Comedy Is For The Dogs

This is a scene created for a workshop for the media missionary school film camp students to observe set protocol and production efficiency.

Super 8

These days, most of the movies I see are either on DVD or Blu-ray. Nothing wrong with that. Home theater has brought the theatrical experience to our doorstep. But, frankly, nothing beats going to see a movie on the big screen, especially during the summer months. Of course, that’s when the big blockbusters are released. I have one that is worthy of your time and money. Regardless of whether you see it on the small screen or big screen. J. J. Abrams’ newest film, Super 8, is a winner. It’s everything that we expect to see at the movies.

J. J. Abrams, who directed the film, knows how to tell a good story, especially when it involves mystery and intrigue. If you were a fan of Lost, you probably know he was the creative genius behind one of television’s most successful TV series. Although Super 8 might be billed as an action/adventure movie, it essentially is more of a character-driven film. That is a refreshing change considering the usual fair of material that is released during the summer.

Super 8 takes place in the fictional town of Lillian, Ohio, set in 1979. Joe Lamb a thirteen year-old, played by newcomer Joel Courtney, is recruited by his best friend, Charles Kaznyk, played by Riley Griffiths, to help him make his low-budget zombie movie using his super 8 film camera. Yes, there was a time before the digital video camera was invented. You actually had to shoot film and wait 3 days to have it processed.

Joe’s main job is to recruit Alice, played by Ellie Fanning, for the movie. Charles realized that he needed more than just special effects to make his film, and Alice will provide the dramatic affect necessary to tell a good story.

The wannabe filmmakers shoot a critical scene at a remote train station where a spectacular train wreck occurs. They drop the camera and run for safety. Unknowing to the young filmmakers. the super 8 camera continues to roll capturing what appears to be a creature emerging from the destruction. There are also strange cubes strewn throughout the wreckage.

Soon the kids are converged upon by military units. They grab the camera and make a hasty escape. Over the next few days strange phenomena starts to occur throughout the town. All of the dogs from the town for no good reason are found miles away in neighboring towns. Kitchen appliances, car engines and power lines start to disappear.

Soon the military invades the peaceful town of Lillian. U. S. Air Force Col. Nelec (Noah Emmerich) plays the heavy as he searches for his missing cargo. This is just the beginning of the mystery and suspense that is about to unfold. And, of course, our heroes are in the middle of it all.

As I said, Super 8 is a superior film. I felt I was in a time warp and transported back to the 1970s. It was like I was watching Close Encounters of a Third Kind and ET all over again. One of the reasons why this film works is certainly the nostalgic angle. The man behind this film is none other then producer Stephen Spielberg doing what he does best.

J. J. Abrams has certainly embraced Stephen Spielberg’s filmmaking philosophy as it is present throughout the film. Super 8 is in the tradition of Goonies, Hook, Jurasic Park, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and other Spielberg classics.

Spielberg loves to do movies about ordinary people in ordinary places facing extraordinary circumstances. Super 8 meets all of that criteria with Weirton, West Virginia, my wife’s hometown, filling in for the fictional Lillian, Ohio. Another trait of Spielberg are films told with a childlike, naive sense of wonder and faith. I think Joe, Charles and Alice are classic examples. Spielberg also loves themes that express coming-of-age. Super 8 also offers an innocent love story between young Joe and Alice.

And, finally, many of Spielberg’s movies revolve around parent-child relationships, especially reluctant, absent or ignorant fathers. In Super 8 Joe and his relationship to his father, Jackson Lamb, (Kyle Chandler) is strained due to the recent death of Joe’s mother. Jackson has emotionally shut down and is nonresponsive to his son.

Sure, there are plenty of other movies that might offer more action, special effects and CGI. But if you are looking for a real story with strong themes of forgiveness and reconciliation, then Super 8 is for you.

This is one you will want to purchase when it becomes available that you will play again and again. It is currently playing at your local megaplex.

Have Faith

Imagine being lost in the woods. Your girlfriend has just broken up with you and you don't know where you stand spiritually. This is the story of John Maxwell ( Harison Bingam ) in this epic story of transformation, one learns that miracles do occur.

Media Missionary School Film Camp 2011 Short Film. Created by Chelsea Carter, Josh Helbling, Chris Kuhne, Sean Montgmery, and Grant Stiles.
The team was supervised by Thomas Green.

The Antagonist

Infamous for a life of crime. The Antagonist is faced with the ego-shattering dismissal from the prestigious Brotherhood of Evil. Fueled by his desire for re-acceptance and accompanied by his rabbit Fluffy, he sets out to design a plan more dastardly than ever before. However, after a series of fortunate events, he is forced to make a decision that could change his life forever.

Media Missionary School Film Camp 2011 Short Film. Created by Edie Alexander, Madeline Burke, Jesse Cupp, Marcus King, Griffin Roberts, and Daniel Timko.
The team was supervised by Kyle Hamilton.

Ballooniverse

When a young girl named Susan finds her precious balloon missing, she discovers three heroes to help her find it. As they journey through the park they uncover a disturbing truth that maybe the balloon is not as it seems to be.

Media Missionary School Film Camp 2011 Short Film. Created by Jarett Engeseth, Hannah Goodwin, Will Haussler, Elise Knuckels, Caleb Smiley.
The team was supervised by Ron Calhoun and Travis Thompson.


Ballooniverse from Media Missionary School on Vimeo.

Film Camp Day 5—It’s a Wrap

Wow! What a week. We’ve reached the final day, and it’s a mad rush to the finish line. With only five hours to go to a 2:00 p.m. deadline, all three of our teams are in high gear to complete their films. Friday morning is when reality starts to set in. Choices must be made, and compromises are the order of the day.

One team started the day with an 8 and a half minute rough cut. They will have to get it down to 3 minutes. Not an easy thing to accomplish. There are sound tracts, sound effects, dissolves, and cuts, which will all have to be taken into account. Some teams haven’t even decided on a title for their movie. And don’t forget, your project requires end titles and credits. So many choices and so little time.

But that’s really the whole point of the camp. We want to create a real world experience. What would it be like to work professionally in the media, television or film industry? Well, the truth is there are real deadlines and consequences. Tough choices. No one ever gets all the resources, budget or personnel that they would like to have. We design our film camp so that our students face the same choices and decisions as in real life.

It seems like the next five hours takes place in a blink of an eye. Everybody has a job to do, and the clock become our opponent. Is the DVD cover finished? What about the poster? Who’s doing the pitch? At 3:00 p.m. the world premier will take place. There will soon be a room full of people waiting to see your movie. That’s what makes this final day so exciting.

By 2:00 p.m., the teams are finally near the end. But, like in most years, we are now in the overtime period and sprinting toward the finish line. There are always unforeseen problems that pop up. Not only do you have to finish your movie, but you have to compress your files to a format that can be used for a DVD. That adds extra time to the process.

By 3:00 p.m., the house was full, and my partner, Isaac, was back in the edit bay finalizing the DVD to be used for the screening. Our students are learning firsthand about the importance of schedules and deadlines. Luckily, the DVD finally arrives at 3:10. p.m.

For the next hour, we get to enjoy three amazing films. I’m absolutely stunned with what they accomplished considering the restraints that they had to face. Of course, we could have given them more time. And we realize their films could have been better, but I’m convinced they learned more by having to make the hard choices. Just like in real life, we have to learn what to leave in and what to take out.

The first film reviewed was The Ballooniverse, a story about a young girl named Susan who discovers her precious balloon is missing. She finds three heroes to help her on her journey through the park. They soon uncover a disturbing truth that maybe the balloon is not as it seems to be.

The second film reviewed was Have Faith, a story about John Maxwell who has just broken up with his girlfriend. As he stumbles through the woods, he will soon have an encounter that will change his life forever.

And the last film reviewed was The Antagonist. This is a story about a man infamous for a life of crime. Dismissed from his prestigious brotherhood of evil, he sets out to design a plan more dastardly than ever before.

The critics are in. All three films were a rousing success. After talking to several friends and parents afterwards, this year’s camp was clearly a very satisfying experience. In our final session, we shared ten tips on what you can do now to prepare for a career in film, television and media. We talked about film schools, how to break into the industry, and other future projects.

We want to thank everybody, especially the students who worked so hard and put everything they had into this week. Thanks to the parents for their support as well. And, of course, we want to thank all of the instructors who gave up their time to participate in this year’s camp. And finally much appreciation to Isaac Stambaugh and the Vineyard Community Church in Springdale, Ohio.

Sean, Josh, Grant, Chelsea, Chris and Thomas

Elise, Jarrett, Caleb, Travis, Hannah and Will

Kyle, Daniel, Griffin, Madeline, Edie, Jesse and Marcus

Madeline and Edie working on final edit

Deadline nears

Jarrett at work

Film Camp Day 4—Fade to Black

Something special starts to happen by the fourth day of camp. Students who did not know each other when they started on Monday are now beginning to come together and think and act as a team. I saw friendships and bonds beginning to develop. It’s an amazing thing to see.

We started the day off with a workshop that I lead. Media literacy is a subject that is dear to my heart. I believe it should be taught in every school in America. None of us could imagine trying to function in our society without the ability to read and write. But in this day and age, it’s just as equally important to understand how media functions and influences us on a daily basis. Media has a language of its own with it’s unique subtext, structure and design.

At mid-morning, we started a two-hour editing class lead by Jonathan Marasco, who works professionally as an editor in a major production house. We edited with Final Cut Pro, which is an industry standard. In fact, many Hollywood films are edited on this system. It’s a complex piece of software and takes many years to master. However, Jonathan did a good job going over the theory of editing and the basic tools that will be needed for the teams to complete their projects.

After lunch, it was time to get down to business as each team started the process of editing. There was a lot to accomplish in a short span of time. The editors had a ton of material to go through and many choices to make. The goal was to complete a rough cut by the end of the day. A rough cut is a version of your project with all of the edits you want in the right places. It doesn’t include music, titles or color correction nor does it correct audio issues.

However, not everyone could edit at the same time. So some team members were responsible for designing a DVD cover and a movie poster using Photoshop, while other members used social media and other forms of communication to promote tomorrow’s world premier at 3:00 p.m. in the Vineyard’s healing center. This is open to the public, and you are welcome to attend.

Each team also designated a writer who was responsible to come up with a pitch and synopsis for tomorrow’s screening. As you can see, this kept everybody busy throughout the remainder of the day.

I was pleased to see all the teams having fun and really tapping into their creativity. At this point, they were absolutely into it and could see the possibilities of what their project could become. I guess that’s what this week is all about—discovering your passion and unlocking your potential. Are there future filmmakers and media makers in this group?