In this week’s hilarious webisode, electrician Matt Ware shines a light on the grip and electric department. Soak up the knowledge. These are pearls of wisdom, people!

Phase 1: Development – this is the process by which a film/video project progresses from the birth of an idea to “greenlight status” (obviously, that means it’s a go!), at which point it goes into pre-production.

*”Shepherd’s Project”: The title has not yet been confirmed, so this is it’s temporary name. One of our goals for City on a Hill is to replicate ourselves and send well-trained media professionals out to honor the Lord with their work. Shepherd Ahlers is our intern this year, and Shane is supervising him writing & directing his very own project. Hopefully, in the next couple weeks we will move on to the Pre-Production process so that, again hopefully, we can shoot it in August.

*The Super Secret Feature-Length Film Project: Obviously, not the real name…but I’m not allowed to talk about this one yet. Let’s just say it’s going to be amazing! We currently have a completed Treatment (that’s one step before a script) and I am planning a location scouting trip to…yeah, can’t talk about that either. Don’t tell Shane I even mentioned it! Unless you want to get me into trouble, then by all means…

*The Super Secret Feature-Length Film Project Trailer: Ok, can’t really talk about this either, but hopefully…you’ll get to see this one at CHP’s 2008 Fall Event!

*Keynote Presentation: This is for our Fall Event this year. It’s going to be special.

Phase 2: Pre-Production – This is all the work that must be completed before filming or shooting begins. It includes stuff like budgeting, planning, scheduling, scouting locations, hiring actors, building sets, renting equipment…to name a few. This phase is when my world begins to get psycho.

*SACC: We just moved into pre-production on this project yesterday! Yay for Shane getting the 1st draft of the script done! This is a Ministry Support video for Southern Acres Christian Church which is in Lexington, KY. They hope to use the video to raise funding for renovations to accommodate their expanding congregation.

*Economic Opportunities: this is another Ministry Support video for an awesome ministry located in Memphis, Tennessee. Here’s their mission statement: Teaching God’s work ethic to high-risk men in order for them to know Christ more intimately, to become contributing members of the workforce, and to gain hope in a future. We are scheduled to shoot this video in mid-September and plan to complete it by December 1st.

*Talking Heads: I tried to get Shane to give this a better name, but it makes him smile so we’re keeping it. I pick my battles. Basically we are going to interview a million and three people who have been impacted by our ministry in one way or another. The idea is to produce a video that will help us share the impact H2O is having. It’s going to be so fun to hear all these stories!

Phase 3: Production – This is when the camera rolls. It’s an ugly, ugly time, but it sure makes pretty stuff! We aren’t currently in production for any project…that is why I actually have time to write this blog!

Phase 4: Post-Production – This includes all the work that must be completed after shooting ends. This includes things like the editing of raw footage to cut scenes, the creation of video special effects, inserting sound effects, ADR (see last week’s blog), the creation of the musical score, and dubbing, to name just a few.

*The Easter Experience: this, of course, is taking up the majority of our time. We are digging through the process of post-production. It’s such an involved process combining so many different elements and it overwhelms me just about every time I think about it! As of this Friday, all of the edits will be locked which is very exciting, but there is still so much left to do! We expect the series to be released in December.

*H2O: Yeah, yeah…I know H2O has been done for quite some time, but this is exciting stuff! The AFN (Armed Forces Network) has requested broadcast versions of H2O that they plan to begin airing in October of this year. We have to create a new tag for them so we had Kyle record a special message to the troops. Then we’ll edit the new tag and spend a week dumping the episodes to tape and then watching them for errors.

*Storm: Again, a project that has been finished for quite some time, but we are currently in the process of making them available to view online as well as for downloadable purchase. First we have to reattach all the footage to the edited projects which will take at least a week. After that we’ll double check the edits for necessary changes. Then we’ll do exports of each episode for the downloadable version and for viewing online. It sounds much easier than it really is…just ask Shepherd.

Well, that’s all folks! I hope you’ve enjoyed this update brought to you by City on a Hill Productions.

Much love!

Cassie Pelan
Production Manager /
Post Production Supervisor

A little over 2 years ago, Shane, Kevin, & I went down to Memphis, Tennessee to produce a Ministry Support video for a ministry program called A Way Out. All three of us were utterly floored by the experience.

A Way Out is an incredible ministry that exists to help women leave the sex for sale industry and discover the fullness of life in Christ. From my safe little chair in my safe little world, it was so easy for me to dismiss these women consumed by a life of promiscuity…until I got to know them. With each shared story, I fell in love with yet another precious child of God and realized, as one of their mentors so perfectly put it, that “there but by the grace of God go I.” These women, daughters of my Father, had experienced incomprehensible pain throughout their lives with no hope for relief until God pulled them into His loving arms through A Way Out.

Cassie Pelan
Production Manager

Mama,

You know, normally I have an “anything’s possible” “go get ‘em” philosophy…however, in this case I’m a skeptic.

The good news is that we will be able to resolutely state that no animals were harmed in the making of our film.