Obligatory Spiel

spiel: noun
a long or fast speech or story, typically one intended as a means of persuasion or as an excuse but regarded with skepticism or contempt by those that hear it.

-Oxford American Dictionary

Every project is made thrice in pre-production, production, and post-production. “Duh,” you say. Yet often times we think we have all the bases covered only to forget a key insight or fail in making an important connection. Solid thinking, research and thorough planning are where content and form take root. And it is vital to dig deep in pre-production to uncover every last aspect of the story, the characters, the visual structure…the production one can imagine.

A few years ago I found myself absorbed in the emerging field of Integral Theory. Integral Theory is a framework that provides a deep and complete approach to any problem, event or project. Essentially the theory holds that all events, or people, or situations manifest in 4 essential dimensions: the interior and exterior, individually and collectively. At this point people usually say this sounds like common sense; and it is. Yet seldom do we consider all four of these dimensions at once and seldom still do we offer equal consideration to them. The reality is that events, people, situations, motion-sound-image projects are multi-dimensional. If we focus on that multi-dimensionality we arrive at a more comprehensive and effective, fully-dimensional approach.

Motion-Sound-Images

This is not just an attempt at being clever (although it is that too) but an attempt at elucidating how a project is approached. I see myself as a motion-sound-image weaver. Not just a writer, or a director, or a camera operator (all of which are important and fun jobs) but the creator of experience made up of motion and sound delivered in an image. It is important to make that distinction for the experience being created and projected is paramount and should be treated as such. In so doing the media is seen as having it’s own mind and thinking that meets and merges with the viewer’s mind and thinking thus creating a 3rd, new way of thinking. Content and form (message and aesthetic) are discovered and developed concurrently enacting that new way of thinking that lures and speaks to the audience. With an understanding of the project objective and the audience, combined with creative use of the stylistic possibilities of the chosen medium, experience is created that moves, affects, and inspires the viewer to action.

The core of my approach grows out of the view that humanity is changing; a change that is revealing itself as a newly emerging complexity. The mind is faced with increasingly complex problems and choices but it is also able to see and connect more perspectives and possibilities as it looks for more adaptability in dealing with life’s requirements. We are moving away from the traditional and conventional ways of doing and defining experience. The days of the Saturday Evening Post with it’s assumed one, common, static American experience are over. In this age there are innumerable types and levels of experience each calling for more ways to adapt to the complexity one feels and desires. Whether people want to lose weight, get their children into a good college, have an entertaining night out at the movies, or buy a new dishwasher they are motivated by knowledge, products, or entertainment that speak to their experience. People want more and motion-sound-image projects are a powerful medium for bringing more to them.

“That’s nice but how do you do that?”

A project begins with an analysis of the 4 dimensions, or 4 quadrants, that the project objectives (sell product, convey information, entertain) and the intended audience act on and are acted upon. Information gleaned from this analysis provides the structure on which the content and form of the project are built. Creativity often consists of turning up what is already there and the 4 quadrant research begins the creative process inspiring ideas, multi-dimensionally. Oftentimes the project is asking to address feelings or concepts the audience may not be conscious of or have the language to understand. The capacity to receive affective media then is dependent on the skillful preparation of content and form to ready the viewer “linguistically.” New words, new perspectives, new ways of thinking can be presented to validate, teach, and inspire the audience to re-name and re-define their world. Of course some projects need a traditional or conventional approach but these projects have no less potential to lead the audience into re-discovering their experience (now associated with a product, brand, piece of information or entertainment).

As filmmakers we can concern ourselves with making new thoughts. It is no longer enough to just assume the causes and repeat the effects of the past. This means thinking post-conventionally, expanding our depth of attention to ask what needs and desires underlie the growing differentiation in the marketplace; not a growing diversity but an increased seeking of adaptation to deeper and wider needs. Success lies in addressing the increasing complexity of the question, “What is in it for me?” In light of the growing accountability to produce an increasing return on objectives it is vital to reach the consumer/viewer with added emotional appeal and the gift of a perceived increase in adaptability to one’s world.

Please visit the Integral Theory page if you would like a more in-depth look at it.

The View from Behind the Eyes

The other night I was at a function to watch a speaker. Before the speaker came on there was a woman who spoke about upcoming events at the place we were gathered. As she spoke I tried to imagine what she was experiencing. I do this from time to time to develop skills for writing and directing. I practice taking the role of other and try to consider as many perspectives as I can from a persons point of view. I feel this is a practice that can help me create and relate to characters and relate to and understand and guide actors.

I began by thinking I need to put myself in the woman’s shoes, but I quickly noticed this was not deep enough. I had to get behind her eyes. See what she was seeing. And this required working through stages, beginning with the obvious physical perspectives. I imagined what the room and all the people looked like from the woman’s angle, height, and distance. She wore glasses so I explored what the room must look like through her lenses. Was there a disconnect between how big things were or how focused things were coming through the lenses as opposed to outside the lenses? Was she aware of it? Does she care?

Then I imagined how she interpreted what she was experiencing by taking the information I could see and creating a possible worldview for her. I could see what color she was, her age, her approximate cultural heritage, her body shape and weight, where she lived, how she dressed, if she wore a wedding ring, the year it is, what some of her interests are based on her attendance at this event and what she said and how she said it.

From there I could also gather information about her behavior and her internal state. The tone of her voice, her facial expressions, her gestures, the ease with which she made eye contact and included the whole room all indicated she was at ease, or at ease with portraying being at ease.

To be more general I went around the 4 quadrants to get a multi-dimensional, and complete, look at this person; making sure to see the interior and exterior of her individual self and the world she inhabits. Granted I could not be 100% precise and it was important for me to know that so as to avoid limiting myself of the possibilities available by seeing all these distinctions. To some extent stereotyping had to be employed but I am okay with that. Sometimes one has to stereotype to develop a picture of another. Besides I hold no judgment of this woman so my stereotyping is no threat to her.

I even was able to look into and include the level to which she may be developed in some regards. Based on her appearance I could tell the approximate fitness and kinesthetic level she was at. Partially based on her being a citizen of the United States I could tell she was probably of a certain level of understanding in regards to technology and complexity. I could determine she had a certain level of cognition. I could even tell she probably did not think that a group of gods lived on a local mountain top and interfering with her life but that she was of a monotheistic bent or even Buddhist, or even another, since she lived in Boulder, Colorado.

Once I gathered this information I really tried to sit and feel what that view out of her eyes must feel like to her. I made sure to discriminate between what she could be feeling and what I would be feeling. But at the same time this is part of the process. I have to put my own experience and interpretations into the equation, but I can determine to what degree from moment to moment. There is a practice in acting called catching a corner. When one is trying to feel an experience one has not had try and catch a corner of that experience by finding something in one’s own experience that could connect. I have never been a woman in her 40’s speaking in front of a group so I have to search my own life and make a connection between my experience and hers. This becomes a multi-layered process of some depth and how deep depends on how deep you want to go or how practiced you are.

This seems like a convoluted endeavor but this entire exploration took about 1 1/2 minutes and only a small portion of what I could know about the woman is explained here. I do have some experience doing this, which may have made the process smoother, but using the 4 quadrant approach does make it easier and faster. Of course I cannot be absolutely sure about what this woman was experiencing that night in front of that group but I was probably pretty close. And if I cannot know at all about something about her I at least know I do not know and I file it as such. And if I was using this exercise to create a character or help an actor or establish a shot list or style or mood of a scene I would be immensely informed; valuably informed.

What I enjoy about the exploration is the way I have to simultaneously employ both my intellect and cognition and ability to feel and connect. I am fully engaged and empowered with a deeper understanding enhancing and intensifying what and how I communicate with other creatives. Also since I cannot be absolutely sure about what this person is experiencing by being aware of the distinctions a wider realm of possibilities become available. I can continue the exploration, further creating histories, experiences and possibilities for story and character.

 

Distinctions and Possibilities

In the Posture page I have alluded to the need to differentiate issues and show enhanced adaptability. Another way to see this is as distinctions and possibilities.

As a society we have come up with all kinds of stories about life. Those stories help to determine the definition and view we take of ourselves, our families, our love, our children. We have been going along making the meaning of our present and our future based on these stories. There is nothing wrong with this for it is the natural condition of humans. We are meaning-making machines. However, we act as if these are the only possibilities available to us and a problem does arise when those stories take on meanings that inhibit us or define us as something less than whole and perfect. Advertising, marketing and film entertainment for that matter, have more often than not, tried to show a new product or idea or possibility but based in the same old paradigm or story of the past.

We can continue to go along doing this but it is my contention that people are yearning for possibilities that fall beyond the old story. They want a chance to see and trust their own potential to go beyond the reality they slog through day after day. These are possibilities that leave the past out of the present; possibilities based on a deeper and wider way of being found in the future.

These possibilities are best found through making distinctions. Distinctions about the nature of the experience we have been having. Those distinctions are easily seen with the implementation of Integral theory. More aspects of life are uncovered providing more combinations of possibilities. When the multi-dimensional approach is employed with the intention of validating and empowering consumers as whole and complete, but who can be more whole and complete, deeper feelings, desires and yearnings are revealed to be appealed to. Consumers can be moved to act not because they feel they lack but because they feel they can have more….more of themselves.

Moreover, working with a focus on distinctions and possibilities increases the effectiveness of communicating as a creative team. One is more enabled to say what one means and mean what one says and know if one needs help trying to say what one means. Distinctions raise a creative team out of the old story and open it up to think new thoughts creating possibilities based on an enriched future and not a tired past.

The Spec Ads and some of the other blog posts put this thinking into application. Please check them out considering the distinctions and possibilities being discovered and offered.

Hotels Add Dimensions

I read an article today in the NYT business section. The article was about a new trend in hotels pointing out how a chain in Europe is re-thinking their approach. The hotel chain is called Le Meridien and it is reacting to the changing desires for experience of their clients. The hoteliers are finding they have to provide more depth to the hotel experience to cater to the increasingly hip and creative customer who is, “well-informed, individualistic, techno-savy with a creative mind-set.” Essentially they are finding a niche in providing more access to culture. That is offering more access to design, art, conversation, music, and lifestyle. Some examples being key cards decorated with artwork or information and access to local art galleries and museums.

As I pointed out on the Integral theory page culture is one of the 4 dimensions of reality. It represents the inner domain of the collective. Hotels have always focused on the outer realms, specifically catering to the behavior of the client and the systems in which the hotel fits and can provide. But now hotels are finding this is not enough; they “are reviewing the guest experience rather than simply their operational processes.” The customers are looking for more and that more comes from a increasing valuation of the inner domains. The hoteliers are calling it lifestyle branding, striving to be “chic, cultured and discovery-oriented.” The key being “discovery- oriented”, a feature I have highlighted of the emerging awareness. The hoteliers go on to point out that “For once, companies understand that dealing with culture is a key issue, and it needn’t be intimidating,” and “When a person leaves Le Meridien, we aim to give them a feeling that their life has grown.”

More dimensions are being considered because the marketplace is demanding it. As a society we have nearly mastered the external behavior and systems approach and now the internal demands to be heard. With hotels are now prepared to offer more access to culture, who knows what the next evolution of hotels will look like. Perhaps catering more to the growth and health of the individual client. Perhaps focusing on how lighting, ventilation, fabric, color, food, and design can all contribute to the health of the individuals interior and catering to that awareness.

And indeed that is happening. For the article goes on to describe how the hotels are employing furniture designers to create better beds for better sleep. Already some chains provide their own perfume fragrance and distinct music and sounds for the lobby, restroom, elevator and room experience. In another article I saw the other day I read how a trend emerging is for hotels to offer spa treatments instead of the traditional golf game to the business travelers. Again added awareness of dimensions of experience reflecting added desire for growth and health are emerging all around us. It is exciting with possibilities opening for deeper, more effective ways to reach the consumer and provide real benefit.

Spiral Evidence

“Genius means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way.”
-William James

The writers of a book called Spiral Dynamics, Donald Beck and Chris Cowan spent years developing the work of a researcher named Claire Graves. Graves’ work at Stanford was based on extensive cross-cultural research and found that people develop through many stages in their lives from the survival needs levels of early childhood to multi-perspectival levels of adulthood. Beck and Cowan took this work, advanced it and applied it to how organizations (businesses, governments) could function better. Their work has been used by many companies and was instrumental in helping South Africa devise it’s post-apartheid government.

Spiral Dynamics illuminates what an approach using a framework such as the Integral framework can accomplish. Adopting a multi-dimensional method puts one in the position of disengaging from one’s own point of view while combining different perspectives. This has been found to be up to 10 times more creative and effective than more traditional thinking. Their own cross-cultural and cross-demographic research confirms:

“When individuals or groups thinking through [multi-perspectives] are given a task, they generally get more and better results while expending less time and effort. They often approach the activity in surprising ways others would not have considered. This is more than efficiency; it reflects the activation of thus-far uncommitted brain power…[They] tolerate, even enjoy paradoxes and uncertainties…[they] are able to fix problems while others fret, manipulate, query higher authority, form study groups, or play theory games….[These thinkers experience a] dropping away of the compulsions and anxieties (fear) of previous levels, thus enhancing the person’s ability to take a contemplative attitude and rationally appraise realities. As fear receded, the quantity and quality of good ideas and solutions to problems increased dramatically…[There is] an ability to learn a great deal from the many sources, and a trend to getting much more done with much less energy or resources.”

For many people this sounds like an appropriate description of the way they think and work. Yet many are not aware of this distinction. By using the framework and being aware of multi-perspectival thinking any project can be enhanced and completed faster and with more depth.

“Instead of seeking new landscapes, develop new eyes.”
-Marcel Proust