International Orality Network Conference

The annual gathering of leaders and practitioners involved in the Orality Movement of missions is this September 20-23 in Atlanta. This gathering is for those who work with the unreached people groups and those who work with the literate who "choose" to communicate by oral means even though they can read and write. Look under "events" for more info.

North Africa

I just returned from a 12 day trip to North Africa. Clearly, visual media continues to invade the lives of people in every corner of the earth. While sitting in the living room of a family with very modest means, we had to talk over the volume of a Rachel Ray show broadcast in English (subtitled in Arabic).

Mission Media Teams / I Just Got Back

I'm very excited about the three teams that are going out this summer to serve young, growing ministries. We'll have reports forthcoming. I just returned from a week of vacation in Colorado. Great time.

Media Saturation

We just added a new section to the down loadable resource page on Media Saturation. The 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation slide presentation and report on the use of media by youth in America can be downloaded. Go to the Resources tab and scroll to the bottom.

Edutainment

David Hurtado introduced us to Dr. William Brown, one of the world's leading authorities on entertainment and social change. He has graciously allowed us to offer several of his published articles on the Resource page (scroll down to Edutainment).

Phill Butler - The Best Thinker/Practitioner in Collaboration

Phill Butler is the guru when it comes to kingdom networking and collaboration. His decades of pioneer experience in network-building can be found in a short article. Phil's book "Well Connected" is the authoritative work on kingdom networks. His article distills it into 20 pages. Go to the Resources / Downloads page to get the article.

Saddleback and Outreach Content

I just met with the mission pastor at Saddleback Church. Saddleback, along with thousands of other churches, is interested in effective visual content for outreach on short-term trips. The Jesus film will continue to be a tool many use, but there is a need for additional content. If you have ideas, comment on the forum "Compelling Outreach and Evangelistic Content."

Storytelling in Christian Education

Thanks to Brad Stutzman, a Film and Christian Ed major at Biola University, for contributing an article to the VSN community. Storytelling is critical teaching device for long-term memory. Go to Resources tab and scroll down to the the General section to download the article.

Regent University

I spent a great day this past Friday with David Hurtado and David Garcia of the Regent University Cinema and Television program. Great guys with great vision. They have built an exceptional program. Great job!

VSN India

VSN participant Obed Tewes and I had a great skype conversation yesterday. He has a desire to create connections among visual innovators in India. I know several of you live in that part of the world. Look him up on the Members page and send him a message if you want to know more.

Media Training Movements

We had seven global innovators in the area of media training from four countries meet today. Very inspirational! Check out the different organizations in the Media Training Movements group that we launched today.

Top 5 Filmmaker Mistakes

CJ Powers exposes the most common filmmaker mistakes. 1. Wearing Too Many Hats. 2. Sparing Your Favorite Scene. 3. Networking to Name Drop. 4. Thinking Production is King. 5. Message over Quality. Check out the fill article under the Resources / Download tab.

Empowered21 Team

A huge thanks to the team who represented VSN at the Empowered 21 gathering in Tulsa this past week! Abby Chilton led the team of student volunteers that included Lauren Rockett, Brettley Ruggles, Austin Anderson, Amanda Bernard and Alecia Jackson. Great job on setting up, staffing, and breaking down the booth!

Back from Break and Loaded with Macbook

I took most of last week off to be with my family during spring break. Empowered21 went very well according to Abby Chilton and her team. Thanks for representing VSN! David Nixon's "Letters to God" opened on 900 screens this weekend. With the help of Andy Lara I made the switch from PC to Mac! Still feels awkward.

Empowered21

Special thanks to Abby Chilton, Don Eland and the ORU student volunteers at the VSN booth at Empowered21!!! It runs April 8-10. May God annoint the gathering. http://www.empowered21.com/

Resurrection Changes Everything

We contemplate Christ's purpose and suffering this week. He knew where He was headed and what He would accomplish. I love the line from the Passion, "Mother, look, I'm making all things new" (love the present tense use). He did not stay dead and that makes true transformation possible. Be inspired by this in your life and your storytelling. Christos anesti! Il est ressuscité! He is risen!

Too Much Media

It's disturbing to think how much of the world will follow this American example. American youth now consume 10 hours and 45 minutes of media each day (http://bit.ly/7O5QHo). If you have children, please don't let this be your household. Starter tip: Don't leave the TV on all day.

Staying Grounded

I just got back from a 24 hour personal retreat. Once or twice a year I get away to be alone with God. I'll spend the time reading scripture, playing the guitar, prayer walking, napping, journaling and listening. God always meets me in transforming ways. I encourage you to be sure that you are abiding in the Vine.

Prophetic Imagination -- Transforming Culture

I just got off the phone with Christine Gunn-Danforth. She has a PhD in Biblical Studies and another one in Communication Media. She has taken Brueggemann's idea of the "prophetic imagination" and applied it visual story telling in her book "Transforming Culture: A Model for Faith and Film in Hollywood." I just ordered it from Amazon.

Bonhoeffer

We watched "Bonhoeffer" the other night as a family. A man who loved Jesus. The pastor who tried to kill Hitler. So much for cheap grace. http://bit.ly/bp7gwA

Distance Mentoring

The VSN Distance Mentoring program is underway. Thanks to mentors like Jeff Holder, Brian Bird, Rick Eldrige. This is a trial run to see how we can connect those in the early phase of the visual storyteller journey with those further down the road.

Top Ten Redemptive Films

I love the annual Top 10 Redemptive film list from Christianity Today. There are usually 1-2 sleepers. http://tiny.cc/a28dT

500th Member: David Couchman !!

David Couchman is the 500th person to join the VSN Global Social Network !! Glad you are here David.

Media Training Programs

We're looking to identify short-term (6 months or less) ministry focused media training programs. We'll be pulling together leaders of these kinds of programs to help them share ideas, resources, learnings etc. Already we've got Media Village, Global Short Film Network, Media Light and IMM. Any other suggestions? Email me at clyde@visualstory.org

Strategic Planning Weekend

Thanks for praying for the team that met in Dallas this past weekend. We had a God-annointed time and have a clear sense of the priorities we need to focus on in the next 6-12 months. Check out the Downloads page under the Resource tab for the VSN Strategic Planning Diagram and a great devotional given by Rob Hoskins.

Pray for us in Dallas

19 of us from across the US are gathering in Dallas this weekend to plan and pray for God’s direction for the growth of the visual story movement. Pray for us as we prayerfully plan!

Tim Burton's Failures

Seth Godin on Tim Burton: When I was at MOMA last week, I saw a list of director and artist Tim Burton's projects. Here's the guy who's responsible for some of the most breathtaking movies of his generation, and the real surprise is this: almost every year over the last thirty, he worked on one or more exciting projects that were never green lighted and produced. Every year, he spent an enormous amount of time on failed projects.
A few: Catwoman, Conversations With Vincent, Dinosaurs Attack!, The Fall of the House of Usher, Geek Love, Go Baby Go, Hawkline Monster, Lost in Oz, Mai the Psychic Girl, Mary Reilly, Superman Lives, X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes.
One key element of a successful artist: ship. Get it out the door. Make things happen.
The other: fail. Fail often. Dream big and don't make it. Not every time, anyway.
Tim got his ideas out the door, to the people who decided what to do with them. And more often than not, they shot down his ideas. That's okay. He shipped.
Next!

Africa, the Church and the Mobile Phone

Nice link from Tony Whittaker to a helpful article. Check out the most recent post under the Mobile Media Ministry group.

Internet Evangelism Day

Check this out from our friend Tony Whittaker: "Digital media are transforming the way we communicate, behave and even think. Internet Evangelism Day is a strategic resource to help the worldwide church understand these issues and use the Web to share the good news. It is both a year-round online guide and an annual focus day - to be held this year on Sunday 25 April." www.InternetEvangelismDay.com

Google Takes Another Step to Complete Control

Aaagh. The Media Mission Partnership team had a call this a.m. When we went to access the EtherPad tracking all the notes we've taken, we found the site was shut down. This is the second time Google has done this in the last 6 weeks (since they acquired EtherPad). The bottom line...get used to Google Wave.

Barna Research in US: Year End Perspective

Barna Research Group reports the following four major themes in his research:
1: Increasingly, Americans are more interested in faith and spirituality than in Christianity.
2: Faith in the American context is now individual and customized. Americans are comfortable with an altered spiritual experience as long as they can participate in the shaping of that faith experience.
3: Biblical literacy is neither a current reality nor a goal in the U.S.
4: Effective and periodic measurement of spirituality – conducted personally or through a church – is not common at this time and it is not likely to become common in the near future.

Justice

Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.

Justice and Hope

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope."

The Three Martyrs in Turkey

I spoke with Dr. Enis Sakirgil yesterday. He has a stunning documentary about Necati, Ugur, and Tilmann, the three martyrs from Turkey. The simple power of the story, especially as told from the widow's perspectives, is unforgettable. For more info, go to www.MalatyaFilm.com

What Matters Now

Here is a fun little read compiled by Seth Godin. Go for it. It is a free download. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/files/what-matters-now-1.pdf

Tracking a Site's Web Traffic

This from Seth Godin: You can find the traffic of a popular website (and compare it to another site) by entering the URL into compete.com. Or quantcast. This data is far more accurate than the charts Alexa offers, because most of the sites being measured cooperate.
You can see the referrals and traffic to an individual bitly twitter URL by copying the URL and adding + sign to it. For example, if you see something like this in a tweet: http://bit.ly/870Ry9 just copy it and paste it with the plus and you'll see http://bit.ly/870Ry9+. I think that's pretty neat. You can also track top retweets on an hourly or daily basis.

Christian Movie Data Base

Anyone interested in filling out a quick survey for some friends looking at putting together a Christian Movie data base? Send me a quick email at clyde@visualstory.org

VSN Highlights Email: Check Your Folders

We send out a weekly update to everyone in the network with featured articles, videos and visual resources. To be sure you get the email, check your spam and junk folders. You may need to change the filter to accept email from @visualstorynetwork.com.

EtherPad is available again!

Three cheers for EtherPad (AppJet) and Google! Public EtherPad's are staying open for now. Thanks guys. Way to not "be evil" Google. http://tiny.cc/HMPR6

Dissappointment! EtherPad Acquired, Google Wave a Mess

Just when I've come to love the simple, virtual collaboration tool of EtherPad, Google buys them out and shuts them down. Nice. My initial efforts to comprehend Google Wave have been a disaster. Anyone got any suggestions for an EtherPad substitute? (free, real-time, simple, easily accessed by many users). Lots of unhappy (former) EtherPad users. http://tiny.cc/FCk5j

Door Post Film Project is accepting submissions

The Doorpost Film Project is open for submissions. I was a juror last year and was very impressed with the 100 films accepted to the festival. Almost as impressive is the amount of money they aware filmmakers. The 2009 Grand Prize winner "Butterfly Circus" was my favorite short for the year. www.TheDoorpost.com

The Blind Side

I've got to see this film. I keep hearing great things. Here's a take from Christianity Today. http://tiny.cc/IrxNy

Daniel Pink on Reward Motivation

Gotta love Daniel Pink's work. Check out the TED talk. "Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think." http://bit.ly/4F39Qf

Producer / Executive Program Re-Launch

Act One is launching a newly formatted 14-month Producing & Entertainment Executive Program in June 2010. The course work includes Creative Development, The Business of Hollywood, Physical Production, and Marketing & Distribution. Good work Gary, Terence and team. http://www.actoneprogram.com/EP.htm

Five Stages of Innovation

1. People deny that the innovation is required. 2. People deny that the innovation is effective. 3. People deny that the innovation is important. 4. People deny that the innovation will justify the effort required to adopt it. 5. People accept and adopt the innovation, enjoy its benefits, attribute it to people other than the innovator, and deny the existence of stages 1 to 4. Thanks to Josh Craft via Phil Cooke for the summary

The World Changed Again Last Night

We watched "The Mission" streamed from Netflix through the PS3 on our big screen TV. I have not wanted to buy an extra device to be able to stream content to our television. On Tuesday, the email from Netflix arrived announcing the PS3 would allow us to stream to our large screen. It requires a disc (they send for free) and was easy to set up and use. The buffer time was minimal and the image surprisingly crisp. Did I hear someone say convergence?

Lausanne Global Conversations

Here's a chance from the Lausanne movement to think big. "We invite you to join the Conversation. Here thoughtful Christians are engaging critical issues relating to world evangelization to better equip the whole Church in taking the whole gospel to the whole world.
We believe this is the first online conversation of its kind, and observations and ideas will help shape discussions at http://bit.ly/3VjGYU."

Looking for Training Content

We continue to hear of the need to aggregate effective online training for those who are in less resourced areas of the world. If you have training videos in the area of production, distribution, marketing, ministry use, etc, please post the video to your profile page. We will then feature it on our "How to Story" resource section. You may also post videos from other training sources you have found useful.

Daniel Lin - CEO Lin Pictures

Loved the interview with Daniel Lin at the Biola Studio Task Force dinner last night. Daniel is very sound in his faith and passionate about film (Sherlock Holmes, Terminator Salvation, etc.). He offered great advice from his career. Some slices: Don't lie and always return your calls. Be creative about getting past closed doors. Be accountable (wife, pastor, small group). Kudos to Kathleen Cooke, Jack Hafer and Ralph Winter for the evening.

Believers are Cutting Edge in Nollywood

Nollywood has surpassed Hollywood in the number of features made (872 vs. 485 in 2006). Christians are in the midst of the movement instead of 20 years behind. Nice. Read more at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/november/7.17.html.

Rich Source of Info on Mobile Resources

We just posted a number of new down-loadable files regarding the use of mobile devices. Thanks to K for the good work. Click the Resource tab and scroll down to "Mobile Devices."

The Dominant Screen of the Future

"The mobile phone will be the dominant connection tool: 77% of the expert respondents agreed with a scenario that posited that the mobile computing device—with more-significant computing power in 2020—will be the primary Internet communications platform for a majority of people across the world. They agreed that connection will generally be offered under a set of universal standards internationally, though many registered doubts about corporations’ and regulators’ willingness to make it happen." Pew Internet and American Life Project (12/2008)

A Night of Film

We had a great time at the 2009 Night of Film. Butterfly Circus (Josh Weigel), A Big Table (Michael Hodges), 99 Balloons (Rob Thomas) and Deidox Li (Brent Gudgel) were compelling short films screened before an audience of 1000. The Veracity Project (Charlie Matz) and the Grove Center (Joey O'Conner, Mark Perez) did a great job putting the program together.

J. Carla Northcutt #400

J. Carla takes the prize for being #400. Thanks for joining J. Carla! Sorry, the only prize is the honor you are now accorded.

Who Will Be #400?

Sharon Epps became the 399th person to join in the online community. Who will be # 400? Great to see you here Sharon.

More on Mobile Media

There have been great discussions on mobile media in this newly created group. Dave Hackett has posted insightful research in several of his discussions. Check out these resources under the Mobile Media group. http://www.visualstorynetwork.com/group/mobile

Amazing Tool for Meeting Effectiveness

After more than 10 years of leading virtual teams, I think I have found the single most useful tool to virtual meetings. www.etherpad.com is a free service that allows you to create a “public pad” with a unique url. Etherpad is a simple, “really” real-time white board that allows everyone to take notes (concurrently), post content, chat, edit, and then export meeting notes. The notes stay active on the public page "forever" so they can be referenced by clicking on the url you get for each “pad.”

Seth Godin's blog

I've got to suggest you subscribe to Seth Godin's blog. I actually read his daily musings that offer fresh insight on brand building, innovation, communication and more. Seth is the author of Tribes, Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, etc. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

Creative Juices

Here is a never before seen take on how to get the creative juices going. http://bit.ly/WcmRE. Enjoy.

Getting Started - Mobile Media Ministry

We just posted a very helpful article for those interested in using their mobile device as a ministry communication platform. Check it out under the Resource tab.

Mobile Media Ministry

We're interested in knowing who is involved in using mobile devices in a ministry context. If you are involved in any way or know someone who is, please email me at clyde@visualstory.org

Summit Photos

I just posted a few photos from the Summit. Check them out at http://www.visualstorynetwork.com/photo/albums/2009-summit. Select Visual, photos, all albums and then 2009 Summit.

Emerging Technologies / Media Mythologies

VSN member Robert Fortner (Intl. Center for Media Studies) is hosting a two day symposium on "How Globalization and Emerging Technologies are Shaping Our World." The event will be October 5-6 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Robert is a brilliant thinker and researcher. For more info go to www.center4media.org.

After the Summit

Tired. Thrilled. Thankful. Anticipating. What an amazing group of world changers assembled for two days! Thanks to each who invested the time in coming. There were great connections, insightful presenters, inspiring stories and new strategy teams. Please keep praying for God's annointing on the follow-through in the weeks to come.

One Week Prayer Request

A unique group of influencers is meeting next week for our Leadership Summit. Please pray with us the following...
Creative, Redeeming God. Help your people live fully for your kingdom and reveal this reality in transforming visual ways. Use the 2009 Summit for your purposes. Assemble the people you are using and yet desire to use. Birth the visions, relationships, partnerships, strategies and products that will please you.

Arts in Mission

VSN member Byron Spradlin has offered an excellent article on "the artist in mission" to our community. Go to the Resource tab to find his article "Worship and Arts in Mission." Thanks Byron.

Butterfly Circus

VSN member Josh Weigel did a great job writing and directing "Butterfly Circus" as a Doorpost Film Project finalist. To watch it, go to www.thedoorpost.com and select the icon. Great work Josh!

Spotlight :: Pamoja Ministries

I recently met VSN member Nadine Feser. She serves with Pamoja Ministries (www.pamoja.info). Their mission is to "disciple cultures through media" in Africa. They are developing a fascinating, musical feature film in Tanzania (Nollywood meets Bollywood) to teach people to overcome their fear of anscestors. Check it out at www.nipejibu.com. Great work Nadine!

First Ever Media Mission Project

On August 25-28, VSN is taking its first ever "media mission" team to serve a young ministry having a big impact in the Middle East through television. We're taking a team of four volunteers with extensive television experience to help this ministry take their impact to a new level. Pray for God's blessing as we serve.

Echo Conference thoughts

Rob Thomas and his team did a great job at the Echo Conference in Dallas two weeks ago. Only in their second year, they had 400 gather to learn how to more effectively use media in the context of the church. You can check out Rob's profile to find out more. Great job Rob! My personal favorite was the panel on future trends.

Steps to a Global Movement of Visual Story

The PowerPoint presentation I'm using today at the Echo Conference is available for download. Select the Resources tab and it will be at the top of the list. This document outlines steps to seeing the movement became a global reality.

Echo Conference: July 29-31

Let me know (clyde@visualstory.org) if any of you are planning to be at the Echo Conference this week (www.echoconference.com). I'll be doing one of the breakout sessions. Echo is "a conference for church leaders that love using media, technology, and the internet to be more effective in sharing God's story."

Damah Film Festival is baaaack

I was excited to hear that the Damah Film Festival is back. It was a privilege to have been involved in helping it get started. Damah is looking for submissions under 30 minutes. Go to www.damah.com

Nollywood

Mark Moring from Christianity Today writes about the growing film industry in Nigeria. He includes a link to a trailer of recent documentary about this phenomenon. http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctmovies/2009/07/christianity-witchcraft-and-th.html

New Resource Tab

To make it easier to access the wiki, the "How to Story" training modules, and down-loadable files we created a new "Resource" tab. Hope this is helpful.

Media Mission Partnership - Dates set

We just set the dates for our first effort to bring experienced visual communicators alongside those with less experience to help them improve their craft. We'll take a team of three television veterans (plus myself) to serve a young television broadcast organization working in a very challenging country. To read more, check out the Media Mission Partnership discussion below.

Robert McKee Story Seminar

We're excited to attend the upcoming seminar offered by Robert McKee in July. If you're not familiar with his work, at least purchase his classic book "Story." Join us for this world-famous seminar on July 17-19 in San Francisco. Check out the events section for more info.

Internet for Everyone

Here is an ambitious for-profit attempt to open the door to Internet access to the half of the world that doesn't have access currently. Their mission, "to make the Internet accessible and affordable to everyone on the planet." Check them out at www.o3bnetworks.com.

Spam Attack

I'm sorry if you received messages from "Erelene Alford." That was a spam attack and the profile was banned which deleted any messages you may have received.

Social Networking: Next Trend

Here is an interesting report on how social networking will soon evolve. Thanks to the folks at Asia Media Notes...

Forrester: Social Web To Evolve Due To Portable IDs
Posted: 27 Apr 2009 09:03 PM PDT

Transforming the world of online media and marketing, technologies that enable a portable identity will soon allow consumers to bring their identities with them across the Web, according to a deep-dive study on the future of social media from Forrester Research.

What’s more, IDs are just the beginning of this transformation, in which the Web will evolve step-by-step from separate social sites into a shared social experience, according to the report’s key author, Forrester analyst Jeremiah Owyang.

“Consumers will rely on their peers as they make online decisions, whether or not brands choose to participate,” Owyang explains in the report. “Socially connected consumers will strengthen communities and shift power away from brands and CRM systems … eventually this will result in empowered communities defining the next generation of products.”

Brands anxious to exploit the flurry of social activity presently face one key challenge: social information about people, their profiles, and their friends is locked up in separate networks.

But, according to Forrester, the social web is about to evolve from a few social network sites into a consistent backdrop for every online activity. Portable social IDs and the changes they enable will transform how consumers, brands, and social networks interact, according to Owyang.

In the next stage of social evolution, starting later in 2009, technologies like OpenID and Facebook Connect will let individuals traverse the Internet with their social connections along for the ride.

The boundaries of social networks and traditional sites will blur, making every Web site into a social experience.

Next year, meanwhile, as sites begin to recognize people’s personal identities and their social relationships, they will customize visitors’ experiences based on their preferences, their behaviors, and who their friends are.

In addition to enabling more intense social applications, in this stage social networks will absorb features of email and become a base of operations for everyone’s online experiences.

Further into the future — in about two years, Forrester predicts — as social networks become the repository for identities and relationships, they will become more powerful than corporate Web sites and CRM systems.

“Communities will become the driving force for innovation,” according to Owyang. “As a result, brands will cater to communities, resulting in a power shift toward the connected customer.”

Presently, among the U.S. online consumers who visit Facebook, LinkedIn, or MySpace at least monthly, 42% must juggle at least two social network IDs, according to Forrester, while 63% of those in social networks are also logging in to discussion forums — again with a separate ID.

Ultimately, the new browsers and identity technologies will let consumers choose to surf the Web and see what sites their friends have visited — and what they thought of the information there.

Biola Media Conference

4/27: Great time on the CBS Studio lot this Saturday. Great job Peggy, Kathleen, Scott et al! The connections were fun...good to see Scott Edge, Larry Frenzel, Doug Weiss, Joey O'Conner, Nathan Bluedorn, Charlie Matz and more! Solid keynotes, good workshops. I was particularly taken by Joe Esterhas' story...amazed at the power of God to reach into a dark place to bring someone into the light.

LEVERAGE event at International Bible Society

4/20: We are going into day #2 of the first VSN LEVERAGE event. World-class "visual innovators" Graham VerMooten, Shane Sooter, Chuck Quinley, Doug Maddox and Evan Davis are working with leaders from six global organizations to help them explore fresh ways to leverage the power of visual story in the context of their mission. Special thanks Rich Blanco, Peter Torry and the International Bible Society for co-sponoring this event. Pray with us that the great ideas generated here will translate in specific realities over the next 6-12 months.

The day that changes everything

He is risen! He is risen indeed!!

Living My Life as Story

I just read the first two chapters of "To Be Told: God Invites You to Coauthor Your Future." Already I must commend it. Our lives are meant to be Christ-centered adventures. Too often we settle. "If I live my life for Someone more important than myself and I have sacrificed, nobly risked, been humbled, learned, grown, and given, then my life is headed toward a glorious ending."

The Most Popular Screen

Six in 10 people around the world now have cell phone subscriptions, signaling that mobile phones are the communications technology of choice, particularly in poor countries, according to a U.N. report published Monday. By the end of last year there were an estimated 4.1 billion subscriptions globally, compared with about 1 billion in 2002, the International Telecommunication Union said.

Spotlight :: Hearing Everett

The Taber clan watched VSN member TC Johnstone's docudrama "Hearing Everett" last night. Wow! Transformational storytelling at its best. A tragically, beautiful story beautifully told about one family's relentless pursuit of God's will. Great work TC. See the trailer on TC's page or go to www.hearingeverett.com.

Documentaries Effecting Change

Christianity Today posted an interesting article on the power of the documentary to call for kingdom action. It looks at "Call + Response," "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," and "As We Forgive." Take a look for your self...
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/february/25.40.html

God in the Movies

In partnership with the Grove Center, the Veracity Project and Rock Harbor Church we experienced a rich day this Saturday exploring spiritual truth in film. Through teaching, discussion, meditation, scripture and film we discovered God in the DNA of all great story. We learned our lives are epic stories and we must lean into our story by faith each day.

Spotlight :: ORU MultiMedia Institute

VSN Member Don Eland leads the MultiMedia Institute at Oral Roberts University. VSN members Alex Muirhead, Melissa Blum, Susan Vincent and Jose Rose are students in the program. Jared Buswell is one of the instructors. The MMI provides top-notch hands-on training in various multimedia. Don and his team are excellent people. Check them out at www.orummi.com.

The Godfather of Networking

I had the privilege of spending a half day with Eddie Waxer last week. God has used him in a unique way to grow a global network of sports ministries. It is highly missional, relational and effective for the kingdom. He has been coaching VSN in the area of growing a network that becomes a move of God's Spirit. There is great power in finding ways to collaborate so more people have an opportunity to know Christ.

Spotlight :: Global Short Film Network

VSN members Doug Weiss and Scott Santee give leadership to GSFN. They have developed a fresh approach to reach the world’s skeptical media-savvy individual. By presenting universal themes in a short film format, the questions raised in the films engage the viewer on a profound level. In addition to providing training, GSFN finds and develops quality short films. Check out more on Doug's or Scott's page.

Spotlight :: Whitestone

Whitestone Media is led by VSN member Mike Joens. While they do a variety of work, they have a passion to produce quality 2D/3D cartoons for the kingdom. They are producing a series of webisodes about a professor ("Theo") to teach children to know and live scripture. "Theo’s Good News" is the first one out of the block. Check it out on Mike’s page. Great work Mike!

Walking in faith in 2009

As I take extra time at the beginning of each New Year to seek God's face, I'm drawn constantly to the necessity of faith. When I look back to see where I've been, it is obvious how much the Lord desires my trust in Him. As I plan and pray, I'm reminded to go where the greatest faith is required, because that is where I'll experience the greatest blessing. May you walk in faith and expectancy in 2009.

Merry Christmas

May you enjoy the Reason for the season! God's grace to you. May His joy by your joy as you contemplate the most amazing of gifts.
Clyde

Spotlight :: City on a Hill

VSN Member Shane Sooter leads City on a Hill Productions. They have been making high quality visual stories that address faith and the heart since 2003 (H20, Storm). Their six episode series "Easter Experience" will release in 2009. It is visually stunning...take a look at some of the clips under the video page (Visual / Videos). Great work City on a Hill!

Spotlight :: Media Village

VSN member Graham Vermooten directs Media Village Productions. MVP has become a key player in providing a voice for the body of Christ. Traveling the globe, media teams are becoming God's scribes in the 21st century. Stories of transformation and Gospel proclamation regularly leave the editing suites of Media Village Productions are quickly dispatched to the most distant places around the globe. Many productions are translated into languages representing the major linguistic groups of the world. Media Village is currently based in Cape Town, South Africa

Spotlight: Freedom Films

Freedom Films Productions was founded by Tom Silkwood (VSN member) in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1989. Tom had served as a missionary in Thailand since 1980. During the first nine years of ministry in Thailand, after becoming familiar with the culture and language, he recognized the need for cultural sensitive, media materials after seeing how multimedia materials impacted the peoples of Asia.

Beginning on a small scale producing simple filmstrips and slides, Tom moved into producing promotional videos for fellow missionaries. This led to developing teaching videos and documentaries for other missionaries in NBCM who had need for this type of material. As word spread that he had the equipment and was capable of producing this type of material, other missionaries became interested in having material produced. Duplication of these materials opened the door to broader service and the Christian community began to ask for various materials to be produced.

This progressed into an interest from different ethnic groups who, in the past, had only been the recipients of whatever multi-media teaching material was available for general use, or whatever missionaries could afford to have produced for them. They began coming to FFP with ideas of their own, asking for materials for their specific ethnic group. These Christian leaders became co-laborers in developing culturally accurate material. All this was accomplished from a garage-sized office up until 2001.

NBCM began construction of a 4-story building in 1998 called the Christian Resource Center. The entire second floor of this facility was designated for Freedom Films Productions who designed the area specifically for media production. The building opened in 2001 and Freedom Films Productions moved in. Tom hired more staff and FFP became a leading service center for multi-media productions in the region. The most dramatic change made in the ministry was to add a video studio and editing department. The first programs produced in the FFP studio were video CD’s sent into a nearby closed country. Eight million copies were made of these programs. Being one of the largest studios in Northern Thailand, FFP is also assisting other Christian organizations in producing TV broadcasts and non-broadcast materials. These weekly TV broadcasts have been reaching millions of people per month in Thailand and surrounding regions with the message of Christ.

In the year 2000, Freedom Films Productions became an official Regional Center for Good News Productions, International. The purpose of each Regional Center is to produce media materials for that particular region. Currently, FFP is in a growth stage of ministry. More equipment is needed to facilitate the work. The studio is in use a majority of the time by either our own staff or other Christian groups who are given appointed time slots. The editing department is at work editing and duplicating productions.

Due to growth and expansion, FFP is seeking Christian partners with the same vision for reaching Asia through media. The potential for this ministry is far-reaching. We at Freedom Films Productions have the vision and the heart.

Spiritual Guide to Filmmaking

Filmmaker Les Butchart has written a helpful article on a spiritual perspective on filmmaking. To download the article, go to the Resources tab under Community.

Door Post Film Project

These guys have a fascinating new thing going. We partnered with them recently and saw some of their short films. Extraordinary. There are events coming up in LA, Nashville and New York promoting the 2008 festival. See the events page here and check out www.thedoorpost.com

Your Help: Visual Story Resource list

We want to provide excellent resources to the global community of visual story tellers. We have begun a wiki and would like your help in expanding the list of trusted networks, schools, producers, etc. Thank you for taking a moment to look at the list and adding to it. Copy and past this link into a new browser window. www.visualstorynetwork.wikispaces.com