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.
Bump1
The PG is in a dangerous situation that should be familiar to the audience, even as an abstraction. He might not be aware of it but the audience is, instinctively. As Probe 2 scans the Path Guy’s fully gray, pallid face in a tight shot, a shock of full-color hand comes into frame caressing his face. The second shock is a gentle voice speaking The Word, “Jesus.” We are introducing vibrant color into a now fully greyscale scene and the sole spoken word in the movie; “Jesus”.
It’s The Nurse. Her hand sweeps life and color back into The PG. This is a JARRING moment! Until this moment, all the dialog has only been gibberish intonations of “blah, blah, blah” and by now the scenes and characters have become full grayscale. As a cross shaped “Jesus” glow surrounds him, the relentless wind ceases. The PG’s cheeks have a lively colorful glow, his hair has stopped blowing and as he opens his now colorful eyes he mouths the word “Jesus.”
The colorful Nurse by his side leaves the scene. He sits up in the hospital bed, notices the peace and calm, and begins saying “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus….” slowly at first, over and over again, until it loses its meaning. It very quickly becomes like the gibberish “blah, blah, blah” before. He gets to his feet, changes clothes, and tap-dances to a recognizable worship song; “Blah, blah, blah” for lyrics. He is exemplifying the same pattern of enthusiastic embrace followed by banality (which was shown before as he was growing up). The PG, while now pontificating “blah, blah, blah” with the wind picking up, puts on dark shades to face the wind and The Girl literally falls into his arms, and off they zoom to chase the things that The Blah always pops out of the grey mist. They disappear into the distance with Probe 2 in pursuit.
Unable to keep up even with the speedy Probe 2, The AE slows to a relative stop watching through the Probe 2 camera. Eventually even Probe 2 cannot keep up so The AE calls back Probe 2.
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 has been cycling through the same process of excitement and meaninglessness throughout his life. Jesus just bounces off like everything else. The Word does not penetrate. To The PG other distractions are more fun.
Each character sequence will be quick, funny, familiar and interesting. We want to leave the audience with the desire to see more of each character, and to eventually identify with them.
Bump 2
Just as Probe 2 gets back to The AE, on screen, Rocky Soil Girl (RSG) flies by all wrapped up in teen girl stuff. The AE follows with Probe 2. We find her fully gray at the onset. The PG previously showed us the process that turns people gray. The audience now generally understands how she got this way. RSG is speeding by talking “blah blah blah” on the cell phone, preening for selfies and completely wrapped up in herself. She is all frantic movement and excess energy, wind whipping her hair, distracted by all manner of stuff floating by. At one point she spots a pretty, colorful book amongst all the gray stuff in her orbit. She opens it and “Jesus” is spoken. The cross-shaped light brings a colorful glow into the girl’s face. As we saw before with The PG, the wind stops and peace comes upon her as Probe 2 gets closer. She lets go of all her accessories but they are still flying with her as they float along, carried by the same momentum.
She looks at the book intently and then fearfully, for the first time, toward the unknown that she has been flying toward and she grabs the colorful book tightly. She goes back and forth alternately opening the book and experiencing peace and color, closing it and continuing to fly slightly faster. She seems attracted to the light in a very surface way; as a mere novelty. As other pretty but gray books come by, each one prettier than the last (although we notice that NONE in color) she begins to collect the books, looking to recreate that initial feeling of peace. She continually opens the books, looking for the same reaction, and places them under her arm in her grasp. With so many books in hand, the “Jesus” book eventually pops out. Off she speeds into the distance carried downstream into the mist, surrounded by her books.
RSG is 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. The Jesus drive eventually becomes distorted and diluted as she continues to collect the books.
Bump 3
Probe 2 turns its camera lens to look at the girl as she disappears, and then back to The AE, as if shrugging “what’s up with that?” The AE is reluctant to follow. All of a sudden, speeding by in a blur, something large passes close to Probe 2, leaving it spinning in the wake AND The AE craft shakes. A trail of garbage follows and The AE, determined to investigate, speeds after.
As Probe 2 catches up we see that it’s the Weedy Soil Guy (WSG). He is sitting on a couch with all the trappings; beer, pizza, vid game, electronics and Blah brands are everywhere. He’s the ultimate couch dweller. He’s a flying mess. While he channel surfs or YouTube wormholes, “Jesus” is introduced via the laptop, iPhone or TV.
All movement stops, freeze-frame or super slow-mo, and becomes brightly colorful and peaceful. Hotly pursuing, The AE craft actually passes by like the coyote chasing the roadrunner. The AE backs up to get a better look. We see The WSG examining his colorfulness and slowly but surely darting his eyes beyond toward the increasing dark ahead. He feels the wind return, slowly loses color, as he resumes channel surfing, changes the music etc., trying to re-create the peacefulness he felt. Wrapped up in The Blah he again speeds off. This time The AE and Probe 2 are in determined pursuit. As The WSG, with all his stuff, accelerates into the distance shrinking to just a dot, suddenly the dot appears to explode, stuff going everywhere. The stuff spreads out like a bug on a windshield, frozen in space, the sound of the collision reaches us a bit after impact (another Wile E. Coyote reference).