A highlight of the first year of the MA in Film was a two-day visit with David Lynch himself in his Hollywood Hills home studio where parts of his film Lost Highway were shot.

David Lynch MA in Film learning from Hollywood pros
by Jim Karpen at Enlightenment, the Transcendental Meditation Magazine online
15 April 2015

It may seem audacious to name a film program after award-winning filmmaker David Lynch, one of Hollywood’s most well-known directors famous for movies such as Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and The Elephant Man, as well as the TV series Twin Peaks. But, in fact, it’s not just a name: the students have occasional opportunities to interact with him—and a host of other Hollywood professionals.

Begun in the fall of 2013, the Lynch MA at Maharishi University of Management is in its second year and continues to attract students who are already experienced filmmakers. They like the fact that the program offers them an opportunity to focus on a single project over the course of nine months, while also having the opportunity to learn important facets of the industry and of filmmaking from experienced faculty and Hollywood insiders.

A wide variety of films

And now that the films from the first group of students to graduate are “in the can,” what sorts of projects did they produce? According to department administrator Eden West, the 15 students in the program wrote, filmed, and edited 12 films ranging from a full-length mockumentary comedy feature film to an action-packed TV pilot with superheroes fighting bad guys. Most of the films were dramas 20–30 minutes long.

The TV pilot is for a series titled The Scribbler, which is about a young woman who can write the future. “She realizes her ability makes her very powerful, and humanity’s fate rests in her hands. She quickly becomes a priority target to the underground government, and is forced to do the unexpected,” said student Melodia Morales.

Meeting with David Lynch

A highlight of the first year was a two-day visit with David Lynch himself in his Hollywood Hills home studio, where parts of his film Lost Highway were shot. The students showed him a trailer of their films and had morning sessions in which they had the opportunity to ask questions. He shared practical and inspiring thoughts about the world of film and media and about consciousness.

“David talked about everything: how to direct, working with performers, lights, sound, music,” professor Stuart Tanner said. “There are so many elements that work together, and all of them have to work; the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. David gives his full attention to every part.”

In Los Angeles the students also met with Lisa Wilson, who has worked on the distribution of many films, including Academy Award winners On Golden Pond, Crash, and Hugo.

At Sony Studios they attended a private preview screening ofWhat About Love, starring Sharon Stone and Andy Garcia. The director of the film, Klaus Menzel, met with the students before the screening to discuss the industry in a panel discussion that also included the producer of Crash, Mark Harris, and the associate producer of Die Hard, Beau Marks, who teaches at UCLA.

In addition, the group had lunch in Santa Monica with John Raatz, a business associate of actor Jim Carrey. And they met with Peter Farrelly, writer and director of Jim Carrey’s new film.

Hollywood pros visit campus

In addition to their LA trip, the students also had contact with Hollywood pros who visited campus or called the students via Skype.

John Raatz, who has represented films such as What the Bleep Do We Know, MindWalk, A Brief History of Time, Peaceful Warrior, and The 11th Hour, came to campus to give the students a two-day workshop on transformational media, which focuses on raising awareness. He and Jim Carrey are co-founders of the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment. Based on his positive experiences with the students, Raatz recently accepted the position of Executive Director of the program.

Jim Carrey himself met with the students for about 40 minutes the day before his commencement address on campus, answering their questions and showing a sincere interest in their work.

Also visiting campus was Bill Borden, a producer for 34 movies, including Mission Impossible: III. He told behind-the-scenes stories of what goes on during the production of a film, such as the challenges of dealing with the various personalities.

Teacher/story editor/screenwriter Ron Peterson, author of the book The Language of Screenwriting, met with the students on campus and continued to work with some of them by phone during their writing process. He emphasized the importance of having a good story written in proper screen format to translate onto the screen, and how carefully thought-out sequencing is what creates great movies.

And Director/screenwriter Jeremy Kagan, whose hit movies include Heroes, The Big Fix, and The Chosen, spoke to the students via Skype. His message was: maximum commitment, minimum attachment. Have a vision, but let go when it doesn’t work.

“We’re not just about making films”

Overall, it was a highly successful inaugural year for the David Lynch MA in Film. And while the faculty and Hollywood insiders played a major role, professor Tanner says that a key to the success of the program is Consciousness-based Education. It provides for creativity and a less stressful environment.

“We’re not just about making films; we’re about people developing themselves,” Professor Tanner says. “If one is emotionally disturbed, or the mind is flitting from one thing to another, it’s hard to focus. If you have all the noise going on, it’s like trying to write with a brass band practicing next door. Meditation gets rid of the background noise so you can hear yourself and your heart can respond to those deep creative impulses.”

That says it well. David Lynch’s career has been based on responding to deep creative impulses. He is uncompromising, and a new generation of filmmakers are learning this from the master himself while using Transcendental Meditation to foster their own consciousness and creativity.

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About the author:
Jim Karpen headed a graduate program in writing at MUM for 15 years. He now focuses full-time on writing about the university and about technology.

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