Welcome to the Metaphysical Film School!
This is not a guide on how to make a metaphysical film - it's how to understand and use metaphysical and psychological elements for any film you want to make, act in, or just watch. Much is already known about Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey" and how it relates to plot points in a movie or screenplay. Here we will go more deeply into the Hero's Journey, reveal the Archetypes of the characters you are writing, acting or watching, and track the inner psychological Transformation the character makes (character arc) in order to acheive the outer goal.
First, these concepts will be given a concise overview, with clear examples from popular movies. Then, the Hero's Journey, Archetypes, and Transformation will be explored in more detail and depth in the advanced levels. The main focus will be on identifying these concepts and patterns, and recognizing how they are used and why. Individual sections specifically for actors, writers and directors will be geared toward each profession and show how to utilize these principles in projecting more emotional truth in your character roles, writing better screenplays, and how to better prep your script and work with your actors to make better films.
And for anyone, all of us, these pages and lessons will provide you with more information and deeper insight which will lead to a greater understanding and enjoyment of any film you watch. Ultimately, it will be up to you to make the connection between these concepts and how they determine and influence what makes a good movie great and an average movie not so great.
Remember, movies are the mythic stories of today - there for our entertainment and to give us a better understanding ourselves and the human condition. The dancing flames of the campfire at night, when all gather round to hear the storyteller speak, have now been replaced by the flickering light of the movie projector. Now as always, we still sit in the dark, with our attentions fixed and our imaginations unrestricted, and let these stories take us away on the journey of a lifetime, at least for a couple hours...enjoy!
~ Chris Sheridan, M.A.
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