What it is:
Short animated film/video to be shown at youth oriented Christian
outreach services.
Target Audience:
Non-believer teens to twenty-somethings. Those that may be resistant to traditional Christian doctrine. The audience perspective is assumed to be
that of ones who perceive themselves as having been adversely “affected”
by their parents, authority, society etc. leading to a self centered victimhood.
Goal:
The Gospel and its traditional parables was written to an agrarian culture.
We will tell the parable of the seeds in a different way. The hope is that the target audience will be somewhat receptive to an abstraction that
provokes thought.
The film will be an animated modern metaphor of the sower
from Matthew 13.
Through an abstract analogy, we will show them how dire their
current course is. How it leads inevitably to death and an empty eternity.
So, when they encounter the name of Jesus, as they will when they view this film, how will they react? We want to make them aware that accepting the name of Jesus will change their lives in this world and the next.
After we get them to identify with situations and characters depicting the
types of soil from the parables, we want to leave the viewer with the question: “What kind of soil am I in today’s world? And who is this Jesus that changes?”
The film does not directly elucidate Christian doctrine in the traditional way
(explaining the saving grace of the Blood of the Cross, or who Jesus is in history, or why atonement is needed). Using some obvious but strong metaphors, it presents the fact that in an increasingly distracting world,
Jesus will change your fate in it and for eternity.
The greater purpose of the presentation is to spur curiosity and investigation into Christ’s saving message, not to explain what the message is
or even whom the person of Christ is.
Vehicle:
An animated CGI short (estimated 8-10 minute) depicting common human experiences in an abstract way. We want to create a “think piece” that will stir the mind and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.
Explanation will be the responsibility of the follow up ministry (yet to be outlined) to drive home the Scriptural message. Many opportunities for discussion will naturally proceed.
Plot Outline:
The audience sees through the eyes of an “alien” explorer piloting
some sort of craft through a strange world. We watch from his craft and through his 2 drones as they follow the experiences of multiple characters on their journey flying though life. It will become obvious that the wold he is exploring is our human existence.
The characters we follow are based on the Biblical soils in both humorous
and tragic ways that mirror a modern non-believer’s experience.
The world is a grey place, in fact the entire setting is in shades of
black and white.
Color is used only to accent our Spirit. The human characters start in color
and gradually turn grey as they fly through the world. The only dialog
between characters consists of variations and inflections of “blah, blah, blah” and the spoken Word “Jesus”. The contrast of gibberish to the spoken name
of “Jesus” will be stark for impact. The Word, “Jesus” brings color back into grey characters and changes their direction.
As the human characters experience transformation, so does the alien transition from that of a safely detached observer to one being physically affected by what he observes. This interaction causes the explorer to have to make life changing decisions to survive. The viewing audience, as casual observer, identifying itself from the point of view of the alien, will in turn be drawn into the decision making process.
The world we have constructed for our movie is an active character; The Blah. Like the Evil One it represents, The Blah is rendered in grey tones. It’s full of clouds and mist obscuring our vision. This numbing greyness sucks the color out of the characters as it buffets them to and fro. It introduces “things” to distract but never stops pulling our characters to their inevitable consequence. It is what makes them the “Rocky Soil Girl”, the “Weedy Soil
Guy” and the “Hard Path Guy”. The Blah constantly hides it’s malevolence.
The audience literally experiences the movie through the eyes of The Alien Explorer. The AE is on mission to find “life” and observe it. The AE has been on this mission for a long time. The AE is safely detached in his craft as he observes the world electronically from the bridge. The AE has probes to gather data and survey close to the action so that a safe distance can be maintained… at leat that’s the plan that’s served him in the past. We see this all through the navigation screens of the alien’s craft as the AE explores The Blah.
The screen of the AE’s craft acts as an intelligent guide while encountering the various characters. It directs and and points out important features both comedic and tragic. It serve a dual purpose as the alter ego of the AE. The AE is the audience proxy.
There are 2 “Probes”, Probe 1 and Probe 2. Both have “cloaking” technology in order to remain invisible to the world that they are observing.
P1 is a robot tracking drone in the general shape of expressive eyeball. It’s character is bold and bravely interactive with the world it encounters. It’s main purpose to the AE is to get close to potentially dangerous situations transmitting data and video while the AE keeps a safe distance. It is an impish character that at times pokes a little too close to the action.
PROBE 1 – 3D sketches
A quick animation proof of concept
P2 has a sleeker design and is a faster unit. Because of it’s larger range it provides a wider context and time frame, traveling ahead and behind the AE. It’s camera is a wide angle lens.
Each probe character has it’s own personality exemplified in their construction/function. They are curious but timid or bold accordingly. They are acting as an extension of the curiosity/fear of the audience.
PG( The Path Guy) – is the first “human” character that the AE encounters. We follow him from color-filled “birth” to color filled youth into the gradual grey of The Blah all the way to his marriage. He flies through The Blah at startling speed. He is the first “Flyer” which the AE must keep up with to observe. We see him rapidly transition through the stages of his life losing his color as he progresses.
This “rapid transition” from stage to stage of life, will be a comedic technique that will communicate the patterns of experience and reaction that should be familiar to the audience. It will reinforce that “victim of circumstance,” “stuff-happens to us” feeling that the young audience arrives at so naturally. His segment establishes the mechanics of the interaction between The Blah and humanity.
How The PG responds to his time in The Blah is based on The Word sewn along the well worn path in the parable. He’s seen it all and Jesus is just another distraction. The Word does not penetrate. To PG other distractions are more fun.
The Girl – PG, in puberty, discovers “The Girl”. She is the archetypal female pursuit. She takes on a number of forms/costumes as PG pursues.
The Nurse – When PG is in the midst of a near deadly crisis he encounters The Nurse. She is the first person to introduce “The Word” to PG. She is a “Floater”.
Jesus – “The Word”…. LITERALLY the word Jesus. The spoken word of His name by a “Floater” brings color/light back into the gray, Blah-effected characters. Jesus transforms the flyer to floater when fully received. Even if it is only temporarily as the characters encounter Him.
The person Jesus is never shown, yet Jesus is The Hero of our story. The Word “Jesus” is the mechanism for being redirected. Like a parachute to a person hurtling through the sky.
Rocky Soil Girl – RSG is a “flyer”. When she is introduced she is already fully gray, entirely wrapped up in distraction. The Blah has already done its work on her. Jesus is introduced from a book that she encounters as it flies by. When recognition comes, she is enlightened temporarily, but there is no sustaining desire. Jesus eventually becomes distorted and unfocused as a means to stop flying.
How The RSG responds to her time in The Blah is based on a seed sown in rocky soil in the parable. She’s open to The Word but after a while because her roots don’t go deeply into it, she weakens and can’t hold on. When recognition comes, she is enlightened temporarily, but there is no sustained desire. Jesus eventually becomes distorted and diluted as a means to stop flying.
Weedy Soil Guy – (WSG) is a flyer, all wrapped up in Blah-brand, gray things; clothes, car, stereo equipment, trendy items, etc.
How The WSG responds to his time in The Blah is based on a seed sown in weed filled soil in the parable. He hears The Word, finds temporary color and peaceful float but his attention is choked off by all the STUFF. He resumes trying to grab it all, turning his back on The Word.