How do you handle frustration? Do you give up easily? Who do you choose to help you along the way?
The world has yet to see what God can do with a servant, who is fully sold out to Him. That means an end to special interests. An end to me and my interests. Think of Obama, putting together his new expiriment, choosing old foes and unknown quantities with which to surround himself. He will be largely dependent on those he selects. His legacy will be that of the sum of his choices.
Similarly, you are making a film (your life) which will have highs and lows. Some day, we will all get to watch you, the hero and groan with you as you make the worst possible choice and faces the end of your run. We will cheer you on as you are humbled and we will howl with joy as you miraculously rise from the ashes and get to make the same choices all over again. It won't feel the same, the circumstances and the stakes will be different, but the choices are always the same.
Do you choose the path of honor and humility or to cash in on fleeting moments. Stardom comes in all flavors and sizes, from the warehouse manager, promoted to shop foreman to coffeehouse singer suddenly thrust onto center stage and a national tour. Your ego demands that you become a different person and leave all your previous self and baggage behind.
Someone once said, "wherever you go, there you are." It's very true, you will face the same self as you faced where you lived last time you moved. And it's really hard to change. But with Jesus, all things are possible. I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me. Take that to the bank and step out.
The comfort zone only provides comfort for the moment. Looking back at ourselves all curled up and fetal in a comfort zone is likely to only produce regret and sorrow.
Make today the start of the end of the comfort zone. Let faith flow in and thru all you do. Amen.
12/10/08
12/2/08
Cancelation: Chronicles of Hernia Benefit
Dear Blog,
Franklin B. Dog and I regret to have to cancel the (Dec. 14th) premiere benefit screening for the spcaLA due to economic conditions and holiday distractions.
We will reschedule "The Chronicles of Hernia: the Lion, the Ditch and the Studio" in 2009 as a free event.
Contact lionditchstudio@gmail.com with any questions or to make sure you are kept in the loop.
Regards,
Franklin and John
Franklin B. Dog and I regret to have to cancel the (Dec. 14th) premiere benefit screening for the spcaLA due to economic conditions and holiday distractions.
We will reschedule "The Chronicles of Hernia: the Lion, the Ditch and the Studio" in 2009 as a free event.
Contact lionditchstudio@gmail.com with any questions or to make sure you are kept in the loop.
Regards,
Franklin and John
11/25/08
Appointments and the power of Story
I'm really happy for Josh and Rebekah Weigel and the "Stained" crew who continue to score high marks. Most recently they were invited to screen at the San Antonio Christian Film Fest Jan 8-10. It is very rewarding to see 168ers doing so well.
"Stained" has a subtle Christian message and it definitely makes you think. Jenn Gotzon recently showed it on a speaking engagement for pregnant teens. And 3 of them tearfully received Jesus as their savior. Wow!
There is a need for all types of films in the marketplace. If all the films were overtly evangelistic, it would get pretty boring. Parables are designed to lead one to the truth and that is exactly what jesus used to speak to large crowds.
Evangelistic films must be done exceedingly well, but so often they are heavy handed and schlocky.
I want to have an Evangelista Award for the best film of this type. What do you think of that idea?
Kudos to 168 veteran director Keith Ray Putman, who's film "DOUBLE." screens at HDFEST in Los Angeles December 6th. The film stars familiar face Avery Clyde (Temp for All Seasons, etc).
"Stained" has a subtle Christian message and it definitely makes you think. Jenn Gotzon recently showed it on a speaking engagement for pregnant teens. And 3 of them tearfully received Jesus as their savior. Wow!
There is a need for all types of films in the marketplace. If all the films were overtly evangelistic, it would get pretty boring. Parables are designed to lead one to the truth and that is exactly what jesus used to speak to large crowds.
Evangelistic films must be done exceedingly well, but so often they are heavy handed and schlocky.
I want to have an Evangelista Award for the best film of this type. What do you think of that idea?
Kudos to 168 veteran director Keith Ray Putman, who's film "DOUBLE." screens at HDFEST in Los Angeles December 6th. The film stars familiar face Avery Clyde (Temp for All Seasons, etc).
11/11/08
Fathers and Scars
Dear Blog,
I have been really busy with the 168 Film Project and my short film, "Chronicles of Hernia: the Lion, the Ditch and the Studio. We locked picture last night (thanks to Tim Lowry, a brilliant editor) and I am so excited for the premiere I can hardly stand the wait. We will premiere it on Sunday, Dec. 14th at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. Please save the date. The film spoofs Hollywood stereotypes, and uplifts the values we hold dear as followers of Jesus.
Mr. Ralph Winter (Producer of XMEN) has agreed to be our lead judge for 168 in 2009 and we have 40 team entries.
I lost my father at the age of 10 and it was a painful experience. Below are the thoughts of Mr. Gary Swanson. He is a mentor of mine, who leads the tinseltown Bible Studies in Burbank and on the Fox lot in LA. If you would care to attend, please tell him I sent you. And tell him thanks for sharing wounds so deep they hurt the listener too.
Pass it on if it seems a good idea.
Peace in Jesus.
John
FROM GARY SWANSON:
My father was a farmer, as was his father. He was a child of the depression, and during those difficult times he was the son who had to stay home and help his father on the family farm, so he never finished school. Because of that, even though he was reasonably intelligent, he was insecure and defensive in many ways. He was also very shy. When he was a young man every Midwestern town small and large had a dance pavilion where the "big bands" would come and play. It was an affordable form of recreation for an America slowly recovering from the pains of the depression, so almost everyone ended up at the pavilions on Saturday night. In my growing up years the pavilions were all long gone, but whenever we would run across a woman he had known in those years, they would always tell me the same story. "Your father was the best dancer around", they would say, "and all of us would line up for our turn to dance with him." Whereupon my shy father's face would be bright red with embarrassment.
If you had met my father, you would have probably liked him, but I tell you all that to tell you this - for whatever reason he didn't like me, and he made that painfully clear right up until he died at age 94. I'm not saying that he was a bad father, nor was he abusive towards me in spite of having a vicious temper. I always knew I was safe and protected and he worked hard to provide a better life for us than he ever had himself, but he and I were different in every way, so much so that I just basically made him angry if we were around each other very long.
So by now you're asking, "What's your point Gary?" Let me make my point with a question for you - what kind of earthly father did you have? Or perhaps more to the point, what kind of a relationship did you have with your father? It's a question to which you need to give yourself an honest answer, because your relationship with your earthly father, or lack thereof, will have a large effect on your relationship with your heavenly Father. If your father spoiled you rotten, you might assume that God the Father will give you whatever you want whenever you want it, and if He doesn't you may decide that God doesn't care about you. At the other extreme, if your earthly father was never there for you, you might not even ask your heavenly Father for anything because you feel like He won't give it to you anyway.
Guess what I struggle with repeatedly in my relationship with my heavenly Father? I have never doubted that God would take care of me from the day I was saved. I have never questioned whether or not God is going to take me safely home to heaven. But I quite frequently begin to feel like God doesn't really like me, and that He only puts up with me because He does not break His promises, and He has made a promise to save me. Do you see it? Do you see how that struggle exactly reflects my relationship with my earthly father?
My point is this - you need to think about how your relationship with your earthly father has skewed your relationship with your heavenly Father. We limit what God is able to do in our lives because of limitations we've experienced in our relationships with our own fathers.
In the bible there is the story of the prodigal son. He wanted to go his own way, do things as he wanted to do them. He took all that his father had lovingly saved for him, and squandered it on the kinds of sinful lusts we all struggle with. Finally he realized what a fool he had been, and decided to go back home to his father, even though he was afraid that his father might no longer treat him like a son, but rather like a servant or slave. Now look at his father's response, which is meant to be a picture of our heavenly Father's attitude towards us, His children:
Luke 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 15:21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 15:22 "But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 15:23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 15:24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. (NKJV)
Is that how you picture God responding to you? Again, ask God to help you rid yourself of all the false ideas you might have about His love for you and His relationship with you. Ask God to reveal to you who He truly is, and how much He desires to relate to you, for as He says in Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (NKJV)
If you have ever thought about attending the Tinseltown Studies in person, this would be a good week to start, since we are beginning a completely new series designed to help you get to know your heavenly Father a little better by getting to know His Son, our Saviour, a little better. You have two locations from which to choose:
THE WESTSIDE STUDY gathers together on WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, now at the Fox Studio lot, which is located next to Century City in West Los Angeles. The actual address is 10201 Pico Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90064. If you would like to attend the study at Fox, you must be pre-registered. If you have been attending either Tinseltown study on a regular basis, you have already been pre-registered. If you have never attended the studies, or if you have not attended recently, you will need to email or call no later than 1:00pm on Wednesday using the contact information below, and ask to have your name added to the Tinseltown guest list for Fox. Please note: You cannot pre-register by contacting Fox Studios directly, so please do not bother them.
Enter by the main gate at the corner of Pico Blvd and Motor Avenue. Turn right and then left to the main security gate. Tell the guard(s) that you are there for the "Tinseltown Meeting". Everyone in the car must be pre-registered, and everyone must have identification. If your name is on our list you will be given a pass and driving instructions to get you to Building 1. Once there, you may disregard "reserved" signs and park in any available space.
THE BURBANK STUDY will continue to meet on THURSDAY EVENINGS at 825 Evergreen Street, which is located on the far west edge of Burbank about 10 blocks north of Warner Bros Studio. Take either Pass Avenue or Hollywood Way to Verdugo Avenue. Go west on Verdugo Avenue to Evergreen street, which is one block west of Pass Avenue or five blocks west of Hollywood Way. Turn north on Evergreen Street and go 1 1/2 blocks to the address on your left, a one story home on the west side of the street. Normally street parking is readily available within a block or less of the house.
Both Studies open their doors at 7:45pm to give you time to sample the snacks, grab a bottle of water, and settle in before the regulars show up. The actual discussion begins promptly at 8:00. Need more information? Email me at gary@tinseltownministries.org or call me at 310-779-7443. If you would rather, you can call my wife Judy instead at 310-779-7442, or email her at judy@tinseltownministries.org.
I have been really busy with the 168 Film Project and my short film, "Chronicles of Hernia: the Lion, the Ditch and the Studio. We locked picture last night (thanks to Tim Lowry, a brilliant editor) and I am so excited for the premiere I can hardly stand the wait. We will premiere it on Sunday, Dec. 14th at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills. Please save the date. The film spoofs Hollywood stereotypes, and uplifts the values we hold dear as followers of Jesus.
Mr. Ralph Winter (Producer of XMEN) has agreed to be our lead judge for 168 in 2009 and we have 40 team entries.
I lost my father at the age of 10 and it was a painful experience. Below are the thoughts of Mr. Gary Swanson. He is a mentor of mine, who leads the tinseltown Bible Studies in Burbank and on the Fox lot in LA. If you would care to attend, please tell him I sent you. And tell him thanks for sharing wounds so deep they hurt the listener too.
Pass it on if it seems a good idea.
Peace in Jesus.
John
FROM GARY SWANSON:
My father was a farmer, as was his father. He was a child of the depression, and during those difficult times he was the son who had to stay home and help his father on the family farm, so he never finished school. Because of that, even though he was reasonably intelligent, he was insecure and defensive in many ways. He was also very shy. When he was a young man every Midwestern town small and large had a dance pavilion where the "big bands" would come and play. It was an affordable form of recreation for an America slowly recovering from the pains of the depression, so almost everyone ended up at the pavilions on Saturday night. In my growing up years the pavilions were all long gone, but whenever we would run across a woman he had known in those years, they would always tell me the same story. "Your father was the best dancer around", they would say, "and all of us would line up for our turn to dance with him." Whereupon my shy father's face would be bright red with embarrassment.
If you had met my father, you would have probably liked him, but I tell you all that to tell you this - for whatever reason he didn't like me, and he made that painfully clear right up until he died at age 94. I'm not saying that he was a bad father, nor was he abusive towards me in spite of having a vicious temper. I always knew I was safe and protected and he worked hard to provide a better life for us than he ever had himself, but he and I were different in every way, so much so that I just basically made him angry if we were around each other very long.
So by now you're asking, "What's your point Gary?" Let me make my point with a question for you - what kind of earthly father did you have? Or perhaps more to the point, what kind of a relationship did you have with your father? It's a question to which you need to give yourself an honest answer, because your relationship with your earthly father, or lack thereof, will have a large effect on your relationship with your heavenly Father. If your father spoiled you rotten, you might assume that God the Father will give you whatever you want whenever you want it, and if He doesn't you may decide that God doesn't care about you. At the other extreme, if your earthly father was never there for you, you might not even ask your heavenly Father for anything because you feel like He won't give it to you anyway.
Guess what I struggle with repeatedly in my relationship with my heavenly Father? I have never doubted that God would take care of me from the day I was saved. I have never questioned whether or not God is going to take me safely home to heaven. But I quite frequently begin to feel like God doesn't really like me, and that He only puts up with me because He does not break His promises, and He has made a promise to save me. Do you see it? Do you see how that struggle exactly reflects my relationship with my earthly father?
My point is this - you need to think about how your relationship with your earthly father has skewed your relationship with your heavenly Father. We limit what God is able to do in our lives because of limitations we've experienced in our relationships with our own fathers.
In the bible there is the story of the prodigal son. He wanted to go his own way, do things as he wanted to do them. He took all that his father had lovingly saved for him, and squandered it on the kinds of sinful lusts we all struggle with. Finally he realized what a fool he had been, and decided to go back home to his father, even though he was afraid that his father might no longer treat him like a son, but rather like a servant or slave. Now look at his father's response, which is meant to be a picture of our heavenly Father's attitude towards us, His children:
Luke 15:20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 15:21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 15:22 "But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 15:23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 15:24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. (NKJV)
Is that how you picture God responding to you? Again, ask God to help you rid yourself of all the false ideas you might have about His love for you and His relationship with you. Ask God to reveal to you who He truly is, and how much He desires to relate to you, for as He says in Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (NKJV)
If you have ever thought about attending the Tinseltown Studies in person, this would be a good week to start, since we are beginning a completely new series designed to help you get to know your heavenly Father a little better by getting to know His Son, our Saviour, a little better. You have two locations from which to choose:
THE WESTSIDE STUDY gathers together on WEDNESDAY EVENINGS, now at the Fox Studio lot, which is located next to Century City in West Los Angeles. The actual address is 10201 Pico Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90064. If you would like to attend the study at Fox, you must be pre-registered. If you have been attending either Tinseltown study on a regular basis, you have already been pre-registered. If you have never attended the studies, or if you have not attended recently, you will need to email or call no later than 1:00pm on Wednesday using the contact information below, and ask to have your name added to the Tinseltown guest list for Fox. Please note: You cannot pre-register by contacting Fox Studios directly, so please do not bother them.
Enter by the main gate at the corner of Pico Blvd and Motor Avenue. Turn right and then left to the main security gate. Tell the guard(s) that you are there for the "Tinseltown Meeting". Everyone in the car must be pre-registered, and everyone must have identification. If your name is on our list you will be given a pass and driving instructions to get you to Building 1. Once there, you may disregard "reserved" signs and park in any available space.
THE BURBANK STUDY will continue to meet on THURSDAY EVENINGS at 825 Evergreen Street, which is located on the far west edge of Burbank about 10 blocks north of Warner Bros Studio. Take either Pass Avenue or Hollywood Way to Verdugo Avenue. Go west on Verdugo Avenue to Evergreen street, which is one block west of Pass Avenue or five blocks west of Hollywood Way. Turn north on Evergreen Street and go 1 1/2 blocks to the address on your left, a one story home on the west side of the street. Normally street parking is readily available within a block or less of the house.
Both Studies open their doors at 7:45pm to give you time to sample the snacks, grab a bottle of water, and settle in before the regulars show up. The actual discussion begins promptly at 8:00. Need more information? Email me at gary@tinseltownministries.org or call me at 310-779-7443. If you would rather, you can call my wife Judy instead at 310-779-7442, or email her at judy@tinseltownministries.org.
10/20/08
Through Being Cool
Tonight, I talked to a friend who was going to see Bill Maher's film, "Religulous" with his church group. What? I asked. Why would you vote for more movies like that by giving them you money?
I suggested to him that if you must go, then when you are offended (that is Maher's schtick, rather than having an honest dialogue), walk out and demand your money back. That will send an even louder message than staying home.
Many Christians want to go to anti-Christian movies (like this one and "Davinci Code") so they can be "culturally relevant."
The truth is, they don't want to be different. They want to fit in. They want the right to "be cool." We all do. But, the gospel of Jesus has never, nor will it ever be "cool." As followers of Jesus, we don't have the right to "be cool."
We get the privilege of being not cool and then watching as God allows us to be accepted (by some) and respected (by some) despite sticking to our convictions.
Then we can watch as lives are changed because some of us are the real deal.
The 168 Film Project is an example of how Christians can reach out to a very strategic group of Christians and not-yet-Christians.
There are very few things we can agree on as a nation. Food is good, although you will never get a conclusive agreement on which food is good for everyone. Clean air and water is good, though zero agreement will ever be had on how clean is clean enough. And everyone loves a good story.
So for 168, we let the group that is passionate about telling stories get together and tell them using the best-selling book in all of history, the Bible.
Throw these ingredients into the pressure cooker and bake for 168 hours:
-People of all faiths, or no faith at all,
-Their dreams within reach (Being a Filmmaker)
-The Word of God
-A deadline
The results are magic. We have made over 300 short films in 6 short years.
Please see the website for more.
www.168project.com
I suggested to him that if you must go, then when you are offended (that is Maher's schtick, rather than having an honest dialogue), walk out and demand your money back. That will send an even louder message than staying home.
Many Christians want to go to anti-Christian movies (like this one and "Davinci Code") so they can be "culturally relevant."
The truth is, they don't want to be different. They want to fit in. They want the right to "be cool." We all do. But, the gospel of Jesus has never, nor will it ever be "cool." As followers of Jesus, we don't have the right to "be cool."
We get the privilege of being not cool and then watching as God allows us to be accepted (by some) and respected (by some) despite sticking to our convictions.
Then we can watch as lives are changed because some of us are the real deal.
The 168 Film Project is an example of how Christians can reach out to a very strategic group of Christians and not-yet-Christians.
There are very few things we can agree on as a nation. Food is good, although you will never get a conclusive agreement on which food is good for everyone. Clean air and water is good, though zero agreement will ever be had on how clean is clean enough. And everyone loves a good story.
So for 168, we let the group that is passionate about telling stories get together and tell them using the best-selling book in all of history, the Bible.
Throw these ingredients into the pressure cooker and bake for 168 hours:
-People of all faiths, or no faith at all,
-Their dreams within reach (Being a Filmmaker)
-The Word of God
-A deadline
The results are magic. We have made over 300 short films in 6 short years.
Please see the website for more.
www.168project.com
10/9/08
168: What is it?
What is the 168 Film Project?
The 168 Film Project is an annual, worldwide filmmaking competition and exhibition. Films are based on Bible verses and made in one week. The challenge to filmmakers—draw a random scripture and in just one week (168 hours) shoot and edit a short film. Our goal is to focus emerging filmmakers on excellence and the Word of God. The 168 Film Festival is a glitzy red carpet affair held in Los Angeles.
168 provides a training ground for emerging filmmakers, reducing barriers and creating opportunities for pros and newcomers alike. It is like a "farm team" for artists, who are given tracks to run on as they improve their skills.
The contest is built upon faith and art, two passions the participants already have. 168 provides a structure that allows them to complete a project in only one week, and to gain confidence to then do it again, bigger and better.
Films are produced from ANY location and turned in for the deadline. Our mission is vital to a post-Christian world in which the language of the culture is media. We are changing our little corner of the industry from the ground up by teaching filmmakers to incorporate their art and their faith.
How did the project begin?
In 2003, a group of filmmakers led by John David Ware (me) decided to create a contest similar to the timed production contests of the day. Too many wanna be filmmakers kept saying "I'm gonna. I'm gonna only works for so long. After that you become the boy who cried wolf. We decided to let them put their money where their mouth was.
At the first meeting, nobody came except me. I kept having meetings and telling people about it anywhere they'd let me speak until the buzz got to the filmmakers in the congregation and beyond.
Thirteen films were made the first year and premiered to a standing-room-only crowd in Evans Chapel. The next year there were 53 films and it was recognized as a way to get started as a filmmaker of faith. In six years, over three hundred films have been created in over 20 countries.
What kind of films is 168 looking for?
There is no "typical" 168 Film. They range in degree of evangelism, but most of them are not preachy. I tell our entrants, no blasphemy, no gratuitous sex, language, or violence.
I used to say no gratuitous preaching, but even more importantly, I want them to be true to what God (not agenda or political view etc.) has laid on their heart. If they want to make an outspokenly evangelistic film, then they should do it to the very best of their abilities, never looking back or apologizing. There is room and a definite need for a broad spectrum of films in our contest.
Why is it important for people of faith to make films?
Everyone has some kind of faith. Science, secular humanism, nihilism, Christianity. All of these are very well represented in the mainstream media except one. Only one demands a complete re-birth of ideas, self-concept and concept of others. Only one forces change and cessation/beginning of processes and practices, which are completely counter to our nature at the most basic level.
Taking that long hard look in that long, hard mirror is something all humans will fight. It's hard and it's not pleasant. Examination of what is truly at our core is often not pretty either.
The artist is the one who sees the truth as shaped by their faith and has that "burning inside" feeling that dictates: I must express this truth. Their version of truth comes from whatever faith shapes their ideas. 168 asks them to examine and challenge what they know or think they know.
What opportunities exist for filmmakers after the 168 Film Festival?
We are working on many avenues for distribution on the web and on TV. Future 168 plans include greatly expanded online offerings and a path to feature length film production and TV.
There are now ninety-four "Best of 168" films available on DVD. The planned television show entitled "Project 168" will take the best elements of reality, documentary and news thus spotlighting the filmmakers "168" journey with interviews, behind-the-scenes, and the resulting film. It's ready to go, just waiting on the Lord for a green light.
Tell me some success stories?
Many 168 filmmakers go on to enjoy great success on the film festival circuit. Some have won awards, such as Talin Parseghian, Jim and Dawn O'Keeffe, who's film MAX was part of the International Cinematographer's Guild Showcase in 2004.
There are others making headway like Michael Costner, from 2005 (yes he is related to Kevin). His company (New World Sun Productions) started in 2007 and will be producing at least 3 movies this year.
"The Feast (168 project from 2005) was really the 1st film I ever produced. The nurturing, spiritually-open environment, combined with the pressure of actually getting a film done in that short amount of time, really brought us all together creatively and personally. It made me want to keep doing it. Now I get to do that for a living, with a lot more time, and I thank God for that." --Michael Costner
David and Kim Kiang are working on webisodes (see teaser) and feature length projects from their 168 shorts. It's very exciting to watch. http://alliwant.tv/home.html is the 2007 entry, and http://www.betteroffsaid.org/ is their website for the 2005 short.
MUCH MORE TO COME. We have 33 entries as of today.
The 168 Film Project is an annual, worldwide filmmaking competition and exhibition. Films are based on Bible verses and made in one week. The challenge to filmmakers—draw a random scripture and in just one week (168 hours) shoot and edit a short film. Our goal is to focus emerging filmmakers on excellence and the Word of God. The 168 Film Festival is a glitzy red carpet affair held in Los Angeles.
168 provides a training ground for emerging filmmakers, reducing barriers and creating opportunities for pros and newcomers alike. It is like a "farm team" for artists, who are given tracks to run on as they improve their skills.
The contest is built upon faith and art, two passions the participants already have. 168 provides a structure that allows them to complete a project in only one week, and to gain confidence to then do it again, bigger and better.
Films are produced from ANY location and turned in for the deadline. Our mission is vital to a post-Christian world in which the language of the culture is media. We are changing our little corner of the industry from the ground up by teaching filmmakers to incorporate their art and their faith.
How did the project begin?
In 2003, a group of filmmakers led by John David Ware (me) decided to create a contest similar to the timed production contests of the day. Too many wanna be filmmakers kept saying "I'm gonna. I'm gonna only works for so long. After that you become the boy who cried wolf. We decided to let them put their money where their mouth was.
At the first meeting, nobody came except me. I kept having meetings and telling people about it anywhere they'd let me speak until the buzz got to the filmmakers in the congregation and beyond.
Thirteen films were made the first year and premiered to a standing-room-only crowd in Evans Chapel. The next year there were 53 films and it was recognized as a way to get started as a filmmaker of faith. In six years, over three hundred films have been created in over 20 countries.
What kind of films is 168 looking for?
There is no "typical" 168 Film. They range in degree of evangelism, but most of them are not preachy. I tell our entrants, no blasphemy, no gratuitous sex, language, or violence.
I used to say no gratuitous preaching, but even more importantly, I want them to be true to what God (not agenda or political view etc.) has laid on their heart. If they want to make an outspokenly evangelistic film, then they should do it to the very best of their abilities, never looking back or apologizing. There is room and a definite need for a broad spectrum of films in our contest.
Why is it important for people of faith to make films?
Everyone has some kind of faith. Science, secular humanism, nihilism, Christianity. All of these are very well represented in the mainstream media except one. Only one demands a complete re-birth of ideas, self-concept and concept of others. Only one forces change and cessation/beginning of processes and practices, which are completely counter to our nature at the most basic level.
Taking that long hard look in that long, hard mirror is something all humans will fight. It's hard and it's not pleasant. Examination of what is truly at our core is often not pretty either.
The artist is the one who sees the truth as shaped by their faith and has that "burning inside" feeling that dictates: I must express this truth. Their version of truth comes from whatever faith shapes their ideas. 168 asks them to examine and challenge what they know or think they know.
What opportunities exist for filmmakers after the 168 Film Festival?
We are working on many avenues for distribution on the web and on TV. Future 168 plans include greatly expanded online offerings and a path to feature length film production and TV.
There are now ninety-four "Best of 168" films available on DVD. The planned television show entitled "Project 168" will take the best elements of reality, documentary and news thus spotlighting the filmmakers "168" journey with interviews, behind-the-scenes, and the resulting film. It's ready to go, just waiting on the Lord for a green light.
Tell me some success stories?
Many 168 filmmakers go on to enjoy great success on the film festival circuit. Some have won awards, such as Talin Parseghian, Jim and Dawn O'Keeffe, who's film MAX was part of the International Cinematographer's Guild Showcase in 2004.
There are others making headway like Michael Costner, from 2005 (yes he is related to Kevin). His company (New World Sun Productions) started in 2007 and will be producing at least 3 movies this year.
"The Feast (168 project from 2005) was really the 1st film I ever produced. The nurturing, spiritually-open environment, combined with the pressure of actually getting a film done in that short amount of time, really brought us all together creatively and personally. It made me want to keep doing it. Now I get to do that for a living, with a lot more time, and I thank God for that." --Michael Costner
David and Kim Kiang are working on webisodes (see teaser) and feature length projects from their 168 shorts. It's very exciting to watch. http://alliwant.tv/home.html is the 2007 entry, and http://www.betteroffsaid.org/ is their website for the 2005 short.
MUCH MORE TO COME. We have 33 entries as of today.
9/30/08
Hernia, Streaming Media Conference, Ted Haggard Play?
I have spent a week of vacation finishing my short film called "The Chronicles of Hernia: the Lion, the Ditch and the Studio." It has been rewarding and exhausting at the same time. I never wanted to make a short film, I wanted to jump into making one of the features I have written. I am the kind of person who likes to just jump in. At nearly 40 minutes, "Hernia" is really closer to a feature than a short. But, Sundance Film Festival considers shorts to be 69 minutes or less. So, let's say featurette.
I am glad I did this short first. I have watched so many other people's mistakes that I have learned a great deal. Making a short is so much cheaper and can be a thorough education. It can also develop your stamina and maturity in all areas, professional, spiritual and managerial. That is why making a 168 Film is such a good idea for anyone remotely curious about a career in film.
I have written an article on making "Hernia," which will (Godwillin) come out in the next Indie Slate Magazine (October issue). Indie Slate is also planning to run my coverage of the LATV Festival, which is best described as a boot camp for TV producers. I thoroughly recommend getting involved with that group as well.
Some of the lessons I talk about in the Indie Slate-"Hernia" Article are about hiring friends and managing your expectations. This is soo important. First you must know intimately what you want to accomplish and what the production is and isn't. Is it a $3000 budget? Is it SAG? Do you need stars? What if you don't make your money back? What is the marketing plan? What is plan A, B, C?
These things should be well thought out in advance if you want to succeed in making a short film that you will learn from, get exposure and create career capital that you can spend with studios and production houses, so that they will read your next script and take you seriously as a director, writer, actor or whatever.
In addition to writing and directing and producing, I was also one of the lead actors in making "Hernia." I would not advise this approach on your first film. But for this one, it made sense, at least to me.
I wrote the role for me (or some other repressed/explosive personality). I am sure there are actors who could have delivered the role, but I don't know them and I didn't find them when I went through the really lengthy casting process. With our short window, I didn't have a lot of time to teach someone what I wanted. I needed an actor who "got" my sense of humor as a writer-director. Finally, I would really really also recommend you hire a casting agent.
Stay tuned for the premiere of "Hernia" and pray it gets into Sundance. For more on "Hernia," see the next issue of Indie Slate and stay tuned to the blog for the premiere.
STREAMING MEDIA EXPO:
I just returned from covering this event in San Jose. I am doing an article on Indie Film and streaming distribution.
It was a small show, but that means much more intimate panels and networking.
I met with David Dolby of Dolby Labs, who expressed great interest in 168 and in "Hernia." I hope everyone loves the film as much as they love the title. Pray for partnerships like this to grow. With their help, I hope to offer the filmmakers a workshop on 5.1 sound production and editing.
I also met with a company/website called Tubemogul.com. This is a crucial, free marketing service for indie films of all lengths. This will allow you to have a much improved chance of getting traction with your short or feature indie film.
TubeMogul is the first online video analytics and distribution company serving publishers large and small who need independent information about video performance on the Internet and automated upload to the Web's top video sharing sites.
TubeMogul's analytic technology aggregates video-viewing data from multiple sources to give publishers improved understanding of when, where and how often videos are watched, track and compare what's hot and what's not, measure the impact of marketing campaigns, gather competitive intelligence, and share the data with colleagues or friends. Check it out.
The biggest question from all of the players, big and small was regarding making money on the web. When will it happen?
My favorite quote from the Streaming Media Expo: Let's not exchange analog dollars for digital pennies. This underscores the fact that for all the trends indicating a shift to online viewing, there are precious few digital dollars paying for online advertising and there is very little consumer willingness to pay for or watch anything but the program content and a very limited amount of ads.
The frog is in the skillet, so to speak and Madision Avenue is prepared to bide it's time with old advertising models while they wait for the killer app, the new breed of consumer and better metrics for tracking advertiser return-on-equity.
TED HAGGARD PLAY: THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY
So, I got this call to come as the guest to see a Ted Haggard Play at the Kirk Douglas Theater. What?!
Not knowing anything about the play, I felt a compulsion to go, like a moth unto flame.
"This Beautiful City" is a documentary-style play with music (a musical?), created from interviews with actual persons, that explores the Evangelical movement and its unofficial U.S. capital, Colorado Springs, CO. Ted Haggard's church, and numerous others are front and center in a play that highlights civic concerns and issues facing diverse parties in the USA.
The producing company is the Civilians from New York. They created the play based on hundreds of hours of interviews over the course of 10 weeks in Colorado Springs. Leading churches in the area participated in the project, as did numerous civic organizations, progressive/LGBT activists, and individuals from many walks of life.
As I drove to pick up my friend for the play, I wondered, what am I doing? There were really only two options in the treatment of the subject matter. A) Bash Christians and Ted Haggard, B) Portray both sides of a difficult complex of issues honestly and openly.
C) was not an option: To say Ted was a victim and defend him.
So, I got there and sat down and was greeted promptly with an ugly round of Christian bashing and lampooning that made me want to leave.
If you don't believe in evolution, stay out of science, if you want to restrict my life and my civil rights, than F--- you! Was one of the lines I remembered.
The crowd's uproarious laughter was reserved only for the most acerbic, vicious attacks on Christian foolishness and hypocrisy.
Up to now, the play was tedious and boring for me, a lecture on how ridiculous and myopic the Christians are. The big bad woolf is definitely Focus on the Family, no doubt due to their stature and power in Colorado Springs.
The anti-Christian players were bitter, angry, determined to expose and destroy. Why did I come here, I asked again?
So, at intermission, I planned to make my escape before they unveiled the lions den. I looked for my friend Phil Cooke, who had also gotten an invite.
It was a dark and stormy night...
The pensive, hunted, token Christians gathered in the foyer of the Kirk Douglas like so many sheep awaiting the clarion call of the chainsaw shepherd.
Just before we decided to make our exit, my contact Raul came up and welcomed us warmly. I desperately looked for a metal detector, but there was none to be found.
He commended us up to the reception hall after the second half of the play was over. "Will they be armed?" I asked wanly?
He laughed and made some apologies. And we were trapped. I felt I HAD to struggle thru the rest of the play. At some point I decided it would be cowardly to retreat.
The second half of the play was different. The portrayal of the anti-Christians was still accusatory and mean-spirited. The Christian portrayal was authentic! What? Authentic.
They showed two characters in a level of depth that made me care about them. Both were played by the same woman, Emily Ackerman, an excellent actor. One was a trans-gendered male who dressed as a female. She told the sad story of losing her job planning cities due to the way she looked. She'd also lost her faith.
Emily Ackerman's other character was warm and authentic and fascinating. She told the story of her victory over drugs and her love affair with Jesus. During her amazing soliloquys she often looked offstage to scold her kids. Maybe it was because she was so authentic and sympathetic that no one had the bad taste to make fun of her and her sincere beliefs. I wished for much more of her story to be told.
Remember these characters are all based on real people. And real churches.
Yes, they chose the most charismatic, often bizarre churches to portray Christians, and yes they made fun of them and of course Ted and his crew.
But, they showed the real deal from all accounts. A real slice of a prayer meeting that got very intense (complete with demonic deliverance), a worship service with authentic good music and respectful worship lyrics, and a group of Air Force Cadets who were sincere about being servants to their corps.
They were portrayed accurately and sympathetically (albeit a bit naive, with a touch of messianic complex). The antagonists were especially vitriolic, bitter and determined. I am sure that is true too.
After the play, we went up to meet the cast and crew, who had done much of the research for the play in "the springs". They recounted with wonder how open and welcoming the Christian community in Colorado Springs had been towards them. I wanted to ask if some of them had become Christians through the experience. They definitely all had gotten a different view of "Evangelicals" as they call them.
One of the initial presentations of the play had taken place at Colorado College in 2007. The question was asked, how did they react to it? The crew said that they liked it, but the anti-Christian people had complained that they portrayed the Christians too warmly.
The truth can hurt both ways. Yes, there are the phony TV-Vangelistas and the Ted Haggards, who lead a double life. But, when you come across the love of Jesus from an authentic source, it is hard to forget. When you come to destroy and ridicule and you find truth and love, how bad would that feel to lie about it or not to honestly try to portray the "Evangelicals" with integrity as they have.
It seemed that the second half of the play was, in part an apology for the first half of the play.
As the talk back went on to the end, they asked for one final question. I raised my hand and asked writer Steven Cosson this question: What is the purpose of this play?
He had obviously never gotten this question or even considered why he was doing a play of this ilk. He was quite dumbfounded.
He finally got it out that he was trying to promote discourse. It is pretty difficult to promote discourse by punching someone in the mouth. But, as I said the truth hurts. Some of the true portrayals of Christians in this play will make you ashamed.
Would I recommend the play? Really good question. I'd have to say no for Christians. But, it might just be the kind of thing you could take non-Christian friends to (especially burned, angry ones) and then have a really, really good cup-o-Joe afterwards.
jdw
I am glad I did this short first. I have watched so many other people's mistakes that I have learned a great deal. Making a short is so much cheaper and can be a thorough education. It can also develop your stamina and maturity in all areas, professional, spiritual and managerial. That is why making a 168 Film is such a good idea for anyone remotely curious about a career in film.
I have written an article on making "Hernia," which will (Godwillin) come out in the next Indie Slate Magazine (October issue). Indie Slate is also planning to run my coverage of the LATV Festival, which is best described as a boot camp for TV producers. I thoroughly recommend getting involved with that group as well.
Some of the lessons I talk about in the Indie Slate-"Hernia" Article are about hiring friends and managing your expectations. This is soo important. First you must know intimately what you want to accomplish and what the production is and isn't. Is it a $3000 budget? Is it SAG? Do you need stars? What if you don't make your money back? What is the marketing plan? What is plan A, B, C?
These things should be well thought out in advance if you want to succeed in making a short film that you will learn from, get exposure and create career capital that you can spend with studios and production houses, so that they will read your next script and take you seriously as a director, writer, actor or whatever.
In addition to writing and directing and producing, I was also one of the lead actors in making "Hernia." I would not advise this approach on your first film. But for this one, it made sense, at least to me.
I wrote the role for me (or some other repressed/explosive personality). I am sure there are actors who could have delivered the role, but I don't know them and I didn't find them when I went through the really lengthy casting process. With our short window, I didn't have a lot of time to teach someone what I wanted. I needed an actor who "got" my sense of humor as a writer-director. Finally, I would really really also recommend you hire a casting agent.
Stay tuned for the premiere of "Hernia" and pray it gets into Sundance. For more on "Hernia," see the next issue of Indie Slate and stay tuned to the blog for the premiere.
STREAMING MEDIA EXPO:
I just returned from covering this event in San Jose. I am doing an article on Indie Film and streaming distribution.
It was a small show, but that means much more intimate panels and networking.
I met with David Dolby of Dolby Labs, who expressed great interest in 168 and in "Hernia." I hope everyone loves the film as much as they love the title. Pray for partnerships like this to grow. With their help, I hope to offer the filmmakers a workshop on 5.1 sound production and editing.
I also met with a company/website called Tubemogul.com. This is a crucial, free marketing service for indie films of all lengths. This will allow you to have a much improved chance of getting traction with your short or feature indie film.
TubeMogul is the first online video analytics and distribution company serving publishers large and small who need independent information about video performance on the Internet and automated upload to the Web's top video sharing sites.
TubeMogul's analytic technology aggregates video-viewing data from multiple sources to give publishers improved understanding of when, where and how often videos are watched, track and compare what's hot and what's not, measure the impact of marketing campaigns, gather competitive intelligence, and share the data with colleagues or friends. Check it out.
The biggest question from all of the players, big and small was regarding making money on the web. When will it happen?
My favorite quote from the Streaming Media Expo: Let's not exchange analog dollars for digital pennies. This underscores the fact that for all the trends indicating a shift to online viewing, there are precious few digital dollars paying for online advertising and there is very little consumer willingness to pay for or watch anything but the program content and a very limited amount of ads.
The frog is in the skillet, so to speak and Madision Avenue is prepared to bide it's time with old advertising models while they wait for the killer app, the new breed of consumer and better metrics for tracking advertiser return-on-equity.
TED HAGGARD PLAY: THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY
So, I got this call to come as the guest to see a Ted Haggard Play at the Kirk Douglas Theater. What?!
Not knowing anything about the play, I felt a compulsion to go, like a moth unto flame.
"This Beautiful City" is a documentary-style play with music (a musical?), created from interviews with actual persons, that explores the Evangelical movement and its unofficial U.S. capital, Colorado Springs, CO. Ted Haggard's church, and numerous others are front and center in a play that highlights civic concerns and issues facing diverse parties in the USA.
The producing company is the Civilians from New York. They created the play based on hundreds of hours of interviews over the course of 10 weeks in Colorado Springs. Leading churches in the area participated in the project, as did numerous civic organizations, progressive/LGBT activists, and individuals from many walks of life.
As I drove to pick up my friend for the play, I wondered, what am I doing? There were really only two options in the treatment of the subject matter. A) Bash Christians and Ted Haggard, B) Portray both sides of a difficult complex of issues honestly and openly.
C) was not an option: To say Ted was a victim and defend him.
So, I got there and sat down and was greeted promptly with an ugly round of Christian bashing and lampooning that made me want to leave.
If you don't believe in evolution, stay out of science, if you want to restrict my life and my civil rights, than F--- you! Was one of the lines I remembered.
The crowd's uproarious laughter was reserved only for the most acerbic, vicious attacks on Christian foolishness and hypocrisy.
Up to now, the play was tedious and boring for me, a lecture on how ridiculous and myopic the Christians are. The big bad woolf is definitely Focus on the Family, no doubt due to their stature and power in Colorado Springs.
The anti-Christian players were bitter, angry, determined to expose and destroy. Why did I come here, I asked again?
So, at intermission, I planned to make my escape before they unveiled the lions den. I looked for my friend Phil Cooke, who had also gotten an invite.
It was a dark and stormy night...
The pensive, hunted, token Christians gathered in the foyer of the Kirk Douglas like so many sheep awaiting the clarion call of the chainsaw shepherd.
Just before we decided to make our exit, my contact Raul came up and welcomed us warmly. I desperately looked for a metal detector, but there was none to be found.
He commended us up to the reception hall after the second half of the play was over. "Will they be armed?" I asked wanly?
He laughed and made some apologies. And we were trapped. I felt I HAD to struggle thru the rest of the play. At some point I decided it would be cowardly to retreat.
The second half of the play was different. The portrayal of the anti-Christians was still accusatory and mean-spirited. The Christian portrayal was authentic! What? Authentic.
They showed two characters in a level of depth that made me care about them. Both were played by the same woman, Emily Ackerman, an excellent actor. One was a trans-gendered male who dressed as a female. She told the sad story of losing her job planning cities due to the way she looked. She'd also lost her faith.
Emily Ackerman's other character was warm and authentic and fascinating. She told the story of her victory over drugs and her love affair with Jesus. During her amazing soliloquys she often looked offstage to scold her kids. Maybe it was because she was so authentic and sympathetic that no one had the bad taste to make fun of her and her sincere beliefs. I wished for much more of her story to be told.
Remember these characters are all based on real people. And real churches.
Yes, they chose the most charismatic, often bizarre churches to portray Christians, and yes they made fun of them and of course Ted and his crew.
But, they showed the real deal from all accounts. A real slice of a prayer meeting that got very intense (complete with demonic deliverance), a worship service with authentic good music and respectful worship lyrics, and a group of Air Force Cadets who were sincere about being servants to their corps.
They were portrayed accurately and sympathetically (albeit a bit naive, with a touch of messianic complex). The antagonists were especially vitriolic, bitter and determined. I am sure that is true too.
After the play, we went up to meet the cast and crew, who had done much of the research for the play in "the springs". They recounted with wonder how open and welcoming the Christian community in Colorado Springs had been towards them. I wanted to ask if some of them had become Christians through the experience. They definitely all had gotten a different view of "Evangelicals" as they call them.
One of the initial presentations of the play had taken place at Colorado College in 2007. The question was asked, how did they react to it? The crew said that they liked it, but the anti-Christian people had complained that they portrayed the Christians too warmly.
The truth can hurt both ways. Yes, there are the phony TV-Vangelistas and the Ted Haggards, who lead a double life. But, when you come across the love of Jesus from an authentic source, it is hard to forget. When you come to destroy and ridicule and you find truth and love, how bad would that feel to lie about it or not to honestly try to portray the "Evangelicals" with integrity as they have.
It seemed that the second half of the play was, in part an apology for the first half of the play.
As the talk back went on to the end, they asked for one final question. I raised my hand and asked writer Steven Cosson this question: What is the purpose of this play?
He had obviously never gotten this question or even considered why he was doing a play of this ilk. He was quite dumbfounded.
He finally got it out that he was trying to promote discourse. It is pretty difficult to promote discourse by punching someone in the mouth. But, as I said the truth hurts. Some of the true portrayals of Christians in this play will make you ashamed.
Would I recommend the play? Really good question. I'd have to say no for Christians. But, it might just be the kind of thing you could take non-Christian friends to (especially burned, angry ones) and then have a really, really good cup-o-Joe afterwards.
jdw
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