A Scale for Artistic Depth miracatabey, May 25, 2023August 29, 2024 From its inception, cinema has experienced essential evolutions driven by visionary filmmakers. I hold the highest regard for those films that boldly attempt to reshape the cinema through their audiovisual choices. And, of course, I hold an aspiration to contribute to this cinematic evolution as a filmmaker. This admiration runs so deep that I’ve developed a habit of overlooking works that don’t align with the experimentations I like. Yet, over time, I explore new horizons. I’ve gotten into the filmmakers whose styles are distant from my taste. Surprisingly, I encountered films that, despite being in line with my favored style, failed to connect with me. It was here that I noticed a more profound factor at play: Artistic depth. If an artist’s point of view truly captures me, I become incredibly open to various styles and preferences. Conversely, even a film within a style I typically enjoy can lose its worth in my eyes if I don’t like the filmmaker’s perspective. So, I’ve come to understand that, just like Jean Renoir once expressed, what fascinates me is an artist’s distinctive viewpoint. However, whenever I encounter an approach that captures my interest, I often hesitate to label or classify this phenomenon since it is not something tangibly addressed like audiovisual choices. So, through introspection of myself and the evolution of other creators, I’ve contemplated a potential scale for assessing the profoundness of an artist’s creative perspective, which I now present. (I totally agree with the point that I haven’t exactly made an innovation, this is just some contemplating.) A Scale for Artistic Depth 1- Seeing: Gazing at the world around. 2- Connecting: Interconnecting societal threads, being part of activism, politics, and community pulse. 3- Empathizing: Inspecting the human culture, identity dilemmas, and struggles of people. 4- Reflecting: Focusing on intimate experiences, exploring existential and individual challenges. 5- Encompassing: Tapping into universal human emotions and experiences, addressing every human being across time. 6- Transcending: Crossing beyond human boundaries, channeling a divine essence in your artistic cosmos. On this scale, the 6 reflects an unattainable depth to seek that never quite touched but always aspired to. Meanwhile, the 5 reflects a position achieved by rare masters. But who’s gonna call the shots on where a piece of art lands on this scale? Godard once said that a film’s real critique is another film. Wise words to underline how cinema evolves and develops. So, I believe an artist’s real measure comes from other artists, especially those down the road. And I dare to say that my affection for a film parallels this scale. Conceptualizations