Hi friends,

This last Tuesday I joined about 30 people at Hollywood Presbyterian Church for the monthly meeting of the JC Doc Group (Judeo-Christian/Non-Fiction Monthly Networking Group). These men and women are in various stages of careers in the non-fiction segment of the entertainment industry and have a common purpose: to produce films with a Biblical worldview and traditional family values. I was invited because they were discussing film distribution and wanted to talk with someone who had experience in the Christian marketplace.

I saw some familiar faces (Clay Banks and Aleida Lam from The Azusa Street Project) and met some whose work I’ve seen but never met (Chris Hooper, editor for Travel the Road TV series). I heard some unusual ideas for stories and am excited to see the finished projects. Since our focus is supporting Christian filmmakers, I think you’ll see their films on our website when they’re completed.

One of the most popular series on our site is the Nooma teaching videos. This collection of short films narrated by Rob Bell grows by one this week as number 16, called Store, becomes available. I like his style because it's very personal, like he’s having a conversation with me. But then he asks some hard questions... All day long I've been thinking about them – I can’t get them out of my head. Like all good films, it has served its purpose of engaging me, making me think, and hopefully leading me to action.

There are several short films that I’ve found compelling and thought-provoking. Some of my favorites are recommended below.

From the screening room,

Angela Walker
ChristianCinema.com

Nooma: Store - DVD

The 16th in the excellent short film series

Store 016

We all get angry about things from time to time – some of us more often than others. But what is really the root of our anger? Maybe if we learn where our anger comes from, we can channel it towards something constructive – something that’s bigger than ourselves.

Get the whole collection and save!

Synopsis

We can get anything we want, from anywhere in the world, whenever we want it. That's how it is and that's how we want it to be. Still, our lives aren't any different than other generations before us. Our time is. We want spiritual direction, but it has to be real for us and available when we need it. We want a new format for getting Christian perspectives. NOOMA is the new format. It's short films with communicators that really speak to us. Compact, portable, and concise. Each NOOMA touches on issues we care about, that we want to talk about, and it comes in a way that fits our world. It's a format that's there for us when we need it, as we need it, how we need it.

NOOMA is a revolutionary product that is changing the way people experience spirituality – a series of short films on DVD with a 32 page discussion guide. It's not a book or a cassette tape. And it's not a CD or a two-hour movie. It's a new format called NOOMA® — short films, between 10 and 14 minutes long, about God and our lives. Since its limited online release in November 2002, NOOMA has impacted millions of people. NOOMAs are appropriate for personal and small group settings, congregational meetings, and much more. Like parables, they use the experiences of our lives to teach about the fullness of life through Jesus, tackling issues like forgiveness, discipleship, and unconditional love. The study materials accompanying each NOOMA encourage meaningful discussion with relevant questions and biblical references. Rob Bell, a leading pastor and breakthrough communicator in the Christian community, is featured in the first series of NOOMAs.

 

Favorite Short Films The Narrow Road - DVD To gain his life he had to lose it No Greater Love - DVD No greater love than he who lays down his life... One Who Was There - DVD Mary Magdalene's past experience helps her face an uncertain future. Faithless - DVD Everyone has some kind of faith... Bet on it! The Harvest - DVD A modern-day parable that will touch your heart The Moment of Truth: The Movies - DVD Both films together for the first time on one DVD Midnight Clear - DVD This Season, Hope Is Found In Unexpected Places. Most (The Bridge) - DVD Between now and forever lies...the bridge. The Least of These (Tony Campolo) - DVD A bona fide film festival phenomenon, "The Least of These" is one of the most acclaimed short films in years...

Industry Interview

Featured Filmmaker: Clay Banks, The Azusa Street Project
by Angela Walker

Producer, writer, director, and teacher Clay banks lives in Southern California where he has built a Spirit-led film acting studio in Hollywood. He describes himself as “unorthodox, but a good boy” (actually, that’s how his mom describes him.) His passion about his work immediately comes through in a conversation with him, and it was a privilege to spend some time talking with him recently.

CC: A Spirit-led film acting studio in Hollywood? Some people would consider that an oxymoron or an impossibility.

Clay: I think a lot of people who have come in the doors might have thought that initially, but I’ve had people get saved as a result of being exposed to the Gospel here. You know, there is an army of Christians in Hollywood – not a huge one, but a distinct one. And we’re working together to make a difference here. Non-believers know about the existence of GodWorks (the studio), and have heard that good things are being produced here. So they come in a little defensive, but many have gotten saved.

Hitler was famous for saying “give me Hollywood, and I’ll give you the world.” Well, I want God to have Hollywood, not Hitler! The truth is that the Bible contains wisdom and teachings that apply to every aspect of life, so why not apply it to acting? The difference between acting and many other professions is that as actors, our product is ourselves, so sometimes it feels like your very soul is on the line when you go to audition for a role. So, at GodWorks, we’re doing more than just teaching, we’re also encouraging and edifying actors. Hopefully, we are helping them to be bright lights on a dark set.

CC: Tell us a little about the journey you’ve taken to get where you are today.

Clay: My dad was a professional photographer, so I grew up around cameras (in New York). He gave me an 8 mm camera and flatbed editor, and I began making little animated short movies with stopped motion – it was almost magical to me. Then, at age 16, I had the option of going to high school or a vo-tech school, and I chose the vo-tech to study photography. When I went to college, I took filmmaking courses, and I was hooked. From that point on, I wanted to act and make films.

During college, I did a one-man show with lots of characters that I would go in and out of, and one time a preacher showed up! He just started preaching the Gospel, and it had a profound impact on me. I discovered a very real and personal relationship with Jesus, and my life has never been the same. Since then, I have been discovering the things that God built me uniquely for. I discovered that He gifted me as a teacher, so while I was an up and coming actor, I was also teaching improvisation.

CC: Did you experience immediate success as an actor?

Clay: Well, I took a pretty roundabout way to get here. After college, I came out to California to pursue an acting career. I had some financial troubles and experienced a couple of earthquakes, which convinced me that it was crazy to be out here. So, I headed back to New York, but only had enough money to make it to Colorado. I got a sales job and worked my way up into management. God used that job to show me that I had gifts as a teacher; I became a sales trainer and corporate motivator. This helped me get back into acting, and along the way I learned about producing and directing.

CC: Were there any unusual turns along the way?

Clay: One interesting turn was becoming the improv director for The Comedy Store. It was a great place to work! I was there for two years, and trained, produced and directed the shows. It was a great run, and people knew us as a source for excellent clean comedy. I had a great time there.

Then I landed a job on the TV series “L.A. Heat”, as a police lieutenant. As opposite as those things may seem, they really helped contribute to the person I am today.

CC: It’s a little surprising that your path would lead to being the director and producer of The Azusa Street Project.

Clay: That was God. I’m a pretty driven person, and when I get involved in a project, I’m passionate about it. If you can’t be passionate about your work, why are you doing it? I helped put together a promotional video for youth about the 100th anniversary of the Azusa Street revival. In the process, the makers decided we should do a documentary about the revival, and asked me to direct it. A team was pulled together to produce the documentary, and well into the project, the company that asked us to make the video went out of business. By this time, my partner and I had become very passionate about it, so we agreed to go up to a prayer mountain for several days. By the time we came back down, we knew we had to do this.

We self-financed the rest of the production and built a production company while we were making the movie on hard deadlines. It was really a labor of love. I once asked Rick Warren why he thought “Purpose-Driven Life” was number one out of a lot of books. He replied that God wanted the book written, and he was just the one that God put in the way to do it. I feel like that about this project; God brought it to us, we didn’t seek it out.

CC: When you’re working on a project like this, or running a studio like yours, where you’re trying to be a godly man in the midst of a pretty notorious industry, you must get hit on all sides by temptations to make choices other than ones that glorify God. How do you withstand that?

Clay: Through a lot of prayer. I’ve been through lots of years in this business without any strong male counsel, and it was tough. It’s just been within the past year that some men have come alongside me who are helping me be accountable and to stay in check. There is a Hollywood prayer network that connects intercessors outside of Hollywood to filmmakers who want that kind of support. So there are people in other parts of the country who are praying for me. I also go to a deacon in my church and a Bible teacher for counsel.

CC: Is there any advice you would give to others who might want to get involved in acting and/or filmmaking?

Clay: Be patient and take your time to find what God has for you. You should be prepared to do the work of the Lord with nothing in return. If you do it expecting something, then don’t do it. And be sure to stay in check, and stay accountable to someone – that will help you. It will help you stay real and authentic. That’s something that can never be duplicated, and it’s pretty rare in this industry.

I would also say don’t judge people on their Christianity. Instead, look at their character, because it’s our character that really reflects who Christ is in us. Seek the Holy Spirit and the discernment that comes with knowing Him; study Scripture, and be sensitive to the Spirit.

CC: Clay, it’s been great talking with you – your passion is contagious, and we’re excited to have The Azusa Street Project available on our website, and we look forward to Part II!