Wednesday, May 26, 2010

How to Watch Movies: Part 1

Over the last couple of years, I've been learning a lot about movies. I've been listening to tapes of Doug Phillips and the Botkins for a little now, and I've noticed a lot about movies that I didn't understand before. ...So this post is to help you to understand a little more about the movies you watch.

Ok. This is a bigger task than many of you might think... Films control so much of our life. just think of all the trends that movies have set, and all the things you hear people say that are from movies... you get the point - movies are powerful.

And with this thought in mind, let's take a look at the reasons that make films so powerful.

1. The Camera.
you've probably heard that actors aren't supposed to look into the camera while they're acting... Why is this the case? Well, I was thinking about it and the answer hit me!

the camera represents you, the viewer!

We've all seen TV shows where the host/hostess looks into the camera to inform us of something, right? Well, when people look into the camera, it kind of gives us the feeling like we're being told something of importance... That's when they want us to think about what they're saying.

Now in movies, you never see anyone looking into the camera... The whole idea behind that is that they want you (the viewer) to be transported into the surreal world that the director makes... Without noticing it! It takes you into the movie as an onlooker... Not as a participant. As it does this to us, we usually turn our minds off because we forget who we are for the time being. That's why films are so powerful, they can manipulate the way we think by throwing stuff at us in the name of entertainment, all while we aren't thinking.

I don't think that we should allow our minds to be turned off especially when we're watching movies.

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." ~ Acts 17:11

My plea for you is to be like the Bereans... THINK about what you're watching. Examine the Scriptures to see if the messages/themes, in the movies you watch, are God honoring.

I know this is a long post, but there's a lot more... I'm going to be posting more stuff along the way - this is only part 1! :)

~Jay

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Busy, busy, busy!

Well, now! I haven't posted anything for a whole week!

The reason I haven't is because I've been busy! :) ...And I'm going to be really busy this year (from now until this time next year). And the reason I'm really busy is because I'm trying to get all my school done in time to graduate next year. That includes (but is not limited to ;) Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, and Physics... Not to mention History, P.E., and all that extra stuff.

But yes, you can probably guess that I'll try and post in some of my spare time. :) I really enjoy keeping up this blog. Thanks for reading it.

~Jay

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

May Frisbee Tip

And Heeeere's another one! :) I almost forgot that I was going to give a tip a month. But I remembered, so here it is!

Give and Go!
Whenever you have the Frisbee, and you throw it, GO! Try and use that time while it's in the air to move around people, trying to get open for the next catch! The nice thing about doing this is that sometimes the person guarding you will look up to where your throw is going... While he does that - Take off running, because you might be needed after your teammate catches it.

There's one catch though... Don't take your eyes off the person catching it. I say this because I've done this soooooooo many times where the person doesn't catch it! Then you need to start running the other way to try and guard your own end-zone.


:)

I'm thinking about putting videos/pictures up here with the tip every month... How would that sound?

~Frisbeeman

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

HIS Team

I'm making my first real movie. :) Its name is "HIS Team" and its purpose is to glorify God. the whole film (all maybe 15min of it) is about a flag football team organized by a church, and their purpose is to play in their city's flag football league to give God glory through the way they play. :)

It is based on a true story that our pastor (from our church in IL) told us, about his church in WI.

Now, to do work like this, it doesn't only take one man. There are many spots where I need people to help. Thankfully I've gotten help from some people, but if you're interested in helping out, I'd be very grateful. :) If you have a brother/dad who would like to help out, I need a lot of guys who like to play football and don't mind being taped while they're doing it. :)

Plus, just because you aren't a guy doesn't mean that you can't help out making a football movie. If you know a little bit about making movies, or just want to share how I can make things better, that would help me tremendously.

Tell me if you think this is something you want to do. But most of all, pray that it gets done and that it glorifies God.

~Jay

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

GHEA (Part 2)

I'm sorry... I was so busy doing other things at the GHEA convention that I forgot to take pictures! :( But yeah, it was a lot of work, physically and mentally for those who volunteered their time.

I calculated that I got 12 hours of sleep in an 87h time period! That's not a lot by the way. :)

But besides not getting a lot of sleep, I gained valuable information about the real game of life and some experience in seeing for myself what it's really like.

I just wanted to put a Bible verse up here that kind of sums up why we work. [btw, thank you if you helped out at the convention!]

"With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free." ~ Ephesians 6:7-8

Frisbeeman