Film Camp Day 3—Lights, Camera, Action

Day 3 of the film camp is hands down the most challenging and work intensive day of the entire camp. Now it’s time to put everything that has been learned in the classroom into practice. With scripts, storyboards, and shot lists prepared and ready to go, it’s time to move into production. Let’s make a movie.

We started the day off with an interactive, production workshop where director Isaac Stambaugh and cinematographer Russ Beckner demonstrated how to visually shoot a scene. We brought in two actors and used a prepared script to illustrate blocking, coverage and shot composition. It was one final time to see how the pros do it.

But the real purpose was to demonstrate how crews conduct themselves on professional sets. There are certain protocols and set etiquette that must be followed in order to work as a team and complete the project. Students had an opportunity to ask questions. One thing that became obvious during this demonstration is the fact that the scene was shot several times from multiple angles.

After lunch the teams were cut loose and were ready to take matters into their hands. At last, it was lights, camera, and action. Most of the teams elected to stay on campus to cut down on travel time. They had a little over seven hours to complete principle photography.

After about three hours, I went around and started talking to crew members about their experiences. The majority expressed one common theme that this was far more difficult than they imagined. Although many of the students in the class had previously used cameras and had shot some of their own short films, this film camp was their first opportunity to work in a structured environment.

They were used to grabbing a couple of friends and going out and shooting something off the cuff. Now they were working with schedules, scripts, and actors. They also realized that every time they moved from location to location in and of itself was a labor intensive and time consuming effect. Packing and unpacking the equipment and moving people in unison was no easy matter. As the day went on, the pressure started to mount. Some of the teams fell behind schedule and had to make some adjustments to put themselves back on track. It’s all part of the learning process.

I have to say that every team was very ambitious and creative. From rabbits, clowns, and all other sorts of props, I expect to see some amazing films on Friday. They all worked hard and put in an enormous effort to finish on time. Of course, the good news is they managed to get all the shots they needed and are ready to move into postproduction.

I talked to Elise, one of the students. I asked her how do you feel things went. She said the day was long and the work was hard, especially being out in the woods with the bugs and the heat. Her team had a few challenges to overcome, but they got the job done. The important thing was she said they had fun. Isn’t that really what it’s all about?

If you want to work in this business as a filmmaker, you are going to have to enjoy it and have fun. As Elise found out, the magic rubs off fast, and the reality that making movies is a lot of hard work starts to set in.

Jarrett setting the controls

A strange brand of happy

Marcus and Jesse

production workshop

Josh and Grant

Fluffy the rabbit

Chelsea

Jarrett the director at work

Hannah,Caleb Jarrett and Actor

On location in the woods

Getting the shot

production workshop

Madeline checking out the script

Film Camp Day 2—Going Technical

Sixteen high school students working in three teams are racing in an effort to finish their film projects by Friday at 2:00 p.m. Today’s challenge was to finish their script, complete their story boards and shot list, and be prepared to go into production on Wednesday morning.

We’ve thrown a lot at them in a short time. Camp coordinator Isaac Stambaugh summed it up best when he said, “It’s like getting one year’s work of film school in five days.” We billed this as a beginner’s camp, but in reality it resembles a combination of a beginners, intermediate, and advanced camp all rolled into one. We told our students we want you to be proud of what you complete this week. As a result, we are giving them all of the resources and information necessary to produce an outstanding film. Of course, they have to put in the effort and be willing to do the work.

Throughout the day, they were introduced to a lot of new terms, like white balance, B roll, 24 frame, depth of field, aperture, F-stop, iris, rule of thirds, the 180 rule, color correction, blocking, coverage—I think you get the point. Today was all about going technical. It’s important to understand the lingo, what it means, and how to apply it.

The morning started off with a workshop on script-to-screen. Now that the teams had their scripts in hand, how do they make them a reality that can play on the screen. It’s all about having a plan and being organized when you go out and shoot the movie.

The highlight of the day was a workshop from Russ Beckner on camera operation and cinematography. Russ is a veteran of the film and video industry. He now owns his own company and produces media for multiples organizations.

By this time, everybody wanted to get their hands on the equipment. For most of the class, it was their first opportunity working with professional grade gear. Russ took them through the entire process of how to use and operate the DVX-100 camera. They also learned how to properly set up the tripod and use boom mics to capture live audio. Russ also took them through all the essentials needed for proper framing and shot composition.

Camera classes are essentially a two-step process. First, you have to understand the technology and how to use it. But equally important is the artistic element which must be understood. It’s not just about pointing the camera at an object but learning how to tell an effective story through the camera lens.

The final class of the day came from Isaac Stambaugh as he talked about the principle of low-budget filmmaking. Isaac used his latest film, It Smells Like Community Spirit, as an example of what can be accomplished with little money but a whole lot of hard work and determination.

Each team spent the last hour making final preparations making calls to secure actors and locations, finding props and other logistical concerns. Within just two short days, they were on the road to becoming legitimate filmmakers.

Hannah, Elise and Caleb making a list and checking it twice

Madeline and Jesse going over the game plan

Jarrett putting on his producer's hat

Russ doing his thing

Elise working out the final details

Edie and Chelsea checking out the camera

Film Camp—The Journey Begins

Yesterday, we started our summer film camp for high school students. It’s a joint effort between Media Missionary School and the Vineyard Community Church. Honestly, this is my favorite time of the year. Watching a group of high schoolers give up a valuable week of their summer vacation to learn the art of filmmaking is really something to see. You absolutely have to love this stuff to sit through classroom time while all your friends are at the pool.

The challenge is to make a short film in only five days. Easier said than done. They have to come up with an original idea, write a script, acquire locations and actors, shoot the film, and then edit their project by 2:00 on Friday afternoon.

It’s an enormous amount of work that requires a combined team effort to accomplish the goal of producing what amounts to be a mini-movie. I have a feeling that this camp may be the best one we have ever had. They seem highly energetic and ready for the challenge.

Our theme for this camp is “Lost and Found and Other Unforeseen Circumstances”. It’s up to each team to decide how to interpret the theme. It’s amazing to see the creativity and the direction that each team ultimately decides to pursue. Frankly, they come up with stories that I would never have thought of. They must include this line of dialogue: That’s a strange brand of happy. Also, within their short film, they must show a red balloon.

And finally, they invite their family and friends to a world premier on Friday at 3:00 p.m. It may not be a black tie affair, but it certainly has the feel of a red carpet event.

Day One: Things got off with a bang as Brad Wise, writer of two feature films, Fenced Off and A Strange Brand of Happy, lead a workshop on story structure. Brad really knows his stuff as he took the class through numerous writing exercises and an in-depth analysis of character development. Afterwards, teams broke out into their individual sessions with their team leaders: Kyle Hamilton, Ron Calhoun, and Thomas Green. It’s during this time that they actually start the process of writing a story.

After a quick lunch, it’s on to the production workshop with Isaac Stambaugh. Writing a story is one thing, but figuring out how to execute it is an entirely different matter. Isaac explained the entire process from development, pre-production, production, and post-production. Isaac has served as a first assistant director and unit manager for three feature films so he certainly understands the mechanics of making a movie.

One of the things that makes our camp so unique is the fact that we bring in working professionals who actually work in the industry and know what they are talking about. It’s our goal to provide practical information which can lead to a career in the media and entertainment business.

At 4:00 p.m. we had the final workshop of the day. I’m sure by then everybody was ready to go home, but I told them to just give me one more hour because this workshop may very well be the most important one of the entire class. I asked the question what is your story. Do you believe God is at work in Hollywood? What do you think God’s heart is for Hollywood and the entertainment industry? That’s a lot to throw at high schoolers on the first day. But those are important questions because it’s not always about making pretty pictures. I asked the class to stop for a second and think about what they are doing and why they do it. I also challenged them to think about a calling and if God could be calling them to be media missionaries. As I said, our film camps are different. And this was just the first day. I can’t wait to see what they come up with and how things unfold today.

Camp coordinator Lori Roberds with Brad's new baby

Kyle Hamilton's team hard at work

Isaac Stambaugh Mr. filmmaker

The writer " Brad Wise "

Thomas Green and team

An Act of Worship

Entertainment is American’s number one export. Throughout the world, Hollywood’s influence can be found in every corner. I consider Hollywood to be the world’s most influential mission field. That’s why it is so important that we discover how God is at work in the entertainment industry. Due to our modern, Western, evangelistic philosophy, we have embraced a platonic separation of the sacred and the secular. We believe that we understand what are and what are not acceptable acts of worship. What if everything we do in our life is an act of worship. The Bible proclaims in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” NLT Therefore everything we do is an act of worship, including making movies or television programs. If we truly believe this scripture, our lives would change and our approach to everything we do would change.

God can use all forms of media including movies to express His glory and power. Almost anything we believe, whether about our culture, our nation, society or about ourselves can be found in our media. And, for many people, how they view God is also found in the movies. Movies express our wants, fears, hurts and desires. Media, particularly films, can shape public perception, educate, and enlighten all of us. They can offer us insight into the human condition and our desire to find truth. They challenge us to consider our life choices as well as the pathway that we are currently pursuing.

Many today consider movies, television shows, and the media in general to be the “new church” for this generation. This new church defines who we are as a people and what we believe to be true about ourselves and our world. It’s power is undeniable, and God is in it. We must learn how to use it honestly and effectively.

The Red Pill - Book Review

There is typically an "us and them" mentality when it comes to followers of Christ in Hollywood. In this book the writer Harold Hay has done an excellent job of providing a framework by which Christians and Church leaders can begin to understand the dynamics at play in producing mainstream media. Of which their creators have an enormous shaping influence on beliefs, values, and cultures around the world. He also emphasizes the need for the Church to invest time and effort into actually understanding those who are shaping our culture rather than wholesale abandonment of them and the shows they produce.

For anybody who is considering a career in the mainstream entertainment industry this book will help you think through the struggles you will likely face on a daily basis and how you can prepare ahead of time for the journey. I particularly like the author's "formula for success" used to evaluate what it takes to "become successful" in motion pictures and TV, which accurately and sometimes hilariously identifies key character traits and choices that must be addressed before risking it all to make it in Hollywood.

By Kurt Tuffendsam. Kurt is a filmmaker who lives in Burbank California. He has spent the last ten years working in the mainstream entertainment industry, as a producer, post supervisor and editor of feature films.

Five Theories of How Media Impacts Culture

Over the years, several theories have come to light concerning the relationship between media and culture. How does media and culture interact? Have we created a media culture where the two have merged and become indistinguishable from each other? I am convinced that media currently is more an originator of culture than merely a reflector of culture.

Media is an Originator of Culture

Media drives and creates culture by directly and indirectly impacting individuals’ attitudes, values, and behaviors as well as our institutions and collective, shared consciousness.

Media Functions as an Amplifier of Culture

Media searches for new cultural shifts, concepts, and trends, which are incorporated and reflected within the media and, in turn, the media acts as an amplifier to increase their strength and influence. The message then is communicated to the culture, which is accepted in greater numbers, which again is picked up by the media. And the process continues to repeat itself.

Media Identifies and Directs the Culture to Consider What is Important

Media does not tell us how to think but what to think about. When certain events or topics are incorporated into current media, they are elevated to an important status. By deciding not to cover certain events or by omitting or ignoring topics, media therefore conveys the idea that they are not important and are not worthy of our consideration or discussion.

Media is a Reflector of the Culture

Media has no direct impact on the culture, but merely reflects current views and opinions of our society. Media serves as a messenger and, therefore, is not responsible for its content.

The Medium is the Message

The medium or the media is an extension of our ideas, senses and thought processes. The extension will always bring about some form of change within the culture. This change is often unnoticed, misunderstood and not necessarily linked to the medium or the extension. We tend to focus on the content of the message but overlook the character of the medium or the process of change which ultimately occurs within our culture.

Producer DeVon Franklin discusses how he mixes faith and his career

Producer DeVon Franklin discusses how he mixes faith and his career from Media Missionary School on Vimeo.