Make a Documentary. Change the World.

I’ve been invited to go to Ethiopia and make a documentary. And it could help change the lives of thousands of people.

In the last two years, my church (partnered with the Petros Network) has planted over 614 churches in unreached villages throughout the West Shewa zone in Oromia, Ethiopia. During that period, we’ve seen over 92,000 new believers, over 36,000 baptized in water, and more than 650,000 people have heard the gospel. And we are working with 19 denominations in Ethiopia.

Not only that, but the villages are starting to see redemptive lift thanks to the gospel presence. Social systems are improving, including health and hygiene, women’s rights, treatment of children, sponsorship of widows and orphans, micro-finance projects, and more.

It’s pretty incredible. We believe that people need to hear this story.

However, we need help to tell the story. With the skills and experience Wiley and I have, be will be able to capture the story and create compelling visuals to help. All we need is help funding our travel and minimal gear rentals.

How can you help, you ask? Please take a couple minutes and check out our IndieGoGo campaign to make this project happen: http://igg.me/p/235353?a=1394612 (or see sidebar widget). Even if you can’t support us financially, we would love your help spreading the word to your friends or people you know who may be interested in this project.

I honestly believe that the impact of making this film and starting to screen it through our partnership with the Petros Network will be an influx of people wanting to partner with us and help bring more of this social change to other parts of Ethiopia and around the world.

Do me a favor and check out our project.

Thank you!

An Interview with a Cute 5 Year Old

This video was a project I was asked to produce and shoot for a Sunday morning church service. It was my first time really trying to interview a child on video. Aside from the fact that there were three other kids running around (mine included) and having never been to the location and needing to do it pretty quick, the big challenge was getting compelling responses from a 5 year old.

And I didn’t really get what I was hoping for.

However, the parents really had a ton of great things to say about their daughter and memorizing scripture as a family. So, I was able to reshape my story a little and tell a story that—hopefully—people would enjoy and feel encouraged after watching.

Little Moments Are Precious

The things that are most precious in life aren’t necessarily the big moments, but they are the people that you share life with. And I’ve been blessed with one precious daughter.

I love spending time with her. Aside from hanging out with my with or family time, there is nothing I love more.

So, on a Saturday evening when Mommy was gone, what am I gonna do? Capture one the little moments I get to spend with Sophia.

Shooting an Event Solo

I don’t know about you, but I find myself shooting events solo A LOT. Shooting by yourself presents a particular set of challenges that require you to be prepared if you want to make the most of event.

Patrick Moreau of stillmotion shares some really good tips for making the most of shooting solo. Head over to stillmotion’s blog to check it out! It’s worth the read if you ever shoot by yourself.

Link: [Q OF WEEK] – SHOOTING SOLO

When Video Became Important to Me…

On Monday, I decided I wanted to shoot something during my lunch. My goal was to produce something just for practice. I had no script and shot it in two takes (aside from b-roll).

One of the things I was rather pleased with was the audio… kinda. I filmed the piece with a Rode VideoMic Pro mounted on the camera. I wouldn’t normally shot an interview this way. If I had more time, I would have a more proper setup with a microphone right overhead. But lunch breaks are pretty short.

For what it was worth, it picked up the sound well and with auto gain control off on my T2i, it was really clean (thanks Magic Lantern!). This would be a decent setup for a run-n-gun situation.

So the video above is what I made. It turned out to be good practice in both shooting and editing. Hope you enjoy it!

Capturing the Moment vs. Being Present

I love spending time with my family. They are one of the most precious things in my life. And I want to be present for every special moment.

However, I struggle with spending my time behind the camera instead of engaging in the moment.

During the Christmas holiday this year, I made a conscious effort to let that photo or video clip I wanted fall to the wayside if it came between me enjoying my family. That also meant spending less time editing the photos/video as well. My family got my attention.

What was the cost? Well, for the price of enjoying my family and giving them the love and attention they deserve, I didn’t have all the shots I wanted or a well edited piece from the holidays. BUT, I have some great memories shared with people I love. And that’s worth it!

Sound: Replace with Ambient Noise

Sound is one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of a video project for those learning and getting started in film. And one thing that kills a moment is a big “Uhh…” in the middle of the monologue or speech.

Larry Jordan posted a great quick tip for using Soundtrack Pro to replace sections of audio with ambient noise. It’s definitely worth the read if you’ve never used it before!

LINK: Replace Ambient Noise in Soundtrack Pro