markallankaplan

For most of this multi-domain dance I have been a filmmaker, having made my first film when I was 16 years old. Prior to this I began my lifelong experimentations with various forms of artistic expression, from drawing and painting, to photography and architectural design, to writing and poetics. My early explorations in these artistic domains were deeply driven by my search for a way to speak without using my speaking voice, since I was haunted by a severe stutter through these formative years.

 

When I created and projected my first film, I knew I had finally found my voice. This lead to my sojourn away from my Midwestern home to California for film school, where I learned the craft of filmmaking from some of the great Hollywood masters. I made several award-winning films and graduated with a B.A. in Motion Picture and Television Production from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts; and an M.F.A. in Motion Picture Directing from the American Film Institute. After film school I worked professionally in the entertainment industry as a motion picture producer, writer, director, editor, researcher, and consultant.

 

During my quest through film school and the entertainment industry, I also began my search to heal my stuttering, which lead me down the paths of psychology and spirituality. Eventually, my life-dance took me back to school for an M.A. and Ph.D. in Transpersonal Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology; and a Certificate in Integral Studies from Fielding Graduate University and Integral Institute.

 

Along this path I have had the grace to have studied with many great teachers and mentors; conducted and published personally transformative research on the transpersonal dimensions of the cinema and the experience of divine guidance across religious traditions and cultures; and had my creative works recognized with various awards and honors, and exhibited in schools, colleges, festivals, conferences, expositions, theaters, and broadcast media around the world.

 

My current dance within this world of form is that of an Integral artist, filmmaker, scholar, and practitioner. As part of this dance, I am currently exploring various applications of Integral Theory, including the research and development an Integral approach to cinematic media theory, development, production, and distribution.