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.]
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 indigital format). We increased the resolution to match the ubiquitous iPhone/iPod Touch screen size (480×270 in 16:9). To mark our update, we’re offering the complete iPod/iPhone version of our film Hidden Treasureas a free download. If you haven’t seen it yet, we hope you enjoy it: it’s a light comedy in the vein of Frank Capra. [Turn turn HD on or off, press pause and then click the HD button in the upper right of the screen.]
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 may be momentarily useful; but as a tool to explore the Kingdom of God, they are of enormous long-term worth. So go ahead and watch the films online. If you have a good way to use them educationally, just buy what you need and try them out in your class: we think you’ll be pleased with the results.
