so here I am...

it's strange because when I came here for some reason in some sick corner of my mind I thought I would start with directing.

this is an internship and it's modelled after a real studio.

which means last night on our first shoot I moved couches around to duplicate a set from the shoot before...

.... and that's it.

you don't start at the top in real life though, and I definately learned alot from being on set listening to doug.

but those of you waiting for a film stop bugging me because it might be a while... I'll tell you when I put something up okay... I promise.

pray for me... as much as I love filmmaking, the working up aspect seems daunting right now... or maybe that's something I ate.

GEOFF

and so the clock quietly proclaims...

Those of you following these know that I am headed out soon and have just about everything in order to go...

forgive me Lord for I have lied...

I'm freaking out because I still have a good amount of stuff to do. It's probably just unwarranted anxiety but still... it needs prayer.

I realized that I've never actually shared my exact vision on this site before.

maybe it's important to line up exactly what my vision is right here and right now:

"He who has and ear let him hear..." Were you raised in the church? then right off the bat you know this is a quote from the mouth of Jesus Christ. remember the context he used that command? it was right after his parables.

Why did Jesus use parables anyway? We're so inburned with this set in stone method of evangelism where you take a man down the romans road, through the sinners prayer, or to some kind of alter call and once you get to wherever it leads then he's saved. if he doesn't want to walk with you then you either get to annoy him with repetition or you get to turn your back and walk away. The latter appears to yeild no fruit and the former just stirs up hatred against Christians. So how do you share the gospel message effectively? wouldn't Jesus know how?

With stories...

STORIES?! There are important truths that if communicated clearly could save a person from eternal torment and Jesus is sitting around telling stories??

You'll notice I didn't say bible stories. In the career path I'm following I don't plan to put a single bible story into my list of works (except maybe the story of rahab and only because it could be a parable... ask me about that one later). You'll also notice that Jesus doesn't ever in all of his career use a bible story after the words "the kingdom of heaven is like..." and before the words "he who has an ear let him hear". He told stories about farmers and shepherds and samaritans and virgins and soil even. He met the people on their level with things they would understand the most. Instead of inviting them down some holy road of systematic doctrine he delivered it to them in time-specific and relevant packaging. In the end, it was the clearest way to communicate the eternal to the average joe.

Don't believe that stories are the best way to get a point across then look at how the devil's used them:
Ocean's Eleven makes stealing look more like an occupation than a crime (but it was a cool movie).
Million Dollar Baby makes assisted suicide appear humane (but it was a cool movie).
Anchorman makes chovanism appear "classy" (but it was a cool movie).
countless hit films have thrown in homosexuality and portrayed it as "It's good for some people... just tolerate it okay".
countless hit films justify murder for the sake of revenge .
countless hit films mix blasphemy, racism, sexism, and profanity as the recipe for a hilarious joke.

I mentioned three titles and I know you've seen others that snuck something in under the radar that you accepted because it was a cool movie overall. What are christians doing to counter that??

I've seen them protest in vain, I've seen them boycott in vain, I've seen some try to make cheesy little bible films and wonder why everyone treats them like cheesy little bible films. Why doesn't anyone do the obvious and answer in kind? I don't know... but I will not be silent anymore.

I want to tell parables that speak the truth about the kingdom of heaven in ways that the average joe can connect with. And the thing our culture is saturated with the most is media. Ipods and video games and computers remind us all that we are the residents of the digital age. An age where the latest movie that blew us away with the special effects, the incredible acting, or tear jerking soundtrack slides into everyone's smalltalk. I want my movies to do that, because if I did then word of mouth advertising would do evangelism for me. You may never hear the name of Jesus in some of them, or the plan of salvation, or the romans road, but what you will hear is the truth. Example:

(this is a movie concept that I may or may not use)

in 100 years men have colonized the moon, but the earth has fallen into anarchy. Right and wrong have been completely forsaken on our homeplanet and so people have been reduced to a deadly survival game where there are no rules, just live for yourself and fight anyone in your way. The colony on the moon continues to thrive because it has a stable govenment, economy, and set of moral laws which are obeyed. The problem is that it's not entirely self-sustaining. People from the moon still need to return to earth for natural resources, the bravest and the smartest that is. The latest mission turns sour though when a group of earthmen discover and damage their return craft, stranding the strike team on the treacherous planet they once called home. Now they must streach themselves to make it out alive.


The world sees the above concept as extreme potential for a high-budget, blockbuster science-fiction action film but when they are sitting in that theater they are actually seeing two societies: one that has given up right and wrong, and one that has upheld it (right and wrong according to judeo-christian values), and which of the two is better for it. "He who has an ear..."

(note: this film is a long way off even if it will be made in the future, I just wanted to give you an example of what I'm after. I don't want to cram doctrine down anyone's throat or preach to them I just want to speak the truth and share bits of what the kingdom of heaven is like. If it doesn't work then at least people heard it and might have been entertained by it and so entertained the truth of what they heard.)

Bad example but I'm not sharing my best ideas online for any copying carl (yes I just made that up) and I hope you get my point anyway.

The second part of my vision is to start a production company to kind of "umbrella-in" up and coming Christian actors, filmmakers, producers, and artists until they gain enough recognition that the world can't get enough of them. Kind of an unofficial "celebrity nursery" for artists of character. Why do that?

I know so many people who want to be a part of the industry and who have so much talent but they decide not to because they're a Christian. I ask them why that matters and the reply is always the same: "Hollywood hates Christians" No one can really refute that. It's true. But why? Christianity doesn't sell very well. Christians are five years behind the times. Christians won't do certain things that the industry demands. Christians are hard to work with. Yes all of these things are stereotypes but there's examples for each, and just a couple will turn a studio off to hiring another Christian. So it's time for Christians to get with the times, get their hands on something cool and saleable, set the standards, and be excellent at what they do. I think if they could get exposure in a reputed studio (which God-willing would be mine) then Hollywood would be dying to sign these hip new stars.

So there's a picture of what I'm after. Know that when you're supporting my internship to CCM you're supporting my future and if God should bless me then that goes far beyond little 'ol me.

Really long entry... good stuff though

Keep praying and supporting!!

GEOFF

I've got another film coming up soon; it's a dramatic short (unlike james blonde entirely) about a man who sacrifices himself to save those he loves.  It's will have heart wrenching music, excellent cinematography (for my limited resources), and compelling action (I just can't seem to stay away from the action scenes). 

It's still in the middle of post-produciton but I hope you all will return to watch it.

GEOFF