Facing the Giants

Facing the Giants has easily been the greatest and most influential film I've seen in a long time. For it's story, and the real-life story behind the scenes.

This is about overcoming the impossible. With God, all things are possible.

Not only is it a story about a coach and his football team overcoming impossible odds... but about a church that trusted God to help them make a film that would reach the world.

With a budget of only $100,000, Facing the Giants somehow caught the attention of Sony, who jumped in offering to distribute the film. Since then, the film has grossed over $15,000,000!

The masterminds behind all this? Everyone. Check the credit list at the end of the movie... everyone gets a credit! The only people who were paid to make the film were a couple of professionals to do some of the technical stuff. Then there's the dynamic duo. Brothers, Alex and Stephen Kendrick, wrote it, directed it, edited it, and starred in it. Them and their church family trusted Jesus to make the impossible, possible.

God, use my family and I to make wonderful God-glorifying multimedia like this happen. We can't do this without fully trusting in You.

FM Radio

Does anybody still listen to FM radio anymore?

Supposedly, they still do. Just not for the same reasons.

With the recent advances and popularity in music distribution, people are no longer tuning in to their local radio stations. Even while driving, they plug in their iPods and mp3 players, or turn on to a XM or Sirius satellite radio. Through those mediums, they can listen to exactly what they want to, when they want to... and lots of it.

The future of radio? Personality.

While you're working, or on the drive home, you tune in because of radio personalities. Radio DJ's who are fun, real, and who lace their shows with stimulating banter. They comment on local musicians and events, their latest favorite song, and their real-life situations. But best of all, you can see them and meet them at local events.

Think of it as a podcast with syndicated music.

It's entertaining stuff. So be sure to support your local radio stations: like CHRI 99.1FM here in Ottawa, Canada.

Starfield Concert

I took Shannon to see Starfield in concert last night. Fantastic rock/emo-ish Canadian Christian band. The concert was a great blend between their hit songs, and well-known worship songs.

The concert was sold out! They actually set today as a second concert, which is also almost sold out. So you better hurry and get your tickets.

I completely forgot my camera, so if you want to take a look, you'll have to search Flickr.

Their setup was pretty simple, and still awesome. Besides the usual lights and stage setup, they were ringed by three huge screens with projectors behind them. They projected full 3-screen-spanning videos that perfectly synched with the music. A combination of motion graphics, and very artistically presented song lyrics. All run off of a Mac laptop controlled by their bass guitarist.

Since the band controlled most of their own presentation, they had just two other guys. One to control a small lightboard, and another for the soundboard and small rack of equipment... It's amazing how affordable quality productions are becoming.

Well, we had a great time at the concert, and thoroughly enjoy their music. So check them out.

Film: Second Chance

Christian films have slowly and surely being catching up with the industry. Christian music has been widely recognized for a while now, and cinema is slowly on it's way.

The Second Chance, starring Michael W. Smith, is about a pastor who is estranged by the cold-shoulder of his fathers church, and returns to the church of his youth... right in the middle of the projects. He has to deal with homeless, prostitutes, and innercity street gangs, in a way that helps their daily needs, and shows them the light of Christ.

The film is fairly well directed, very well scripted, and has pretty decent acting. Good cinematography, and a true and heart-wrenching message.

Two cool things about this film...

First, a lot of the street people and some of the minor actors are actual homeless people or aspiring actors and actresses from the projects.

Second, the large church where some of the scenes were filmed, is none other than Brentwood Baptist! As some of you may know, they graciously hosted 8 of us when we drove 20-something hours to attend the Passion 05 conference. It was pretty weird seeing Brentwood play the role of a fictional church in the movie.

Superman vs. Jesus

Superman can leap tall buildings, fly faster than a speeding bullet, and perform incredible feats of strength. And he was sent to earth, to live amongst us... became one of us... so that we may be saved.

Sound familiar? Especially when you consider that Jesus is God... he made the buildings, and the bullet, and defined the world and how it works.

I would even go so far as to say that the story of Superman was created to patch up that Jesus-shaped hole in the hearts of many.

And you know what? Even though I'm not super, I can still be a hero. A hero to my family, a hero to my friends, a hero to my protegee, and a hero to my girlfriend.

I'm not super, and I'm not God. I make mistakes and screw up. I need to forgive and ask forgiveness. Jesus is in my life to save me. Superman may save me from meteors or crime bosses, but Jesus saves my eternal life. Not only that, but he gave us the guide book to live our lives heroically.

Pixar does it again

I went to the theaters to watch Cars last night, and Pixar has definitely done it again.

With a 62.8 million US debut, the Pixar team has once again left every other 3D animated film in it's dust. It's amazing how, even though Pixar only produces one film every 3 years, and Dreamworks produces about 10 in that time, Pixar still makes about $1.6 billion more.

Their secret? Heart. While Dreamworks produces meaningless comedy slapstick, Pixar strives with all they have to produce films with heart, good family values, and undeniable charm.

Pixar, along with Walden Media and a few other companies out there, really strive to do the best they can... to teach, inspire, and encourage the return of good family values to this continent.

A challenge to all producers out there: the box office proves, "Cars" is what the world really wants.

The New Circus

Going to the circus sure isn't the old event it used to be. When entering the big top granted you a seat in the stands to wonder at dancing horses, standing elephants, and of course, clowns.

Now, with amazing troupes like Cirque du Soleil, we're pulled into a world of wonder, romance, and childhood daydreams. You're dazzled by the light and fog effects, as the performers fly across the stage on hydraulic lines to the tune of a full operatic rock band. Performers, that's exactly what they are; Every one of them is not merely a circus act, but a dancer, singer, and actor as well.

As someone working in the arts industry, I am amazed and encouraged by their unashamed creativity, by their determination and devotion, by their heart, and by their love for excellence in everything they do.

You followers of Jesus should be examples of those qualities, and many more. Strive in all you do.

Reality

I'm just in the middle of watching through the "making of" of Narnia, and did you know, that the wonderful scene where Lucy first walks into Narnia was almost real? The actress, Georgie Henley, was put into costume, blindfolded, and was filmed as she literally saw the movie set for the first time. The director wanted to capture her expression of wonder and amazement as realistically as possible.

Experience life in person. Be there, live it, feel it, love it. Going to a sports game is always better than just watching it on TV. Gifts are more interesting than certificates. Real watches are nicer than knock-offs. Being with your loved one is always better than just chatting online.

And there's more than just being in person. Reality is about truth and trust. Being real, as much as being in the real. That means being truthful, not being a hypocrite, and standing up for your beliefs and convictions.

Enjoy, and live a fulfilled life.

CSI: Effect

Face it. Media affects our lives. Take a look at the hit television series, CSI... Over 100 episodes of riveting forensics suspense. Entertaining, educational, and emotional. But how does it change our lives?

Well since the show came out, universities and colleges have had a major influx of applicants to their forensic sciences and criminology programs. And criminals have become smarter: using things they've learned from the show, like bleach to clean the crime scene.

And what's funny, is some of the aspects of the show aren't even real. Like in the real world, there's actually dozens of people involved in the forensics and investigation, all highly specialized. The person who does the arrest doesn't actually do the forensics work themselves.

Whether we choose to believe it or not, media really does change how you think and feel. It sets fashions, determines purchases, and changes morals and politics.

So is it really affecting your life? Try the Full Tilt Media Challenge. Go 30 days while only listening to positive Christian music and media, and then go back to your old habits. You'll find a huge difference.

Academy Award Nominees

Sadly, this years Oscar nominees are looking pretty bleak. Hardly any decent and good films actually got nominated in the entire list. Most of the major nominations, and certainly the films that received the most nominations, are extremely artsy and stand outright against decent family values and morals. The only one that should even be of any interest, is Crash, for an intriguing storyline and brilliant editing.

As an avid movie-watcher, and someone who has been raised into the industry, here, in no particular order, is my list of the:

Most Under-Nominated Movies

• Cinderella Man
• Pride & Prejudice
• Batman Begins
• King Kong
• Corpse Bride
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Mr & Mrs. Smith

Well, it looks like my tastes in movies aren't going to win me an Oscar anytime soon... but at least my preferences place me right into the top grossing movies for 2005.

Christian Manga

Manga, the japanese form of comics, has really taken off in North America over the last year or two. Just walk into any bookstore, and you'll see shelves and shelves of the books, with over 100 new titles just in the last year.

All we need now is a new breed of christian cartoonists and mangaka's to step up to the plate and praise Jesus through their art! They don't have to be super-religious or bible stories... themes of christianity in every day life, family, and relationships work just fine, and already have widely-read secular versions of these types of stories. Testimonial comics and also becoming increasingly popular.

Here's a couple of noteworthy sites out there:

Serenity - christian manga series about a girl struggling with her life.

Alias Comic Publishing - Some interesting american-style comic books.

Comix35 - ministry involved in visual literature. They also have good lists of christian comics out there.

Reverend Fun - american-style daily comic strip.


There is a few of them out there, but we definitely need some of those bright Jesus-loving artists out there to get going and use those gifts that God gave them.

Journey of Kong

Alas, the journey has come to an end. Kong has come and gone.

For me, it has been an insightful and instructional travel over the past several months since I discovered the production diaries.

Since the first day of filming, Peter Jackson, the director of King Kong and Lord of the Rings, has been publishing online video diaries detailing the creation of this cinematical marvel. Every 3-7 days, a free video would be posted, where Peter himself talked about each aspect of production, and answered questions that were posted on the Kong is King fansite.

Everything from the types of cameras and a day in the life of a film reel, to the filming of "bigatures" and the 3D modelling of Kong. The diaries have been a fantastic film study and essential in showing a true behind-the-scenes look on exactly how a movie is made. Sadly, they are not completely available for free anymore, so you'll have to buy the DVD set.

Viewing the original 1933 production of King Kong, in all it's colorized glory, brings you even farther into the mind of a director. Seeing how they've redone the scenes and various elements from the original film, as well as which are new, and which were left out.

And finally, the 2005 film itself. Awesome from beginning to end. Sure to be a winner of countless Oscars. Really, you have to see it for yourself, and on the big silver screen.

Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

It's fantastic. That's all you need to hear. Now go and see it. Even the people over at cinematical agree.

Seriously though, it's a beautiful tale, well told and true to the original books. Despite his original reluctance to his stories being adapted for film, I think C.S. Lewis would have been more than pleased with the results.

More than just pretty pictures and excellent acting, the story and message behind the premiere movie in the series is loved is by Focus on the Family to the point that they have released all sorts of additional material to share the message of the film.

Go and see this film... it's an epic adventure to rival that of Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter.

Aslan is on the move.

A Taste of the Dream

My house was a total zoo today. A mess of people, wires, bright lights, and expensive equipment filled every space.

A film crew was making use of my home to film an episode of the popular comedy home-reno show Me, My House & I. I won't spoil the surprise, but I can tell you that they didn't actually renovate anything, and in fact, brought in this amazing Lamborghini to park in my driveway.

It was awesome having a film crew working through my home. The only trouble was... the house may have been mine, but the crew wasn't! I can't wait for the day when my family and I will be heading up even larger crews to direct family-oriented TV programming, feature films, and new multimedia.

Just a little taste of the dream.

Christian Theater

Theater is potentially one of the greatest grounds for outreach, and one of the most difficult to enter. Sadly, Christian theater has been limited to amateur productions and additional fluff to sunday morning church services. The theater community itself is also a particularily difficult one for Christians to enter. I have close ties with the community, and can tell you that a significant number of them are either gay, and or hostile to christianity.

Let's do some math for a moment. A Broadway sized production will typically play for about 2 weeks, at maybe 8 shows. In a building that seats about 1500. We're already ranking up amongst the top 100 churches. Now take it on tour. The biggest cities in North America. While you're at it, don't foget to add CD's, videos, and sheet music.

Now is that impact or what?

The only thing that's even come close to it is !Hero: the Rock Opera

Let's pray that more Christians take an interest in using their God-given talents for God. Like this small group of theater writers.

Clean Clubbing

What do you get when you take a hit nightclub, remove the alcohol, remove the drugs, remove the grinding and groping, and remove the negative music?

Club 3 Degrees is your answer, and it's bigger and better than any other club in town.

It's Saturday night in Minneapolis's warehouse district, and the revelers are on the loose. They're staggering from one bar to another, shouting and belching and gallivanting in a booze-fueled bacchanal. But at the biggest venue of all, Club 3 Degrees, a different scene is unfolding. There's no cigarette smoke, and the only spirits around are the ones you can't sip. Up onstage, gospel singer Karen Clark-Sheard is glorifying God with rich vocals and personal testimony. "Give Jesus an ovation," she tells the audience. "I don't know what you come to do, but I come to get my praise on."

Read the rest of the MSNBC article.

Desensitized Nation

Ever sit down and watch an old episode of the Lone Ranger, or Happy Days? Seems like it was made for little children doesn't it? When they were originally on the air, they were the height of prime time programming.

Today, we're stuck with filth. Take a look at an episode of Tripping the Rift, Desperate Housewives, or some of the other top shows out there now. They're riddled with sex, drugs, and morals you're grandmother would be horrified by.

Video games are just as bad. We started with the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario, and now they're selling Grand Theft Auto in the malls. I don't remember Sonic or Mario ever screwing hookers, which is exactly what you can do in GTA.

To uphold the values of this nation, we must return to the original set of morals that were set in place by our christian forefathers who founded this country. We need a revival in family-oriented media. Support family-oriented media!

New Era for Art

I was in Niagara Falls over the weekend, where I saw an inspiring display of art, design, and multimedia.

At the main entrance to the Niagara Fallsview Casino, is the Teslatron.

This amazing fountain is dedicated to Nikola Tesla,
the inventor of the tesla coil, and the alternating-current.

Every evening, the fountain turns into a multimedia spectacle. The actors' dialogue, sound effects, and environment lighting are integrated into the entire room to support the fountain's display. The inner core and fringing around the fountain is built of large-pixel LCD screens, which change colour and display animated bubbles and wild electric current running along the entire fountain, as well as the skylight supports.

In short, the Teslatron appears to be overloading as desperate scientists attempt to keep it under control. Animated electricity runs wildly throughout the structure and building supports, as the fountain slowly fills. At it's climax, seen on the right, lights are shining wildly, and water splashes and spills from the fountain into the pool below.

The era of art is changing. Statues and fountains are no longer static. They kinetically portray their story in a broad mix of multimedia!

Any other good examples of this change in culture and arts? Let me know.

Prequel, Sequel, Remake

2005 is the year of the Prequels, Sequels, and Remakes!

Seems like film producers have started to run out of deals. Or perhaps it's just a phase they're going through.
Here's just a few off the top of my head:

• Anmityville Horror
• Assault on Precinct 13
• Batman Begins
• Be Cool
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Deuce Bigalo
• Dukes of Hazard
• Flight of the Phoenix
• Green Hornet
• Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire
• Herby: Fully Loaded
• Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
• Honeymooners
• King Kong
• Oliver Twist
• Phantom of the Opera
• Pink Panther
• Ring 2
• Son of the Mask
• Star Wars: Episode 3
• War of the Worlds
• XXX: State of Union

(if you can think of any more, let me know)

Gotham City: Ottawa

Saw the new Batman Begins movie last night. It was fantastic. Way beyond any Batman film to date, and it even beats most of the latest slew of cinema based on comics. A definate must-see.

During the film, a strange coincidence dawned on me. Our Nation's Capital, Ottawa, can be likened to the dark metropolis of Batman's Gotham City.

The cities share these in common:

• corrupt liberal political leaders
• political leaders who have ties with the mob
• government promotes mass drug use
• liberal leaders conducting shady deals at midnight
  
• the evil city leaders lie, cheat, and steal from the people

What we need, is a real-life Batman! Someone who is willing to fight the injustice in the Canadian society. Fight for what's right and good. Take the capturing of criminals into his own hands, and aid in delivering justice to the Canadian people!

Maybe call him CanadianGooseMan, or MooseMan, or maybe even MosquitoMan!

Whatever his costume or sign may be, turn on the searchlights, and shine his sign high into the skies over our fair city!