I don’t know if you have ever noticed this, but I never wear a watch when I’m playing a character in any of my Zen Films. For all of you people out there who claim to be soothsayers and pundits of the truth about the Zen Films of Scott Shaw and/or Zen Filmmaking, the one thing that I have never seen mentioned in all of your online, (and previously, in times gone past), magazine raps, is the fact that I never wear a watch in any of my films. This, when I have forever been a lover of fine timepieces.
 
For many decades now, (commonly), I wear a Rolex or another high-quality Swiss made watch on a day-to-day basis. Did you know that about me? If you did not, then you do not know me! So, stop talking about me! But, in my films, you will never see me wearing a watch, (except in one case when it was part of the costuming). I always take it off before a scene is shot and I put it in my pocket.
 
Do you ever watch a movie, or perhaps a music video, and you see the person playing a part wearing a watch? I find that very distracting; especially if you can actually see what time it is on the dial of the watch. Then, (perhaps), maybe in another take of the scene, maybe on the reverse shot, there is another time on that watch. Time has ticked on. Distracting! I always look for such things. Do you?
 
I find all of this very problematic in the creation of, and the watching of a film or a music video. Yes, yes, I know sometimes a specific watch is put on the wrist of character for Product Placement. And yes, sometimes the time is shown in a film for particular story development reasons. But, other than that, I think it’s just lazy. It just looks bad. It is distracting.
 
I mean, I have viewed scenes that are so exquisitely photographed, but then there is that watch on the wrist of one of the character distracting from the wholeness of the all and the cinematic everything.
 
Come on, what is the purpose of time in a film, a music video, and/or a cinematic whatever? Isn’t filmmaking all about the suspension of belief, not what time it is? 
 
This is just all something for you to think about as you travel down the road of life, (especially for you filmmakers out there). This, as you view whatever cinematic creation you may view. What does time have to do with that cinematic whatever, if it does not lead to the development of the story? Why is anyone wearing a watch? True artistic filmmaking is all about the subtleties.
 
In the world of cinematic art, what is time?