Seeking Hollywood and Answering a CALLING

Driving through the So. Calif. Desert is not glamorous.
Beautiful maybe… but, definitely NOT glamorous.
And the cold hard fact about Hollywood is… It’s not glamorous either.
It IS fun. It is the home to the business I have been called to. It IS the home to amazing story tellers.

This week… The Center for Creative Media is descending upon Hollywood with a hunger to see how Hollywood works… with a thirst to discover what the people who make a living there do.

Like many who come to Tinsletown with hopes and dreams… the CCMers are full of vision. They want to “make it.” They are dedicated to find out where their strengths will lie. And, in their case, they are answering a calling that God has placed on their lives.

From their mouths:

Ron:
Says he wants to learn about the lifestyle of living in Hollywood. How do you balance normal daily living with the demands of production. He wants to be a director.

Alex:
Wants to compare what we do at CCM with how production gets done in Hollywood. He want to learn from people who are making a living at what he dreams to do himself.

Keshia:
Wants to know where all the studios and networks are and, how to get around town. She also wants to know what it looks like to live and work in Hollywood. A specific goal: to observe a professional and how they function. To soak up their essence… how they maintain their career and how they got to become an expert.

Samuel:
Right now Hollywood is a black hole. It is a mystery. He wants to know how it works… know how to exist day to day. He’s determined to be an actor who succeeds without getting sucked into the system, wants to learn from actors who are doing it well right now.

Caitlin:
Wants to go into make-up. I would like to know if I need a degree in cosmetology. What do I need to learn. I need to learn to create a portfolio. I need to know what the difference the difference between make for TV and Film is.

Brandon:
Wants to be sure to have a firm foundation before he gets to L.A. for good. He also wants to figure out what living a life of balance (Spiritual Life/Production Life/Home Life) needs to look like in L.A.

These are deep thoughts and lofty aspirations.

So Who am I? and Who are We?
I am the Executive Director of the Center for Creative Media

www.centerforcreativemedia.com

We have nearly 100 people in "CCM." And, we all desire to make great film, television, and new media. We are Christians. But, it is NOT our goal to make great Christian film, television, and new media. We want to make great FILM, TELEVISION, and NEW MEDIA!

Good Christian
Good Mainstream
Good
Good, period.

It is our prayer that God would use us to create stories... pictures... films... tv... webisodes... from our studio... and that we would do it with EXCELLENCE.

The vision of making GOOD film television as a Christian is indeed LARGE and daunting. (But, with God, all things are possible, eh???) Let's assess the playing field:

Mainstream often thinks that:
Christians are in favor of censorship.
Christians want to limit ideas to only what the Religious Right thinks is acceptable.
Christians haven't lived enough life to tell a REAL story... one with texture and truth that most people could connect with.
Christians are narrow minded and NOT tolerant

Christians often think that:
Hollywood is too dangerous of a place to send their brothers to work (Interestingly sending fellow believers to be missionaries where they could martyred for their faith is honored... but heaven forbid we send them to Tinsletown)
Hollywood is so foul and wicked "we" need to form "our" own industry
Hollywood is controlled by the "Left" and would never let "our" stories be told
Film & Television can be made on a wing and a prayer without the budgets afforded to the mainstream market.

Like the world of politics these days... these two camps typically are dramatically polarized.

But... there is hope.
A Hit is a Hit.
Success negates all misgivings.

And... it is my contention that believers can be active, effective and artistically relevant participants in the mainstream marketplace. (it has been my privilege to work alongside many of these professionals who already are in "Hollywood." It just seems that there should many, many more of us)

So to make more than an occasional dent in the status quo... we need to raise up qualified, trained, competent, TALENTED professionals who can compete in their fields.

Thus the journey of The Center for Creative Media is underway...