Chronicles of a Filmmaker

Influence in the Power of Life and Death, Part 2: Great Power and Responsibility

2009-03-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

In the first part of this article I gave some examples on the influence of Media, particularly Film and Television. Media can actually be used to slowly decay our culture or greatly empower the culture to greatness. Certainly it can also be used to make or break a politician's career or even publicly shame or humiliate anyone who gets targeted and it can happen at any time. I believe that a lot of the examples I discovered in my studies are relevant even today and perhaps you will realize that just turning off the television or staying away from the video store (although sometimes I would recommend it) does not always solve the problem.

I would say that those who argue the point that if "you don't like it don't watch it" need to realize that living life (with or without Media) is a lot like the experience of driving a car - no matter how good you drive, you have no control over how the other drivers are driving. You must learn to respond and react appropriately to the poor decisions of other drivers. No... I'm not saying that I'm perfect or that "I've arrived" nor am I saying that I am the best driver in the world. But what I am saying is that just turning off the television in my house doesn't necessarily keep my children safe (or me) from negative media. Because a whole bunch of other folks in the neighborhood are probably still out there watching it and no matter how well I teach my kids what is right and wrong, or how well I behave in society - there is always that potential threat that we all may be forced (with no choice in the matter) to respond to someone who has been negatively influenced by it.

Granted, putting my kids and your kids (and even ourselves) in front of positive film and television can be a great benefit in wonderful ways bringing the experience of hope, education, and inspiration. The trick is not to let it replace the time that we need to spend with our children or our families and time to disciple our children in the ways of the LORD. Naturally children are the most vulnerable to the power of media - but actually none of us are immune to its effects as I've shared.

One of the powerful aspects of filmmaking is that it is a compelling way of sharing stories and getting a point across to the audience. Telling stories is the means that the Greatest Storyteller of all time used to get His point across. Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah told stories that His audience could relate to with the purpose of sharing His message about the Kingdom and it changed the world. When people hear a story told to them, it is really a great tool the storyteller uses to truly hammer home a point. Think of the influence of telling stories through film.

If you are considering this form of expression as a career or calling, I want you to consider the importance of understanding that this is not about becoming famous or having a platform to share whatever mood we are feeling at the moment. Not everything that comes to our mind is valuable or profitable. Our hearts can deceive us many times as to what is truly good and right. Consider the fact that this medium is so powerful that you better have your act together before you so carelessly seek to express one "idle word" through it. I believe what the Bible says about the tongue (having the power of life and death) can speak to this - imagine combining these words of "the tongue" into a media image with special effects, inspiring music, compelling acting, and drawing in an audience who has just let you into their minds and hearts to hear what you have to say. Do you really have a clue what you're saying? Is your mind renewed in the Truth? Are you being careless? Is this a waste of time? You know, it takes hours and hours of hard work to get a film or documentary made. And we must lay a proper foundation in order to properly engage our audiences. We must or we will find ourselves highly accountable in the end.

It does well for us to realize that whatever work we put out can cause some serious damage and further harm to our culture - or we can have a great opportunity to speak life and be a part of bringing healing and hope to that culture. We have the ability to encourage and inspire a soul - which the end result of that seed -the fruit of that seed does indeed have eternal consequences.

What I want to leave you with is the understanding of the higher calling and responsibility you have as a filmmaker and the necessity to not violate the trust of those who enter into a relationship with you when they view your projects. There is a great influence and power you have in your hands as you take your audience down a road they may or may not want to go. Because when they make a decision to watch your film and the first scene fades in and the opening credits begin - the powerful music, acting, and other elements of the film (if it is properly crafted together) will most likely draw that viewer in and if the viewer is engaged by the material, he or she is now trusting that film to enter into an intimate place. And once your story enters in, they will find it hard to resist the underlying message that will penetrate their very souls.

Consider the great message of Spiderman, my favorite comic book character, that really hits home this point that "With great power comes Great responsibility." Life and death is truly in the power of our tongues. May we use our gifts and talents as filmmakers with an understanding that this is a way we are speaking to the culture and we will either speak life or death. And we have no idea who will be influenced by what we are saying and how it will impact the lives of those who are watching and listening.

Influence in the Power of Life and Death, Part 1: The Influence of Hollywood and Media

2009-03-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

By Tom Swift
President
Awaken Pictures, Inc.

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words and certainly one picture posted on the Internet can certainly influence millions with the click of the mouse. Since the invention of the motion picture camera in the late 1800s, one can only imagine what kind of influence these moving pictures have made when they have passed before our eyes at 24 frames per second.

The entertainment industry certainly gets accused in various places across America, on talk radio programs, and debated among our leaders in Washington, in forums consisting of concerned parents and religious leaders - they all seem to point the finger on a daily basis at the "threat" of Television and Film and it's "dangerous and dark influence" on our culture. Is it really true? Can't folks just turn the television off or just stay away from the local movie theater or video store if they don't like it?

When determining what to write in these chronicles, speaking from the point of view as a filmmaker and journalist, I realized that it might be best to first look into my archives of research that I did in the 1990s when I looked into the influence of Media on our society and culture and share that with you. I mean, that's the forum that I am engaged in - and that is the outlet that I am called to express the talents that God has given me. So if you are interested in pursuing this career path or calling or are already engaging the culture in this way - maybe you are taking your responsibility for granted. Maybe you actually are blind enough to think that whatever you say or do doesn't make a difference. Maybe you are blind enough to think it's just about making money or being in the spotlight. Please consider that there is so much more at stake here.

Certainly advertisers are willing to pay millions to air their commercials during the Superbowl. They are willing to pay top dollar in that medium to get the word out about their products. What is it that the advertisers see?

Just consider these interesting tidbits about media impact:

-SAT scores began taking a plunge in 1964 as those kids took the tests had been the first generation that grew up watching television for the first time (New York Newsday article ""What can we do about our kids?", January 8, 1992;p. 39)

-After the movie Babe opened in Bangkok, one restaurant owner told the Nation Newspaper that his sales of roasted piglets had dropped from more than a 200 a day to fewer than 100 after the film opened even though Pork is a staple of the Thai diet. (New York Newsday compiled from news-service reports - March 30, 1996 - page A07 -"You can't make this stuff up")

-Premiere magazine reported about Top Gun, the highest grossing movie of 1986: "The military achieved its goal of increased recruiting." ("Hollywood Courts Uncle Sam" by Rod Lurie; September 1989 - page 37 to 40)

-In 1983 there was report of a strong increase in US homicides immediately after heavyweight championship prizefights. The more publicized the prizefights, the more the increase in homicides. This was a study [Phillips 1983] of the effects of mass media violence in the real world (Sociology [Second Edition] by Beth B. Hess, Elizabeth W. Markson, Peter J. Stein; Copyright 1985 - Macmillan Publishing Co; page 510.)

-Adolph Hitler used the medium of film to manipulate the people of Germany. Louis L. Snyder in the First Book of World War II (c. 1958 - Franklin Watts, Inc.; Page 87) comments that "it is difficult to understand how he (Hitler) gained such power
over intelligent people."

Hitler's favorite film "Metropolis" (1926) which diminished men into wooden puppets and political problems into romantic abstractions" (A Short History of Movies [Fourth Edition] by Gerald Mast; c.1986 - Macmillan Publishing Co.; page 135-154) was inspiration for the propaganda film "Triumph of the Will" featuring a Nazi rally and "Olympia" (1938) described as "blatant eulogies for Hitler, Nazism, and the Aryan race" and "the most successful propaganda films ever made" "Propaganda Film" - The Complete Film Dictionary by Ira Konigsberg; C. 1987 - Nal Penguin, Inc.; Page 279-280) Snyder points out that Hitler brought hope to Germany and pride in themselves as a people. But he burned all books that spoke for the freedom of dignity of the human spirit. He knew that people would be easier to lead once they got it out of their heads that they were capable of thinking for and ruling themselves ("The First Book of World War II" by Louis L. Snyder; C. 1958 - Franklin Watts, Inc.; Pg. 11-12) Because of the unfortunate brilliance in using media to control a population, even an intelligent people were unprepared for its influence, and a murderous tyrant rose to power, adding misfortune and tragedy to the pages of history.

This is just some minor trivia that hardly scratches the surface as to the Influence of Film and Television on the culture (and that doesn't even include other mediums like Radio, Videogames, and the Music Industry) We know for certain that motion picture footage has been known even to incite riots. Certainly, in this age with inexpensive equipment, everybody is a filmmaker if they can just figure out how to upload their homemade videos onto You Tube or Google Video. Once we upload our films, though, what kind of impact will we bring? In Part 2 of this article, I will attempt to hammer home the importance of that impact.

Laying a Strong Foundation, Part 1: Career or Calling

2009-03-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

By Tom Swift
President
Awaken Pictures, Inc.

If you have made the decision to pursue a career in filmmaking and have attempted to figure out how to make movies for a living, then this article is for you. The steps you take on this perilous journey must be taken with care. You must be prepared and preparation begins with good planning. The first and most important thing to do is to make sure you get started with a strong foundation. Try building something on sand and see how far it gets when a storm comes. Think about the three little pigs and just ask the wolf which one of these three little guys was wise: the one who built his house of straw, sticks, or brick? Learning this truth will keep you from sure disaster in the future. In layman filmmaker's terms this means you must make sure you have your priorities of life in order. If you don't have that foundation, then chaos will eventually come upon you. It's not just starting the journey with contacts, talent, and skills. It's about something that holds all those things and everything else together. I know this because I speak from the experience of someone who has been there.

I had made the decision 30 years ago that I wanted to be a filmmaker after seeing the movie Star Wars. I was 7 years old when Star Wars made its premiere in the movie theaters. This is a good time to mention this because this year Star Wars is celebrating its 30 Year Anniversary. Wow! 30 years ago seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars to this day is still one of my favorite movies of all time.

Now I am not going to go around promoting the New Age philosophy of Star Wars about a universal "Force" or anything like that. But I will say that this movie is a powerful story about hope, destiny, and adventure, and seeing this film really did something to me as a young man with no direction. When the large space ships, the explosions, the creatures, the droids, the sound effects, and the compelling orchestra all unfolded before me it sucked me in. I became a Star Wars geek like many of my friends playing with Star Wars figures and playing games like Tan Tans and Wampas (a silly game that one of us made up that was like Chicken Fights). At this time in my life, I had a broken home and it provided for me an escape in my imagination that God has used to inspire me to be a storyteller in this present generation. But here was the problem - I had a dream, but I was getting started with a broken foundation. In turn, much grief followed me into manhood. The cornerstone of that dream and vision was ME - it was all centered and focused on the wrong place. And this leads me to sharing with you the first step to laying a good foundation - laying the right cornerstone.

The cornerstone is the first stone laid down in building a stone building, and all other stones are set in connection to that stone, which then sets the standard for the rest of the building. If you have this wrong, you will be wasting your time with the rest of the building. Remember we are talking about your career and your life here. You get started with the wrong cornerstone then you will end up playing a game of Jenga with your life that is destined to collapse at some point. Sure you may still hold onto some of your wealth or your power and yeah, you may have some Academy Awards on your mantle... but in your heart of hearts, you will be in despair. You will be longing for something more and I wonder what your personal life will be like. You know what I'm talking about - your marriage, your kids, your family, your friendships - the things you may have sacrificed to obtain what only satisfies for a season. Then the important things - the true things that matter seem so far away - so hard to grasp.

For 30 long and painful years now I have pursued this career to make movies. I decided I wanted to get started as a filmmaker but at first it was all for the wrong reasons. I had this void in my life. I had emptiness in my life. I had not forgiven some people who had hurt me in my life. I had loneliness and a longing for love. I had guilt that overtook me which stemmed from my broken childhood. And sadly, I was religious but had no personal relationship with God through His Son Yeshua (Jesus). I had pride because I figured "I must have a greater purpose since the world has to revolve around me" -perhaps I felt this way because my life was so messed up and I did see some of my talents and abilities coming forth. I had a desire to express a larger than life world on a big screen through the escape from my pain, my grief, and my suffering; but I really didn't know why. Filmmaking became my dream, but beyond that it became my god - the one thing that I thought would fill my void and heal my wounds and I wanted to use it to make an impact on others (when I was just making it up as I went along). Then I must have thought everyone would someday look to me for answers, so they would ultimately love me and pay attention to that lost child. How foolish indeed.

And so, it wasn't until I realized that God is the center of everything, that I began laying that solid foundation. And it was a painful realization. I had to start all over. It was like playing a game and going through many levels and then losing the chip that saves the level you're at and you have to start all over. I realized everything else was on quicksand until that point. If only I'd read my Bible and looked there for answers, I would have been on my way a lot sooner. You see, there is a big difference between chasing after a self-centered dream and chasing after your destiny..

Yes, everything begins as a dream. But is this dream really your calling? Most of the time, I have found that people would smile when I told them I want to make films - it was like watching a baby trying to build something with blocks - "How cute," they'd say. But they didn't take it serious. How could they? They saw it as a dream that could only happen to select people; but not people like you and me. It was entertainment to them and that is like playing videogames to them and they didn't take it very seriously. They'd be thinking, "How can you truly provide for your family? If you were only smart and just put aside 'your dream' and did something like becoming a manager of a grocery store or being a dentist or something that is sure to make some money. (Naturally these other careers are all decent jobs and many hard-working folks do well in them - I'm just saying these things were taken more seriously than the choice of filmmaking as a career)." If you know that your desire to be a filmmaker is more than a dream, not a chasing after the wind, and that it is God's "calling" on your life - you will not have to worry about the scoffers and those who doubt. You can walk with assurance and confidence.

This one thing is imperative to know - because if He "calls" you to something, nobody can stop you from achieving it. Only our own faithlessness gets in the way. That is because now the cornerstone is established that the center of everything is the Messiah and when we are striving to something that is His will - then we can trust Him to lead us in that journey. We are no longer the blind leading the blind and with faith we can see beyond our circumstances. But if you are laying a foundation on something other than God...but are still longing for this career - be careful what you wish for. If you work hard at anything, most times you can achieve it - but if it is not your calling it can become the shackles and prison cell of your future and you will find yourself desperate to break free from it some day (which will be tiresome and trying, to say the least).

So if this is truly your calling and you realize this early enough - here is an opportunity to see your life bloom in all the beauty and expression that God ordained before the foundations of the earth. But it all begins with letting it all go and coming to terms with our sinful and self-centered aspirations. When we realize that God made us for His purposes, we can then go on, turning from our selves and doing what He created us for. If we think we are the center of it, we become worthless. If we realize He is the center of it -we are setting our sails toward our destinies and our dreams will become realities of fulfillment, purpose, meaning... not just dusty trophies on our mantles. And the greatest thing of all is that our personal lives will also be just as meaningful. And that is because a life devoted to Yeshua, the Messiah, is a life of fulfillment that spills out into everything we do, including our careers. No, I'm not talking about some sort of phony religion where you give your life to God and all your problems go away and you become wealthy and successful overnight. Although sometimes God can bring success overnight. Just look at the life of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. But many times when we turn our lives over to God it will get more difficult - but the difference is that He will walk with you and you will not be alone when you face hardships. A time of testing and trials will come - to make you stronger and much of the garbage that we carry must be removed. That can be very painful.

In part 2 of this article I will share about how I came to terms with this powerful truth that life is empty and void unless God is the center of everything. I will share more about how this truth brings peace and purpose on our journey along the road of life and how this includes the pursuit of a film career as a part of that "calling". Yes, some of you skeptics may be saying that I'm just some religious zealot and that religion is a crutch. Well, religion without true faith lived out is empty and full of hypocrisy. I'm sure you've probably never met someone who truly walks like Jesus did. I'm talking about a life of substance, abandoning your self-centered pursuits and embracing Him with all your heart, soul, and strength. That can be a scary place to come to, but it is really the only way and the best way because the older you get you will realize that we are actually frail and fragile beings who cannot survive without Him. And a life without God, like a car without oil, will ultimately run down and seize up at some unexpected time in the future.