1Christian Video® Magazine

2September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

September 2010VOL. 3, NO. 9

7 Greg’s ToolkitExperimentation

by GREGORY FISH

9 ArticleInception Dreams, Reality, and Leaps of

Faithby MARTIN BAGGS

13 Interview The Wisdom of Pixar: An Interview with

Robert Velardeby ROBERT KRAMER

16 Interview An Interview with Chad Gundersen

by ROBERT KRAMER

19 Article People for the Ethical Treatment of

Videoby ANTHONY HORVATH

22 ArticleBasic Shooting Tips for Volunteer ENG

Camera Operatorsby JAY M DELP

Editorial 3

Cover Story 4Integrity’s iWORSHIP Visual Productsby STEVE HEWITT

Christian Video Magazine is published monthly by Christian Video Magazine, Inc.

Editor-in-ChiefSteve Hewitt – steve@ccmag.com

ProductionDaystar Digital DesignMike Hewitt

Contributing EditorsGeorge TempleGregory FishStewart H. RedwineMark CarrollJay M. DelpMartin BaggsRobert Kramer

Copy Editor Gina Hewitt

Corporate Home OfficeMailing Address:PO Box 319Belton, MO 64012

Phone: (816) 331-5252Fax: 800-456-1868

Copyright 2010 by Christian Video Magazine, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Written materials submitted to Christian Video Magazine become the property of Christian Video Maga-zine, Inc., upon receipt and may not necessarily be returned. Christian Video Magazine reserves the right to make any changes to materi-als submitted for publication that are deemed necessary for editorial purposes. The content of this publica-tion is the sole property of Christian Video Magazine. Copy or distribution of articles or content can be done so on an individual basis. Multiple copies or distribution may not be done without the express permission of Christian Video Magazine. Views expressed in the articles and reviews printed within are not necessarily the views of the editor, publisher, or em-ployees of Christian Video Magazine, or Christian Video Magazine, Inc.

September 2010 3Christian Video® Magazine

There are so many ways to use videos in worship, or for your next meeting. You might want to use a music video, a video as an illustration or a call to worship, or you might use a video to provide a thought provoking message while you are taking the offering. Frankly, the opportunities are limitless. However, one area that many seem to overlook is the ad-vantages of using a “countdown” video. I had a special event last week with a ministry I help lead and thought it would really set the mood to use a countdown to start the event, so, off to SermonSpice I went. I discovered there is a very large assortment of countdown videos available, and they represent many different options for a variety of worship and meeting types! Let me share some of what I learned. SermonSpice has 3,289 different countdown videos! I quickly realized that there were many types for different audiences and different emphasis. Some were perfect for a worship situation, but wouldn’t work for the event I was holding, because it was a day conference specifi-cally for Christian singles. I also discovered that there were many countdown videos that are age specific. And, some are designed to help your audience know that the service/meeting is about to start, while others provide entertainment, humor, or are designed to prepare your audience with information related to your meeting or the subject of your seminar or sermon. So, why use a countdown video? In my case, I knew that we were expecting around 50 people to attend our meeting. They were pre-registered and we were all going to start in one meeting room for our key note, and then break into class rooms for the meetings for the rest of the day. I knew that things would be a bit confusing at the start. Some would be coming in and picking up their name tag and notebooks, while others would be getting their coffee and/or a donut. And, many would be greeting old friends or making new ones (about half of those attend-ing had never been to one of our events before and I knew they were probably anxious about what to expect.) I wanted a countdown video to start five minutes before we actually wanted to begin in order to set some atmosphere, and help identify that the meeting was about to start. My hope is that it would bring the room together, allowing us to start exactly on time and obtain everyone’s attention. It worked! I must confess I enjoyed the creativity of so many of the countdown videos found on SermonSpice. I believe I viewed hundreds! Some were specifically designed to get the attention of children, and would be perfect to get your children’s church started on time. For example, one countdown video provided riddles appropriate for children. Since they were very humorous (my wife wanted to watch the entire five min-utes), I think it would obviously be entertaining for children, and lead them to find their seat to enjoy the video, ready to go when it finished. Others were obviously designed for youth. Again, it seemed obvious that many were not really appropriate to use to start worship, but would be perfect for special meetings or events. Some countdown videos provide music to set the mood, depending on the mood you wish to set. Many provided something appropriate for the background as people moved to their seats, while others were designed to grab your audience’s attention so that when the clock ran down to 0, I would imagine they would be absorbed in the video they had been watching and would be ready to start! Some countdown videos provided entertainment, for example, they might provide Bible trivia questions, or interesting Bible facts. One simply showed a clown juggling different objects during the five minutes as the clock counted down. Most countdown videos would be very appropriate for use before a worship service. Many providing beautiful scenes combined with Christian worship music. You can find countdown videos for worship that would support any and all types of worship, from traditional hymns, contemporary Christian music, and even something for those “cowboy” types of worship services. There is a seemingly unending variety of countdowns that combine many of these elements. For example, you can get interesting background videos, with Bible verses on a specific subject, while Christian music is playing, all the time with a clock counting down to 0, the time your service is to start! And, for those that want to create their own countdown videos using their own video or a slide show of pictures (maybe slides of upcom-ing announcements), you can get a variety of different countdown videos that only provide the clock. Why a variety of videos with a clock counting down to zero? A variety is needed since you will want to pick the type of font the countdown numbers will be displaying. Using one of these videos allows you to layer the countdown clock over your own video or pictures. Take some time and visit SermonSpice to check out their selection of countdown videos. They even have some bundled packages making the use of a selection of different countdown videos very affordable. So, what did I select? I picked the “Simple Fall Countdown” by Coram Deo (http://www.sermonspice.com/product/11264/simple-fall-countdown) which seemed perfect for our event. It provided beautiful guitar music while you watched leaves fall on a golden background.

Together We Serve Him

Steve Hewitt

from the desk of the editorby STEVE HEWITT

Countdown Videos on SermonSpice

4September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

iWORSHIP Visual Products

Cover Storyby STEVE HEWITT

If you haven’t noticed, Integrity Media has been creating some fantastic videos related to worship music! They now have a complete library of music videos in exciting formats for many different opportunities for worship. I have to be honest; I didn’t catch on to this exciting resource until I noticed the category on SermonSpice called “Song Movies.” I quickly found myself enjoying the videos as I clicked through the list and before I knew it, at least an hour had passed. I decided I needed to learn more. You can imagine my excitement when I discov-ered Integrity has a variety of different worship videos/movies in various formats, obviously providing something for everyone and every situation. And, while they all fall under the title of iWORSHIP, each product is unique.

Integrity’s

I downloaded one of my favorite song videos from SermonSpice and used it the next day at a Bible study group that I lead for Christian singles. There were around 20 people in the room and I normally project my notes up on the screen using PowerPoint. I simply started the evening study by cueing up the song and letting it fill the room with music while displaying the words on the screen with beautiful motion video. As the words begin to flow across the screen, worship naturally just broke out in the room as people began to sing along. There is something exciting going on with these products and I am now a number one fan of Integrity and their iWORSHIP products! Integrity’s iWORSHIP Resource System DVD’s Each Resource System DVD has a comprehen-sive menu system, allowing users various options

on how they wish to use the music videos. It is easy to see that this product is designed to be used in a variety of worship settings ranging from small home groups to dynamic contemporary services. Audio op-tions include a “split track” version which sends the instrumental music to the left track while the vocals go to the right. So, if you wished to use these in wor-ship, you could just turn down the right track and have your own praise teams sing and lead the wor-ship with their own vocals. This is ideal for your corporate worship times or as special music during offerings. The “click track” audio option provides a click track in one channel and the instrumental track in the other. This is perfect for use with your own band. Most churches would use an “in ear” monitor system for this. And as you would expect, there is always two measures of “click” countdown before the downbeat of the song, which gives the drummer

September 2010 5Christian Video® Magazine

By STEVE HEWITTCover Story

the right cue to begin the song. The “stereo” audio option is perfect for use before the service begins. It contains the full album version of the song with all instruments, lead vocals and background vocals. The menu also provides an “iFocus” option with gives direct access to different three-song playlists. This is great for small group use as you can hit one button and experience three different songs that flow together, eliminating the awkward flipping through menu screens during worship. It’s a nice touch! Each video provides beautiful full color motion graphics that support the lyrics. The newer iWorship products have the lyrics up full screen at all times, making it extremely appropriate for congregational use. This is an excellent DVD based product for use in home DVD players or computers alike.

Integrity’s iWORSHIP MPEG Video Libraries Integrity also provides an iWORSHIP product DVD-ROM with all of their movie files in MPEG format. This has the exciting improvement of allow-ing you to incorporate these song videos directly into a worship presentation program such as Medi-aShout. Each MPEG file has full motion video with high quality video and music. Integrity has four different libraries, each containing 28 to 42 songs. What is exciting about this product is its ability to easily load the files into a multimedia program and use in worship. Many churches have gone through the struggle and work of starting a new church. It seems that the providing quality preaching is easier than quality worship music. Now, however, any church, no matter how new, or how small, can have the sound and visual impact of the largest church with fantastic worship bands and orchestra. And, there is an added advantage since there is no need for a person to advance the words to keep in tempo with the music. It is already synced, so you can just click a song and worship will begin! And, like the “Resource System DVDs”, the MPEG Libraries have each song in all 3 audio versions; stereo, click track and split track.

Integrity’s iWORSHIP FLEXX I saved the best for last! Integrity is now releas-ing their iWORSHIP FLEXX series. Just like the Resource DVDs and MPEG Libraries, Integrity’s iWorship Flexx titles feature the lyric, graphics and audio driven song videos with several exciting new features. In addition to the full-length song mov-ies, FLEXX contains the ingenious “FLEXX Clips.” Designed for use with presentation software like MediaShout or ProPresenter, each FLEXX song contains small, easy to use movie files, matched to specific song sections. For example, you’ll find one clip to support a verse, another to support the chorus, etc. There are individual clips for each section of the song, allowing you the opportunity to put them together to fit your unique style. Each file is labeled in a way to help you identify it quickly. For example, the file name might include Vs1a and Vs1b for the first two parts of the first verse. There are also clips for a guitar solo, bridge, intro, etc. You can simply grab the clips and drop them into your presenta-tion software and have them run in any order you desire. Many worship leaders avoid using perfor-mance tracks because they are too limiting. FLEXX solves this problem. Now they can make the deci-sion to sing the chorus at any time and with a simple click, the person running the multimedia can easily have the full motion videos for the chorus appear on-screen. Just to be clear, FLEXX clips contain no audio. They are wonderfully produced “lyric” movie files to give your team flexibility in leading worship. Think of them as amazing “lyric slides” (really mov-ies) that have moving backgrounds with full screen lyrics. As mentioned, each FLEXX title also includes full-length song movies with fantastic music already synced to the video. These are also provided in “split” tracks and “click” tracks as described in the DVD series above. Once again, this enables even the new church startup to have exciting full motion worship song videos with inspirational music, all from a single computer shooting the videos up to the

6September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

By STEVE HEWITTCover Story

wall or screen while sending the audio directly into your sound board and speakers. I personally like the FLEXX MPEG videos better than the collections previously mentioned simply because they have pro-vided the lyrics to appear in motion format, synchro-nized perfectly with the video and music. Integrity’s iWORSHIP FLEXX also provides the song movies in QuickTime format for those who like this format best, or who wish to use the files in ProPresenter or other Mac-bases software packages. But wait, there’s more! Each song file contains several PDF’s including a Song Guide, Producer’s Notes and a fantastic tutorial and video to walk you through the installation and use of the song videos. If you want to start a contemporary service but

do not have the ability to put together an exciting worship band, Integrity’s iWorship is your answer. If you want to start a new church and have some-one to serve as pastor and preacher but thought you wouldn’t have the ability to provide a high quality worship music experience, now you can, thanks to Integrity Media. Or, if you have a great band and praise team, but want to step up the visual display of motion videos with lyrics that appear in a way to enhance the message, you need to check out the iWorship products! For more information on all of Integrity’s prod-ucts, pricing and more, visit www.iWorshipnow.com

September 2010 7Christian Video® Magazine

by GREGORY FISH

Experimentation

Greg’s Toolkit

If you’ve read this Magazine for a while you’ve been able to follow my journey in the world of Christian media. I’ve gone from being like a deer in headlights, to being a slightly more confident animator, but know that I have most of the journey still ahead of me. There is so much to learn yet. If you have followed this trek you have read about how I’ve added to my equipment slowly, but surely. Sometimes I have purchased gear. Other times I’ve made it myself with DIY projects. My latest upgrade is one that I’ve needed for a while and finally was able to accomplish. I am now able to film in HD.

I wanted to make this jump after attempting a jump of another sort. Back in January I went ski-ing with some buddies and I attempted a big jump. My friend caught the fall (OK, major wipeout!) in HD on his Canon 5D Mark II. You can see a video I made about this, including that crazy footage- http://sermonspice.com/product/31532/a-fools-tale. I share this, though, because it was the first time I really got curious about HDDSLRs for filmmaking. It’s quite a topic on the blogs right now. A lot of people are starting to use HDDSLRs for filmmaking. Include me now with those experimenting with these cam-eras. I’m a little late in the game. Before, I was able to create HD (HD dimensions) animations, but not film in HD. I, like churches oftentimes are, was slightly behind the times. (Just when I think I am up to date, I see that www.artbeats.com will be offering “stereoscopic 3D footage” soon. Oh well. That’s too futuristic and expensive and unnecessary...I know!) However, I’m very happy with my new (used) Canon

EOS 7D. The previously mentioned 5D Mark II is great as well, and, I’ve read that the Canon T2i also has comparable HD video for half the price. My wife is an aspiring still photographer, so the 7D serves us both. There are a ton of blogs and sites dedicated to how to best utilize HDDSLRs for filmmaking. There are picture profiles you can download and use for your video shooting, or you can customize your own settings. I used the settings from this site- http://vimeo.com/7622493, which he got from Stu Maschwitz. It flattens the image nicely, and then lat-er you can do some color grading to really make the image pop. I played around with this and was very pleased with the results. I tried to color correct by the numbers rather than simply imposing a film look preset (or a color tint) on the footage. I used curves and levels (taking a frame into Photoshop, editing and saving the preset to use in After Effects) to bring out the color. As you can see in the picture, there is a big difference in the before and after. There is so

8September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

by GREGORY FISHGreg’s Toolkit

much you can do with these simple effects. The other experimentation that I did at the same time had to do with slow motion. Another great feature in the 7D is that you can record HD video at 60fps (frames per second). Most non-linear editing programs let you slow footage down, but the result is streaky and blurry. It’s not so smooth and crisp. When shooting in 60fps, you can then bring it into a new After Effects composition that is 24fps, and slow it down even more for some nice, clean and dynamic slow-mo. You can see these two tests and my boys do-ing a jump of their own here: http://fishxpressions.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/slow-mo-and-color-correction-test/. I was able to pick up both of these tricks from these simple tutorials: http://vimeo.com/channels/aetuts. The last test that I did was a DOF (Depth of Field) test. The Focus Pull is an effect that you see everywhere. Well, now I plan on work-ing it into projects with my 7D and Canon’s 50mm f/1.4 lens. My 11 second trial run is at http://vimeo.com/14811152.

I’m very excited about continuing to experiment and work with my HDD-SLR. There are great basic tutorials at Canon’s website: http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=3167&productID=329&articleTypeID=48. The only down-side that I’ve noticed so far is sound. I tried a Rode Videomic on it and it did not come out as nice-sounding as on my Panasonic DVC30 (with its volume controls, etc.) I’m told it’s tricky to get good clean audio on these cameras and one way around it is to record audio elsewhere on another camera or com-puter and then sync it in post.Overall, I’m excited about experiment-ing more. It’s really an investment for the future... which is now. It’s OK to be a little behind the times, but technology

is moving at record speeds. It may be time to start thinking at least about moving to HD if you haven’t already. Standard Definition is still widely useful, but the world has gone to High Def. After I got my Panasonic DVC30, I started shooting some stock footage and selling it on some sites. Or should I say, trying to sell it. I can count on one hand how many downloads there have been. I’m going to see if that will change now that I have the capability for what is in demand, and that is HD. Gregory is a preacher in South Texas with a passion for combining the timeless message of God’s grace with the technology of our day. On the side he pro-duces videos for “FishXpressions” at various Christian video websites. Without formal training, he has set out to learn how to create better and higher quality films. Apart from this column, he also maintains a production blog with tips, helpful links, and other musings at www.fishxpressions.wordpress.com.

September 2010 9Christian Video® Magazine

by MARTIN BAGGSArticle

Inception

What’s the best film of 2010 so far? Pastor James Harleman of Mars Hill Church in Seattle is torn between The Book of Eli and Inception. While both are excellent films, my mind is clear: Inception. And you can’t just watch Inception once. It is too deep and complex and exciting for that. You simply have to see it again. It really helps. Be assured, this is a multi-faceted and epic film that deserves revisiting and pays back the opportunity in dividends. Inspired and iconic, it works on multiple levels to deliver superb entertainment with ideas that will tick in our heads – causing us to think.

Remember, before showing clips from movies, be sure you have a license to do so. Check out Church Video License to be sure you are legal. www.cvli.com

Dreams, Reality, and Leaps of Faith

Working from his own script, Christopher Nolan has come of age as one of today’s premier directors. His earlier films were good. Memento played with the concept of memory in an innova-tive reverse plotline. Batman Begins rebooted this comic book hero franchise. He followed this with The Dark Knight, one of my favorite films, filled with moral-ity questions. But Nolan has raised the bar here and exceeded his earlier achievements. Inception is on a par with The Matrix, a film it seems to draw from. Nolan has described this movie as a contempo-rary sci-fi action thriller “set within the architec-ture of the mind,” and it forces us to question reality, not once or twice but four times over. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a specialist, an extractor. Explaining to Japanese businessman

Saito (Ken Watanabe), he asks: “What’s the most resilient parasite? An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can trans-form the world and rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it.” He extracts ideas by getting inside the dreams of his victims: “We bring the

subject into that dream and fill it with their subcon-scious.” When his dream-architect creates a safe or lock-box, the subject will put their deep secrets “safely” inside; but Cobb

will find them and steal them. In essence, Inception is a caper film with the mind as the location and dreams as the medium. Although the concept of dream-stealing is briefly explained as coming out of military R&D, the mechanism is left dark and we have to suspend our disbelief and simply go along with the story. When Cobb’s initial mission of “corporate espionage” fails, he is ready to go on the run again.

10September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

by MARTIN BAGGSArticle

We learn something of his background over the course of the film, but it is enough to say he is a wanted man in Ameri-ca, where he has left his children. His wife is dead, but she keeps showing up in his dreams to haunt him and hinder his “work.” Ready to evade his current employer, Saito makes him an offer he cannot refuse: he will, with one phone call, clear the slate and allow Cobb to go home. But in return Cobb must do the impossible: inception. He must plant an idea into the mind of Robert Fisher Jr. (Cillian Murphy, Scarecrow in Batman Begins). Fisher’s father lies dying and Saito wants his multinational empire broken up. This straw Cobb cannot refuse. “Inception” is clearly an immoral and unethical prac-tice. It is a little like brain-washing, but more subtle and less obvious. Cobb has to dive deep into the subject’s own mind, battling his own defense agents, to do something more profound: make him think it is his own idea and let this idea germinate and blossom on its own until it changes him from within completely. Cobb brings together a talented team. Ariadne (Juno’s Ellen Page) becomes his new architect, suggested to him by his father-in-law Miles (Mi-chael Caine). A student, yet she harbors talents in dream-making and world-creation Cobb has rarely

seen before. He flies to Africa to find Eames (Tom Hardy, in a wonderfully droll and scene-stealing role), a forger and dream world shape-shifter. Arthur (Josep Gordon-Leavitt) functions as Cobb’s right-hand man, while Yusuf (Dileep Rao) makes the potions that keep the subject, and the team, asleep.

September 201011Christian Video® Magazine

by MARTIN BAGGSArticle

Indeed, in Africa, Cobb sees a room full of men literally dreaming their life away. They have swapped the actuality of life for the perceived reality of dreams, where time is elongated: one hour asleep corresponds to many hours in the dream. They return day after day to find their reality. This is akin to The Matrix, where humanity lies in pods, “living” in the matrix of dream-state while they are being harvested for their energy, batteries for the machines. This forces us to consider reality and dreams. Sometimes we desire escape from real life and all its problems. Some make this happen with drugs, creating their own surreal reality with illegal chemicals. Dreams, on the other hand, are natural and unforced. As Cobb says, “they feel real when we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up then we realize that something was actually strange!” When we rely on drugs or other reality-substitutes for too long we become confused and unable to separate the real from the illusory. God has created this world and all that it contains. This is reality. Like it or not, it is what we have. There is a spiritual reality that surrounds us, but our eyes are blind to this. Only in exceptions has God opened human eyes to witness what surrounds us, as he did for Elisha and his servant, who saw the chariots of fire and the angels who were prepared to fight for him (2 Kings 6:17). If this all sounds cerebral, it is . . . and it isn’t. Inception contains depth that belies its Hol-lywood genesis. But it also contains some marvel-ous action sequences and fabulous CGI scenes. The chase through the streets of the crowded African city resembles a Jason Bourne chase, complete with hand-held camera-work. A later fight between Eames and a bad guy at a hotel in zero gravity looks like something Neo would have done in The Matrix. The car chase and fight in New York is startling and violent, visceral and compelling. One of the finest scenes is set in Paris, as Ariadne is learning to create worlds. Sitting with

Cobb in an outdoor cafe, she sees the world sud-denly explode. This is not a typical Hollywood explosion. This is the world rupturing and coming apart in a carefully choreographed sequence with glass and tables blowing past their heads in slow motion as they sit and watch in wonder. Picking up the concept, Ariadne makes the same location suddenly defy the laws of physics as it wraps over on itself. The buildings of Paris are both beside her normally and above her upside down. Creative is an understatement! With his team assembled, Cobb relies on Ariadne to create several dream-world mazes to put Fisher in. Going deeper and deeper into his subconscious, they descend into dreams within dreams. As the plot progresses to a score that ratchets up the suspense without relief, we need to keep multiple story lines in mind as Nolan inter-weaves events in separate worlds. This is Matrix to the max! Steven Greydanus, in his review for Christian-ity Today, pointed out that Inception is an extended metaphor on the movie-making process itself, wherein Nolan and fellow directors create illusions that we, the audience, watch as if real for several hours. We immerse ourselves in the dark theater and experience, albeit vicariously, the thrills and wonders of the movie-maker’s imagination and story. We suspend disbelief if the story is good enough. But we expect a strong and meaningful conclusion. As one character in this story says, “Everyone wants catharsis” and that is true for the film’s audience as well. Which makes us expel a nervous laugh as Inception itself ends with a hanging question over its cathartic climax. What just happened at the end, we ask ourselves as we exit the cineplex? Yet with each level they descend into, Mal (Marion Cotillard) appears wreaking havoc with their plans. It becomes obvious to Ariadne alone, that Cobb is harboring his own secret. And he must descend into his own dreams to face this deepest

12September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

secret, a secret that involves grief and guilt. Whether Cobb’s guilt is appropriate or not, it highlights the power of guilt. Guilt often drives us to crazy, risk-taking behavior. It did for Cobb. And it was a danger to his team. Guilt has a purpose – to drive us to God in repentance. When we ignore this and try to run from it or even to resolve it in our way, we fall prey to its dominance. Only in confessing and releasing can we find the catharsis we want and need – forgiveness (Acts 2:38). God has promised us this, but we must come to him on his terms (1 Jn. 1:9). Guilt ignored and un-forgiven leads to regret and a life unredeemed. Interestingly, the Edith Piaf song, “Non, je ne regrette rien,” (I have no regrets) is used themati-cally throughout the film as a sign to the team in the dreams that they are about to be “kicked out” and kicked back to reality, or at least one level higher. Having no regrets brings Cobb back to his regret-filled life. (And further, Cotillard won an Oscar for her role as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.) Early in the film, an old man tells Cobb, “Dare you take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone.” This idea of a leap of faith arises again, later, when Mal asks Cobb to take a leap of faith with her. Inception asks its character as well as its viewers to take a leap of faith into a reality that may not be what it appears. This parallels the theological underpinnings of the Christian faith. We are asked to take a leap of faith to follow Jesus and believe in his God. When we look around us at reality, if we start to question ontological existence or the meaning of life, we be-gin to consider a first mover, an initial creator. But science will not prove the existence of God. We must at some point take a leap of faith. In taking this leap we do what Christian philosopher Soren Kierkegaard considered to be a leap to faith. We find ourselves trusting in a God we cannot see, following a man who died and rose to life. This

same man, Jesus, offers real life now, a reality we barely understood before, and a life in the future kingdom that will last for eternity (Lk. 1:33). At the very heart of Inception is the premise that a single idea has the power to define someone. In planting the chosen idea in Fisher’s mind, Cobb believes it can come to change him forever, creat-ing a new person, different from who he was before, destined to do something other than he would have done apart from this one idea. How reminiscent of Christian belief and faith? The one idea, that Jesus came to give us life if we choose to follow him, can define a person. It can change a person completely. We saw this in the original 12 followers of Christ in the first century. Those uneducated, selfish peasants grasped this one idea and let it run like a virus within their minds and souls. They became selfless and giving, authors whose writings have been read the world over. From self-centered men to sacrificed martyrs, the gospel turned them into missionaries never seen before. It can do the same for you and me. As we allow this idea to take hold, we are changed; we become new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). We find our whole worldview replaced with a new one. We may find for ourselves a destiny we never dreamed of, a future in a foreign land doing things we never contemplated before. The power of a single idea: Inception.

Copyright ©2010, Martin Baggs

Martin works as an engineering manager in the high tech industry. He leads a monthly film review group at Mosaic Church in Portland, Oregon. He writes film responses from a biblical perspective on his blog: www.mosaicmovieconnectgroup.blog-spot.com

by MARTIN BAGGSArticle

September 201013Christian Video® Magazine

By ROBERT KRAMERInterview

The Wisdom of Pixar:

Robert Velarde is a writer, educator, and philosopher. He is the author of several books including Conversations with C.S. Lewis, and The Golden Rules of Narnia. He studied phi-losophy of religion at Denver Seminary and is completing his graduate studies at Southern Evangelical Seminary. His latest book, The Wisdom of Pixar, was recently released by Inter-Varsity Press. We recently got a chance to talk to Robert about this book.

An Interview with Robert Velarde

CVM: Why did you decide to write a book about Pixar?

ROBERT: I decided to write The Wisdom of Pixar as a fan, a father, and a philosopher. I’ve been a Pixar fan since Toy Story came out in 1995 and have always loved their films. My four children have essentially grown up with Pixar, so as a father it seemed natural to write a book like this. As a philosopher, I’m intrigued by any-thing relating to ethics, particularly what is called virtue ethics. In Pixar’s movies I’ve spotted a lot of concepts and themes that resonate with a virtue-oriented approach to morality and wanted to communicate that in an acces-sible way.

CVM: How is the book structured?

ROBERT: There are two introductory chapters covering virtue, wisdom, hope, and imagination. The rest of the book covers one Pixar movie per chapter, 10 in all since Toy Story 3 wasn’t out yet when I completed the manu-script. Each chapter covers a topic that is either obvi-ously a virtue, such as love or courage, or that is some-how related to virtue, such as ambition or technology. As an example, the chapter on courage, one of the cardinal virtues, is about The Incredibles. Although The Incredi-bles is the focus of this chapter, other Pixar movies and

characters are also discussed in relation to courage. Each chapter also has interesting sidebars that provide extra in-sights into Pixar’s filmmaking process, as well as general discussion/reflection questions at the end (there’s also a separate movie discussion guide in the back). I make connections between virtues in particular Pixar films and classic Christian virtues, but not in a forced way. I really wanted to make sure the virtues I discussed were truly relevant in relation to the films.

CVM: What about these stories stands out?

ROBERT: Pixar films offer an almost countercultural hope and purity, particularly in contrast to many other darker films that can leave one in despair. There’s a certain wholesome quality about Pixar’s movies and I believe that is the result of their emphasis on great story-telling that incorporates virtues. Keep in mind that even though Pixar tends to release a new movie every year or so, in many cases each Pixar movie is being worked on for 4 or more years. A big part of the development of a film at Pixar has to do with the emphasis on story, char-acters, and the world of the movie.

CVM: What was your process like in identifying what to write about?

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By ROBERT KRAMERInterview

ROBERT: I watched all the Pixar films repeatedly and took extensive notes (more than 70-pages, single spaced). From those viewings and in reviewing my notes, I came up with a list of about 30 or so different virtues or positive elements and themes in the movies, then began narrowing down the list from there. Some-times themes overlap, such as themes of family and friendship that often turn up in Pixar movies. In those instances, I went with what seemed the best fit to me. Consequently, the Finding Nemo chapter is about family, while The Incredibles is about courage, even though both films contain elements of both family and courage. Some films were more difficult to refine in relation to virtue without repeating myself. As a result, I spent a lot of time deciding what to write about in relation to films like WALL-E and Ratatouille, deciding on technology in rela-tion to the former and ambition in relation to the latter.

CVM: Would you say these are Christian stories?

ROBERT: Not overtly. I think the deeper connection is with what philosophers call natural law, meaning that hu-man morality has a common foundation and, as a result, themes common to the human experience resonate with us. Many of these moral themes also resonate strongly with classic Christian virtues like love, justice, courage, hope, and more. In some cases, however, Pixar films are directed by professing Christians. Andrew Stanton, for instance, is a Christian and directed Finding Nemo and WALL-E, while Pete Docter, also a Christian, directed Monsters, Inc. and Up. But Stanton and Docter are not overt or preaching about their faith in their films. Instead, I think some Christian ideals come through in their films naturally. I liken Pixar’s storytelling to Christ’s parables in the New Testament in this sense. Christ did not lecture his listeners or turn to some academic work on ethics as a textbook for communicating truths about virtue and the human condition. Instead, he told a lot of engaging and memorable stories that also happened to make profound points.

CVM: How might we use these films to teach our chil-dren?

ROBERT: The last thing I want to do is spoil the fun that children have watching Pixar movies. So I’d cau-tion parents, youth leaders, and others not to use Pixar films as some sort of chore or homework assignment. Instead, keep it fun. Whenever possible let children bring up discussion points on their own about characters or plot points. With that said, The Wisdom of Pixar includes many general discussion questions as well as a movie discussion guide to make it easy to watch a Pixar film then discuss it specifically.

CVM: How might Christians use these films to engage culture?

September 201015Christian Video® Magazine

By ROBERT KRAMERInterview

ROBERT: As I note in my book, typical Christian responses to media fall into three broad categories: entrench, embrace, and engage. The first two are, in my assessment, far more common. There’s a tendency to want to entrench ourselves in the Christian subculture, separating ourselves from anything that seems “worldly.” When it comes to film, I think this approach is making a big mistake and missing out on opportunities to discuss the Christian message with others. The second approach embraces pop culture, but often does so uncritically, cele-brating film rather than really thinking about it in relation to faith. This is also a mistake. The third option, and the one I support, is to engage culture intelligently, learning to exegete (interpret) the medium wisely. Pixar mov-ies reach millions of people regularly and, as such, can serve as important touch points for Christians to discuss a variety of topics.

CVM: Which is your favorite Pixar movie?

ROBERT: My favorite Pixar movie is Finding Nemo. As a father of four children, the story resonates with me very strongly. As you know, Finding Nemo is about an overprotective clownfish, Marlin, who is seeking desper-ately to be reunited with his son, Nemo. Throughout the film Marlin learns a lot of lessons about what it means to be a good parent. Andrew Stanton, the director, has said that Finding Nemo is about faith overcoming fear, so that theme resonates with me as well.

CVM: Thanks for taking the time to answer these ques-tions for us. We really appreciate it.

ROBERT: My pleasure.

16September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

By ROBERT KRAMERInterview

Chad Gundersen has been involved in the production of a number of recognizable films. He has been a Producer or Co-Producer on titles such as Midnight Clear, The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry, The Trial, A Christmas Snow, Ace Wonder: Message from a Dead Man, and Like Dandelion Dust. We got to speak with Chad on the phone recently and the interview went something like this…

An Interview with Chad Gundersen

CVM: Hi Chad, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today.

CHAD: Anytime.

CVM: I see that you have a big year coming up with a lot of films being released.

CHAD: Yeah, there are some great projects that I’m excited about.

CVM: Well, let’s talk about how you first got into filmmaking. Did you got to film school?

CHAD: I did, but in all reality I guess I kind of got into filmmaking… I wouldn’t say by mistake be-cause God always has interesting plans for us, but I was actually a Biology major in college. I was in-volved in sports as a Football and Volleyball player in college and so that’s the direction I was going; Sports Medicine or Physical therapy. I had also done some theater acting and modeling in high school so I was exposed to the industry but had no intention of taking work in that direction. But, I went to school out in California and while out there I was an extra in a couple of fairly big

budget projects. I remember being on set on a couple of those and sitting there thinking, “Maybe there’s something to this.” I ended up going back home to Texas. I went to the University of North Texas, a very big liberal arts school and they have a great film department. In my first semester there, I got cast in 4 or 5 of the student films. That kind of threw me into film production and just seeing production more as an actor. I wasn’t thinking about it as a career yet. And I ended up meeting a writer/director by the name of Joe Scott and he and I, almost on a whim, started a company together called Night and Day films. We started do-ing commercials and music videos for local bands, anything you could point a camera at. The company needed a producer and so I became one by default. Then through prayer and different things, God start-ed leading me down that road and I started taking it seriously. I went out on my own after a while and formed Gundersen Entertainment. I’ve been on my own for about 10 years and that’s really how I got my start.

CVM: So you really learned on the job instead of through the classroom.

September 201017Christian Video® Magazine

By ROBERT KRAMERInterview

CHAD: Actually, my last year and a half of college I switched to film. So, I actually did get my degree in Radio, Television and Film. I never did take any pro-ducing classes though. That I definitely learned on the job. I threw myself into different situations. And as a personality trait of who God made me to be, he made me to be a producer and hopefully a good one. And I’ve been very, very blessed at a young age to make projects that continually do well with more on the horizon.

CVM: Speaking of your projects, how do you select what you want to work on?

CHAD: I work in two different capacities. As a producer, there are projects that I was a part of from the get-go, and initiated and others I was brought in as a hired gun as a producer/line producer. My forte is definitely in production. I’m very good at being able to come in on time and on budget. I have a lot of really great connections with cast, crew and production houses all over the nation. So, I’m able to bring a high production value to the projects I’m on regardless of budget. But, in choosing a project, as a believer I don’t like to say that I make Christian films. What I am is a believer, but what I do is make movies. Obviously, who I am is going to be reflected in what I do. Some of my projects are more Christian than others. Jona-than Sperry is a very evangelical film that I’m very proud of. And Ace Wonder is more of just a family film. It’s a good Father/Son family film without any real Christian “Themes” to it. But more important than the project is the people involved. People like the Downes brothers and Christiano brothers, Dal-las Jenkins, Gary Wheeler, John Moore… these are all guys that I’ve connected with on a personal level that all have similar visions on the kinds of projects that we want to do. So, the project is very important and I want it to be good. At the same time, it really depends a lot on the people I’m getting involved with. And even those that have a different vision, I like to say that we’re

all on the same team. We all have a common goal. And that we can help and support each other. If as believers, we’re arguing whose is better then it hurts us as a whole. That’s why I love working as a hired gun. It allows me to come in and help make films even better. I’m proud to say that I’ve been a part of a lot of projects that are those producers’ and direc-tors’ best films to date. And hopefully I’ll be able to team up with them again and make some more.

CVM: Do any projects hold a special fondness for you?

CHAD: All of them, to some degree or another, do. Whether it’s the story or the crew or cast, they each hold a special memory. Take the film, Like Dande-lion Dust. It’s a story about parenting and being a parent. Obviously, as a parent with a child about the same age as the boy in the story, it definitely reso-nates with me. That’s the type of story I do want to tell; something that I can personally get behind and Like Dandelion Dust is one of those. And it’s also one of the best films I’ve been a part of because of the level of talent with the actors, director, and pro-ducers. Just over all, it was a great film. The produc-tion value is very high. There are probably little stories I could tell for each film. I take something from all of them. I learn something that I can apply to the next one and so on.

CVM: Speaking of Like Dandelion Dust, what, as a producer, do you hope that audiences get from the film?

CHAD: First and foremost, we want it to be enter-taining. We want it to be a film that people can enjoy and that people will be touched by. We want people to take from what Karen Kingsbury wrote about in her book. She’s an amazing writer, one of the best out there. And as a parent and knowing many people who have adopted, there’s just a level of respect for that; hopefully encouraging people to adopt as well. I love hearing the great reviews, both secular and

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By ROBERT KRAMERInterview

Christian. And I just want to touch people. I think any filmmaker, regardless of whether they’re a believer or not, is trying to get some sort of message across. Film is the medium that we work in, but it’s just the delivery tool for the message. Is your message for good or for not. So, with ours we believe we have a higher calling and we definitely want that to come across in our films.

CVM: Are there any projects that you have coming up that you’re excited about?

CHAD: Yeah, probably the first one is called Old Fashioned. Rick Swartzwelder is the writer/director on that. The script really reso-nated for me. It’s a romantic comedy in the very truest sense. But, it also has a Christian worldview. It deals with a lot of things that as believers we deal with. The main character is a born again virgin. He makes a commitment not to sleep with anybody until he finds his wife and gets married. Like many of us, he has an interesting past, but now he’s chosen a new path. Then of course the young wild girl that comes through town and all the antics that take place. It opens up a lot of ideas about what’s true dating, what’s courting, what’s taking too far and what’s not far enough. The next one on the list is Jimmy. Jimmy is a film that Gary Wheeler and Mark Freiburger who did The Trial are doing. And that’s one that I’ll be brought in as a hired gun. It’s based on a Robert Whitlow book. I’m excited about that. And I have a baseball movie that I’m getting ready to pull the trigger on. It’s called The Hardest Hitter. It’s the story of Rick Hill who was a baseball player back in the 70s. And it’s how he came into the league and how he came to be scouted and recruited by the same scout that recruited Nolan Ryan. Angelo Pizzo is writing the script. He wrote Rudy and Hoosiers. So I’m very, very excited about that. So, that’s at least three that should be happening in the next year. They’re in various stages, but I’m looking forward to each one.

CVM: It’s exciting to see what you’re doing. We really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to talk to us. We’re looking for-ward to seeing Like Dandelion Dust that should be in theaters now. Thanks a lot.

CHAD: You’re welcome. Thanks for the call.

September 201019Christian Video® Magazine

By ANTHONY HORVATHArticle

People for the

I rocked backwards in my chair. If what I just saw on Youtube was true, it was earth shattering and game changing. Seeing is believing, right? Doubt rose in my mind, though. A little over an hour later I had established that the video was a fraud. I found the original source video and I was able to spot where the splicing had been cleverly done. Seeing is believing, right?

Ethical Treatment of Video

I begin with this anecdote- completely true, by the way- because it highlights some of the metaphysical realities that exist concerning video. Video has power that even the written word lacks. In the first place, there is the simple matter that people do believe what they see. Our default state when viewing visual images, videos, and movies, is to accept that what we have just seen is ‘real.’ It takes an act of the will and presence of mind to remind oneself that some things may not be as they appear. In the second place, this default state is well known and taken for granted by producers, directors, and the like. In fact, it is relied upon. Yet, there can be a temptation to exploit it. Through the magical power of image in motion, the videographer can produce a piece of propaganda with no one being the wiser. The better our technology becomes, the easier it becomes to present fiction as fact. Now, intellectually we understand that movies coming out of Hollywood and sitcoms do not correspond to reality. Though we recognize that manipulation and propaganda sometimes emanate from them, we know that when we view their stories, we are willfully participating in fantasy. The propaganda in these cases is not very potent. It’s there, but we usually recognize entertainment as entertain-ment. The truly dangerous propaganda is that which is presented as fact, especially when presented visually. In

these cases, it comes associated with a chart, a graph, and a computer simulation. Talking heads with letters after their name speak… and our natural tendency is to accept what they are saying is true. After all, talking heads wouldn’t lie, would they? A few weeks ago, James Jay Lee stormed the Discov-ery Channel network. There was a man who understood the power of video. In his screed, published online, he decried the shows “encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants and the false heroics behind those actions.” Instead, he argued, Discovery should push “programs encouraging human sterilization and infertil-ity.” James Jay Lee was in a desperate spot. He knew that the fate of the planet hung in the balance. The earth, literally, needed saving. The people who knew this best were actually fueling the death of the earth. He wrote: “You MUST KNOW the human population is behind all the pollution and problems in the world, and YET you encourage the exact opposite instead of discouraging human growth and procreation. Surely you MUST ALREADY KNOW this!” (Emphasis his) And how did Mr. Lee come to this startling revela-tion? In other online writings he indicated that he had been ‘awakened’ by Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth.” In the screed already cited, he makes it abundantly clear

20September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

By ANTHONY HORVATHArticle

that evolutionary theory provides the necessary ingredients for understanding and resolving the problems he was ‘awakened’ to by Gore’s movie. Lee tells Discovery, “Talk about Evolu-tion. Talk about Malthus and Darwin until it sinks into the stupid people’s brain until they get it!!” For some background on Malthus, you may wish to read this column of mine that had been posted on Worldnetdaily.com some time ago: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=111412 I have not explored the sources for Lee’s understanding of evolution, but I think it is probable that in one of those deep ironies in life, it was fueled by the very network he was attacking. The Discovery Channel is constantly presenting nature shows and explicitly chalking up phenomena to evolutionary theory. Obviously, this wouldn’t be engaging TV without some visual help, so they help it. The basic pattern can be spotted all the time: “Science knows that such and such came these million/billion years ago and led to this and that” accompanied by some visual representation of the event that will look abso-lutely real. The program may or may not put a note that what is being viewed is actually computer generated. It hardly matters. People really do believe what they see. We may wonder, given the power of video, espe-cially when presented as fact, to shape viewpoints, how

much of the belief in ‘global warming’ and evolution-ary theory is derived from propaganda and peer pres-sure rather than a knowledge and analysis of the actual facts. Space allows me to cite just one example of a piece of a visual, but inaccurate, image used to further the argument

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By ANTHONY HORVATHArticle

for human caused global warming: the so-called ‘hockey stick’ graph. You’ll want to research it yourself. When you do you will discover that this visual ‘slam dunk’ is nothing more than a fraud. Evolutionary theory has its iconic ‘slam dunks’ as well. A few years back I was a Christian religion teacher. I taught a young earth creationist point of view but I also did what I could to sow the seeds of doubt regarding evolu-tionary theory, knowing full well that what I offered to 7th and 8th graders would be mostly forgotten once they hit college. When I sowed these doubts, I did not say that evolution wasn’t true because the Bible didn’t allow it. I said that evolutionary theory, on its own merits, failed on the evidence. One day after school, a girl came in with her science text book- the very same that was used at this religious high school. She opened the book to the section on the evidence for evolution and pointed to an illustration which I instantly recognized as ‘Haeckel’s Embryos.’ To her and her parents, this illustration was proof positive of evolu-tionary theory. Seeing is believing. The only problem is that this illustration was a fraud. It was used constantly in biology text books and on the web, often by those knowing full well that it was a fraud. Why was it used? For the same reason why the ‘hockey stick’ graph gets used- it gets the point across quickly, and of course the argument being made is known to be true on other grounds. The logical flaw, of course, is that the images themselves are served up as evidence for those underlying contentions. http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/wells/haeckel.html The incident with the girl did not end well. They just couldn’t believe that text book writers would put in fraudulent images. Obviously, I was just a religion teacher with an axe to grind against evolutionary theory. (Since then, Intelligent Design proponent Jonathan Wells has produced a fabulous book that delves into the use of specious imagery used to promote the evolutionary view point. It is called “Icons of Evolution’ and I submit it for your consideration.) Believe it or not, the point and purpose of this essay

was not to attack ‘global warming’ or evolutionary theory. My goal was to highlight the power of video and visual images, especially when they are put forward as documen-tary. Though I have provided examples where the underly-ing data behind particular images has been shown to be false or even fraudulent, obviously it may still be the case that ‘global warming’ and evolutionary theory is quite true… although it does beg the question as to why anyone feels the need to stoop to deceptive imagery to further a putatively scientific position. Since video has this power, we must be on guard when viewing it. Our technology has increased to such an extent that computers can create, with utmost realism, any conceivable scenario to present to our naked eyes. Our ability to spread those images has exploded. It raises an interesting question: Have you ever wondered why Jesus came to die and rise 2,000 years ago rather than today? 2,000 years ago there were no cameras, no movies, no Youtube. Jesus performed miracles, but surely his mes-sage would have spread faster and further if only they had been videotaped and spread around by email? What, like Bruce Almighty walking on water? Is it really the case that the Resurrection would have been more believable if it had been caught on film? Isn’t the opposite true? We know that anything is possible on film- even if we often forget it. Christianity is more credible because it emerged during the period before video was invented. Seeing was still believing, but there were few, if any, ways to visually deceive. Considering how much of what we think we know comes to us through video, it is imperative that we think critically when viewing it, and the more so when creating it.

Anthony Horvath is the Executive Director of Athanatos Christian Ministries. His ministry hosts an online apolo-getics conference which brings the arts to bear on evange-lism. Learn more at http://www.onlineapologeticsconfer-ence.com

22September 2010Christian Video® Magazine

by JAY M. DELPAudible Audio for Video

As leaders, we understand the importance of having volunteers experience ownership in as many aspects of our media ministries as possible. If we dusted your ministry camcorders for finger prints, whose prints would they match? If your present media ministry with volunteers is primarily covered with your fingerprints, now is the time for you to step away from the tripod and take your hands off the technology.

Basic Shooting tips for Volunteer ENG Camera Operators

But, before simply handing over the keys to your camcorder closet to your volunteers, there may be some things you need to do. One good idea is to carry insurance against theft, destruction or natural disasters. Training vol-unteers to use camcorders is vital as well as helping them understand the responsibilities of protecting and maintain-ing the technology they will have placed in their hands. Most of this article is really not for you but for your volunteers whom you have empowered (or will be em-powering soon) with access to the video cameras used in your ministry. In this article we’ll be focusing on how to give you and your volunteers the greatest “shot” at success when shooting their own out-of-the-sanctuary video foot-age. What could be so hard about using those little “point and shoot” digital camcorder wonders? Using them isn’t difficult but shooting USEABLE footage with them is. Let’s take care of a few less-than-exciting-but-very-impor-tant issues that fit under the heading of Protecting the Gear.

The shoulder strap is your friend. Use it. Especially •when your hands need to be doing other things like holding on to chair lifts, carrying luggage, driving the motorcycle/bicycle, or carrying anything else. And despite your “amazing hands”, every human on the

planet drops things. Make sure the camcorder isn’t one of them.

Lens cap. Another friend. When the camera’s power •is off the lens cap is on.

Camera bag. Home sweet home for the video camera. •Send it home often. Lock it in the trunk of the car or another out-of-sight location if traveling. And like they love to announce at airports, “Please don’t leave your baggage (camera bag) unattended. Thank you”.

Help your camera avoid its mortal enemies. Water. •Extreme temperatures. Shocks. Bangs. Humidity. Sand. Your baby sister. Animals. Your best friend’s baby sister. Greasy fingers. Anyone’s baby sister.

When it comes to protecting your camcorder use com-•mon sense. Better yet, treat this tiny-but-sophisticated bundle of technology as you would your own video camera.

Unlike your camcorders focus, shooting good video isn’t automatic. Not even close. Sure you’ve shot video before – probably lots of video footage. But how good was it? Honestly, all of us could stand a “refresher” course

September 201023Christian Video® Magazine

by JAY M. DELPAudible Audio for Video

from time to time. If it helps, simply view the following as reminders: Focus: Let’s nail this one right off the bat. If the pic-ture is not in focus it’s not useable. Period! Either focus it or don’t push that red record button. Shake: Public video enemy #2 – Maybe #1. Put tripods on your “best friends” list and keep them there. Steadiness is especially tough while zoomed in for those “extreme close-ups” so zoom with your feet (walk) when-ever possible instead of going hog wild with the zoom control. Little people: Avoid them. Actually the people aren’t actually little they just look that way on video because of the almost universal tendency of humans to zoom way back and videotape all things in the “wide” mode not unlike the way our eyes see the entire “big picture”. Not good 95% of time on video. A short wide shot at the beginning of a new scene and/or new location let’s viewers know “where you are” (context) but after that it’s close-up time almost all the time. Video is a close-up, emotional medium, but only if you capture that emotion (close-ups on faces). Wide = equals snoozing. Close-up = captivating. Sound: If video had an abandoned child it would be audio. When interviewing folks on video, please, please, please invest in a lapel microphone (wired or wireless). Use headphones to check the sound initially before you get home only to find you have a “silent picture”. Light: Usually good. Not good when your camera is pointing at it. Keep the light behind you and the camera or at least out of the camera’s lens. There are only two kinds of light sources on planet earth – God-made (sun) and man-made (everything else). Don’t point your camera at either of them. Ever. Windows qualify as God-made since although the windows are man-made the light which shineth through them comes from the Maker of light. Light Part II: Get more of it on your scene/subject. Sure today’s camcorders are “low-light wonders”. Make that irrelevant by never shooting in low light. Inadequate lighting kills your colors and throws your picture clarity in the trash can. Not pleasant unless you have obviously (ef-fectively) created a low-light scene or mood. Change angles: Often. High to extreme lows. But

don’t start recording until the camera is stationary in its new camera position/angle. Watch TV or a movie tonight. Unique angles add interest to SOME shots. Don’t overdue this or any other tip/technique. Endless shoulder-height shooting is a key ingredient in a biography entitled “How I Made My Movie Boring”. Camera movement: This is, by far, the riskiest shooting suggestion in this little article. Effective camera move-ment is way different than the “shake and bake takes” men-tioned above. And we’re also not talking about the amaz-ingly distraction movement I call A.D.D. Camera Man. You know what I mean: the MTV camera operator wan-nabe who thinks it’s “artsy” to be moving all over the place (scene) which comes across more as a distraction than anything remotely resembling art. Helpful camera move-ment is tough to explain in writing. I’m talking smooth, “shake-less” movements like taping a circle of people by slowly walking around the circle instead of holding a static shot on the group. A smooth “moving in” (not zooming in) on your subject by moving the camera with your arm and body from, say, 6 feet away at knee level to 1 foot away at head level coming in from the side or a 45 degree angle or shooting from the perspective of the subject for a shot or two. Again, watch a TV docudrama for 3 minutes or more and you’ll see this technique for sure. Do not add ANY in-camera effects such as fades, wipes, strobes, spins, twirls, mosaic, monotone, picture-in-picture, overlaps, old-movie, sepia tone, freeze frames. None. Ever. Forever. For eternity. Ditto for the on-screen date/time stamp. Irremovable. Uneraseable. Permanent. Tattoo-like. Turn it off and leave it off…forever. There is much more on this whole subject of shooting useable video footage but the above is a good start.

(“Is this thing on?”)

Jay Delp www.jaydelp.com jaydelp@comcast.net