Cool Short

This is a cool short film,
and a cool site too.

War of the Worlds

Just saw Spielberg's War of the Worlds... I have to admit I thought this movie was going to be a lot like bathing in a tub filled with vomit. Based on what I saw in the trailer I foresaw uncontrollable seizures. However I decided it was Spielberg and I felt I had an obligation to see it.

War of the Worlds was beyond what I had imagined. Spielberg has managed to pull himself out of the bad movie sludge he was in and climb over every movie in the recent past and drive the bottom of the Spielberg flag through their unworthy corpses.

Spielberg made "Revenge of the Sith" look like a home video. To put it in better terms, War of the Worlds was the best thing my eyes and my ears have both seen and heard in a long time. You must see this in the theatre, a theatre with really good sound, because the sound in this movie is over half of the experience. War of the Worlds proved that sound design can take a movie over the edge. And it proved that Spielberg still has what it takes to be on top.

Movie Review: Cursed

This is a Wes Craven film - the guy who made Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Serpent and the Rainbow (this movie is messed up man!).

Cursed however was really terrible. The combination of bad acting, to bad filmmaking, to bad writing just completely made this movie very, very, terrible. You should however rent the DVD just for its bonus materials, because in it there is a short film by the co-star. This short will teach you everything there is to know about what makes a short film an eye gouging abomination to filmmaking. It could possibly be WORSE than Christian shorts. Just watch it, you wont regret it.

Tips for Coporate Video Interviews

It is the unfortunate fate of a filmmaker to be used for things other than filmmaking. This includes weddings and event videography and yes, corporate videos. But everyone has to pay the bills right?

I've just finished filming for another corporate video. Due to the significant amount of corporate work we do, I've decided to start a few rules for filming interviews for corporate videos.

First is the equipment, I have 3 1k lights, you don't really need all of that however, and if its only a one person crew you're going to end up carrying a lot, completely exhausting yourself and wasting a lot of time. So I've narrowed the equipment to its minimal state that being:

1- Camera
1- Tripod
1- 1k
1- Umbrella
1- 12 ft stinger
1- Mic
1- Head phones
1- XLR cable
1- RCA cable
1- XLR to RCA adapter
1- Microphone boom stand
1- Roll of gaffer tape.
Battery adapter thing to power camera.


This set up made me very mobile.

How did I light with one light you ask? Well that is a great question, I left the fluorescents on, because for some reason on video you don't really see a significant difference with the two lights (since they are different temperatures). Then I place it as close to the camera as possible and start filming.

So here is my rules of corporate video interviews.

- If using fluorescents set your shutter to 30 - because if you don't the fluorescents will change color while you are filming, going from purple to yellow. You will probably think its a problem with the white balance. When its not. This is a HUGE tip by the way.

- Add as much depth to the image as possible by backing the camera as far from the subject as possible and then zooming in, then combine that with a low f-stop, and you will look like a pro!

- Have the interviewer sit as close to the camera as possible and as close to the eyeline as possible, this makes the eyeline of the subject closer to the camera and hence the audience will feel more involved with the subject.

- Ask them to them say their name and spelling just in case you need to know who is who.

- Ask them to answer their questions by repeating the question in the answer: "why do you like jerry?" - "I like jerry because..." this way the audience will know what they are answering to. Another HUGE tip.

- Picking a location to interview in is very challenging and you will have to rely on your instincts for that one. However don't clutter the frame, don't put them up against a blank wall, and focus on making the background un-intrusive.

- Turn your cell phone off, its very embarrassing if its yours.

- Make it as short as possible because the tendency will be to go long, when typically you're only looking for a less than 10 second spot. This will also eat your tape and editing time when you go back to watch it.

These tips have all come handy during every single interview I've done, I hope they help and happy filmmaking.

Summary of "7 Practices of Effective Ministry"

"7 Practices of Effective Ministry" by Andy Stanley, Lane Jones, Reggie Joiner

Clarify the win
Define what is important at every level of the organization

Think steps not programs
Before you start anything, make sure it takes you where you need to go

Narrow the focus
Do fewer things in order to make a grater impact

Teach less for more
Say only what you need to say to the people who need to hear it

Listen to outsiders
Focus on who you’re trying to reach, not who you’re trying to keep

Replace yourself
Learn to hand off what you do

Work on it
Take time to evaluate your work, and to celebrate your wins.

Imagine, a Vision for Christians in the Arts

These are quotes and notes on: “Imagine, a Vision for Christians in the Arts” by Steve Turner

This is an awesome book and it comes highly recommended!

The basic focus of the book is to focus on the fact we have neglected the arts in the church, why that is, and what it will take to get it back. Here are some quotes from the book to help see his argument.

Some people think you are only really glorifying God if you are doing something religious.

THE VISION

The author finds it puzzling that we haven’t contributed to the questions the world is asking.

Being in the arts has always been implied to be wrong.

Evangelists and those in the “full-time ministry” were on top of the work hierarchy.

To be entertained suggested that our minds were being taken off things for a while, and Christians weren’t supposed to have their minds taken off things. Anything that distracted us from Bible reading, prayer and witnessing slowed down the process of sanctification.

Christian artists were only used for outreach reasons, to reach the lost.

God is Lord of everything, including the mundane things in life.

Jazz musician Max Roach said, “Two theories (of art) exist. One is that art is for the sake of art. That is true. The other theory, which is also true, is that the artist is like a secretary… he keeps a record of his time.

It would be nice to see contributions that reflect a Christian understanding of that time.

THE CHURCH

The church has defined “Christian art” as always being religious.

Even Catholics understand the importance of art.

Christians don’t because; we think the bible prohibits making images.

The church has hated art for a long time.

Summary:

The problem that has affected the church down thorough the ages with regard to art can be put very simply: how much of life is Christ to be Lord over? Is he only interested in that part of life we think of as religious or spiritual? Or is he interested in every facet of our lives—body, soul, mind and spirit? The sort of art we make as Christians will illustrate that issue.

THE WORLD

If the obstacles the writer introduces either don’t seem challenging enough or doesn’t seem real enough, then evil doesn’t appear evil enough and if good triumphs, it wont appear good enough. This is why so much Christian fiction lacks the ring of truth. The action doesn’t appear to take place in the “real world.”


Philippians 4:8 has been taken out of context.
The Bible would have to be abridged if we were to take this the way it is interpreted currently.

We become worldly not by engaging with the world but by allowing it to shape our thinking.

By far the most persistent criticism of art made by Christians is that unless it is done for the church it is secular, and if it is secular it cannot be done to the glory of God.

THE SPLIT

A key issue in the strained relationship between Christianity and the arts is the perceived division between secular and sacred. Christians have found it hard to appreciate art that deals with daily living, especially if it doesn’t supply and obviously spiritual conclusion.

Christian music is the only genre that is defined by its lyrics, all others are defined by its musical style.

T Bone speaking to the LA Weekly said, if Jesus is the light of the world, there are two kinds of songs you can write. You can write songs about the light, or you can write songs about what can see from the light.

Art created to change minds often actually does more to bolster the spirit of those already in agreement than it does to convert opponents.

When art is given over to propaganda it tends to lose the human dimension because it is consumed be the issue. It oversimplifies complex issues. It vilifies the enemy. It devalues words and images.

Some art is simply playful. It may be nothing more than itself.

A sermon requires authority, clarity and personal challenge. Art, on the other hand, often deals in doubt, ambiguity and self-criticism.

So often Christian artists feel that their role is to take on the enemy, whereas they would produce better and more accessible work if they dealt with the contradictions, waverings and weaknesses within themselves.

Attempts to force resolutions, especially spiritual resolutions, can seem unnatural.

To portray the world as a rose garden can be as misleading as portraying it as a cesspool.

THE BIBLE

Creativity is part of our inherited image because God is a designer and maker. Our desire to create… are all reflections of God’s original “let there be” and “it was good.”

This means that it is good and that it is what God wants.

If secularism is a false view why not imaginatively explore it to expose its weakness and inconsistencies? Sometimes an audience needs to be confronted with the bankruptcy of its own beliefs before it is even willing to consider an alternative.

The secular mind frequently doesn’t face up to the full implication of its beliefs. Art can provide a timely shock that results in reassessment. A Christian could also use satire to a similar effect, exposing the intellectual weakness of secularism.

The bible is full of inspiration, from poems, to songs, to prophecies.



This is what a lot of Christians do in the art world: they don’t listen to what has already been said; they don’t sit for a while on the sidelines catching the drift of the arguments; they just assume that the world is waiting to hear what they have to say.

Christians often ignore the pressing questions of the day. This could be because they fear that even to understand the issues in depth might weaken their faith. Or it could be because they believe that timeless truths don’t need to refer to contemporary anxieties. This is why the most common criticism of Christian art is that is old-fashioned and irrelevant. In other words, it looks, sounds or reads like something from another period, and the issues it addresses are not the issues currently bothering people.

The best art doesn’t tell people what to believe but enables them, for a short while, to see things differently and the Christian can enable people to momentarily glimpse the world through eyes that have been touched by Christ.

I'm convinced that the world of the arts, media and entertainment, because of its access to the imaginations of so many millions, is a place of great interest to the spiritual forces of evil.

Artists must maintain a spiritual walk with the Lord rooted in a local church otherwise the Devil will prey on them and destroy them. This happens all the time, and it may be another reason we don’t see Christian artists more.

Small analysis of the problem with Christian film

What is the role of Christian film in society? To answer this we need to ask what does society have? They have Hollywood feature films, which are entertainment, with hidden, subconscious philosophical ideas.

This method works for the devil, why not God? Does Christian film have to be “CHRISTIAN”?

What does Christianity have? They have evangelistic type films, someone gets saved etc. or testimonies, that’s it.

What do they lack? It seems they lack interpretation, creative commentary, realism and honesty.

Lets explore further and ask: What is the purpose of film? A loose answer would be to communicate ideas in an entertaining way.

So we must necessitate that Christian films must be entertaining!! It must have the ability to entertain any crowd in the same way a commercial film does. Only then can you communicate your ideas.

What about short films? They too will need to be entertaining, gripping, attention getting and only then can they pass a message.


So what does a successful film look like? It is multi-facitated like a symphonic piece. Story is the driving force but not necessarily. Must appeal to all the facets of humanity, by stimulating the mind, stimulating emotion and desires, stimulating the artistic or creative side, stimulating the senses (sight sound) and leaving you feeling empowered or with a question and a feeling. It must also feel realistic in the context of the story, and be honest. The stronger each of these the better the film.

Quotes found in “Experiential Storytelling” book.

Imitation is suicide.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
-Will Rogers-

Facts cannot speak for themselves. Facts are dependent upon context. Context is everything.
-Annette Simmons-

Stories are “more true” than facts because stories are multi-dimensional. Truth with a capital “T” has many layers. Truths like justice or integrity are too complex to be expressed in a law, a statistic, or a fact. Facts need the context of when, and where to become Truths.
-Annette Simmons-

There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours. To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul.
-Arnold Bennett, British novelist

This one is my favorite.
Truth, naked and cold, had been turned away from every door in the village. Her nakedness frightened the people. When Parable found her, she was huddled in a corner, shivering and hungry. Taking pity on her, Parable gathered her up and took her home. There, she dressed Truth in story, warmed her and sent her out again. Clothed in story, Truth knocked again at the villagers’ doors and was readily welcomed into the people’s houses. They invited her to eat at their table and warm herself by the fire.
-Jewish teaching story-

Addicted to Mediocrity

I just finished reading a good book called “Addicted to Mediocrity” by Franky Schaffer.

It is his premise that the arts and creativity is inherently a good thing given to us by God. He states that creativity comes from God, is good and needs no justification. That exercising creative gifts glorify God even if it isn’t necessarily “Christian” as long as it doesn’t conflict with God’s teachings all arts are good.

Franky states that Christians have negated the arts as a form of human expression and creativity. That Christians have limited the arts to just be about God and denied the exercise of expression and consequently has taken the church out of the realm of influence in society.

He also addresses the dichotomy of “spirituality” and “secularism”. He states that we have adopted a theology that states that “spirituality” is something separate from the rest of real life. It is above everyday things and not a part of everyday working out of our lives. It became a thing separated from the rest of life. Thus, certain things increasingly were regarded as spiritual and other things as secular.

Franky states that Christians have compartmentalized people’s lives, with things that are spiritual and things that are not. And the arts, creativity, enjoyment of beauty, even enjoyment of God’s beauty were set aside. The arts were regarded as unspiritual, unfit, and secondary to those high spiritual goal now set forth for Christians to achieve.

Franky also states that the church has taken a utilitarian view of people and their talents. That only talents that help the churches efforts, its programs, its church growth etc., are the measure of the talents worth.

He states that we must demand higher standards. We must look for people with real creative integrity and talent, or not dabble in the creative fields at all.

On p.46 is a quote specifically relating to Christian film… “…the same can be said for the efforts of so-called Christian films. They often only have one connection with good films being made, and that is that they use a movie camera and celluloid. Other than that, they have no relationship at all.”

This argument came from a book written 30 years ago! How practical it still is. We have come a long way since then, but I still sense the lack of legitimacy in the church of the arts.

Franky’s discourse on how we have created a dichotomy of “spirituality” and “secularism” and that “spirituality” is separate from the real world, actually helped me better understand the fundamental problem with Christian film. It is the fact that Christian film presents people and issues and situations that are not present in the real world. They create a “spiritual” world and put the characters in it. So consequently the audience does not engage because they spot this removal from reality and spot the fact that even in our movies we live in the “spiritual” world and not in the real world. As Franky stated there is not “spiritual” or “secular” world that we live in, we all live in the same world and that’s it.



PS One of the Chapters spoke specifically to artist, ill copy it and post it when I get some time.

Star Wars Sound Design Site

I don't know if this is accurate, but it definitely gives you some insight
into sound design.

Star Wars Sound Design