A few months ago, we were asked to be one of a number of production companies creating short films on marriage. Our assigned topic was marital roles, and certain parameters came with the request: the film needed to be in four linked parts that could fit between other teaching pieces; it needed to support the subject material surrounding it; it needed to use dancing in at least one part as a visual metaphor for marriage; and it needed to fit in a small budget. I find short films to be great opportunities for experimenting with different styles and methods, always hoping to do more with less. In this post, I’ve included the four parts of the film as well as brief comments on the experiments we did with narrative structure, camera style, directing method, and editing choices. It was a fun little project; I hope you enjoy taking a peek into it. [Click HD in the upper right corner to watch in HD; if it's loading too slowly, then turn HD off.] [click to continue…]
In light of the three year anniversary of shooting Prodigal Sons in New York City, we’re posting it here in high definition for your viewing pleasure. It is my favorite film of the Modern Parables series for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the theology behind the parable itself. Since the film was released, Tim Keller (whose sermons influenced the script) has published his excellent Prodigal God. And, for more scholarly study, I still think Kenneth Bailey’s Poet & Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes is one of the most insightful books on the subject. I hope you enjoy the film. [To turn HD on or off, press pause and click the HD button in the upper right corner of the screen.]
This is a short documentary we shot last year in Florida. It was to be a part of the Seek Social Justice series but ended up not being used in the final product. It tells the story of how Cecil and Victoria Johnson were pulled out of a life of drugs, crime and prison and into a new relationship with Jesus Christ. All of us who heard their story firsthand were very moved by it; they are an extraordinary couple who are being used in amazing ways to expand the Kingdom of God. Cecil and Victoria regularly travel to tell their story, so if you’re interested in getting in touch with them you can contact us. [To turn HD on or off, click the button in the upper right corner of the screen.]
The fifth lesson in the Seek Social Justice series is probably the most sobering. We traveled to Orange County, California to explore the story of Shyima Hall, an Egyptian girl who at age 8 was sold by her parents into slavery. She was brought to the US by her Egyptian owners and kept as a housemaid for almost two years before being rescued. It is a moving story about how our state and federal agencies work with the non-profit and private sectors to ensure that individuals have the chance to live in freedom. This is something that is easy for us to forget: it is only the enforcement of good laws based on Christian principles that enables us to live in a society in which social justice can actually happen. [click to continue…]
Work is an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of social justice. As Genesis 2 tells us, God ordained work as part of the essential makeup of men and women. Work is a good thing; without it, both men and women (and especially men) cannot do what God created them to do. Whether by choice or [...]
As part of our ongoing introduction to Seek Social Justice (the free small group study that will be released later this month), I’m pleased to show you the full documentary lesson on the role of the church in pursuing social justice. The Heritage Foundation (our partner in producing SSJ) recommended First Baptist Church Leesburg as [...]
When we first created our iPod/iPhone versions of the Modern Parables films, the iPod nano had just been released. To match that format, we encoded our films at 320×180 resolution. We recently decided it was time to update the quality of our iPod versions (available for free whenever you purchase a Modern Parables study in [...]
Here’s a preview of one of my favorite lessons in the new Seek Social Justice series. I think it’s the children that do it for me – they’re very funny. We shot this in Dallas, Texas with a fascinating ministry called H.I.S. BridgeBuilders. Its goal is to link up people from different backgrounds who then [...]
We like to let people see our films before they purchase them. Although we have a “kick the tires” mentality ourselves (and appreciate others who do), we think the true worth of the films and accompanying materials resides in using them educationally with a class, small group, or family. As a piece of entertainment, they [...]
