies
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andpreferences,andnottheiractualbiologicalgender.Thereasonwhyoneofthecommonfactorsofverysuccessfulcinematicworksisabalanceofevent-andcharacter-drivennarrativesisthattheyappealtobothmasculine-andfeminine-orientedaudiences.
GroundhogDay(1993)andtheClimacticUnion
ofEvent-andCharacter-DrivenStorylines.Aninterestingexampleofthisformofmasculineandfemininenarrativetypologybalancingcanbefoundinthreeintegrally-informedcinematicworksthatmasterfullyintegratetheevent-andcharacter-drivennarrativestructuresintoasynthesizedform:GroundhogDay(1993),TheAdjustmentBureau(2011),andSourceCode(2011).Ineachofthesefilms,theattractionandburgeoningloveofthemaincharactersbothdriveandaredrivenbyeventsseeminglyoutsideoftheircontrol;yetasthesecinematicstoriesprogresswegetthesensethattheforceofloveitselfisconspiringtocatalyzethecharacter’sevolutionarydevelopmenttodeeperandmoreexpansivelevelsofbeingandbecoming.Thismergingofevent-andcharacter-drivennarrativeelementsmakesforamoreimmersiveexperienceforabroaderrangeofviewers,whilealsocreatingastrongfelt-senseexperienceoftheunionofthemasculineandfemininewhichisattheheartoftheselovestories.Withtheadditionofmasculine-andfeminine-orientedvisualandauditorystructureslikethosefoundinSourceCode(2011),thisimmersiveandfelt-senseexperienceisheightenedevenfurther(seeaboveimage).
TheAdjustmentBureau(2011)andtheClimacticKosmicKissthatTransformstheCharactersandtheEventsAroundThem
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ThesethreefilmsalsorepresentwhatIbelievetobeadistinctformofintegrally-informedlovestorythatIamcallingtheKosmicLoveStory,whichwouldtechnicallybeasub-genreoftheLoveStorygenretype.IusethistermbecauseallthreeofthesefilmsareevolutionaryjourneysthattaketheircharactersfromegocentrictoKosmocentriclevelsofbeingthroughthevehicleofKosmically-influencedevents,alongwiththepowerandforceofaromanticlovethatultimatelytranscendstheloveofanindividual“other”andblossomsintoaloveofall-that-is,oraKosmicLove.Likealltheotherintegrally-informedcinematiclensesofperceptionandexpression,theTypologyLensoffersthecinematicartistvaluabletoolsforthecreationofmoreresonantandimmersivecinematicworks.Additionally,anintegrally-informedapproachtocinematictypologieshasthepotentialtohelptheoristsandcriticsmoresuccinctlyorganizetheoftenunwieldyandcomplexwebofcinema-relatedtypologiesandmoreclearlyapplythemtocinematictheory,history,andcriticism.TheTypologyLensalsoofferscinematiccreators,theorists,critics,andaudiencemembersawayofmorefullyunderstandinghowweperceive,experience,understand,andcommunicateaboutthecinematicarts.
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TheZonalLens
BeeSeason(2005)andtheZonesofCinematicExpression
Having previously explored the basic integrally-informed cinematic lenses of perception andexpression(theHOLONIC,QUADRATIC,DEVELOPMENTAL,STATES,andTYPOLOGYLenses),wearenowreadytodelve intothemoreadvanced integrally-informedcinematic lenses,startingherewiththeZONALLENS.TheZonal Lensaidsus inapplyingeight (8) indigenoushumanperspectives (zones)and theircorrespondingmethodologiesforgainingverifiableandreproducibleknowledgetotherealmofperceivablerealities(SeeFigure1).
Figure1.
Theseeightindigenouszonaldimension-perspectivesandtheircorrespondingzonesofinquiryarederived fromthe inside (subjective/process)andoutside (objective/structure)dimensionsof the fourQuadrantsor the fourperceivable realitiesof first-personexperiential (individual-interior), second-person communal (collective-interior), third-person empirical (individual-exterior), and third-person-plural systemic (collective-exterior). While most of the previouslenseswehaveexploredusethefourquadrant(four-zone)modelastheirfoundation,thislensmarksashifttoaneight-zonequadraticmodel,inessencedoublingthenumberofdimension-
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perspectiveswehavepreviouslybeenexploring,bringingustoapotentiallydeeperandmoreexpansivevision.OnewayofapplyingtheZonalLenstothecinemaistostartwiththebasicfour-quadrantsofConstructedCinematicRealitypreviouslydiscussed:TEXT(story,character,premise,theme,etc.),IMAGE,SOUND,andTIME(temporalstructures,accumulatedpatternsofexpression,etc.).Fromherewecanthenopenupeachofthesefourbasiccinematicdimensionstotheirinside(subjective/process)andoutside(objective/structure)dimensions,whichcorrelatetotheirinternalintentionalandmeaning-making(signification)levelandtheirexternalobservable/perceivablelevel.ThistranslatesintoeightzonesofConstructedCinematicReality:(1)TextualSignificationPatterns(Inside);(2)TextualStructures(Outside);(3)AuditorySignificationPatterns(Inside);(4)AuditoryStructures(Outside);(5)VisualSignificationPatterns(Inside);(6)VisualStructures(Outside);(7)TemporalSignificationPatterns(Inside);and(8)TemporalStructures(Outside)(SeeFigure2).
Figure2.
TheseeightzonesofConstructedCinematicRealityarejustthetipoftheicebergbecauseeachthesezonescanmanifestindeeperquadraticpatterns.Forexample,inthetextualdimension,theoutsideofthetextmanifestsinallfourdimensionsofsubjectivecharacterization,intersubjectivecharacterinteractions,objectivestoryevents,andinterobjectivestorystructures(i.e.,sequences,acts,plotpoints,etc.);andinsidethesefourdimensionsofthetext,aretheparallelsubtextual(inside/signification)patternsorthemoresubtledimensionsofintentionandmeaning-makingprocesses.Thesesubtextualdimensionsareeitheradeepeningofthemaintextorhiddenundercurrentsthatstandinjuxtapositiontothemaintext.Whenviewedasawholewecanseethatweareessentiallydealingwitheightzonesoftextualandsubtextualexperiential,communal,objective/empirical,andsystemicnarrativerealities(SeeFigure3).
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Figure3.
Wecanequallyunpackthedimensionsofimage,soundandtimeintothesesametypesofsub-dimensionsaswell,producingamatrixofthezonesandsubzonesofConstructedCinematicRealityandCinematicExpression(SeeChartBelow)Zones/Subzones
Subjective Intersubjective Objective Interobjective
1TextualSignification
CharacterSubtext
RelationalSubtext
StoryEventSubtext
StorySubtext
2TextualStructure
Character CharacterInteractions
StoryEvents StoryStructures
3AuditorySignification
AuditoryCharacterSignification
AuditoryRelationshipSignification
AuditoryObjectSignification
AuditoryAtmosphericSignification
4AuditoryStructure
Music/POVSounds
Dialogue SoundEffects BackgroundSounds
5VisualSignification
VisualCharacterSignification
VisualRelationshipSignification
VisualObjectSignification
VisualFieldSignification
6VisualStructure
Close-Up/POVShots
MediumShot
Close-Up/InsertShots
WideShot
7TemporalSignification
SubjectiveTemporalSignification
RelationalTemporalSignification
ObjectiveTemporalSignification
AccumulatedMeaningPatterns
8TemporalStructure
SubjectiveTime SharedTime RealTime HistoricalTime
ThefullcreativeuseofthismultidimensionalZonalLensarraycanhelpthecinematicartistcreateworksthatarepowerfullyimmersive,whilealsogivingthemthetoolstoexpressandcapturemoreprofoundandsubtledimensionsofbeingandbecoming.
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Figure1.BeeSeason(2005)andtheCinematicExpressionofInside(Signification)PatternsthatRevealtheMainCharacters
MysticalRelationshiptoLettersandWords.InadditiontothisbasicZonalLensarray,wecouldunpackeachzoneandsubzoneevenfurtherintoanalmostendlesswellofzonalpatternswithinpatterns.Whileonthesurfacethiszonalarraymayappeartobeincrediblycomplex,Ibelievethatoncewehavethecentralzonalpatternsdowntheybecomeeasiertoperceiveandapply.Soinsteadoflistingmoreandmorelayersofzonalpatternsorgoingdeeperintotheoryatthispoint,Iwouldliketogiveanexampleofthecentralzonalpatternsofthisbasicpreliminarymatrixinrelationtoaparticularfilm.ThefilmIhavechosentoexplorehereisBeeSeason(2005),acinematicworkthatmasterfullyusesallofthezonesandsubzonesbygivingequalweighttotheinsideandoutsideofallfourcinematicdimensionsoftext,image,sound,andtime,alongwiththeircorrespondingsubjective,intersubjective,objective,andinterobjectivesub-dimensions.Onthelevelofthetextofthissubtleandbeautifullittlefilm,theinside(subtextual/meaninglevel)dimensionsofcharacter,characterrelations,storyevents,andstorystructuresaregivenequaland/orgreaterweightinrelationtotheoutsideorsurface(textual/structurallevel)dimensionsofthecharactersandthestory;fromfragmentedmemoriesthatcloudthesubjectiveperceptionsofcharacters,tothecommunalrelationaleffectsofunconsciousshiftsinparentalloveandattention,tohiddenmeaningsofobjectsandevents,todeepsystemicundercurrentspullingthecharactersthroughtimeandspace.SPOILERALERT:ForthosewhohavenotyetseenthefilmBeeSeasonbutintendtodoso,thefollowingdiscussionincludesdetailsofthefilmthatcouldspoilyourfirst-timeviewingexperience.Togiveasenseofhowthesetextualandsubtextual(character/storystructureandmeaning)patternsofthetextdimensionofcinematicexpressionplayoutinBeeSeason,fromtheZonalLensperspective,Ihaveputtogethersomeoftheexpressivetextelementsandtheirzonalplacementstogiveanexampleofwhatwearetalkingabouthere(Note:Aspreviouslymappedout,theTexthasthetwomajorzonesoftextual(Zone2:Outside/structure)andsubtextual(Zone1:Inside/meaning);andeachofthesezoneshasfoursubzones–A)subjective,B)intersubjective,C)objective,D)interobjective–producingeight(8)basiclayersoftextwhich
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areindicatedbelowbythemajorzonenumberfollowedbythesubzonecapitalletter;forreferenceseetheZonalLensMatrixinthechartabove):
• Character=Ayounggirl,Eliza,hasagiftforspelling(Zone2A–SubjectiveTextualStructure);
• CharacterSubtext=Eliza’sgiftforspellinghasmysticalunderpinningsandherrelationshipwithlettersandwordsbecomesavehicleforherenlightenmentandthehealingofherfamily(Zone1A–SubjectiveTextualSignification);
• CharacterInteractions=Eliza’sInteractionswithhermotherMiriamandherFatherSaul(Zone2B–IntersubjectiveTextualStructure);
• RelationalSubtext=Eliza’sawakeningtohergiftunleasheshermother’srepressedchildhoodmemoriesandinducesashiftinherfather’sobsessiveattentionawayfromherbrotherAaronandontoherself(Zone1B–IntersubjectiveTextualSignification);
• StoryEvent=ElizaandherbrothervisittheirfatherattheUniversityandwatchhimgivealectureonJewishmysticism(Zone2C–ObjectiveTextualStructure);
• StoryEventSubtext=WeareintroducedtotheKabbalisticconceptofTikkunOlam,theprocessofhealingtheworldbyputtingbacktogethertheshatteredfragmentsofDivinelight(andlove)thatarehiddeninallaspectsofcreation.Thisconceptthenbecomesthesubtextualstoryeventpatternfortheentirefilm–fromeventsfilledwithshatteredcharactersandrelationshipsandfragmentedmemoriesandperceptions,totheimagesandsoundsofshatteredglass,fragmentedreflections,scatteredlight,anddisjointedflashbacksthatpermeatetheseevents(Zone1C–ObjectiveTextualSignification);
• StoryStructure=TheSpellingBeeSeason–fromthelocaltothenationallevel(Zone2D–InterobjectiveTextualStructure);
• StorySubtext=TheseriesofspellingbeesbecomestheincrementalcatalyticprocessforEliza’sAwakeningtohergiftandforthefamiliesdeconstruction,leadingtothefamiliesultimatehealingandtransformation(Zone1D–InterobjectiveTextualSignification).
Buildingontheabovemulti-zonetextualexpressionpatterns,thecreatorsofBeeSeasonincreasethedepthandspanoftheirworkbyextendingthesepatternsintothevisual,auditory,andtemporalstructures(seeaboveStoryEventSubtextsectionforexamples).Thefoundationalzonalpatternwearedealingwithhereisthisdualityofinside(signification/meaning)andoutside(structure),andhowthisdualityplaysoutinvariousotherdimensions(text,image,sound,andtime;subjective,intersubjective,objective,andinterobjective).InBeeSeasonwecanseethisdualitypatternbeingexpressedintheimagesandsoundsthatareusedaroundlettersandwords(outside/structure),whichbecomepowerfulcinematicforces(inside/significationpatterns)playingonthemaincharacterElizathatrevealthemysticalandspiritualdimensionsofthehergiftwithspelling(seeFigure1).Wealsoseethisdualityofstructureandmeaninginthevisualandauditoryelementsusedtocapturetheinteractionsofthecharacters.InFigure2weseeasimplemediumshotofthemother,father,andbrotherof
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Eliza(outside/structure)thatusesthevisualandauditoryorientationanddirectionalelementsofthecharactersandtheirinteractions(bodyorientation;directionofattention/avoidance;etc.)togiveusafeltsenseofthesubtlecommunaleffectsofunconsciousshiftsinparentalloveandattention(inside/signification).
Figure2.BeeSeason(2005)andtheTextual,VisualandAuditory
Signification(Inside/Meaning)PatternsthatRevealtheCommunalEffectsofUnconsciousShiftsinParentalLoveandAttention.
Inthetemporaldimension,thisdualityofmeaningandstructurecanbeseenintheinterplaybetweenthemother’severydaytemporalrealityandherinnerfragmented-memoryflashbackreality.Thejuxtapositionofthesetwotemporalstructures(outside),presentandpast,revealhidden(inside/signification)meaningpatternsthatconnectthesetwodimensions;includingthemother’smentallydestabilizingyetbeautifullypoeticefforttoputtogetherfragmentedelementsofherpresentrealitytoreplaceandpushbacktheshatteredfragmentsofherrepressedmemories(seeFigure3).
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Figure3.BeeSeason(2005)andInside/SignificationPatterns
oftheMother’sRelationshipwithherDaughterandherOwnTraumaticChildhoodMemoriesRevealedthroughtheJuxtapositionofthe
TemporalCinematicStructures(Outside)ofPastandPresentTheuseofmusicalexpressiveelements(outside/structure)asanemotionalsignifier(inside)isprofoundlypresentinthisfilmaswell.Astheyounggirl,Eliza,findsanduseshergiftsasaspellerandaletter-wordmystic,hermother’srepressedchildhoodmemoriessurfaceandherinnerandouterlifebegintofallapart,startingwiththegiftofaKaleidoscopepasseddownfromMothertoDaughter(seeFigure3).Motheranddaughterhaveverysimilarmusicalthemesthatariseasweglimpsetheirinnerrealitieswhichmakeusfeeltheinnerconnectionbetweenthem;atthesametime,themother’sthememusicallyexpressesaworldfallingapart,whilethedaughter’sthemeexpressesthecomingtogetherofthesesamemusicalandinnerforces.Intheend,themusicaltheme’smergeandthedaughter’sthemetakesonnewdimensionsandspreadstothewholefamily,producingadeepandprofoundsenseofhealingandwholenesswhenthismusicalexpressioniscombinedwiththeothertextual,visual,auditory,andtemporalexpressivepatternsofthefinalsequence(seeFigure4).
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Figure4.BeeSeason(2005)andtheHealingoftheMother-DaughterRelationship
ExpressedAcrossandThroughText,Image,SoundandTimeAsBeeSeasonbeautifullyillustrates,whenallofthesezonaldimensionscombineinaconcertedexpressiveeffort,averysubtleanddeeplevelofexpressionandimmersioncanbeachieved.Whileallthebasicintegrally-informedlensesofcinematicexpressionandperceptionoffercinematicartiststhecapacitytocreatemoreimmerseworks,themoreadvancedZonalLenscouldpotentiallyofferthemthetoolstoexpressandcaptureevenmoreprofoundandsubtledimensionsofbeingandbecoming.Forusasaudiencemembers,IhavefoundthatdevelopinganunderstandingoftheseZonalLenspatternsandattemptingtoobservethemincinematicworkscanbecomeaprofoundandmeaningfulmeditationpracticeinandofitself,helpingustobecomemorepresenttothesedimensionsinourownlives.
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TheAltitudinalLens
GroundhogDay(1993)
Whenwelookatacinematicworkandendeavortodiscernifitis“integral”ornot,whatwearedoingisattemptingtousetheterminanevaluativemodeasakindoftypologicalcategorizationtool.OneofthemajorwaysoftypologicallymappingtheIntegralstructureofconsciousnessisasaparticularleveloraltitudeontheworldviewlineofdevelopment(theIntegralWorldviewaltitude).ForanalyticalpurposesIwouldliketomakeadistinctionbetweenusingtheDevelopmentalLenstoanalyzeacinematicwork’svariouslinesandlevelsofdevelopmentversususingitastypologysystemtodeterminetheparticularaltitudeorlevelofdevelopmentofthecinematicworkasawhole“frozen-in-time”expression(artifact)createdbyanindividualorgroupofcontinuouslyevolvingartifactcreators.ThisuseoftheDevelopmentalLensasatypologytoolIamchoosingtocalltheALTITUDINALLENS,sincethecentralfocusofclassificationisonthealtitudeorlevelofthework.Thisisnotasimpletask,especiallywhenweareworkingwithcinematicartifacts.Firstly,whileacinematicworkmaybeacomplete“frozen-in-time”artifact,itisatemporal-basedartifact,inthatitisaworkthathasatemporalduration,soitcanhaveitsownevolutionaryarcwithmultiplealtitudes,withintheboundariesofitsduration.Secondly,aswithallotherworksofart,acinematicworkhasmanyelementswithinitthatcanactaspurveyorsofvariousfixedandevolvinglinesandlevelsofdevelopment(i.e.,characters,themes,visualstyle,etc.).Anotherfactorinmappingthealtitudeswithinacinematicworkisthevariouslinesofdevelopmentwewanttotrack.KenWilbernotesthatthemajorlineofdevelopmentthatisembeddedinthecreationofartifacts,includingallcinematicworks,istheartifactcreator’sworldview,andasstatedabove,thisisthelineweareattemptingtousewhenwetrytoqualifyanartifactasbeingtheproductofan“Integrally-informed”expression(Kaplan,2010;Wilber,personalcommunication,May7,2009).Theworldviewlineisacultural(collective-interior)developmentallinethatalsohascorrelatesinindividual-interior(CircleofCareandConcern),individual-exterior(FieldsofSpatial-TemporalPerception),andcollective-exterior(Techno-EconomicStructures)quadraticdimensions.Belowisatableoftheselinesofdevelopment,alongwiththemajoraltitudesorlevelsofdevelopmentthatarerelevanttoworldviewembedding,correlatedwiththecolorspectrumscale(Wilberetal,2008),whichisoneofthebasicneutralaltitudinalscales:
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AltitudeColorSpectrum
Worldview1 CircleofCareandConcern2
FieldofSpatial-TemporalPerception3
Techno-EconomicStructures4
Indigo-ClearLight
Transpersonal(Super-Integral) Trans-centric Trans-Perspectival;
Trans-Temporal
Trans-Tech(Trans-Human)/CyberneticOrganisms
Teal-Turquoise Integral Kosmo-centric
Aperspectival(5D);Vertical,QualifiedTemporality
Convergence/HolisticMeshworks
Green Pluralistic World-centricMulti-Perspectival(4D);Non-Linear,AbstractlyTemporal
Informational/ValueCommunities
Orange Rational Socio-centricPerspectival(3D);Linear,Future-OrientedTemporality
Industrial/CorporateStates
Amber Mythic Ethno-centricBi-Perspectival(2D);Linear,Past-OrientedTemporality
Agrarian/NationStates
Red Magical Ego-centric Uni-Perspectival(1D);Timeless
Horticultural/Tribal
Magenta Archaic Pre-Egoic Pre-Perspectival;Pre-Temporal
Foraging/Nomatic
Table1.Altitudes(Levels)andLinesofDevelopmentAssociatedwiththeEmbeddingofCinematicAltitudinalStructures
Zones,whichwepreviouslyexplored,areakeyfactor intheprocessofhowtheseworldviewand other related altitudinal structures from the cinematic creator’s consciousness areembedded into a cinematic work: As we create, we have a 1st Person subjective (inside)intention (conscious and/or unconscious) behind all of our significationpattern choices in allfourcinematicexpressiondimensionsoftext,image,soundandtime;andasweconstructthe3rd Person objective (outside) structures of each of these dimensions of the cinematicwork,these intentions become embeddedwithin all these expressive dimensions. This embeddinggoeswellbeyondthelevelofnarrative,visual,auditory,andtemporalsignificationprocesses,transcendingandintegratingthemintotheunderlyingcoremeaningpatternsofthecinematicwork as a whole. For example, in the previously discussed film, Bee Season (2005), theexpressionofalleightzonesinallexpressivedimensionsarerootedinanunderlyingconstruct-formingmeaningpatternthatholdsthattherearemultipledimension-perspectivesofvaryingdepthandspan.Thisconstruct-formingmeaningpatternisareflectionofanaperspectivalfieldof perception, which is associatedwith an IntegralWorldview or structure of consciousness(seeTable1above),anditspresenceinthisworksuggeststhatoneormoreofthecreatorsofthisworkwasoperatingoutofthisparticularworldview.Inadditiontotheunderlyingconstruct-formingmeaningpatterns,wecanalsonarrowinonaparticularembeddingpatternandseehowitplaysoutinthecinematicwork.Forexample,theCircleofCareandConcernlineofdevelopmentcanbeclearlydetectedinindividualcharacterandcharacterrelationshipdevelopment,asinthefilmGroundhogDay(1993),wherethemaincharacterevolvesverticallyfromegocentrictoKosmocentricaltitudesorlevelsofdevelopment,alongwiththeirothercorrespondingworldview-relatedstructures.Altitudinalembeddingcanalso be detected in the set and setting of a cinematicwork. For example, in the filmAvatar
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(2009), the filmmaker depicts a powerful clashing between Magical (Tribal Alien), Mythic(Military), andRational (Scientific) cultures and their related techno-economic structures, setwithin the context of the application of an Integral Worldview-related human-to-avatarconvergencetechnology,alongwithanunderlyingPluralisticWorldcentricthemeof“Natureisprecious,andweareprofoundlyinterconnectedwithit.”
Avatar(2009)
Thisbringsustotheexpressiveelementoftheme,whichisavitalareawhereworldviewandrelated altitudinal structure embedding can be clearly observed. Theme, as I am defining ithere, is an overarching and underlying coremeaning pattern that not is not only construct-forming,butalsocarriesavaluestatementwhichactsasanembeddedlessonstatementwithinacinematicwork.Examplesofworldview-relatedthematicstatements,inadditiontotheabovespecific example from Avatar, include vengeance/vendetta-based stories with the MythicWorldview-relatedthemeofan“eye-for-an-eye;”evidence-basedmysterieswith theRationalWorldview-relatedthemeof“reasoncansurmountanyobstacle;”relational-basedexplorationswiththePluralistic-relatedthemeof“truthandrealityareintheeyesofthebeholder;”andinevolutionary-based narratives with the Integral-related theme of “life is always evolving todeeperandmoreexpansivelevelsofbeingandbecoming.”
Inception(2010)andtheEmbeddingofAltitudinalStructures
withinLayersofWakingandDreamingRealitiesUsingtheAltitudinalLensonadeeperlevelofanalysis,wecanobservetheembeddingofworldviewandrelatedaltitudinalstructuresineverystory-valueofacinematicwork.Story-
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values,asdefinedbyscreenwritingtheoristRobertMcKee(2007),“…aretheuniversalqualitiesofhumanexperiencethatmayshiftfrompositivetonegative,ornegativetopositive,fromonemomenttothenext”(p.34).Thesevaluesarereflectedineveryactionandeventwithinacinematicworkandcanrangefromtheverysimpletothecomplex,andincludesuchbinaryvaluesorpolaritypatternsasright/wrong,good/evil,love/hate,strength/weakness,hope/despair,life/death,freedom/slavery,truth/deception,etc.ThefilmTheFountain(2006),offersusaclearexampleofhowworldviewsandotherrelatedaltitudinalstructurescanplayoutthroughthesetypesofstory-values,inthatthefilmtakesusthroughtheexperienceofdeath,progressivelymovingthevalueofdeathasanegativetoapositive,fromdeathasapainfulandtragicexperiencetodeathasapowerfultransformationalexperience.Thisviewofdeathastransformationappearstobeinherentinsomeworldviewstructures(i.e.,Integral)andnotinothers(i.e.,Rational).IntheparticularcaseofTheFountain,thisstory-valuepatterncombinedwiththeotherexpressiveelementpatternsallpointtotheembeddingofanIntegralWorldview.Inadditiontostory-values,someoftheotherexpressiveelementpatternsinwhichwecandetecttheembeddingofworldviewandrelatedaltitudinalstructuresincludewhatIamcallingthetruth-values,story-causalityvaluepatterns,andmodesofcinematicexpressionofacinematicwork(seeTable2anddescriptionsbelow):
AltitudeColorSpectrum
Worldview Story-ValuePolarityPatterns Truth-Values Story-Causality
ValuePatterns
ModesofCinematicExpression
Indigo-ClearLight
Transpersonal(Super-Integral)
Trans-Polarity(ConsciousUnity)
Trans-Truth(ConsciousSuchness)
Trans-Causal(ConsciousBeingness)
Transcendental
Teal-Turquoise Integral
Greater/LesserPerspectivalDepthandSpan
QualifiedTruth
EvolutionaryImpulse Integrative
Green Pluralistic Aware/Unaware RelativeTruth Synchronicity Deconstructive
Orange Rational Real/Unreal ObjectiveTruth
CauseandEffect Realist
Amber Mythic Right/Wrong AbsoluteTruth
DivineProvidence Iconic
Red Magical Belief/Disbelief SubjectiveTruth WishFulfillment Imaginal
Magenta Archaic Pre-Polarity(Pre-ConsciousUnity)
Pre-Truth(Pre-ConsciousSuchness
Pre-Causal(Pre-ConsciousBeingness)
Emotive
Table2.WorldviewAltitudesandRelatedSub-StructuresAssociatedwiththeEmbeddingofCinematicAltitudinalStructures5
Truth-Values –Worldview-related truth-values, or the typeof truth valuedby the charactersand used in the structuring of the story (i.e., objective truth, relative truth, etc.), can bedetectedinacinematicwork’sgeneralstory-valuepolaritypatterns,inindividualandcollectivestoryevents,andinmoreoverarchingpatternssuchasnarrative,visualandauditorythemes.Acinematic work can have one ormore truth-values embedded in it. For example, one storyeventcanholdaPluralisticWorldview-relatedrelativetruth-valuethroughthepresentationof
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various,differing,and“equally-true”individualcharacterperspectivesofthatevent;andinthatsame cinematic work, another story event can hold a Rational Worldview-related objectivetruth-valuethroughthepresentationofarevelationofempiricalevidence.Story-CausalityValuePatterns–Worldview-relatedstory-causalityvaluepatterns,or thetypeof causality pattern valuedby the characters andused in the story structure (i.e., cause andeffect,synchronicity,divineprovidence,etc.),canalsobeseeninacinematicwork,particularlythrough the accumulatedmeaning patterns of narrative events, in that the outcome of theinteraction between characters and events over time reveals a causal value. For example, acharacteroperating fromaMythicWorldviewmayperceiveaneventorseriesaseventsasasign of Divine providence, while another charactermay see those same events through theRationalWorldview-related causality value of cause and effect. In addition to the charactersholding these various causality values, a more general causality pattern can be embeddedthroughoutacinematicwork,asinthefilmSerendipity(2001),wherethePluralisticWorldview-relatedcausalityvalueofsynchronicityispartofthethemeitself.Modes of Cinematic Expression – Worldview and related altitudinal structures are alsonoticeable in modes of cinematic expression, which include the creative use of narrativestructures,visualstyles,soundmotifs,etc.toexpressmeaning.Forexample,thefilmInception(2010) uses descendingworldview altitudinal-structures6 alongwith correspondingmodes ofcinematicexpression, includingnarrativestructuresandvisualstyles,tosubtlyandpowerfullydelineatebetweenthefilmsvariouslevelsofwakinganddreamingrealities7(seefigurebelow):
Waking(Gross)Reality-State
• IntegralWorldviewAltitudinal-Structures• IntegrativeModeofCinematicExpression
• (Representationofmultipleperspectivesandstructuresofvaryingdepthandspan)
Dreaming(Subtle)Reality-State–FirstLevel
• PluralisticWorldviewAltitudinal-Structures• DeconstructiveModeofCinematicExpression
• (Representationandpersonificationofmultiplerelativeperspectives)
Dreaming(Subtle)Reality-State–SecondLevel
• RationalWorldviewAltitudinal-Structures• RealistModeofCinematicExpression
• (Movingthroughthelogicmazetoachieveafuturegoal)
38
Dreaming(Subtle)Reality-State–ThirdLevel
• MythicWorldviewAltitudinal-Structures• IconicModeofCinematicExpression• (Siegeontheiconicfortresstouncovera
hiddenpast)
Dreaming(Subtle)Reality-State–FourthLevel(Limbo–ApproachingCausalDeepSleepLevel)
• MagicalWorldviewAltitudinal-Structures• ImaginalModeofCinematicExpression• (Timelessworldsimagined)
Dreaming(Subtle)intoDeepSleeping(Causal)Reality-State
(DeepLimbo–NearCausalDeepSleepLevel)
• ArchaicWorldviewAltitudinal-Structures• EmotiveModeofCinematicExpression• (Lostinthedeepunconscious)
LevelsofCinematicReality-StatesalongwithCorrespondingAltitudinal-StructuresandRelatedModesofCinematicExpressionfromtheFilmInception(2010)8
Mostfilmsareacompilationofseveraldifferentworldviews,withoneworldviewactingasakindofgravitationalfieldorunderlyingforceholdingthestorytogether,asinthepreviousexamplefromAvatar,wherethePluralisticWorldview-basedthemebecomesthecenter-of-gravityofthewholefilm;andintheaboveexamplefromInception,wheretheexpandedperspectiveoftheIntegralWorldview,representedbywakingrealityandthewakingreality-basedlucidawarenessoftheconsciousdreamers,becomesboththeanchoranddrivingforceforthefilmandtheevolutionofitsstoryandcharacters,asitscharactersandwetheviewerjourneythroughdreamworldswhileattemptingtoremainconsciousofthedifferencebetweenwakinganddreaming.Apreliminarysurveyofthemostsuccessfulfilmsofalltimessuggeststhatoneofthecommonfactorsinhighlysuccessfulfilmsisacreativesynthesisofmultipleworldviewsandrelatedaltitudinalstructures.ThiscreativesynthesisappearstohaveafoundationalRationaland/orMythicWorldview-relatedlinearstorystructure,withthevariousotherworldviewstructuresweavinginandthroughthislinearstorystream,alongwithoneoftheseworldviewsanditscorrespondingaltitudinalstructuresactingastheabovementionedunderlyingforcethatholdsandmovesthestory(seeTable1).Theworldviewstructureofthisunderlyingforceinthemostsuccessfulcinematicworksappearstobeareflectionofthemostdominantworldviewstructureofthegeneralaudienceatthetimethecinematicworkiscreated.CurrentlyinWesternculture,thisdominantworldviewinmostcinematicworksappearstobesomewhere
39
betweentheRationalandPluralisticWorldviewlevels.Again,theexampleofAvatarnotedabove,isaperfectexampleofthistypeofsuccessfulaltitudinalsynergy.Cinematicworkswithasingleworldviewcanbeequallypowerfulbutarerarelyaswidelyappreciatedbecauseofthemorelimitedaudienceavailableforthatparticularworldviewstructure.Inaddition,cinematicworksthatdonothaveafoundationalRational/MythicWorldview-relatedlinearnarrativestructureappeartohaveamorelimitedreachaswell,sincealargeportionofthegeneralaudienceisstilloperatingattheMythicandRationallevels,whichbothgravitatetowardslineartemporalitystructures(seeTable1).Arecentexampleofthistypeofworldview/audiencereachlimitationisthefilmTheTreeofLife(2011),whichhasbeenconsideredacinematicmasterpiecebymany,yethashadarelativelylimitedreachsofar,whichmaybeattributedtoitsuseofaPluralisticWorldview-relateddeconstructivenon-linearnarrativestructure.This,combinedwithaTranspersonalWorldview-relatedtranscendentalvisualstyleandanIntegralWorldview-relatedevolutionary-basedtheme,makesforapowerfulcinematicexperienceformostlythoseaudiencemembersattheseparticularaltitudes,whichisonlyaselectsegmentofthecurrentviewingaudience.TheinitialresearchinthisareasuggeststhattheuseoftheAltitudinalLenstoexplorethealtitudinalconfigurationofacinematicworkhasthepotentialtorevealtheunderlyingcommunicativepatternsthatconnecttheself,culture,andworldofthecinematiccreator(s)throughthecinematicworktotheself,culture,andworldoftheviewer(s).Theresonanceofthesecommunicativepatternsbetweencreator,artifact,andviewerappearstobeakeyfactorinhowdeeplyaviewercanbecomeinvolvedandimmersedinacinematicwork.Assuch,themappingofthesealtitudinalpatternsembeddedinacinematicworkhasthepotentialtoofferthecinematicartistagreatercapacitytocommunicatemoreclearlyandpowerfullywiththeirdesiredaudience,whilealsoofferinganadditionaldistributionandmarketingtooltobetterunderstandandtargetthesedesiredaudiences.Moreover,theunderstandingoftheprocessoftheembeddingofworldviewsandotherrelatedaltitudinalstructuresincinematicandotherkindsofartisticworksisakeyareainwhichIntegralTheorycouldpotentiallycontributetothedeepeningofourunderstandingandappreciationofartingeneralandcinemainparticular.
NOTES
1TheseworldviewStructurealtitudesarepartoftheworldviewlineofdevelopmentintheLowerLeftCulturalQuadrant;adaptedfromGebser(1986)andWilberetal(2008).Note:TheTranspersonalAltitudes(IndigothroughClearLight)arealsoreferredtoastheSuper-IntegralAltitudes.2ThealtitudesofCircleofCareandConcernarepartofthemorallineofdevelopmentintheUpperLeftExperientialQuadrantandarecorrelatedtoworldviewstructuresinvarioussources,includingWilberetal(2008)andEsbjörn-Hargens(2009).3TheFieldofSpatial-TemporalPerceptionlineofdevelopmentisadaptedfromGebser(1986).ItappearsthatGebserviewedthesestructuresasindividual-exteriordimensionsofourbeing(i.e.,howwephysicallyperceivespaceandtime)thatweredirectlyrelatedtotheworldviewstructuresofconsciousness.Thesemaybecorrelatedtohigherbrainfunctions/structuresin
40
theUpperRightPhysicalQuadrant(Wilber,1995).InTable1:Pre-Perspectivalreferstotheinabilitytobeawareoforconsciousofperceptionitself;Uni-Perspectival(1D)referstotheperceptionofonly1Dimensionofspaceor1-PointPerspective;Bi-Perspectival(2D)refersto2Dimensionalperceptionor2-PointPerspective;Perspectivalrefersto3Dimensionalor3-PointPerspective;Multi-Perspectival(4D)referstothe3dimensionsofspacecombinedwiththeaddedfourthdimensionoftherelativenatureoftime,producingtheperceptionofvariousperspectivesrelativetosubjectiveperceptionwithintheconstantlychangingfieldoftimeplusspace;Aperspectival(5D)addsthe5thdimensionoftheperceptionofthevariousperspectivesandofperspective-takingitself;andTrans-Perspectivalreferstothetranscendenceofallperspectivalfields.4TheTechno-EconomicStructuresisalineofdevelopmentintheLowerRightSocial-SystemicQuadrantandareoftencorrelatedtoworldviewstructuresbyWilberinvariousworks.ThehigheraltitudesofConvergenceandTrans-Tech(Trans-Human)arecurrentlyemergingstructuresandtheselabelshavebeenusedbyvarioussourcesbuthaveyettobecomefixedandagreeduponculturalconstructs.However,thestructuresthesetermsrefertoarecommonlyperceivedtobepartoftheseemergentaltitudes(Kaplan,2010;Wilber,personalcommunication,May7,2009;July20,2010).
5—Story-ValuePolarity,Truth-Values,Story-CausalityValue,andModesofCinematicExpressionpatterns,alongwiththeirworldviewandaltitudinalcorrelatesadaptedfromBraudyandCohen,2009;McKee,2007;Gebser,1986;Wilber,2000;andWilberetal,2008).TheStory-ValuePolaritypatternlistinthistableonlylistsexamplesofthetypeofpatternforeachaltitude;manymorestory-valuesexistforeachaltitude.6—Itshouldbenotedthatthereisnonecessaryconnection,inlifeandincinema,betweenthesereality-statesorstatesofconsciousnessandthismovie'sincorporationofthesealtitudinal-orstage-structuresofvalue.Thisparticularmovieisusingdifferentaltitudinal-structuresorstate-structurestodelineatebetweenthewakingstateandvariouslevelsofthedreaming-stateforcreative,philosophical,andtransformationalpurposes.Herethecinematicartist,writer-directorChristopherNolan,takesusonajourneyintothedepthsofstatesofconsciousness,andaswegodeeperintothedreamingreality-statesofconsciousness,onesimultaneouslydescendsdeeperintothestrataofaltitudinal-orstage-structures,creatingarecapitulationofdevelopment,thelessconsciousbeingmoreancientandlessdeveloped,reversingtheascentofevolutionbackdownintotheprimaldepthsofourbeingandcreatingakindofarcheologyofindividualandcollectivestatesandstructuresofconsciousness.7—TheaboveAltitudinalLensanalysisofthefilmInceptionisjustasmallpeakataverycomplexcinematicworkthatincludesarichanddeeptexturingoftheinterrelationshipbetweenlinesandaltitudes/levels/stagesofdevelopment,naturalstates(waking,dreaming,etc.),bodies/energies(gross,subtle,etc.),state-stages,andstructure-stages.Amorecompleteanalysiswouldincludeanintegratedanalysiscombiningadvancedapplicationsofseveralintegrally-informedlensesofperceptionandexpression,includingtheAltitudinal,Developmental,andStatesLensestocovertheseadditionaldimensionsofthework.Apreliminaryapplicationofthismorein-depthformofanalysisrevealsevenmoresubtleusesofmodesofcinematicexpressionthathelpcaptureanddelineatebetweenthegrosswakingstate,withitsintegrally-informedvarietyofevolvingstructuresandworldviews,andthemultiplelevelsofthesubtledreamingstate,thatincludesisolatedanddiscretestructuresand
41
worldviews.Inadditiontothesepatterns,thefilmrepresentsvariousphenomenalstates(includingthefullrangeofhumanemotions)withineachofthelevelsofwakinganddreamingrealities,alongwithsubtlestateandstagedifferentiationpatternsbetweenmemory-basedandcreativelyimagined,designed,andconstructeddreamingrealities.Atthesametime,thedistinctionsbetweenstatesandstagesarealsointentionallyblurredbytheuseofvariouscinematicexpressionelementstomakeithardtodiscernbetweenwhatistherealwakingrealityandwhatarethedreamingrealities,thuscapturingtheillusivenatureofrecognizingthedreamwhilebeinginsideit.8—Theabovechartshowingthevariouslevelsofreality-statesandtheircorrespondingaltitudinal-structuresandcinematicexpressionpatternsfromthefilmInceptionincludesreferencestothevariouslevelsofcinematicreality-states(thenaturalstatesofwakinganddreaming)alongwiththerelatedbody/energylevel(gross,subtle,etc.),worldviewstructurerepresented,modeofcinematicexpressionused,andthemeaningpatternsbeingcinematicallyexpressed.
42
TheEnergeticsLens
2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968)andtheTransmissionofCinematicEnergies
WhenIamstandingatthefootofMichelangelo’sDavid,orsittinginfrontofRembrandt’sNightWatch,orwatchingKubrick’s2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968),Icanfeelapowerfulpresenceemanatingfromtheirworkthatgivesmethefelt-sensethatsomeaspectoftheartist’sownpresenceandconsciousnessisradiatingoutfromthestone,thecanvas,andthescreen.TherearemomentsintheperformanceofactorsinwhichIcanfeelthebeingnessoftheircharactersexudingfromtheirpours.Ihavefeltphysicallyaffectedbythemerejuxtapositionofshapesandcolors;andIhavehaddeepemotionalcatharsizesandprofoundtranscendentalrealizationsfromtheconvergenceofasetofparticulartextual,visual,andauditorypatterns.Alltheseaesthetic-sensoryexperiences1andmorehavemademewonderifthereismoregoingoninartisticworksingeneralandincinematicworksinparticularthatgoesbeyondthemereexpressionandreceptionofcontent,style,structure,andform.Thisquestionalsoarisesoutofthepreviousdiscussionontheembeddingofaltitudesofindividualandcollectiveconsciousness,intermsofunderstandingjusthowacertainstructureofconsciousnessisembeddedinacreativeworkandcommunicatedtoandreceivedbytheviewer.OnewaytoexplorethismoreelusivedimensionofcreativeexpressionandreceptionisthroughwhatIamcallingtheENERGETICSLENS.Weusetheword“energy”inavarietyofways,fromdescribingtheforceoftheelectricityweusetopowerourtools,toourownphysicalstamina,tothepowerofouremotions,andtomoresubtledimensionsofbody,heart,mind,soulandspirit.Intheartsweoftentalkabouttheenergyofmood,tempoandstyle;andweusetermslikeemotionalenergy,creativeenergy,theenergyofthemoment,theenergyofthespace,etc.Sinceartingeneralandcinemainparticularcommunicatethroughthetransmissionoflightandsound,2whichbothoperatethroughfrequencyspectrumsthattransferenergythroughspace,everymomentofprojectedimageandsoundofacinematicworkcanbesaidtoessentiallyhaveitsownparticularenergysignature.Somefilmtheoristshaveexploredthedynamicsofwhatcanbecalledcinematicorkineticenergiesthatareinherentintheperceptualreceptionofmovingimagery.3FromanIntegralperspective,energyisgenerallyconsideredtobeamaterial-reality-basedphenomenon(UR/LR)thatcanbequantifiedandmeasured.Allformsofmatteraresaidtohavetheircorrespondingenergybodies,fields,frequencies,and/orsignatures.Whileenergy
43
technicallyresidesinthematerialdimensions,energyisalsodeeplyandintimatelycorrelatedtophenomenaintheindividualandcollectivesubjectivedimensions(UL/LL)aswell.Everyemotion(UL)hasacorrelatedphysicalenergypattern(UR)thatwecan“feel,”andwecansensesystemicenergyfields(LR)inourrelational,group,and/orculturalspaces(LL)ifwearesoattuned.4Basically,everystate,type,andlineandleveloraltitudeofindividualandcollectiveinteriorandexteriordevelopmentontheIntegralmaphasitsowndirectand/orcorrelated“micro-energeticfingerprintsorsignatureenergypatterns”(Wilber,2002,Volume2oftheKosmosTrilogy:ExcerptG).Combiningpastandcurrentfindingsandobservationsfrombothscienceandancientwisdomtraditions,WilberhaslaidoutapreliminarymappingofthisvastandcomplexenergyspectrumintoanIntegralEnergyTaxonomycoveringthemoregeneralcategoriesorfamiliesofenergies(EnergyBodies)ofGross,Subtle,andCausalandtheircorrespondinggenus’s(FieldsandFieldSpectrums)andspecies(FrequenciesandFrequencySpectrums).5Table1belowshowsanadaptedversionofthisenergytaxonomyalongwiththecorrespondinglevelsofconsciousness/awarenessassociatedwiththesedimensionsofenergy.Ihavealsoaddedapreliminarymappingofpotentialcinematicenergyfieldsandfieldspectrums,basedonanintegrationofthisIntegralEnergyTaxonomywithadvancedtheoriesfromthefieldofcinematicexpression,6andexpandonthisinthediscussionbelow.
44
EnergyBodies(Family)
EnergyFieldsandFieldSpectrums(Genus)
EnergyFrequenciesandFrequencySpectrums(Species)(UR)7
CorrelatedLevelsofConsciousness/Awareness(UL)8
CinematicEnergyFieldsandFieldSpectrums9
Causal C-Field(Causal-Field;Tier-3)
NMC-9(ClearLightURAltitude)Over-Mental(Violet-ClearLightULAltitudes) TranscendentalNMC-8(UltravioletURAltitude)
NMC-7(VioletURAltitude)
Subtle
T-Field1(Thought-Field1;Psychic-2;Tier-2)
NMC-6(IndigoURAltitude)Higher-Mental(Teal-IndigoULAltitudes)
Mental-Perspectival
NMC-5(TurquoiseURAltitude)NMC-4(TealURAltitude)
T-Field1(Thought-Field1;Psychic-1;Tier-1)
NMC-3(GreenURAltitude)
Mental(Infrared-GreenULAltitudes)
NMC-2(OrangeURAltitude)NMC-1(AmberURAltitude)ComplexNeocortical(Magenta-RedURAltitude)Neocortical(InfraredURAltitude)
B-Field2(Bio-Field2;Astral)
LimbicSystemEmotional-Sexual Emotional-RelationalBasilGanglion(ReptilianBrain
Stem)
B-Field1(Bio-Field1;Etheric)
Neuronal(NeuronalTransmitters,Pathways) Vital Vital-KineticCellular(Prokaryotic;Viral)
Gross
WeakNuclear Bosons
Sensorimotor Sensory-Kinetic
StrongNuclearMesonsHadronsBaryons
Electromagnetic
RadioWavesMicrowavesInfraredVisibleLightX-RaysGammaRaysCosmicRays
GravitationalGravitationalRadiationGravitation
Table1.APreliminaryTaxonomyoftheEnergySpectrumwithCorrelationstoLevelsofConsciousness/AwarenessandCinematicEnergyFields.10
Inthecinema,theGrossBodyorSensory-KineticFieldlevelofenergetictransmissionandreceptionappearstobethemostimmediatelyfeltandperceivedbytheviewer.Thislevelofenergypotentiallyincludes:Theenergyfrequenciesandsignaturesprojectedandgeneratedbycameramovement;themovementofthevisualobjectsintheframe;thephysicalactionsofthecharacters;therhythmandpacingpatternscreatedbyeditorialtransitions(i.e.,cuts,dissolves,etc.);thebodypositionandstancesofthecharacters(i.e.,thedifferencebetweenahunchedovercharacterpositionversusanaggressivefightingstance,etc.);theenergygeneratedbysoundfrequencies(i.e.,adeepbasesoundrumblesandshakesthetheater,etc.);andthefrequenciesofimagerypatterns(i.e.theenergysignaturesofvariousshapes,colors,tones,etc.)
45
2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968)andtheGrossSensory-KineticEnergyof
CharacterandVisualObjectMovementAttheSubtleBody/Vital-KineticFieldlevelwepotentiallyhavetheenergyprojectedandgeneratedbyspatial/environmentalfieldswithintheframe(i.e.,charactersstandinginaclosedversusopenspace,etc.);characterpositionalinteractivityfieldsortheenergyofthespacebetweencharacterpositions(i.e.,thespacebetweentwocharactersastheyfaceeachotherpreparedtofight,etc.);andcharacterphysicalenergystates(i.e.,focusingonthecharactersbreath,oronadyingcharacter’slife-force,etc.).
2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968)andtheGrossVital-KineticEnergyof
CharacterBreathandLifeForceTheSubtleBody/Emotional-RelationalFieldlevelistherealmofcharactersexualandemotional-relationalstates;emotionallyand/orsexuallychargedimagesandsounds;andemotional-relationalreferentialdensity11resonanceorthebuiltupemotional/relationalchargeswithinandbetweencharactersovertime(i.e.,acharactergoesthroughseveralbademotionalexperiences,eachoneaddinganotherlevelofemotionaldensitytosimilareventsandsituations,etc.).
46
2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968)andthe
SubtleEmotional-RelationalandMental-PerspectivalEnergies12TheSubtleBody/Mental-PerspectivalFieldlevelofcinematicenergiespotentiallyinclude:Theenergyfrequenciesandsignaturesofcharactermentalstates;character,narrativeevent,thematic,setandsetting,andembeddedcinematiccreatorperspectival-developmentalaltitudes(i.e.,Red,Amber,Orange,Green,Teal,etc.developmentalaltitudesinallfourquadrants);andmental-perspectivalreferentialdensityresonanceorthebuiltupmental-perspectivalchargeswithinandbetweencharacters,narrativeevents,thematic,andsetandsettingenergysignaturesovertime(i.e.,theprogressionofcharacters,events,themes,andsetandsettingcanproduceagrowingmentalandperspectivalunderstanding,asin2001:ASpaceOdyssey’sprogressionoftheseelementsestablishinganevolutionaryarcthroughoutthefilm).
TheMonolithin2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968)andthePotential
TransmissionofCausalTranscendentalCinematicEnergies.TheCausalBody/TranscendentalCinematicFieldlevelisthemostelusiverealmofwhatIamdefiningascinematicenergies.Here,preliminaryanalysessuggest,wecanpotentiallyfindtheenergysignaturesofthingslikecharacterpresenceorbeingness;cinematicwitnessstatesinwhichwetheviewercanbecomeconsciousofandbearwitnesstomultipleandsimultaneousdimensionsofthecinematicwork;andincasesofviewingtheworkofacinematicmaster,thepotentialtoenergeticallysensethepresenceofthecreatororcreatorsofthecinematicwork.13Inthisenergeticfieldlevelitappearsthatwemayalsofindtranscendentaldimensionsoftextual,visual,andauditoryreferentialdensityresonance.Usingtheexampleoftheimageandpresenceofthemonolithin2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968),wecanpotentiallyseehowahigh
47
degreeofreferentialdensityresonanceattachedtoanimageanditscorrespondingsoundsandnarrativeeventscantheoreticallyapproachthesemoreelusivetranscendentalorcausalenergies.ToexplorethisweneedtoattempttomorefullyunpackthereferentialdensityresonanceprocessfromtheEnergeticLensperspective:Wecanstartwiththeideathatanimagelikethemonolithmostlikelyhasitsownbaselineenergysignature,asdothesoundsandnarrativeeventsassociatedwithit.Whencombined,theircollectivesignaturetheoreticallybecomesagrowinganddeepeningreferencepoint.Inotherwords,throughaseriesoftextual,visual,andauditorypatternsthecinematicartistcanpotentiallyassociatelayersofreferencedmeaningontotheimage-sound-textualobject,thuschargingthatparticularimage-sound-textualobjectfrequencywiththoselayersofmeaning-energies.Forexample,theimageofthemonolithanditsassociatedsoundsandnarrativeeventspotentiallyturnsthemonolithintotheenergeticsymbolforacommunicationlinkthatpointstoahighersourceofknowledgebeyondourgrasp:Primitiveape-mentouchthemonolithanddiscovertools;astronautsonthemoontouchit,aredeafenedbyitssound,andthenareguidedbyitssignalbroadcasttotraveltoJupiter;themonolithopensastargatetakinganastronauttoanotherdimensionand/orphysicallocationintheuniverse;andfinallythemonolithappearstobethegatewayfortheastronaut’sdeathandultimaterebirthasastarchild.Alloftheseattachedandaccumulatedreferentialmeaningpatternspointtoanunseenand/ortranscendentbeingorforcethatisguidingandtransforminghumanityforwhatappearstobeahigherevolutionarypurpose.Eachofthesemeaningpatternstheoreticallyalterstheenergysignatureofthemonolithandthuspotentiallychargingtheimage-sound-textualobjectofthemonolithwithallthoselayersoftranscendentalenergyandmeaning.Ingeneral,itappearsthatanygivencinematicmomentcontainsanumberofthesedifferentenergybodies,fields,frequencies,andsignaturepatternstoavaryingdegree.Takentogether,allthesecinematicenergystructuresrepresentapreliminarytaxonomyofwhatwemightcallthecinematicenergyspectrum(SeeTable2below).
48
EnergyBodies(Family)
CinematicEnergyFieldsandFieldSpectrums(Genus)
CinematicEnergyFrequenciesandFrequencySpectrums(Species)
Causal Transcendental
CreatorPresenceTranscendentalReferentialDensityResonanceCinematicWitnessStatesCharacterPresence
Subtle
Mental-Perspectival
EmbeddedCreatorPerspectivalAltitudesMental-PerspectivalReferentialDensityResonanceThematicPerspectivalAltitudesSetandSettingPerspectivalAltitudesNarrativeEventPerspectivalAltitudesCharacterPerspectivalAltitudesCharacterMentalStates
Emotional-Relational
Emotional-RelationalReferentialDensityResonanceEmotionally/SexuallyChargedImagesEmotionally/SexuallyChargedSoundCharacterEmotional-RelationalStatesCharacterSexualStates
Vital-KineticCharacterPhysicalEnergy(Breath;LifeForce)CharacterPositionalInteractivityFieldsSpatial/EnvironmentalFields
Gross Sensory-Kinetic
ImageFrequenciesSoundFrequenciesCharacterBodyPosition/stanceEditorialPacingandRhythmCharacter’sphysicalactionsVisualObjectMovementCameraMovement
Table2.APreliminaryTaxonomyoftheCinematicEnergySpectrum14Myinitialresearchontheprocessofhowthesecinematicenergiesaretransmittedsuggeststhatcinematicenergiesaretransferredfromscreentoviewerthroughseveraldifferentpotentialandsimultaneousenergytransferencemodalities:Gross/DirectEnergyTransference.Atthegrosscinematicenergylevel,thetransmissionofcinematicenergiesappearstobefairlydirectandobviousastheoftenpalpablesensory-kineticfrequenciesaretransmittedthroughtheprojectedimagesandsoundstotheviewer.Moreprecisely,lightandsoundfrequenciesarebeingcapturedandthentransmittedviacinematiclightandsoundcinematictechnologies(cameras,projectors,computerscreens,etc.),whicharethenreceivedbythesenseorgans,translatedintobioelectricimpulses,andtransmittedtothebrain,nervoussystem,andvariousotherphysicalorgansandsystems,producingamirroringofthosesamefrequenciesintheviewer.15Ireceivedapowerfullessonofthistypeofcinematicenergytransmissioninoneofmyfilmicexpressioncourseswhentheinstructorprojectedaseriesofimagesthatusedthejuxtapositionofopposingcolorandshapefrequencies(white/red,square/circle,etc.)toinducephysicaleffects…basicallyallofusintheroomfeltdizzyandnauseasjustfromwatchingtheseimagestothepointofnearlyfallingoffourchairs.
49
Cinematicartistscanusethistypeofgrossenergysignatureforbothextremeandmoresubtleeffects.Forexample,intheimagebelowfrom2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968),Kubrickusesthejuxtapositionofcolor,shape,textureandformtocreateasubtleyetpalpablesensory-kineticseparationbetweenthecharacterandthespacearoundthem.
2001:ASpaceOdyssey(1968)andtheCreativeUseof
Gross/DirectEnergyTransferenceSubtle-Causal/DirectEnergyTransference.Onthemoresubtleandcausalenergylevels,italsoappearsthattheenergysignaturesofvariousindividualandcollectiveemotional-sexualstatesandmental,higher-mental,andover-mentalstatesandstructuresofconsciousnessmayalsohavethecapacitytobedirectlycaptured,embedded,andprojectedenergeticallyfromthecinematicworktotheviewer.Whilethemeans/mechanismsofthistransmissionisstillupfordebate,therearesignificantresearchfindingstosuggestthatenergysystems,bodies,fields,frequencies,andsignaturepatternscancapture,contain,andtransmitsomeoftheelementsanddimensionsofconsciousnesstovaryingdegrees,includingenergeticandinformationaldimensionsassociatedwithsubtleemotional,mental,andperspectivalpatterns,andpotentiallyevencausal,witness,andnon-dualstatesandstate-stagesaswell.16Thesesamefindingsstronglysuggestthattheseconsciousness-to-energysignatureshavethepotentialtobeembeddedinmaterialobjects,includingthematerialsusedinartisticandcinematicworks.17Thispotentiallinkbetweenindividualandcollectiveconsciousness(UL/LL)andenergybodiesandsystems(UR/LR)suggestsahighdegreeoftetra-enmeshmentinallquadraticdimension-perspectivesontheIntegralmap(seeDiagrambelow).
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MappingoftheTetra-Enmeshmentof
ConsciousnessandEnergyinallFourQuadrants18
Semiotic-MirroringEnergyTransference.InadditiontoGross/DirectandSubtle-Causal/Directenergytransfer,therealsoappearstobeasemiotic-basedtransferofenergyoccurringwherebycapturedandprojectedsignsandsymbols(words,visualsymbols,musicalmetaphors,etc.)ignitetheircorrespondingpotentialgross,subtle,andcausalenergysignaturesintheviewer’senergybodiesasthesignsandsymbolsaretranslatedbythebrainintotheirmeaningpatterns,producinganenergymirroringeffect.Forexample,intheareaoftext,wordmeaningshavetheirownuniqueenergysignatures;theauthorand/orcommunicatorfeelstheseenergysignaturesofthemeaningbehindtheirwords;thewords,eitherspokenorwrittenorrepresented(symbolically,visually,sub-textually,etc.)containthemeaningcodethatisthencommunicatedtoandtranslatedbythereceiver(listener,reader,viewer,etc.)whosebrainthendecodesthewordsintotheirmeaningpatterns,whichatthesametimeproducestheoriginalenergysignatureofthatmeaningcodeinthereceiversenergystructure.Thisprocessisrelativelycomplexinthattheoriginalmeaningcodeofthetextcreator/communicatoristranslatedthroughtheconstructlensesofthereceiver(mental,emotional,cultural,etc.;memoriesaroundwords,symbols,etc.),sotheenergysignatureisoftenalteredtosomedegreefromitsoriginalintent.19Intheimageabovefrom2001:ASpaceOdyssey,inadditiontothetransferenceofGross/DirectEnergies,wecanalsoseeanexampleoftheSemiotic-MirroringEnergyTransferprocessintheareaofvisualsymbols,inthatwetheviewerassignvariousmeaningpatternstothedifferentcolors(redfordanger,whiteforpurity,etc.),andtothedifferentshapesandforms(amodernscientific-relatedspacesuitversusamoreantiquatedenvironmentalongwithalltheirvariousconnotations)dependingonourpersonal,cultural,andsocialconstructs,whichinturnproducesacertainenergeticresponseinourbodies.
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AlteredStates(1980)andtheMultipleModalitiesof
CinematicEnergyTransmission20Asstatedabove,allthesepotentialmodalitiesofcinematicenergytransmissionaremostlikelyoccurringsimultaneouslyineverymomentofacinematicworktoagreaterorlesserdegree.IntheabovepictureddinnerscenefromthefilmAlteredStates(1980),wecanseeanexampleofthistypeofpotentialmultipleandsimultaneousexpressionofcinematicenergies(seeTable3belowandthepreviousarticleforamoredetaileddescriptionofthesecinematicenergyfieldsandfrequencies).
AlteredStates(1980)andtheTransmissionofCinematicEnergies
52
EnergyBodies(Family)
EnergyTransferModalities
CinematicEnergyFieldsandFieldSpectrums(Genus)
CinematicEnergyFrequenciesandFrequencySpectrums(Species)
Causal
Causal/DirectandSemiotic-EnergyTransfer
Transcendental
PotentialTranscendentalReferentialDensityResonance(SeekingtheOriginalSelfDialogueContext)
PotentialExperienceofCinematicWitnessStatesPotentialExperienceofCharacterPresence
Subtle
Subtle/DirectandSemiotic-MirroringEnergyTransfer
Mental-Perspectival
EmbeddedCreatorPerspectivalAltitudes(Pluralistic/Near-Integral)Mental-PerspectivalReferentialDensityResonance(OngoingClashBetweenMagic,Mythic,RationalandPluralisticPerspectives)ThematicPerspectivalAltitudes(SearchfortheLinkbetweenRational-EmpiricalandPluralistic-RelativeTruth)SetandSetting,NarrativeEvent,andCharacterPerspectivalAltitudes(DinnerPartyofanEclecticMixofIndividualsatVariousandCompetingAltitudes)CharacterMentalStates
Emotional-Relational
Emotional-RelationalReferentialDensityResonance(BuiltupEmotional-RelationalResonanceBetweenEddyandEmily)CharacterEmotional-RelationalStates
Vital-KineticCharacterPhysicalEnergy(Breath;LifeForce)CharacterPositionalInteractivityFieldsSpatial/EnvironmentalFields
GrossGross/DirectEnergyTransfer
Sensory-Kinetic
ImageFrequenciesSoundFrequenciesCharacterBodyPosition/stanceEditorialPacingandRhythmCharacter’sphysicalactionsVisualObjectMovementCameraMovement
Table3.TableDepictingSomeoftheMultipleandSimultaneousEnergiesPotentiallyBeingTransmittedintheAboveClipfromAlteredStates(1980)21
Whilewecanpotentiallyanalyzeandchartthesemultiplesimultaneousenergypatternsinacinematicwork,theprocessappearstobemuchmoreelusiveaswegetfurtherintoit,asthemicro-energeticsignaturesofeveryemotion,thought,perceptualfield,andexistentialandtranscendentalconceptradiatingbetweenthecinematicworkandtheviewersynchronouslylightup,andtheninterminglewiththeviewer’sownaccumulatedgross,subtle,andcausalenergystructuresandcorrelateddevelopmentalaltitudes,statesandtypologies.Inadditiontothiscomplexwebofcinematicenergytransmissionandreception,themappingofthisprocessbecomesmorechallengingwhenwerememberthatwhileeverythought,emotion,andperceptionhasacorrelatedenergysignature,theycannotbereducedtopurelytheseenergystructures.However,workingwiththeEnergeticLensdoesappeartogetusclosertounderstandingandreproducingthismoreelusivedimensionofcreativeexpressionandreception,andpotentiallyleadustoagreaterunderstandingofcinematicaltitudeembeddingandthesensory-aestheticexperienceitself.22
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Accordingtomypreliminaryresearch,itseemsthatsomecinematicartists,includingmostifnotallofthosewhoareconsideredtobemasters,appeartohaveanalmostintuitivecapacitytosenseandworkwiththesecinematicenergies.Italsoappearsthatthiscapacitycanbetrainedtosomedegree.BackduringmyfilmschooldaysIwasgracedwithsomeofthistypeofcinematicenergytraining.InmyeditorialtrainingwithRobertWise,hetalkedaboutbeingabletofeelorsensewhereashottransition(cut,dissolve,etc.)neededtobe.Hespenthourswithmehelpingmelearnhowtosensetheenergypatternswithintheshot;inessenceteachingmehowto“trusttheforce”ofashot;tolookbeyondcontent,structureandform,andtofeeltheenergeticflowoftheshotasawhole.Thenhetaughtmehowtocombinethisenergysensingwithanalysisoftheotherelements;forexample,inadialoguethereisaspacebetweenonecharactersexpressionandanotherthattechnicallyisthere,butwithinthatspacethereisaprecisemomentwherethetransitionisperfect,wheretheenergiesoftheinteractionaretakentoawholenewlevelandthetransitionitselfbecomesexperientiallyinvisible.WiththistypeofpracticalapplicationoftheEnergeticLens,cinematicartistscanpotentiallycreatemoresubtle,deep,powerful,multi-dimensional,andenergeticallyimmersivecinematicworks.Inaddition,advancedunderstandinganduseofthislensappearstohavethepotentialtounlockingsomeofthesecretstowhatmakesacinematicmasterpiece.
StarWars(1977),“TheForce,”andtheTetra-EnmeshmentoftheCinema
WithIndividualandCollectiveConsciousnessandEnergiesHavingmostlyfocusedonthecinematicenergiesastheyrelatetothecinematicworkandtheindividualcinematicartist,Iwillnowattempttoexpandourexplorationintotheevenmoreephemeralrealmofthepotentialenmeshmentofcollectiveconsciousnessandenergieswithinandbeyondthecinematicexperience.Pickingupwhereweleftoffontheinfluenceofthecinematiccreatororcreatorsontheembeddingandtransmittingofenergiesinandthroughacinematicwork,andconsideringthecollectivecreationteamnatureofthemakingofacinematicwork,thequestionarisesjusthowcantheenergetically-chargedvisionofasinglecreatorbetranslatedclearlythroughthegreaterfieldofconsciousnessandenergyatworkinthecollectivecreativeexperience?Onepossibleanswertothisquestionmaybefoundinthecommonlyknownsocialcontagioneffectfoundinthecinematiccreationprocess,fromthecapacityofagreatactortouplifttheperformancesofotheractorsinacinematicwork,tothewell-knowneffectsthatthedirector’sstateofmindcan
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haveontheentirecast,crewandenvironmentontheset.23Onthesurface,theseeffectscanbepartiallyexplainedbythefactthatthecastandcrewtendtofocusmostoftheirattentiononboththepeoplemakingthemajordecisions(directors,producers,etc.)andontheactor’sperformances.Yet,havingwitnessedbothoftheseeffectspersonally,manytimes,Icanattesttoadeeperpowerandinfluencegoingoninthesesituations,inwhichIhavefeltanalmostpalpableshiftintheenergybetweencreativeteammembersandonthecollectiveatmosphereofthesetitself.Inthesemoments,itfelttomeasifapowerfulforcewasradiatingfromtheactorordirectororproducer,etc.outtotherestofthecreativeteamandoutintothegreaterenvironment.
FrançoisTruffaut’sDayforNight(1973)andtheTetra-Enmeshmentof
IndividualandCollectiveConsciousnessandEnergiesintheCinematicCreationProcess24Ihavealsoexperiencedpowerfulenergeticinfluencesintheoppositedirection,fromtheenergeticfieldofthecreativeteamintotheindividualteammembers.Forexample,IwasdirectingadramaticvideoIwroteforaclassattheAmericanFilmInstitute(WriteThisDown,1982),25andwewerewaybehindscheduleandonlyhadthelocationweneededforafewmorehours.Addedtothat,wehadalreadybeenshootingalldayandthosefewremaininghourswouldmeanwewouldhavetoworkthroughthenightaswell.Igatheredtheentirecastandcrewandexplainedoursituation.SinceeveryonewasworkingforfreeIsurrenderedittothegroup,andwithinamatterofminutesthegroupdecidedthatweneededtofinishandcameupwithawaytoshootallourshotsintheallottedtime.Anexcitedandchargedenergyradiatedfromthegroupandseemedtopermeatethesetandmiraculouslygiveusalladdedstaminaandenergytomakeitthroughthenight.Inaddition,castandcrewmembersseemedtobeprofoundlyinsyncwitheachotherandwiththeenvironment,finishingeachother’ssentences,fulfillingneedswithoutthembeingspoken,andstrangelypre-sensingmaterialevents,includingmyuncannyabilitytoknowwhenthevideorecorderwouldgointostandbymode.ItbecamearunninggagthroughoutthenightthatIwouldtellthevideorecordertogotosleepandeverytime,likemagic,itinstantlywentintostandby.Later,whenIgotthematerialweshotintotheeditingroom,Inoticedamarkeddifferencebetweenthematerialshotduringthatchargedenergyperiodandthematerialshotbeforeit.Theperformancesseemedmoredeepandpowerful,andthecameraworkappearedtobemoreinsynchwithboththeperformancesandwiththevisualmetaphorsIhadbeenattemptingtocapture.Ialsoperceivedamoregeneralsubtleandcausalenergeticchargetothematerialitself.Itseemedtohaveanalmosthypnoticqualitytoit,andwhenIeditedittogetherandscreeneditforothersitappearedthatIwasnotaloneinhavingthisexperienceofthematerial.26
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TheCulturalResonancebetweentheSimultaneousReleaseof
TheGodfather(1972)andtheBreakingNewsoftheWatergateScandal
Goingbeyondthecollectiveconsciousnessandenergiesofthecreativeenvironmentitself,canwealsosaythatthereareenergeticinfluencesbetweenacinematicwork,thecreativeteam,andthegreaterdimensionofcollectiveconsciousness,culture,andsociety?Howdoweexplainthosefilmsthatseemtoprofoundlyresonantwithgreaterculturalandsocialmovementsandevents,likethesimultaneousreleaseofTheGodfather(1972),afilmaboutpowerandcorruption,andthebreakingnewsoftheWatergatescandal;orTheChinaSyndrome(1977),afilmaboutanuclearreactoraccident,openingjusttwelvedaysbeforetheoccurrenceofthehauntinglysimilarreal-lifeaccidentattheThreeMileIslandNuclearReactor.
TheCulturalResonancebetweentheSimultaneousReleaseof
TheChinaSyndrome(1977)andtheAccidentatThreeMileIslandOnamoresubtlelevel,somefilmsalsoappeartosubtlyresonantwiththezeitgeistorthespiritorenergyofthetimes.Takeforexample,theyear1939,ayearconsideredbymanyfilmhistorianstobeoneofthegreatestyearsoffilmhistory.27Thatyear,asAmericaandtheworldedgedtowardaworldwar,moviegoerswatchedsomeofthegreatestfilmsofalltimesexploringtheendofinnocenceandthetriumphofthehumanspiritinpowerfulscreenclassics,includingGonewiththeWind,TheWizardofOz,WutheringHeights,Stagecoach,Ninotchka,andMr.SmithGoestoWashington,tonameonlyafew.Whenviewedcollectively,thesefilms
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appeartobetheperfectemotionalprescriptionforthetimes.Werethesecinematic-to-collective-realityconnectionsmerelyaccidents,randomcoincidences,oraretheyindicatorsofsomekindofsubtle/causalenergetic/informationaltetra-enmeshmentbetweentheindividualconsciousnessofcinematiccreators,thecinematiccreationprocess,thecinematicwork,andthegreatercollective?
StarWars(1977)andtheCinematicandCulturalPowerof“TheForce”
AnotherinterestingcaseisthatofthefirstStarWarsfilm(1977).Manyfilmhistoriansandtheoristshaveexploredtheseeminglypowerfulinfluencethiscinematicworkhashadonbothfilmhistoryandoncultureitself,includingitsrebirthingofmythologyandtheheroarchetypewhenboththecinemaandthegreaterculturewerestarvingforboth,andthepervasivepenetrationofitsnewlybornmythsandarchetypesintothegreaterculture,includingtheuniversalspiritualityconceptof“theForce”anditsarchetypaltranscendenceofthedualitybetweenscienceandreligion.28FilmslikeStarWars,andthosementionedabove,appeartoansweraneedofthecollective.Suchinstances,seenfromtheenergeticlensperspective,mightbeanindicationthatthecollectiveissomehowcommunicatingwiththecinematiccreationprocessonmultiplelevels,andthatoneofthesepotentiallevelsofcommunicationcouldverywellbesomeformofsubtleand/orcausalenergetic/informationexchangebetweentheindividualandthecollective.Preliminaryresearchintothecollectivedimensionsofconsciousnessandenergiesdoessuggestthatthereisindeedapotentialcollectivedimensionofbothconsciousnessandenergy;thatconsciousnessmaybelocalandnon-localinitsinfluenceandeffect;thatconsciousnessandthematerialrealmsomehowdoappeartointeractincertaininstances;andthatenergydoesappeartobepartofthecommunicationlinkbetweenthesetworealms.29Basedonthisresearchandonmyownexperienceandpreliminaryresearchinthisarea,Iwouldventuretosaythatthereappearstobegross,subtle,and/orcausalconnectionstovaryingdegreesbetweenacinematicworkandtheconsciousnessandenergiesofindividualcreators,thecreativeteam,thecreativeenvironment,andthegreaterfieldofconsciousness,culture,society,andenvironment(seediagrambelow).
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MappingofthePotentialLevelsofConnectionbetweenaCinematicWorkandIndividualandCollectiveDimensionsofConsciousnessandEnergy
Asafilmmakerthathashaddirectandnumerousexperiencesofwhatappearstobesubtleandcausalenergetic/informationalcommunicationexchangesbetweenmyself,thecinematiccreativeteam,thecinematicwork,andthegreaterrelational,cultural,socialandsystemicenvironment,ImustadmitthatIamatruebelieverintheenergeticdimensionsofthecinematicarts.Inadditiontoexperiencingalloftheabovementionedpotentialindividualandcollectiveenergetic/informationalconnections,Ialsohaveexperiencednumerousotherpowerfulandsubtlecommunicationsbetweenmyself,thematerial,thecreativeteam,thecreativeenvironment,andbeyond.Inthesecommunicationexchanges,Ihavereceivedanswerstomycreativemusingsandbeengivengiftsofinspirationandgentlenudgingintherightdirectionfromtheexternalworld;IhavewonderedifacharacterIhadenvisionedwouldbebelievableandthenmetsomeonewhopersonifiedandconfirmedmyvision;Ihaveseenactorsmovedintojusttherightemotionalspacesbyeventssimultaneouslyoccurringintheiroutsidelives;Ihavebeenmovedbyexternalforcesandcircumstancestochangealocationorthedirectionofascenethatturnedouttobejustwhatwasneeded;andIhavefeltahauntingmirroringofthethemesandperceptualconstructsofthecinematicworkinmyownlife,inthelivesofthosearoundme,andinthegreatercultureandworld.30Indeed,onapersonallevel,exploringtheenergeticlenshasofferedmeawonderfulwaytounderstandtheseelusivedimensionsofthecinematicexperience,andgivenmethetoolstopotentiallyharnesstheseforcesmoreconsciouslyandfully.LikeLukeSkywalkerinStarWars,IhavegrowntotrusttheForce…
NOTES1Theaboveanalysisispotentiallypointingtoanewapproachtotheaestheticsofreception,propertotheULfelt-senseofretrospectivelysoughtfor“external”correlatesintheartifact.“Aesthetics”isjustthisfelt-sensation
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discoursefromitsbeginnings,notalwaysdealingwithBeauty–seeMichaelSchwartz’spostat:http://integrallife.com/member/michael-schwartz/blog/aesthetics-beauty-and-art-brief-definition.ThisareawillbemorefullyexploredinparttwooftheEnergeticsLens.2Inreferencetothetransmissionofenergythroughthemediumoflightinthearts,transmissionisachievedthroughreflectedlightinthecaseofthefineartsandprojectedlightinthecaseofthecinematicarts.3ThedynamicsofcinematicorkineticenergiesthatareinherentintheperceptualreceptionofmovingimagerywasexploredbyfilmicexpressiontheoristsSlavkoVorkapich,LászlóMoholy-Nagy,andLestorNovros,amongothers,andtheirteachingshavebeenpasseddownmostlythroughanoraltraditionatselectfilmschools,includingUSCSchoolofCinematicArtswhereIwasprivilegedtoreceivethepassingofsomeofthisknowledge.4Foramoredetailedexplorationofthefourquadraticdimensionsofenergies,i.e.,energyitself(UR),energyinteractionsandsystems(LR),andindividual(UL)andcollective(LL)feltexperiencesassociatedwithenergies,seeSenzon,S.A.(2007).Subtleenergiesviewedfromfourquadrants.JournalofIntegralTheoryandPractice2(4),134-146.5Wilber’spreliminaryIntegralEnergyTaxonomycanbefoundinVolume2oftheKosmosTrilogy:ExcerptG(Wilber,2003)andCoreIntegral’sAdvancedIntegralLessonFive–IndividualDevelopment(Wilber&Fuhs,2011).ItshouldbenotedthattheEnergeticsLensisstillinitsinfancyandthatthereisalotaboutenergieswestilldonotunderstand,bothfromthescientificandexperientialperspective.Itshouldalsobenotedthatthegeneralcategoriesorfamiliesofenergies(EnergyBodies)ofGross,Subtle,andCausalusedhereareoneconfigurationofBodiesastheyareassociatedwithEnergies.ForotherapplicationsofBodies,includingforanadvancedanalysisthroughtheStatesLens,theadditional,higherlevelsWitnessandNon-DualBodiescanalsocategorized.WhenappliedwiththeadvancedStatesLens,Gross,SubtleandCausalBodiesarecorrelatedwithWaking,Dreaming,andDeepSleepstates,andWitnessandNon-Dualarecorrelatedwithmoreadvancedstate-stagesachievedthroughadvancedspiritualpractices.Theideahereisthateverynaturalstateand/orstate-stagehasacorrelatedenergybody.ThesefiveBodiesarealsousedwiththeWilber-CombsLatticetorefinethemappingoftheexperienceofstatesandstate-stagesinrelationtoaltitudesofconsciousness.SomeconfigurationsoftheBodiesincludetheWitnessBodyasahigheraspectoftheCausalBody,whichIhavedoneherewiththeinclusionofCinematicWitnessStatesintheCausalBodylevel.PossibleNon-DualBodycorrelatedcreativeenergypatternscouldpotentiallyincludeareasofsuchasthetransmissionoftheCreativeSourceitselfthroughacreativework,asinMichelangelo’sclaimedchannelingofDivinecreativitythroughhiswork.6TheadditionandcorrelationofpossiblecinematicenergyfieldsisadaptedfromtheoraltraditionoffilmicexpressiontheoristsSlavkoVorkapich,LászlóMoholy-Nagy,andLestorNovros.SeeBlock,B.(2007).Thevisualstory:Creatingthevisualstructureoffilm,TV,anddigitalmedia.Boston,MA:FocalPress;Moholy-Nagy,L.(1965).Visioninmotion.Chicago.IL:PaulTheobald;Vorkapich,S.(1972).Afreshlookatthedynamicsoffilmmaking.AmericanCinematographer,2,183–195.7TheEnergyFrequenciesandFrequencySpectrums(Species)sectionofTable1referstothematerialrealitymatter-energydimension(URquadrant)oftheenergyspectrum,thedimensionwhereenergyactuallyresides.NotethatthetermNMCisusedheretorepresentNeuro-MentalCorrelatesorenergeticbrainstructures(URaltitudes)correlatedtohighermentalstatesandstructures(ULaltitudes).ThisisanadaptedterminologybasedonWilber’soriginalsymbolsofSF-1,2,3,etc.AsWilbernotes,whilethesestructureshavenotbemappedyet,“everybodyagreesthatmentalstatesandstructureshavesomesortofcorrelatesinbrainphysiology,andthisisallImeanbythesymbolsSF1,etc.”(Wilber,SES,p.198).8CorrelatedLevelsofConsciousness/AwarenesssectionofTable1referstotheindividual-interiorexperientialdimensionsandaltitudes(ULquadrant)associatedwiththeenergeticdimensionsandaltitudesinthematerialmatter-energyURquadrant.9CinematicEnergyFieldsandFieldSpectrumsterminologiesarebasedonanintegrationofthisIntegralEnergyTaxonomywithadvancedtheoriesfromthefieldofcinematicexpression(Block,2007;Moholy-Nagy,1965;Vorkapich,1972).
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10Thepreliminarytaxonomyoftheenergyspectrumwithcorrelationstolevelsofconsciousnessandpotentialcinematicenergyfields,representedinTable1,isadaptedfromVolume2oftheKosmosTrilogy:ExcerptG(Wilber,2002);CoreIntegral’sAdvancedIntegralLessonFive–IndividualDevelopment(Wilber&Fuhs,2011);andtheoraltraditionoffilmicexpressiontheoristsSlavkoVorkapich,LászlóMoholy-Nagy,andLestorNovros(Block,2007;Moholy-Nagy,1965;Vorkapich,1972).11Thetermreferentialdensityisaconceptfromficto-narrativetheoryoriginallyputforwardbyThomasG.Pavelinhis1986book,FictionalWorlds.Itreferstothedepthordensityofatextinrelationtothefictionalworldbehindit.HereIamadaptingitforthecinematorefertothedepthordensityofimageandsoundreferentiallayers,inadditiontothetext.12Thisimage,aswithalltheotherimagesfrom2001illustratedhere,displaytheuseofmultipledimensionsofcinematicexpression.Forourpurposes,thisparticularimageillustratesbothCharacterEmotional-RelationalStates(fearandconcernaboutHAL)andMental-PerspectivalAltitudes(Rational-ScientificSetandSetting).Inadditiontocharacterplacementandperformance,andvisual,textual,andauditoryreferentialdensity,Kubrickusesvisualsymmetry,andcontrastandaffinityofspace,shapes,color,andlighttoheightenanddeepenthesefieldsofexpression.Forexample,thecroppingofpartofthecrafttogenerateafeltsensethatthetwoastronautsarebeingwatchedbyHAL,potentiallyaddsadditionalintensitytotheiremotional-relationalandmental-perspectivalfields.13Inreferencetothepotentialfortheenergetictransmissionofthepresenceofthecreatororcreatorsofthecinematicwork,itappearsthatthiscanbeaccomplishednotonlybyanindividualcinematicmasterorauteur,suchasKubrick,butcanalsobetheresultofauniquelyconfiguredcreativeteamwhoworktogetherinadeepandsynchronousway,asinthecasesofsomedirectorialteamsliketheWachowskiandCoenbrothers,orthroughholisticallyorchestratedcreativeteamstructureslikethosecreatedbyRobertAltmanandhislong-timecollaborativeteam.Whileascribingtheenergysourceofacinematicworktoanindividualoraselectgroupisproblematic,sincesomanycreative“hands”touchacinematicwork,theredoesappeartobeenoughanecdotalevidencetosuggestthatahighlyfocusedindividualand/orselectgroupcanproduceaseriesofworkswhichareperceivedbyarelativelylargenumberofviewersasbeingexperientiallysimilarinamoresubtlewaythanmeretechnicalstyle.14ThepreliminarytaxonomyofthecinematicenergyspectruminTable2includesthebasiclevelsofBodies,Fields,andFrequencies.Thefrequencieslistedherecouldbebrokendownfurtherintosub-frequenciesandmultiplemicro-energeticfingerprintsorsignatureenergypatterns,assuggestedinthepreviousdescriptions.15Lightphotonsandsoundwavesarerecorded,manipulated,andprojectedtotheviewerwhothenreceivesandtranslatesthelightandsoundenergiesintobioelectricenergieswhicharethentranslatedintovariousmental,emotional,andphysio-sensoryexperiences.Togetasenseoftheamountofenergyandinformationbeingtransferredinthisprocess,asinglepixelwithinasingleframeoffilmcancarrymillionsofphotons(Clickhereformoreinformationonthisprocess).16Formoreontheresearchshowingsignificantfindingsthatsuggestthatenergysystems,bodies,fields,frequencies,andsignaturepatternscanpotentiallycapture,contain,andtransmitsomeoftheelementsanddimensionsofconsciousnessintothematter/materialdomaintovaryingdegrees,seeMasaruEmoto(1999;2001;2005);WilliamTiller(1997;2001;2005;2007);andKenWilber(2002).Asforthepotentialmeans/mechanismsofenergytransmissionbetweenconsciousnessandthematter-energydomain,Tillerpostulatesamagneticinformationfieldbridgingthetwodomains,actingasaninformationexchangeconduit(2007).Sheldrake’sworkonMorphicFieldsmayalsoshedsomelightonthistypeofinformation/energyexchange(1995).17TheembeddingofconsciousnessintomaterialdimensionsisindicatedbytheworkofMasuruEmotowithhisexperimentsofembeddingdimensionsofconsciousnessintowatercrystals(1999;2001;2005);andtheworkofWilliamTillerwithhisexplorationsofembeddingdimensionsofconsciousnessintoanelectricaldeviceandthenusingthatdevicetoconditionaspatialenvironment(1997;2001;2005;2007).18Accordingtotheresearchreferencedabove,theredoesappeartobeahighdegreeofmulti-dimensionalinteractionortetra-enmeshmentbetweenindividualconsciousness(UL),collectiveorrelationalandculturalfields
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ofconsciousness(LL),energybodies,fields,andfrequencies(UR),andenergysystems(LR).Thistetra-enmeshmentappearstobeomni-directionalinthatinterior(individualandcollectiveconsciousness)andexterior(energybodiesandsystems)domainsappeartointeractinsuchawaythateverydomainhasthecapacitytobebothareceiverandastimulatorfortheother.Forexample,itappearsthatenergiescanstimulateconsciousnessandconsciousnesscanstimulateenergies.NotethatIusethetermTetra-EnmeshmentFieldsintheabovediagram,whereinfieldsreferstoanopenandpermeabledomainthatallowsomni-directionalmovementthroughitfromandtosurroundingdomains.Asnotedinnote16above,therearevariouspostulationsastowhatthisfieldactuallyis.19Itisimportanttonotethatthemeaningcodescaptured,transmittedandreceivedintheSemiotic-MirroringEnergyTransferenceprocessareprofoundlyconditionedbyindividual,cultural,andsocialconstructsthatincludeseverythingfrombasiclinguisticmeaningpatternstoconceptsoftruth,beauty,art,etc.Thisprocessisrelativelycomplexinthattheoriginalmeaningcodeofthetextcreator/communicatoristranslatedthroughtheconstructlensesofthereceiver(mental,emotional,cultural,etc.;memoriesaroundwords,symbols,etc.),sotheenergysignatureisoftenalteredtosomedegreefromitsoriginalintent.
20TheaboveclipfromthefilmAlteredStates(1980)issignificantinmanywaystothestudyofcinematicenergiesinthatitappearstocontainvirtuallythefullrangeofpotentialenergieswhilealsohavingamajornarrativethemeabouttheexplorationoftheconnectionbetweenthesubjectiveandinter-subjectivedimensionsofconsciousness(UL/LL)andtheobjectiveandinter-objectivedimensionsofmatterandenergy(UR/LR).YouTubeclipofAlteredStates(1980)alsoavailableat:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLYWDYxuKSY&feature=player_embedded21Table3depictssomeofthemultipleandsimultaneousenergiespotentiallybeingtransmittedintheaboveclipfromthefilmAlteredStates(1980),alongwiththeirpossiblycorrespondingEnergyBodies,EnergyTransferenceModality,andCinematicEnergyFieldsandFieldSpectrums.NotethatboththeSubtle/DirectandCausal/DirectEnergyTransferenceModalitiesappeartooperateinparallelwithSemiotic-MirroringEnergyTransference.
22TheaboveexplorationandcorrespondingresearchsuggeststhattheEnergeticLensmayshedsomelightonhowtheembeddingofindividualandcollectiveinteriorandexterioraltitudes,states,andtypologiesispotentiallymediatedtoavaryingdegreebySutble-Causal/DirectandSemiotic-MirroringEnergeticTransferencemodalities.Theharmonicsbetweencinematicaltitudes/energiesandvieweraltitudes/energiesmayalsoholdthekeytofurtherunderstandingandquantifyingthesensorydimensionsoftheaestheticexperience.Fromthisperspective,wecanseethatwhilethepathwaytotheaestheticexperiencedependsonthepersonal,culturalandsocialconstructsheldbyanindividual(i.e.,definitionsofwhatisbeautifulandaestheticallypleasingvariesbycultureandbyaltitude/worldview,etc.),theenergeticexperienceofbeautyorthesensory-aestheticmomentmaybesomethingmoreuniversalinthataworkofartthatlightsupallthepersonally,culturally,andsociallyalignedaestheticconstructsthroughthevariousenergytransmissionmodalitiesmightthenigniteauniversalstateofbeauty,orthe“ah”momentwhenweareonewiththeartifact/phenomenon/experience.EnergeticallythisstatemayhavecorrelatestowhatTillersuggestsasconsciousness-to-energysupersymmetryand/orsuperluminalstates(2007).23Formoreonthesocialcontagioneffectsee:Hatfield,E.,Cacioppo,J.T.,&Rapson,R.L.(1993).Emotionalcontagion:Studiesinemotionandsocialinteraction.WestNyack,NY:CambridgeUniversityPress;Bostock,W.W.(2002).Collectivementalstatesandindividualagency:Qualitativefactorsinsocialscienceexplanation.Forum:QualitativeSocialResearch,3(3).RetrievedJuly15,2010,fromhttp://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs020317;Barsade,S.G.(2002).Therippleeffect:Emotionalcontagionanditsinfluenceongroupbehavior.AdministrativeScienceQuarterly,47,644-675.24FrançoisTruffaut’sDayforNight(1973)isaclassicfilmaboutfilmmaking,andinitonecanfindsomesubtleexamplesofthepotentialtetra-enmeshmentofindividualandcollectiveconsciousnessandenergieswithinthecinematiccreationprocess.25WriteThisDown(1982)isadramaticvideoIwrote,directedandeditedduringmyfellowshipperiodattheAmericanFilmInstitute’sCenterforAdvancedFilmStudies.LearnmoreaboutWriteThisDownat:http://www.markallankaplan.com/cine/wtd.htm.
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26Whiletheabovementioned“inside”felt-senseexperiencesofshiftsinindividualandcollectiveconsciousnessandenergiesinthecinematiccreationprocessdonotnecessarilybringwiththeman“outside”lookofthestateorstagewavesofcreativity,confirmationofshared“inside”experienceslikethosecitedhere,suggestthattheremaybeadditional“objective”waysofconfirmingthisinsidefeelandpartialoutsidelook,asinthecinematicartifactitself.Thisisanareaforfurtherresearch.27Formoreonthefilmsof1939andtheirplaceinthehistoryofthecinemaandtheworld,seeWikipedia’s1939inFilmandtheLosAngelesTimesarticle,1939:TheGreatestYearinHollywoodHistory(1989).28FormoreontheinfluenceStarWars(1977)hashadonbothfilmhistoryandoncultureitself,seeCulture,IdentitiesandTechnologyintheStarWarsFilms(Silvio&Vinci,2007)andMyth,Media,andCultureinStarWars(Brode&Deyneka,2012).29WilliamTiller’sresearchsuggeststhatbothindividualandcollectivedimensionsofconsciousnesscanbeembeddedinmaterialobjectsthroughacommunicationpathconsistingofconsciousness-to-information-to-energy-to-matterandhepostulatesthattheinformationdimensionoftheequationcouldpotentiallybesomeformofmagnetic/informationalfieldthatconnectstherealmofconsciousnesstothedimensionofenergy(1997;2001;2005;2007).Researchwhichstronglysupportsthecollectiveandnon-localnatureofconsciousnessanditspotentialinteractionwithmaterialrealityalsoincludestheworkofDeanRadin(2006;2009),WilliamBraud(2003),andPrincetonUniversity’sGlobalConsciousnessProject.30Mypreliminaryresearch,alongwiththeabovementionedanecdotalandempiricalevidence,doessuggestthepotentialfortheembeddingofdeepculturalandsocietalperceptualconstructsandstructuresuponacinematicworkeitherthroughdirectorindirectsubtleandcausalenergetictransferencemechanisms.
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TheMethodologyLens
EverythingisIlluminated(2005)andtheMethodologiesthatcanbe
PotentiallyExpressedWithintheCinematicWorkHaving previously explored the basic integrally-informed lenses of cinematic perception andexpression, which include the HOLONIC, QUADRATIC, DEVELOPMENTAL, STATES, andTYPOLOGYLenses, and themoreadvancedZONAL,ALTITUDINAL, andENERGETIC Lenses,wenow shift focus to that space between theory and practice where we find the constructs,paradigms, and approaches used to examine and enact ourworld and theworld of cinema,usingwhat I am calling theMETHODOLOGY LENS.With this lenswe can attempt to look atwhatmethodological constructs are behind howwe look and howwe act, whatmethod orapproachwe are using at any givenmoment to comprehend and relate to self, others, andworld.While this lens traditionally isassociatedwithmethodsof research, thebasicprocesswearetalking about here reaches far beyond the scientist looking through a microscope or ananthropologist studyinga culture, and includes thebusinesspersonanalyzingmarket results,theartisttakingauniqueapproachtoasubject,andanyone,realorcharacterizedinacreativework,whoisfacedwithadecision.Putanotherway,everyperspectivewehold,everychoicewemake,andeveryactionwetakehasanindividualorsetofparadigmsorconstructsbehinditthateffectsbothourunderstandingofthatperspective,choice,andaction,aswellastheactualprocessandoutcome.IntheIntegralapproachwecanusethreedifferentframeworksorperspectivalarrays,toviewthesemethodologicalparadigmsandenactments.Eachperspectivalarrayhelpsus toexploredeeperandmorecomplexdimensionsofthisdomain;fromaverysimpleperspectivalarrayof1st-,2nd-,and3rd-personperspectives(calledtheBigThreeinIntegralTheory),totheQuadraticLens arraywhich adds the 3rd-person-plural perspective, and finally to the Zonal Lenswhichopensupourperspectivetotheinsideandoutsidedimensionsoftheseperspectives.
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TheBigThreeof1st-Person,2nd-Person,and3rd-PersonPerspectives
UsingabasicBigThreeMethodologyLensarraywecantakealookathowweorascreencharacterinacinematicworkmakesadecision.Forexample,doweorthecharacterusea1st-personinner-intuitive/subjectivity-based,2nd-personconsensus/intersubjectivity-based,or3rd-personanalytical/objectivity-baseddecisionmakingapproach?Inthecinema,thesemethodologicalconstructscanbeusedinaprogressivemannerwithinacharacter’sstoryarctocreateadeepandfelt-senseofcharactergrowthorevolution.Forexample,inthefilmEverythingisIlluminated(2005),themaincharacterisonaninvestigativequesttouncoverhisandhisfamily’shistorythattakeshimfroma3rd-personapproachormethodofcollectingbothdirectly-connectedandobscurefamily-relatedobjects,toa2nd-personcommunaljourneyofuncoveringsharedmemoriesandstorieswithhistravelguides,andfinally,toa1st-personinnerreflectionandrevelationprocess.Thisprocessisintensifiedbytheuseofvariousothercinematicstructuresthathelptoechoanddeepenthesedimensions.1
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EverythingisIlluminated(2005)andtheProgressiveUseof3rd,2nd,and1stPerson
MethodologiesinCharacterDevelopmentandCinematicStructures
UsingtheQuadraticMethodologicalLensarraywecanseehowthislenscanbeappliedtobothcontentandthecreativeprocessitself.Forexample,ifweusethislenstolookatthevariousknowledgedomainswithintheHollywoodmovieindustry,wecoulddividetheindustryintofourgeneralknowledgedomainsorcommunitieswithintheworldofHollywoodmoviemaking,eachwiththeirown,oftenconflictingparadigms,practices,injunctions,andconstructsofwhatmakesa“good”movie.ThereistheCinematicArtistsCommunity,whichtendstoviewthegoodnessorsuccessofthecinematicworkbyhowmuchoftheartist’ssubjectivevision(UL)issuccessfullytranslatedontothescreen.ThereistheCinematicTechniciansCommunity,whichevaluatesthedegreeoftechnical/material/objective(UR)qualityofthecinematicwork.ThereistheCinematicBusinessCommunity,whichappraisesthesuccessofthecinematicworkbyitsmarketreachandprofitabilitywithintheeconomicsystem(LR).Finally,thereistheCinematicAnalyticalCommunity(critics,historians,andtheorists),whichevaluatesthequalityofthecinematicworkbythetheoreticalandhistoricalcontextualeffectivenessofitscinematiclanguage(LL).Putanotherway,lookingthroughtheQuadraticMethodologicalLensarray,thereappearstobefourmethodologicalapproachestoevaluatingandenactingacinematicworkwithintheHollywoodsystem,whichcanbecorrelatedtothediscreetyetinterrelateddomainsofART,CRAFT,THEORY,andBUSINESS.2
65
QuadraticMappingoftheFourMethodological/Knowledge
DomainsoftheMotionPictureIndustryInthehistoryofthefilmindustry,conflictshaveoftenarisenbetweenindividualsandgroupswithinthesedomainsorcommunities,andtheirseeminglycontrarysocialpractices/injunctionsandtheconstructsgeneratedbythem.3Itdoesappearthatsomeindividualstendtoassociatethemselvesand/orotherswithoneofthesedomains,seeingaseparationbetweentheartist,technician,theorist,andbusinessperson;whilesomeareabletoholdmorethanoneoftheseconstructsasitrelatestothemselves,others,andtheirwork;andsomealsoappeartobeabletointegrateallfourmethodological/perspectivaldomains.
ChariotsofFire(1981)andtheIntegrationoftheMethodologiesofCinematicCreation
Anexampleofthistypeofmethodologicalintegrationcanbeseeninthecaseofinternationally-acclaimedaward-winningmotionpictureproducerDavidPuttnam,whoseproducingmethodologyincludedthefindingandnurturingthedevelopmentofwhatheperceivedtobeastoryofhighartisticandtechnicalqualitywithculturalandsocialresonance;alongwiththebringingtogetherofthebestartistsandtechnicianswhofittogetherintoasynergisticteam;andinconjunctionwiththecreationandmanagementofasafeandcreative
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environmentforthecastandcrewtoworkin,withintheboundariesofreasonablefiscalconstraints.4Withthisintegrally-informedmethodologicalformulaPuttnamwasabletoproduceseveralfilmsthatweredeemedsimultaneouslysuccessfulbyallfouroftheindustry’sknowledgecommunities.ThesecinematicworksincludedfilmslikeMidnightExpress(1978),ChariotsofFire(1981),andTheKillingFields(1984),allofwhichwereconsideredtobeartistically,technically,theoretically,andfinanciallysuccessfulworkswithbothculturalandsocialresonance.5
RussianFilmmakerandFilmTheoristSergeiEisenstein
andtheMethodologiesofCinematicInquiryWecanalsousetheQuadraticMethodologicalLensarraytotakeusdeeperintoeachofthefourmethodological/knowledgedomainsofthecreationandreceptionofthecinema(Art,Craft,Theory,andBusiness),exploringthevariousmethodologicalparadigmsandconstructsthattendtobeusedbycinematicartists,technicians,theorists,andbusinesspeople,including:Methodologicalapproachestowriting,directing,acting,cinematography,sound,productiondesign,andediting;critical,historical,andtheoreticalanalysis;andproducing,distribution,marketing,exhibition,andartistandpropertyrepresentationandnegotiation.Forexample,inthecinematictheorydomainwecanpotentiallymapandintegratethemajorcinematictheoriesusedforcritical,historicalandtheoreticalanalysisintofourmajorcategoriesofapproaches:Analysesofthe1st-Persondomainofthecinematicexperienceofbothcreatorsandviewers(i.e.,Phenomenological,Psychoanalytical,Cognitive,Auteur,andReceptiontheoreticalapproaches);explorationsofthe2nd-Personrealmofthelanguageorcommunicativeaspectsofindividualandcollectivecinematicworks(i.e.,Hermeneutic,Semiotic,Structuralist,andGenreStudiesapproaches);examinationsofthe3rd-Persondimensionsofthematerialformsandpropertiesofthemediumandtheireffects(i.e.,FormalistandRealistapproaches);andconsiderationsofthe3rd-PersonPluralaspectsofthesocialandenvironmentalmilieuorcontextsofindividualandcollectivecinematicworksandthemediumitself(i.e.,Ideological,Apparatus,Feminist,Marxist,andSocialPenetrationapproaches).6
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APreliminaryQuadraticMappingoftheMajorCategoriesofMethodologicalApproachestoCinematicTheoreticalInquiry7
WecanattempttounpacktheseapproachesfurtherusingtheZonalMethodologicalLensarray,8performingapreliminarybreakdownofeachofthesefourcategoriesoftheoreticalapproachesintoinside/subjectiveoroutside/objectiveperspectivesofeachdomain,givingus8differentzonesoftheoreticalinquiry.Forexample,wecanstudy1stPersoncinematicexperiencesfromanInside/Phenomenological(Zone1)approach,examiningthepureexperienceofviewerorcreator,orwecantakeanOutside/PsychoanalyticorCognitive(Zone2)approach,analyzingthepsychologicalstructuresatworkwithinthatsamecinematicexperience.Inthe2ndPersonlanguageorcommunicationpatterndomainofcinematicanalysiswecanuseanInside/Hermeneutic(Zone3)approachtostudyhowdifferentviewingaudiencesexperientiallyinterpretacinematicwork,orwecanemployanOutside/Semiotic(Zone4)approachtostudytheobservablemeaningmakingpatternsandstructuresofacinematicwork.The3rdPersondomainofthematerialformsandpropertiesofthecinematicworkitselfcanbestudiedfromanInside/Formalist(Zone5)perspectiveexploringhowthevariousformsofthecinematicwork,suchasvisualspaceoreditorialrhythm,areusedtoelicitaspecificexperientialeffect,orfromanOutside/Realist(Zone6)perspectiveanalyzinghowacinematicworkinparticularorthemediumingeneral,operatesasaphotographicrepresentationofobjectreality.Finally,wecanexplorethe3rdPersonPluralanalyticaldomainofthemilieuofcinemafromanInside/Ideological(Zone7)approachstudyingtheinfluenceofsocialideologiesonthecinematicmediumandindividualandcollectivecinematicworks,orwecantakeanOutside/Apparatus(Zone8)perspectiveandanalyzehowthemediumitselfisaninherentmechanical/photographicrepresentationofcertainsocialandsystemicstructures.9
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APreliminaryZonalMappingoftheMajorCategoriesof
MethodologicalApproachestoCinematicTheoreticalInquiry10Thesemethodologicalcategoriesofcinematicinquiryarenotentirelyabsoluteinthatwhileaspecifictheoryorapproachmaytendtohaveasitscentralfocusaparticulardomain,asnotedabove,theyoftenincludesomeperspectivesandapproachesfromotheranalyticaldomainstoavaryingdegreeaswell.Forexample,whiletheAuteurTheory’scentralfocusisontheindividualcinematicartist’ssubjectivevision(1stPerson/Subjective),thisformofanalysismayalsoincludetheuseofexplorationsofthissubjectivevisioninrelationtothecinematiclanguage,styles,andgenresusedbytheartist(2ndPerson/Intersubjective)ortheinfluenceofvarioussocialideologiesontheartistandtheirworks(3rdPersonPlural/Interobjective).Additionally,sometheoriesareactuallyderivedfromseveralothertheories,givingthemamoreinherentmulti-domainperspective,whilestillappearingtoholdoneparticulardomainasitscentralfocus.AcaseinpointisApparatusTheory,derivedfromMarxist,semiotic,andpsychoanalyticfilmtheories,whichusesperspectivesandapproachesfromthesemultipletheoreticaldomainstoexploreitscentralanalyticaldomainoftheideologicalnatureofthemechanicsofthemediumitself(3rdPersonPlural/Interobjective/Outside/Zone8).11Individualtheoristswhoareassociatedwithaparticularapproachalsoappeartoutilizemorethanonetypeofapproachwithintheirwork,whilestilldisplayingatendencytogivemoreweighttoandfocusontheirparticulartheoreticaldomainanditscorrespondingparadigmsandconstructsovertheothers.Forexample,celebratedRussianfilmmakerandfilmtheoristSergeiEisensteinisknownforbothhisworkonthematerialpropertiesandeffectsofthemedium(3rdPerson/Inside/Zone5/Formalist)andfilmmilieuorcontext(3rdPersonPlural/Inside/Zone7/Ideological/Marxist),however,eveninhis3rd-PersonPluralcontext-orientedIdeologicalexplorationsherelatesthesedirectlyorindirectlytothe3rdPersonFormalistmaterialformandfunctionofthemedium(i.e.,howaparticularcinematicform,suchaseditorialjuxtaposition,canbecreativelymanipulatedtocommunicatesocialideology).12Sometheoristscontributeso
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muchtomorethanonetheoreticaldomainthattheycanbecomeassociatedwithseveraltheoreticaltraditions;suchasinEisenstein’scase,whereheisconsideredafoundingtheoristinboththeFormalistandtheMarxisttheoreticaltraditions.13Thesemethodologicalapproachestoanalyzingthecinemaalsoappearnottobelimitedtofilmandmediacritics,historians,andtheorists,butseemtoalsorepresentwaysinwhichwetheviewerreflectonourowncinematicexperiences.Wecanponderourown1stpersonexperienceofacinematicwork(i.e.,howafilmmadeusfeelandorhowitrevealedcertainpatternsinourownpsyche);orwecanhaveadebateaboutthe2ndPersoncommunicationprocessofthework(i.e.,howourinterpretationofafilmdiffersfromothersorhowourinterpretationdependsonourculture);orwecouldevaluatethequalityofthe3rdPersonformsofacinematicwork(i.e.,how“good”werethecinematography,specialeffects,music,etc.);orwecouldappraise3rdPersonPluralsocial/systemicforcesthathaveinfluencedawork(i.e.,howafilmwasinfluencedbyormakesastatementabouttechnology,politics,economics,orvarioussocialideologiessuchasfeministperspectives).
HeathLedgerastheJokerinTheDarkKnight(2008)
andtheMethodologiesofCharacterDevelopmentandEnactmentBringingourattentionbacktothegeneralandbroadmethodological/knowledgedomainsofart,craft,theoryandbusinesswithinthecinematicarts,itshouldalsobenotedthatthesedomainsandtheirassociatedconstructs,paradigmsandmethodologiesareoftenintimatelyenmeshedwitheachother;forexample,actingisbothanartandcraftthathastheoriesbehinditaswellasvariousbusinesscomponentsfortheactortodealwithinareassuchasrepresentation,management,andnegotiation.Thelinebetweenartandcraftisanespeciallyfluidone,andbyusingtheMethodologyLenswecanpotentiallybegintofleshoutthisdynamicbyperformingapreliminaryquadraticandzonalmappingofthevariouscreativeandcraftorskill-basedmethodologiesthatanactorcanpotentiallyusetodevelopandenactacharacter.14Beginningwithapreliminaryquadraticmappingofthedimensionsofcharacterdevelopmentandenactment,wecanrepresentcharacterashavingthefourbasicdimensionsofPersonal,Relational,Physical,andSituational.InthismappingthePersonaldenotesthedimensionofthe1stPersonsubjectiverealityofthecharacter;Relationalreferstothe2ndPersonintersubjectivedimensionofthecharacter’srelationshipswithotherindividualcharactersandcharactergroupssuchasfamilyandculturalandsub-culturalgroups;Physicalisthe3rdPersonobjectivedimensionofcharacterphysicalityandbehaviors;andSituationalisthe3rdPersonPlural
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interobjectivedimensionofthecharacter’srelationshipwithpastandcurrentenvironmental,social-systemic,andaccumulatedlife/storyeventrealities.15
PreliminaryQuadraticMappingoftheMethodologicalDimensionsof
CharacterDevelopmentandEnactment
Usingapreliminaryzonalmappingofthesefourdimensionsofcharacterdevelopmentandenactment,wecanfleshoutthesedomainsmoredeeplybylookingattheirinsideorexperientialandoutsideorstructuralaspectsorsub-dimensions(zones).InthePersonalsubjectivedimensionofcharacter,theinsideorexperientialsub-dimensionwouldbethepureawarenessandconsciousnessofthecharacter(Zone1),whiletheoutsideorstructuralsub-dimensionwouldbethepersonalitydynamicsofthecharacter(Zone2),suchastheirvariouslinesandlevelsofpsycho-spiritualdevelopment(i.e.,emotional,moral,cognitive,etc.).TheRelationalintersubjectivedimensionwouldincludetheinsideorexperientialsub-dimensionofthesharedawarenessandconsciousnessoftwoormorecharacters(Zone3),andtheoutsideorstructuralsub-dimensionwouldbetherelationaldynamicsofcharacters,alongwithfamilialandculturalinfluences(Zone4),suchassharedorconflictingcommunicationtypesandculturalworldviews.InthePhysicalobjectivedimensionofcharacterdevelopmentandenactment,theinsidesub-dimensionwouldbetherealmofphysicalsensationorthesensoryorsomaticawarenessofthecharacter(Zone5),whiletheoutsidesub-dimensionwouldbephysicalstructuressuchasthecharacter’sobservablebehaviorpatterns,physicalappearance,bodytype,posture,physicallimitations,clothing,andtheiruseofvariousothermaterialobjects(Zone6).
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Finally,intheSituationalinterobjectivedimensionofthecharacter’srelationshipwithpastandcurrentenvironmental,social-systemic,andaccumulatedlifeeventrealities,theinsidesub-dimensionwouldbethecharacter’ssituationalsensationortheirpuresomatic-systemicawarenessofthisdomainorhowthesesituationalaspects“feel”andareembodiedbythecharacter(Zone7),whiletheoutsidewouldbetheirobservablestructures(Zone8),suchasthecharacter’sphysicalenvironment,thesocialsysteminwhichtheyfindthemselves,andpastandcurrenteventsofthecharacter’slife.16
PreliminaryZonalMappingoftheMethodologicalDimensionsof
CharacterDevelopmentandEnactmentItappearsthattheactorwilleitherconsciouslyorunconsciouslyusethesedimensionsandzonestobuildandenacttheircharacterstoavaryingdegree.Preliminaryresearchsuggeststhatagreatperformancebyanactorwillusuallybeoneinwhichtheactorfullyinhabitsallofthesecharacterdimensionsandzones.Forexample,intheacclaimedperformanceofHeathLedgerasthecharacteroftheJokerinthefilmTheDarkKnight(2008),Ledgerphysicallyembodieshischaracterthroughthephysicalityofmake-up,costume,bodypostureandmovement(Zone6),andthroughapowerfulbehavioralandphysicalsensorypresence(Zone5);inhabitsthecharacter’sinnerpsychologicaldepth(Zone2)andpresence(Zone1)throughfull-beingexpression;projectsapowerfulrelationalpresenceandforce(Zone3)thatpervasivelyinteractswiththeothercharacter’sandtheculturaldynamicsaroundhim(Zone4);andfullyenlivens(Zone7)andeffectivelyreactstothespacesandeventsaroundhim(Zone8).
Actorscanusevarioustechniquesormethodstoaccessthesedimensionsandzones,andwilloftenuseonedimensionorzonetoaccessanotherdimensionorzone.Forexample,anactormightgofromtheoutsidetotheinsideofthePersonaldimensionofacharacterbyexploringthepsychologicaldynamicsofthatcharacter(Zone2)togetattheircharacter’spureawarenessorconsciousness(Zone1);ortheycouldusecostumes,make-up,propsandotherphysical
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elements(Zone6)tohelpthemgetafeelforthecharacter’ssomatic-sensoryreality(Zone5);ortheycouldalsoputthemselvesinthecharacter’senvironmentsandsituations(Zone8)togetafelt-sensefortheirsituationaldimension(Zone7);ortheycouldworkwiththeotheractorsontheircharacter’srelationalandculturaldynamics(Zone4)togetattheircharacter’srelationalawarenessandpresence(Zone3).Therearealsomethodsandapproachesforgoingfromtheinsidetotheoutsideorfrominnerpresenceandsensationtoouterdynamics,structures,andactions,aswellasapproachesformovingbetweenthefourmajordimensionsofPersonal,Relational,Physical,andSituational(i.e.,movingfromthePersonaltotheRelational,etc.).17Oneareawherethismovementbetweendimensionsandzonesseemstobeparticularlyvisibleisinthedifferencebetweenhowanactoraccessesthesedimensionsandzoneswithanoriginalcharacterasopposedtoanactualreal-lifecurrentorhistoricalfigure.Whenworkingwithacharacterbasedonanactualpersonwithinthecontextofactualreal-lifeevents,theactormostoftenstartswithveryclear“outside”observableorestablishedstructuresanddynamicsofpersonality,relationships,physicality,andsituations;whileworkingwithanoriginalcharactercanoftencallforamuchhigherdegreeofimaginationandimprovisationtobuildthecharacterfromthe“inside”out,startingfromtherealmsofpersonal,relational,physical,andsituationalawarenessandsensation.18Whilethereisaclearcraft-ortechnique-orientedaspecttothiswork,therearealsoprofoundandelusivecreativeorartistaspectsoftheworkatthepointwhereanactorshiftsfromthemechanicsoftheprocessintoafullanddeepembodimentofthecharacter.UsingtheMethodologyLenstoexplorethisdynamicspacebetweentheoryandpracticeinthisoranymethodological/knowledgedomainofthecinematicartsdoesappeartohavethepotentialfordeepeningourunderstandingoftheconstructs,paradigms,andapproachesthattendtobeusedbycinematicartists,technicians,theorists,andbusinesspeople,andinkindpotentiallyofferagreatercapacityforachievingahigherdegreeofqualityandsuccessinthesedomainsbythosewhoworkinandexplorethisimportantmedium.MovingbeyondthesespecificexplorationsoftheMethodologyLens,wecouldalsosaythatwhatwehavebeenexperimentingwithhereinthisentireIntegralCinemaStudioseriesisthedevelopmentofamethodologyofintegralcinematicanalysisusingeachoftheintegrally-informedlensesofcinematicperceptionandexpressionthathavebeenexploredaspartofthisseries.Together,alltheselensescouldbesaidtomakeupakindofIntegralCinematicAnalysisToolKit,potentiallyofferingamethodofexploringthecinemafromadeeper,moreexpansiveintegrally-informedperspective…orshouldIsayperspectives,plural.IknowthisexplorationhaspersonallyhelpedmetomorefullyanddeeplyunderstandthemediumIloveandhaveworkedwithformanyyears.
NOTES1IntheaboveexampleofthefilmEverythingisIlluminated(2005),theBigThree-orientedmethodologicaldevelopmentofthemaincharactersinvestigativequestalongwithitsnarrativestructuresisintensifiedbytheuseofvarious1stperson,2ndperson,and3rdpersonaudio,visual,andtemporalstructuresasoutlinedinthepreviousarticleontheQuadraticLens.NotethattheBigThreecollapsestheUpperRight(3rdPerson)andLowerRight(3rdPersonPlural)quadrantsintoasingle3rdpersondimension-perspective.
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2Theabovequadraticmappingofthefourmethodological/knowledgedomainsofthemotionpictureindustryintothediscreetyetinterrelateddomainsofART,CRAFT,THEORY,andBUSINESScanalsobeseenasaquadraticarrayoftwogreatpolaritieswithintheindustry,thatofARTandBUSINESS,andTHEORYandPRACTICE.Thesepolaritiesareoftenseentobeinconflict,bothwithinandbetweenindividualsandgroupsintheindustry.3Formoreonthehistoricalconflictsrelatedtothesefourmethodologicaldomainsofthemotionpictureindustrysee,FilmHistory:AnIntroduction(ThompsonandBordwell,2009);MoviesandMoney(Putnam,2000);andAHistoryofAmericanMovies:AFilm-by-FilmLookattheArt,Craft,andBusinessofCinema(Monaco,2010).4DavidPuttnamoutlinedhisproducingmethodologyinaMasterClassinProducingattheAmericanFilmInstitutein1985-1986whichIattended,andwaselaboratedoninpersonaldiscussionswithhimaswell.HealsosharesaspectsofhisapproachandstoriesfromsomeofhisexperiencesinhisbookMoviesandMoney(Putnam,2000).5Theintegrally-informedapproachthatDavidPuttnamattemptedtouseappearstoreflectthebasicprinciplesofenactment,enfoldment,andnonexclusionthatareattheheartofIntegralTheory’smethodologicalframework,commonlyreferredtoasIntegralMethodologicalPluralism(IMP).Nonexclusionreferstothecapacityto"includethevalidtruthclaimsofeveryparadigmbutonlyinsofarastheymakestatementsabouttheexistenceoftheirownenactedanddisclosedphenomenaandnotthephenomenadisclosedbyotherparadigms;"enfoldmentholdsthat"allparadigmsharbortruth,butsomearemoreencompassing,moreinclusive,andthus"enfold"others;”andenactmentistheunderstandingthat"noexperienceisinnocentandpre-given;rathereachisbroughtforthorenactedinpartbytheactivityofthesubjectdoingtheexperiencing.Therefore,oneactivity,paradigm,orinjunctionwillbringforthaparticularsetofexperiencesforapersonwithoneperspectivalconstellation,andpossiblyadifferentsetofexperiencesforsomeonewithadifferentconstellation."Theseprinciplesallowfortheintegrationofvariousmethods,allowingthemtoco-existwithinaharmonizedaction-orientedmeta-methodology(CoreIntegral,AdvancedIntegral,Lesson4,Methods).6FormoreontheseandotherfilmandmediatheoriesseeTheMajorFilmTheories(Andrews,1976)andFilmTheoryandCriticism(Braudy&Cohen,2009).7Intheabovemapping,thelabelingoftheUpperRight(UR)quadrantasTheCinematicFormisusedtodenotethedomainoftheoreticalinquirywhichfocusesonthematerialelements,structures,andpropertiesofthecinematicmediumandhowthesequantifiablyinfluenceandeffecttheviewer,whileTheLanguageofCinema(LL)labelisintendedtorepresentthedomainoftheoreticalinquirythatfocusesonthecommunicativeandrelationalprocessesthatoccurbetweentheviewer,thecinematicwork,andtheculturalforceswithinandbetweenthem.8FormoreonthezonesasappliedtothecinemaseethepreviousarticlesonTheZonalLens.9Theabovedescriptionoftheinsideandoutsidedimensionsof1stPerson,2ndPerson,3rdPerson,and3rdPersonPluraldomainsisapreliminarybreakdownofsomeofthedifferentcinematictheorymethodologiesintothe8zonesofthezonallensasillustratedintheabovefigureandinthetablebelow.Notethatthisparticularcategorizationofthesevarioustheoriesandapproachesintothezonesisoneofmanypossiblevariations,andmanyofthesetheoriescaneasilybeplacedinotherzones,dependingonourperspective.ForourpurposeshereIamfocusingonthegeneralfocusoftheestablishedtheoristsineachofthesetheoreticaldomainsasIamcurrentlyinterpretingthem.Forexample,boththesemioticandformalisttraditionsfocusonthecinematicworkasamaterialartifactandcouldbothbeeasilyplacedintheURobjectivequadrant,however,thetheoristsinthefilmsemioticstraditiontendtofocusonhowthestructuringofvariousexpressiveelementsformalanguagethatproducesanintersubjectivecommunicationprocessbetweentheviewerandthecinematicartifact,whileformaliststendtofocusontheformalortechnicalelements,suchofshotcomposition,lighting,andeditorialpacing,andhowtheseelementseffectaviewerthroughthecreativemanipulationoftheirinherentautopoetic-likequalities(i.e.,theinherentdialecticprocessesbetweenformandfunction).AnotherexampleisthatoftheIdeologicalapproach,whichIhaveplacedinZone7(seeaboveandbelow),becausemostofthetheoristsandwritingsrelatedtoIdeologicalfilmtheorytendtofocusonsocial/systemicideologicalinfluences.ThereisalsoagreatdealofexplorationofculturalideologicalinfluenceswhichIamputtinginZone4underCulturalStudies.
UpperLeft(UL)Quadrant Zone1 UL/Inside Phenomenological;Phenomenological
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Subjective/1stPerson AestheticsZone2 UL/Outside Psychoanalytical;Cognitive;Auteur;
ReceptionTheoryLowerLeft(LL)QuadrantIntersubjective/2ndPerson
Zone3 LL/Inside Hermeneutic;PhilosophyofLanguage
Zone4 LL/Outside Semiotic;Structuralist;GenreStudies;CulturalStudies
UpperRight(UR)QuadrantObjective/3rdPerson
Zone5 UR/Inside Formalist;FilmicExpression
Zone6 UR/Outside Realist;Neo-Realist
LowerRight(LR)QuadrantInterobjective//3rdPersonPlural
Zone7 LR/Inside Ideological;Feminist;Marxist;SocialPenetration
Zone8 LR/Outside Apparatus;ScreenTheory;Intermediality;MediaArcheology
10Theabovefigureofapreliminaryzonalmappingofthemajorcategoriesofmethodologicalapproachestocinematictheoreticalinquiryusesonecinematictheoreticalapproachtorepresenteachzoneanditshouldbenotedthatthesearenottheonlymethodsassociatedwitheachzone,asreferencedaboveinthetextandthetableinnote10.Inaddition,asnotedabove,eachmethodisassociatedwithazonebyitscentralfocusandwillalsooftenincludetheuseofperspectivesandmethodsfromotherzonesassub-focuseswithinitsowntheoreticaldomain.11Thistypeofmulti-domaintheoreticalperspectiveinclusivenessalsoappearstobepartofamorerecentpostmoderntrendtowardmoreinterdisciplinaryandtransdisciplinaryapproachestocinematictheory,alsobringinginmethodologicalconstructsandparadigmsfromdisciplinesoutsideoftraditionalcinematictheoryincludingapproachessuchasIntermedialityandMediaArcheology.12FormoreonSergeiEisenstein’stheoriesseeEisenstein’sFilmFormandFilmSense(1969),andTheMajorFilmTheories(Andrews,1976)andFilmTheoryandCriticism(Braudy&Cohen,2009).13Inadditiontosometheoristsusingmultipletheoreticaldomainperspectiveswithintheirownwork,andsomemakingamajorcontributioninmorethanonetheoreticaldomain,therehavealsobeensometheoristswhohavemoredirectlyattemptedtobeholisticandintegrativeintheirapproaches,thisincludestheworkofJeanMitry(Andrews,1976)andEdgarMorin(Morin,2005).14Notethattheactorisnottheonlycinematicpractitionerwhoworkswiththedevelopmentandenactmentofscreencharacters;screenwriters,directors,andeditorsalsoworkinthisareaandeachofthesepracticedomainshavebothsimilaranduniqueconstructs,paradigmsandpracticesrelatedtothiswork.15Theabovepreliminarymappingofthedimensionsandzonesofcharacterdevelopmentandenactmentisoneofmanypossiblemappings.16ForthisparticularmappingIamdenotingtheinsidezonesasexperientialandtheoutsidezonesasstructuralduetotheuniquenatureofcharacterdevelopmentandenactmentfortheactor,sincetheactormustbothobjectively(andstructurally)understandandsubjectively(andexperientially)inhabiteachofthefourmajordimensionsofPersonal,Relational,Physical,andSituational.Notealsothattheexperientialzonesfortheright-handobjectiveandinterobjectivequadrantsrelatetosensoryawarenessormorespecificallythe“felt-sense”ofphysicalandsituationalsensation,whiletheexperientialzonesfortheleft-handsubjectiveandinterobjectivequadrantsrelatetopureawarenessorconsciousnessormorespecificallypersonalandrelationalawareness.Theinsideorexperientialzonesarealsorelatedtosubjectiveenactmentmodessuchasimaginationandimprovisation,whiletheoutsideorstructuralzonesarerelatedtoobservationandanalysis.17FormoreonthevariousactingtheoriesandtechniquesseeTheGreatActingTeachersandTheirMethods(Brestoff,1996)andTheGreatActingTeachersandTheirMethods-Volume2(Brestoff,2010).
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18Itshouldbenotedthatbothimagination(inside)andobservation(outside)areusedforthedevelopmentandenactmentofalltypesofcharacters,includingoriginalandexistingreal-lifecharacters,buteachtypeofcharacterrequiresdifferentbalancesbetweenobservationandimagination.Formoreonthispolaritybetweenimagination(inside)andobservation(outside)inherentintheworkoftheactorseeTheWayoftheActor:ApathtoKnowledgeandPower(Bates,2001).
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