A Time to Breath & A Time to Connect with God

Production is non-stop and never really ends.

The good news is it's FUN.
It may be very hard work, and it may be unpredictable... but it is fun.
And frankly... those of us in production COULD be doing something else.
Instead we're blessed to do what we do.

That said... sometimes we need to breath!
We need to exhale and regroup our thoughts.
We need to adjust our focus.

For the budding professional HOW to do that can be challenging to understand.

During the Professional Encounter we are taking time to break down what a BALANCED LIFE really looks like when living a production lifestyle.




Sometimes taking a breather from the busy-ness of production means getting GEOGRAPHICALLY AWAY.





Sometimes the breather make come in the form of getting MENTALLY AWAY.





For sure there has be time out of the studio, edit bay or office. But there are ways to grab "time away" with out ever leaving, if those are the circumstances. This weekend we have discussed those things.

And... CCM has been pursuing God in the deep meaningful quest of knowing His will for each and every step that each of us are being called to take.

Time in the word.
Time with God.
Time Physically Away.
Time Mentally Away.
Time Away.

Balance.

CCM at Dolby Studios

The EYES have it!

Each facet of production is vital. The eye of even the casual observer can pick up on inconsistencies or dis-continuity.

Exacting attention must be paid to each detail.

Another day of the CCM Professional Encounter began with that attention being paid to Make-Up!

Specific hands-on instruction and evaluation was given to the entire CCM Producion Team and specialized training was given to those in CCM who are leaning toward make-up as their chosen field of strength.

There were a lot of eyes opened to development of new skills, and great validation of what we are already doing



Next stop: DOLBY STUDIOS

DOLBY was definitely a high-point! The amazing folks there opened up their facility to us, including a $1M theater that sits maybe 60 people.




DOLBY is best known, and has won several awards for noise-reduction technology and multi-speaker audio systems (surround sound would be a correct way of putting it, but that term really doesn't do it justice). They still specialize in these things... in fact they showed much of the team some of the physical process of mixing and placing the final audio track onto the film print.

We also met some folks at Dolby who specialize in Quality Assurance! (Yes CCM... for all of you who are on the QC Team or who have served in its ranks... There ARE people in Hollywood who make a living making sure the final film product that gets sent to theaters (physical or digital) is flaw free!!

But the real highlight was being introduced to the latest Dolby field of conquest: 3D Movies! Yep... they're no longer just about sound. (In fact, they have been specializing in digital cinema distribution for awhile now)



DOLBY is behind a new 3D movie system that doesn't use RED/GREEN, RED/BLUE or POLARIZED glasses. In fact they have developed a system that uses glasses that allow the audience to experience the 3D in FULL COLOR!!

For all you tech-geeks here's the low-down:

Dolby 3D utilizes standard white screens, so exhibitors don't have the added cost or the quality compromise associated with the use of silver screens, delivering a consummate 3D experience from every seat in the house. Additionally, Dolby Laboratories provides cost-effective and environmentally friendly passive reusable 3D glasses. Dolby's 3D solution uses a unique full-spectrum color-filter technology licensed from Infitec that provides realistic color reproduction and extremely sharp images.



The Dolby 3D technology has only been in theaters since Oct 2007. And from what we saw the technology is AMAZING!

Our eyes took in: Scenes from STAR WARS re-processed to include 3D (That's right... take a 30 year old 2D movie and turn it into 3D!!) Scenes from the animated move FLY ME TO THE MOON



And... then we saw JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH in a much more flattering way than the movie appeared in the theaters this past summer. After that... we saw clips of U23D. So if you saw that... you likely saw it in Dolby 3D.

In short it was great day!!!

And we capped it off with the real, true official California Cuisine:



Next: Spiritual Focus and re-junvenation!

The Glamor Fog Clears

Our journey began standing on a hill, over looking what we could see of Hollywood through the smog. We stood as one body, one generation answering the call that had been placed on our lives. There really was a fog between us and the industry we’ve been called to be a light in, the fog of doubt, confusion or fear of failure. But, God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

Our first day was spent absorbing and probing professional cinematographers for all the information and advice we could get regarding what it takes to climb the industry’s ladder, and the qualities and the skills it takes to keep you there.

I’ve been warned many times about the darkness and evils of Hollywood, but after just a single day of soaking in the people and the environment of this “dark“ center, I’m beginning to realize how untrue that really is. The people who run this industry speak of servant hood, hard work and the perseverance we should advocate; all the qualities Christ teaches we should posses.

These men opened themselves up to their future competition and poured out skills, tips, rules of thumb on what to and what not to do when working on a set. They shared the lessons they learned from their personal mistakes, the common mistakes “newbies” make, and how to avoid pigeon holes which the business so easily tends to trap you in.

Tell me now, what group of young people in this country get a full frontal encounter with this kind of learning experience. All of a sudden these distant dreams from our imaginations begin to come into focus. The fog and blinding glare of “show biz glamour” begins to clear away, and we start learning the magic of story telling from the men behind the curtain. This lifestyle and the impact we can make is not a dream, but real and attainable.

-- Selah Starhsen

Cinematography & Lighting Seminar -- RIGHT NOW!

It's 1115am in L.A.

And right now the team is deep in the midst of a Cinematography & Lighting Seminar.

Lighting is Soooo key to making any shot look good.

All the CCMers are either learning what they need to do or honing already developed skills.

All under the direction of real-world Hollywood pros who know how to respond and perform under the restrictions of time and money.

What is in these pros is being poured directly into the CCMers.

Look for a video-blog highlighting some of what happened today... a bit later on.

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...

The Adventure Begins