The Devil’s Playground - Part 3

Recently, I talked to a young lady who was working in church media. She shared her experiences while she was in Hollywood. She had graduated from a Christian school in Los Angeles that offered an excellent film program. She had landed an internship with a major studio and was on track with her career. By all counts, she was in the process of making it. But she had problems dealing with the people. Many of the crew members used crude and suggestive language, and even though it wasn’t directed toward her, she had difficulty dealing with the situation and decided she couldn’t work in Hollywood. Obviously this is not good behavior nor do I condone it. I’m not saying she didn’t love the people, but you have to be able to work with people who do not follow Christian morals and values. How else will you be able to influence them if you are not there. That’s the whole purpose of a media missionary.

Third, you need resolution and determination. You will have the door slammed in your face countless times. Can you live with that and continue to fight on? Breaking into Hollywood and the mainstream industry is a challenge. Your resolution and determination has to be rock solid. It could take you two years just to get your foot in the door and another two to three years to have a legitimate shot at making a living in this business. Can you live two years without an income? That’s what it might take.

Fourth, you will need energy. There is no 8-hour or 10-hour day in the world of media, TV or film. No weekends off and little or no downtime. Most of the shoots I have been on are typically anywhere from 12 – 16 hours. Can you do that for weeks at a time? It looks fun from the outside, but once you are there, it’s hard work.

Fifth, you will especially need wisdom. If you are going to navigate successfully in this industry, it requires wisdom. Which jobs do you work on? Which jobs do you not work on? How do you balance your faith in a hostile environment? No easy answers here. You will need to ask God for wisdom every single day.

You’ve started your journey, and this is your road map for success. This book won’t answer all of your questions, but it will get you started in the right direction. If God has called you to be a media missionary, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. You know there’s something inside of you that you may not be able to explain to other people, but it’s driving you towards something bigger than yourself.