Raising 22,400 square meters

Time flies and it has been a while since I wrote. I have been quite busy with the film school and other projects. We actually had our film school graduation just a week ago, with eight students graduating from six different countries!

One of our projects is to find a new place for the film ministry in Youth With a Mission, Medellin. The house we are renting is getting smaller and smaller every day, in proportion to the activities we do. So we went out and looked, and we actually think we have found a place! So much so that we have talked with the land owners and have started a fund-raising campaign. It is situated in the South of Medellin and has direct access to the city's integrated bus and tram system, but is still rural enough to have fresh air and calm surroundings.

This new place could accommodate several of YWAM's ministries in Medellin, such as the Counseling school ministries, the Missions school ministries (DTS), the Family ministries, the Values ministry and of course, the film and media ministry (Centrocom). See possible map below.

The whole idea with this place is to build ministries that can impact society from a Christian perspective, being a benefit and blessing to the city, the country of Colombia, and many other countries and cultures.

Would you like to be part? To buy this lot, we need around 390,000 US dollars. The whole lot is of 22,400 square meters, so we are now asking for people to support toward one or several square meters of $25 each. If 22,400 people support, the deal is done! It is easy to support, you can just use PayPal. You will find more information on this page.

This is how the land looks like (new buildings would be constructed):



And this is how the place could be designed:

Filming a pilot for a tv series

Yesterday I came back from two intense weeks in the city of Bucaramanga, Colombia.

We shot a 25-minute episode of a new possible tv comedy series with a Christian message.

I had the privilege of directing and our team consisted of about 20 people: Producer, Director, Production Coordinator, Production Designer, DP, Script supervisor, 1AD, 2AD, Gaffer, Sound mixer and Boom Operator, Grip, Set Decorator, Make-Up Artist, Catering, 3 Camera operators, one 1AC, plus a backoffice cook.

We did something nearly impossible, because we pre-produced and shot the episode in only two weeks, and half of the team were interns from our film school! But considering these circumstances I think (and hope) that we did a great job.

Now comes the post-production phase with editing, grading, sound mix, music and some pick-up shots. We hope to air this episode on some regional channel in Colombia, and the intention is to thus acquire funds for more episodes.

Pablo Escobar documentary

Tomorrow I will be shooting (camera!) for an English documentary about Pablo Escobar. Not my favorite subject, but I've taken the job. If anything, people can learn from a tragic part of the history of Medellin. We will do B-roll footage, which in this case means shots of the city and places related to him. We are starting at 5.00 a.m sharp tomorrow, and it's almost midnight, so I'd better go to bed.

A safe place to go

Yesterday one of our local school leaders in YWAM Medellin died due to a brain damage. He was in his fifties. It is sad for everyone who knew him and worked with him. He was a mild, quiet, hardworking and supportive person, and did a fantastic job in paving the way for young people to go out and do missions.

As we mourn, we also need to remember, that this man now has reached his goal, he is secure with God, in the place where he wanted more people to go when they finish the earthly journey.

Do you have a safe place to go when you end this life? Jesus said:

"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24).

Note how Jesus always turns things upside down. You can cross from death to life, not from life to death. And you are invited too!

On our way to milk and honey

Have you ever thought about why Jesus chose to give his last supper specifically on the Easter night? He did it because Easter was the celebration of the liberation of slavery. To remember the Israelites from that moment were a free people, on their way to a "country of milk and honey".

The symbol is pretty clear. From the moment we accept Jesus, we are free from bondage and start our way to the place of milk and honey, heaven.

Bloody scene

This week we shot a scene for our short film No Return. We filmed the bulk of this film back in 2013 but never managed to finish it, because we weren't satisfied with a key scene. So now I had done audition and found a new actress, and I put together a team of eight people, all paid, and we went in a mini-buss to the village Cocorna, where the bank anew let us film.

Everything actually went great, and people even came on time! Having people come on time in Colombia is a miracle if we are talking about more than five people! So I was very glad for that. We had some special effects in this scene (blood) so it was nice to learn about that. The last take is the one that was "printed". The take had a small part that was not in focus, but in general it was great, much thanks to a great actor.

When things go against you

Sometimes we experience that things go against us and they are not like we expected. When the Israelites were lead into the desert, described in the book of Exodus, it was a completely new world for them, different, wild and dry. Their previous, ordinary, comfortable life wasn't there anymore. Is God really with us still? they started to ask themselves.

The same happened to the disciples of Jesus, when he sent them off in a boat by themselves, described in Matthew 14. It is told that the wind "was against them." In both these situations, the people started to despair and doubt that that God was with them.  That is what it seems like when things go against us.

But what God wanted to show them, is that He is with us regardless of the circumstances. He rebuked the Israelites, and he rebuked the disciples. Why? Not because they were trusting in God foolishly, but the opposite. They didn't trust him enough to think that things would be solved.

When Peter approached God walking on water, he started to doubt because of the hard wind. "Will this really work:?" But Jesus said "Your faith is so small! Why did you doubt?"
God invites us to have a Big Faith. That means keep believing in God when things go against us.

The art and challenge of auditioning actors

Today I did a first audition and location scouting for the short film about an art workshop for young girls in a poor neighborhood in Medellin that I mentioned in an earlier post. The idea is to first work with actors and locations from that very place, since the film is based on, and is supposed to promote, an existing art workshop.

We had about 20 young girls from the neighborhood who wanted to be in the film. I shot and watched at the same time. I split them into three groups, and did a scene looking at both the protagonist and some girls what will be part of the workshop member, as well as the workshop leader. So, many to watch at the same time! But the girls all collaborated with lots of will.

I also looked at several possible locations. Except the actual workshop, there is a scene in a street corner, in front of a house, in a bedroom and some others. I looked at about three or four house interiors and decided on one that had a little more space but still had the style I was looking for. Many of the houses in this neighborhood are made of wood, and all the streets are dirt roads (see picture).

Doing audition is an art. What I look for most is presence and authenticity. I can mostly tell when somebody is too aware of the camera, or are not "in character". The other thing I look for is their capacity to improvise. I almost never work with a script in an audition, I always have the actors improvise. That is because I like to see if they can invent their own lines and actions. At the end, that is what acting is, inventing things. An actor can have a line to deliver, but he or she has to invent how to do it. A person who is good at improvising, creates a space around themselves that is bigger than their physical body. They create drama. And I'm not talking about theatrical gestures and raising their voice, but rather creating a person that is alive.

The other thing I look out for is overacting. That mostly alert red lights in me. Also, I prefer to like the face I see. It doesn't necessarily have to be someone "beautiful", but the face should read well on the camera. Because needless to say, the face is the most important part of a film actor's body.

Then, of course, if I feel something when they act, that is also a factor. Today we had a girl that was great at improvising. She had a face that was alive, and she seemed to be present. But she did show off a little too much. It felt overacted in some parts. But she did create feelings in me, I almost cried when she acted. That is a good sign of course. And the overacting might be workable. Only a second audition could tell.

Another girl had a great face, very authentic and ready to express all kinds of feelings, but when it came to improvising, she wasn't very creative. Her persona didn't expand at acting and moving. Then again, since she is totally untrained, she might be able to develop that skill. Again, in a second round we might be able to work with that.

Finally, I need to watch the auditions "on tape" as well. Because sometimes a face looks good in reality, but not in camera. Or vice versa.

Recently I heard the Swedish film director Drazen Kuljanin say that there are two things you should put 90% of your efforts into: the script and the casting. I think there's great truth in that statement. Even if this will be a small film, I will invest some time and effort into finding good actors.

Writing synopsis

Writing stories is really a process. Today I was working on the synopsis for an upcoming short film we will do together with the Swedish foundation Ankarstiftelsen. It is a film about an art workshop in a poor neighborhood in Medellin.

I have found that it is worth investing time in the idea. And I mean the idea, not the screenplay. To work on synopsis level. And work again. And work again. But today I had a little breakthrough and I hope we can reach an agreement with the foundation.

Tomorrow I will visit the art workshop to scout locations and maybe do some first auditions.

Filming a dance scene for ViValores

Yesterday we shot a film scene for ViValores, the values foundation. The scene was to film a dancer in front of a big audience, who was clapping and cheering as she finished dancing.

I had a few alternatives, we could shoot the scene in front of a green screen, and then add the stage and the audience silhouettes in post, or shoot it in a real theatre. I chose to shoot it in a theatre, because the city of Medellin lends out a theatre for things like this.

So we put the dancer on the stage and I filmed her from behind, toward the "audience", using two strong back lights to make the background completely black.

Then we shot from the front, lighting the stage background with an "orange party gelled" fresnel lamp.

And finally I did a wide shot from the audience, using a couple of extras as silhouettes.

I used dolly in all the shots. In the audience shot, I put the dolly on top of the theatre seating, using two lateral bars to fix the dolly tubes, and a couple of half apple boxes and a bean bag to find the right height and angle.

We shot "MOS", that is, without sound. The audience cheering will be added in post.

I was director, producer and director of photography for this shoot, plus in this particular shoot I was working with several people that had little or no experience with filming, so it was a challenge, but we got all he shots in the can and all things considered it was a good experience.

How to be safe

It is interesting to see what God teaches us about being safe. He talks about that if you do such and such, you'll be like a house on a rock, but if you do so and so, you'll be destroyed (Matthew 7:24-27). He is talking about long-term safety.

But instead of talking about how to work hard and save up for the future, how to build a house, how to build a big family or how to defend yourself, God talks about morals. If you are a good person, you will be safe. How are you to be good? This is what he says:

- Do good to others ("gather riches in heaven", do to them what you want them to do to you)
- Reconcile with others ("when you present your offering...")
- Be humble (do not do things just in order to be seen etc)
- Follow good leaders (look at their "fruit").

So being safe is, in God's perspective, about being a good, humble person. That is what gives you a future.

New year, new plans, new projects

I'm back again! Yet another miracle! Anyway, November and December were busy times. We produced four more values commercials, that was an intense time and I directed them. I got to work with a professional director of photography from Bogota, that was fun.

In December, my father and his wife were visiting me in Colombia, which of course was a lot of fun. We went to Cartagena and Santa Marta, among other places. I had the opportunity to visit Tayrona Park again, a beautiful place.

In January I spent three weeks in Sweden, feeling the cold and the snow. I can just say that I was freezing! I think I have become a tropical person... Anyway, I was able to spend time with my supporters, which is very important, they are fantastic and are part of what I am doing.

Now we are planning our activities for this year. We are trying to implement more planning, which is very good. One big thing is of course the film school (Christian School of filmmaking). We already have a group of about seven students who have applied, which is very good considering it is only February. We need to do a lot of prepping to improve the school. Among other things, I am working on a complete "manual" for the students, which will contain a summary of everything they will be learning.

I have also been writing on my screenplay idea, which is fun and difficult. This year I also want to produce/direct at least one short film (maybe several), but I am looking into which. I might do several. I need about 25-30.000 dollars to do Hero, a futuristic short film. Possible but not easy.

Of course, we will also continue producing values commercials. Or at least get our package of ten commercials ready for distribution in television.

Something that I am looking forward to is Global Outreach Day. More about that later!

In short, I'm excited about this year, there are great things to come.