Army Short

I had a great time filming this little short. If you don't notice in the video, I was short on actors so I had to get creative. My goal of this film was to give it that realistic army battle feel, but always keep in the back of the audience's mind that these are kids playing in the back yard. So, I gave them pretty realistic costumes but then also gave them Nerf guns and applied very simple muzzle flashes. I tried to give it a very desaturated color grade and used gun sound fx and music I got off-line. (Credit for unoriginal media used in the short is given at the end of the video.)Out of the blue we decided to do this, and shot the whole thing in one day, but I kept starting and stopping during the editing process so this short has actually been a year in the making. I shot the video on my Canon VIXIA HF301 and captured audio with my Rode Video Mic Pro. (You can check out my gear page to see all my equipment.) The sun was the only lighting used. None of us on this film know German so please forgive us if we said anything offensive (in any language). My actors did a really great job (THANKS GUYS YOUR THE BEST) and I think part of the reason for that is because they were really pumped up about the idea of the film. (What boy doesn't get excited about playing army?) This is a key for really any leaders (not just in film making): GET THOSE YOU ARE WORKING WITH AS EXITED ABOUT THE PROJECT AS YOU ARE!  

Keith's Pen: This World Is Not Our Home

John 17:16

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

            As Christians, this world we find ourselves in today is not meant to be our home. God wants His children to see Heaven as the dream retirement location, not Florida. Heaven’s meant to be the desired end of the line, not this earth.

            Now don’t get me wrong, God, in His grace, has blessed us here on earth in so many different ways, with family, friends, nature, happiness, medicine, limbs, ice cream, and the list goes on and on. While we should be thankful for these gracious blessings, we can’t allow these gifts to make us become completely content with this world, where friends and family die, where nature decays, where happiness passes, where medicine sometimes fails, where limbs can disappear, and where ice cream melts.  Christians on this earth, while living thankful lives, should (and amazingly through Christ can) still desire something more, a place where life is eternal, where we are whole, and where sin has no power, to sum things up, where… it’s perfect and as believers know, that’s Heaven, where Jesus is. Why settle for a motel when you’ve been given the keys to a castle?     

     

            The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies was released in US theaters this past week (17 December 2014). I’m a huge Middle Earth fan and so of course I’ve been fired up to see this movie for awhile now. I have found myself “joking” that I hope I don’t die or Jesus doesn’t come back until I see that film. This “joking” has left me surprised with myself. Have I fallen so much in love with this world that I’d rather be in it, than in Heaven….in the presence of Christ.

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

            Have Christians become so conformed to this world that they see it as more appealing than a perfect eternity with Christ? This view is the exact opposite of the “good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The greatest blessing God has given us here on earth is His Son, and because of Jesus we look forward to something incomparably greater than this earth, Heaven. I’m through settling for the rags of this world when my Savior offers me fine cloth. What about you?