But the LORD said unto Samuel, "Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7, KJV)
When you see this image here of two people traveling through the desert- what do you see? Do you see the outward appearance or something greater here at work? It comes from a film released in the late 1960s.
Do you see anything that would lead you to believe this film was made by someone who is referred to as one of the "most influential" and "successful filmmakers in the history of cinema"? Who made this? Well, Steven Spielberg did - It's called Amblin. Oh... yes... "Amblin" is his famous film company with a logo containing the silhouette of a boy carrying ET in his flying bicycle. "Amblin" is a huge name in the film industry and so famous that if you got a call from a representative of this company to make a film - you'd be all over the news. However... "Amblin" at one time, like King David - was simple and in the desert being shaped for something bigger - so much bigger that most people would never recognize it even if they were looking for it at the time. But Spielberg named his company "Amblin" because he credits it as the film that got him his big break.
Amblin was an extremely low budget (mostly silent) short film that Steven Spielberg made which opened the door to him becoming a professional film director in television. The people at the studio knew Spielberg had passion and talent (they'd seen his Super-8 films before that), but they needed to see what he could do with 35mm film. And so he proved it with this film. Before Schindler's List, before Jurassic PArk, before ET, before Raiders of the Lost Ark, Before Close Encounters, Before Jaws, and if some of you are familiar with Duel, - before that -was Amblin.
You can and should watch Amblin here on youtube:
*Caveat - there is drug use and some sexual content in this film and so be aware of that if you're a Christian who is concerned about such things - if you're under age - check with your parents before you just engage all these films I recommend below.
When you watch Amblin - ask yourself if you didn't know it was Spielberg, would you hand this filmmaker 30 million dollars or 100 million dollars or even 150 million dollars to make a movie? It says a lot how much we really know about a filmmaker when they have no budget behind them. It says a lot about how much hope there is for those of us who don't have a budget or a famous actor to act in our films. It is God who sees us for who we really are. And even if you pastor or those in your family don't see this or understand - just know that God sees what's in your heart and knows if the talent is really there and knows that at some day when you have the skills and technique that you learned in the wilderness, you can one day be trusted with a big budget and a film crew to make an amazing film just as good as any of today's successful and talented filmmakers.
Before David was Israel's greatest King, before David's beautiful praise made it into the Book of Psalms, before David conquered Jerusalem, before bringing the Ark of God to him and designing the Great Temple of God, before he struck down thousands of enemies with a sword and a shield, before David even faced the giant Goliath with a sling and a stone, before that - was the lone shepherd boy out in the fields tending sheep.
It was there that God saw David's potential - out in the fields, where he killed the bear and the lion, where he was young boy alone, tending to his father's sheep. But God saw a King there- He saw the boy's heart and knew He was to be king because of his heart.
I get that there are some Christians making films who should probably not write or direct a film - or should at least go and make some short films first and watch the films of masters and study film technique, or learn better storytelling before touching a camera or even maybe hire or convince someone else to make the film for them - because they may not even love film or even have a talent for it -they may only want to use film for their personal purposes outside of God's design (even good purposes like as a tool to lead lost people to Christ) But that was more my subject in a previous blog about those who love film and those who don't. This is a message for people who are called to make or direct films. This is for those who have the God-given talent and the passion for the art of filmmaking not for those who desire to make films for the wrong reasons. And like I said in that blog- if you want to make a film but can't - you can always have someone who has the gift and passion for it to make that film. There are a growing number of them who are sincere Christians. And you might actually be called to be the producer, not the artisan. There's a need for both in successful filmmaking. So you may be actually called to make a film - just to be the producer - not the director (and there's a big difference)
And now back from the rabbit trail (smile).
And so at the moment in history when Saul went to anoint one of Jesse's sons to become the future king, David wasn't even invited. He was left out in the fields. But God rejected all of the other sons, because He saw something deep in David's heart that people couldn't see outwardly. There's so much truth in this that you can't miss it. David's father couldn't see it, his brothers couldn't and not even Samuel saw it. Maybe you feel all alone in the fields like David was all alone. But God sees your heart. If you have real potential and people are putting down your work but there's real potential - and they're looking at some broken sound or some lack in technical excellence that is beyond your control and has nothing to do with artistic laziness - well God sees what you're doing. He knows what gifts He gave you. So trust that God sees and knows and He will give the increase in due season. That day will come when you will shine like David did against Goliath. God will prove to everyone that you are a gifted filmmaker.
Yes, I believe you need talent like David had talent to use your gifts to fulfill that purpose that God destined for you . And if it's filmmaking - then most likely you need talent as a storyteller for it. Yes, I know God can raise up someone in a moment with no experience to make a great film just to prove He is God. But that's not the normal and practical way of doing things. If you think about it, God didn't even do it with David -his anointed. While God did provide a miracle through David killing the giant - David was already prepared and built up by experience out in those fields with the sheep. God prepares His people for years before using them - from Bezaleel to Moses, from David to Yeshua (Jesus). Preparation begins with practice usually away from the limelight.
And yes, you need to have a heart for this. And to serve God - you need to have a love for Him as well. Yes, David was the perfect model of the Christian filmmaker because he had a genuine heart and zeal for God, a heart for people, and he had tremendous gifts and a passion to be excellent in whatever task God had for him do.
When it comes to filmmaking please stop comparing yourself to Spielberg of today or any other famous filmmaker-especially if you don't have a budget. Don't let people discourage you if they put you down if you sincerely love the art. They just might not see it. And yes, consider that like King David and Steven Spielberg - it didn't happen overnight. Amblin is not even Spielberg's first film - he made a bunch of shorts and even a feature film on Super -8 film as a young man before he made Amblin.
Many Christians think that just because God gave them the gift to be a filmmaker and they're called then they're supposed to pick up a camera and someone's supposed to give them millions of dollars when they haven't even proven themselves yet or have the experience with something bigger. God proved David by having him face the unbeatable Goliath first and even after being anointed as king it didn't happen right away. David didn't even win using a sword for his first great battle. That came later with experience. David went on the run for quite some time while Saul was still king. And then David was crowned king much later.
So while you're out in the wilderness making short films or extremely low budget films now, waxing on and waxing off like Moses and David did out in the middle of nowhere - what does God see with your small beginnings? What do you see? What do you see in those who are in the same situation as you? Do you see their gifts and talents at work when they might not even have an HD camera or the most current technology in their hands?
Can you see it in your own work? Can you see God at work in you? Don't despise small beginnings. And consider what you can do with the limited budget you have.
Now here's you're assignment. While it's important to watch the great films of the masters like Spielberg, Chaplin, Scorcese, and Akira Kurosawa, it is equally important to watch the low budget short films and first features of great filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, George Lucas, and Robert Rodriguez.
Ask yourself when watching these films what did they do right? How did they utilize the limited resources they had to still tell a compelling story? Was the film shot without sound or without color to save money? Christopher Nolan shot his feature film Following on Black and White film (only using two takes per shot) for $6 thousand dollars and mostly used daylight so as not to rely on professional lights)
Now as I recommend to you some films to watch consider this. As I said above, some films have content that you may have issues with like profanity, violence, sexual content, so investigate the films before watching them if you have issues with such things. If you're under age, consult with your parent or guardian first.
Here's George Lucas' short film THX-1138. This was his springboard to making his first feature studio film of the same name:
If you have Netflix, right now you can stream Gareth Edwards' Monsters (that low budget film got him
his big break to direct this year's Godzilla reboot), James Cameron's Terminator (or see if you can rent Piranha 2), Darren Aronofsky's Pi (Yes, he's the filmmaker that directed the recent controversial Noah movie - whether you agree with the film or not - his film Pi shows what he made with a very small budget), and Robert Rodriguez's El Miriachi (made for a mere $7 thousand dollars).
When you see this image here of two people traveling through the desert- what do you see? Do you see the outward appearance or something greater here at work? It comes from a film released in the late 1960s.
Do you see anything that would lead you to believe this film was made by someone who is referred to as one of the "most influential" and "successful filmmakers in the history of cinema"? Who made this? Well, Steven Spielberg did - It's called Amblin. Oh... yes... "Amblin" is his famous film company with a logo containing the silhouette of a boy carrying ET in his flying bicycle. "Amblin" is a huge name in the film industry and so famous that if you got a call from a representative of this company to make a film - you'd be all over the news. However... "Amblin" at one time, like King David - was simple and in the desert being shaped for something bigger - so much bigger that most people would never recognize it even if they were looking for it at the time. But Spielberg named his company "Amblin" because he credits it as the film that got him his big break.
Amblin was an extremely low budget (mostly silent) short film that Steven Spielberg made which opened the door to him becoming a professional film director in television. The people at the studio knew Spielberg had passion and talent (they'd seen his Super-8 films before that), but they needed to see what he could do with 35mm film. And so he proved it with this film. Before Schindler's List, before Jurassic PArk, before ET, before Raiders of the Lost Ark, Before Close Encounters, Before Jaws, and if some of you are familiar with Duel, - before that -was Amblin.
You can and should watch Amblin here on youtube:
*Caveat - there is drug use and some sexual content in this film and so be aware of that if you're a Christian who is concerned about such things - if you're under age - check with your parents before you just engage all these films I recommend below.
When you watch Amblin - ask yourself if you didn't know it was Spielberg, would you hand this filmmaker 30 million dollars or 100 million dollars or even 150 million dollars to make a movie? It says a lot how much we really know about a filmmaker when they have no budget behind them. It says a lot about how much hope there is for those of us who don't have a budget or a famous actor to act in our films. It is God who sees us for who we really are. And even if you pastor or those in your family don't see this or understand - just know that God sees what's in your heart and knows if the talent is really there and knows that at some day when you have the skills and technique that you learned in the wilderness, you can one day be trusted with a big budget and a film crew to make an amazing film just as good as any of today's successful and talented filmmakers.
Before David was Israel's greatest King, before David's beautiful praise made it into the Book of Psalms, before David conquered Jerusalem, before bringing the Ark of God to him and designing the Great Temple of God, before he struck down thousands of enemies with a sword and a shield, before David even faced the giant Goliath with a sling and a stone, before that - was the lone shepherd boy out in the fields tending sheep.
It was there that God saw David's potential - out in the fields, where he killed the bear and the lion, where he was young boy alone, tending to his father's sheep. But God saw a King there- He saw the boy's heart and knew He was to be king because of his heart.
When people look at your films, what do they see? When you don't have a budget? Do they compare them to big budget movies and so do they not take you seriously? Do they look at your work and laugh? I get that you might be just starting out and I get that there might be many others who are better than you; but does that mean you should give up? What in your heart?
Do you look at other films made by some filmmakers and think - this is stupid - this is dumb? That's laughable? Or do you look below the surface and see the potential they have? There's a deep lesson in here. Even the great prophet Samuel didn't recognize David's potential. He was looking at David's brothers who God had already rejected. Even David, it seems, didn't recognize the talent given because he didn't run out from the fields and off to fight Golliath - he only showed up in the war zone to bring some food to his brothers. He stumbled upon his destiny.
Do you look at other films made by some filmmakers and think - this is stupid - this is dumb? That's laughable? Or do you look below the surface and see the potential they have? There's a deep lesson in here. Even the great prophet Samuel didn't recognize David's potential. He was looking at David's brothers who God had already rejected. Even David, it seems, didn't recognize the talent given because he didn't run out from the fields and off to fight Golliath - he only showed up in the war zone to bring some food to his brothers. He stumbled upon his destiny.
I get that there are some Christians making films who should probably not write or direct a film - or should at least go and make some short films first and watch the films of masters and study film technique, or learn better storytelling before touching a camera or even maybe hire or convince someone else to make the film for them - because they may not even love film or even have a talent for it -they may only want to use film for their personal purposes outside of God's design (even good purposes like as a tool to lead lost people to Christ) But that was more my subject in a previous blog about those who love film and those who don't. This is a message for people who are called to make or direct films. This is for those who have the God-given talent and the passion for the art of filmmaking not for those who desire to make films for the wrong reasons. And like I said in that blog- if you want to make a film but can't - you can always have someone who has the gift and passion for it to make that film. There are a growing number of them who are sincere Christians. And you might actually be called to be the producer, not the artisan. There's a need for both in successful filmmaking. So you may be actually called to make a film - just to be the producer - not the director (and there's a big difference)
And now back from the rabbit trail (smile).
And so at the moment in history when Saul went to anoint one of Jesse's sons to become the future king, David wasn't even invited. He was left out in the fields. But God rejected all of the other sons, because He saw something deep in David's heart that people couldn't see outwardly. There's so much truth in this that you can't miss it. David's father couldn't see it, his brothers couldn't and not even Samuel saw it. Maybe you feel all alone in the fields like David was all alone. But God sees your heart. If you have real potential and people are putting down your work but there's real potential - and they're looking at some broken sound or some lack in technical excellence that is beyond your control and has nothing to do with artistic laziness - well God sees what you're doing. He knows what gifts He gave you. So trust that God sees and knows and He will give the increase in due season. That day will come when you will shine like David did against Goliath. God will prove to everyone that you are a gifted filmmaker.
Yes, I believe you need talent like David had talent to use your gifts to fulfill that purpose that God destined for you . And if it's filmmaking - then most likely you need talent as a storyteller for it. Yes, I know God can raise up someone in a moment with no experience to make a great film just to prove He is God. But that's not the normal and practical way of doing things. If you think about it, God didn't even do it with David -his anointed. While God did provide a miracle through David killing the giant - David was already prepared and built up by experience out in those fields with the sheep. God prepares His people for years before using them - from Bezaleel to Moses, from David to Yeshua (Jesus). Preparation begins with practice usually away from the limelight.
And yes, you need to have a heart for this. And to serve God - you need to have a love for Him as well. Yes, David was the perfect model of the Christian filmmaker because he had a genuine heart and zeal for God, a heart for people, and he had tremendous gifts and a passion to be excellent in whatever task God had for him do.
When it comes to filmmaking please stop comparing yourself to Spielberg of today or any other famous filmmaker-especially if you don't have a budget. Don't let people discourage you if they put you down if you sincerely love the art. They just might not see it. And yes, consider that like King David and Steven Spielberg - it didn't happen overnight. Amblin is not even Spielberg's first film - he made a bunch of shorts and even a feature film on Super -8 film as a young man before he made Amblin.
Many Christians think that just because God gave them the gift to be a filmmaker and they're called then they're supposed to pick up a camera and someone's supposed to give them millions of dollars when they haven't even proven themselves yet or have the experience with something bigger. God proved David by having him face the unbeatable Goliath first and even after being anointed as king it didn't happen right away. David didn't even win using a sword for his first great battle. That came later with experience. David went on the run for quite some time while Saul was still king. And then David was crowned king much later.
So while you're out in the wilderness making short films or extremely low budget films now, waxing on and waxing off like Moses and David did out in the middle of nowhere - what does God see with your small beginnings? What do you see? What do you see in those who are in the same situation as you? Do you see their gifts and talents at work when they might not even have an HD camera or the most current technology in their hands?
Can you see it in your own work? Can you see God at work in you? Don't despise small beginnings. And consider what you can do with the limited budget you have.
Now here's you're assignment. While it's important to watch the great films of the masters like Spielberg, Chaplin, Scorcese, and Akira Kurosawa, it is equally important to watch the low budget short films and first features of great filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, George Lucas, and Robert Rodriguez.
George Lucas' Short THX-1138
Christopher Nolan's low budget film "Following" contains
a prophetic-like image of the Batman logo in this scene. Now as I recommend to you some films to watch consider this. As I said above, some films have content that you may have issues with like profanity, violence, sexual content, so investigate the films before watching them if you have issues with such things. If you're under age, consult with your parent or guardian first.
Here's George Lucas' short film THX-1138. This was his springboard to making his first feature studio film of the same name:
If you have Netflix, right now you can stream Gareth Edwards' Monsters (that low budget film got him
his big break to direct this year's Godzilla reboot), James Cameron's Terminator (or see if you can rent Piranha 2), Darren Aronofsky's Pi (Yes, he's the filmmaker that directed the recent controversial Noah movie - whether you agree with the film or not - his film Pi shows what he made with a very small budget), and Robert Rodriguez's El Miriachi (made for a mere $7 thousand dollars).
When you watch these films. Now pretend this is a film by a filmmaker you never heard of before. What do you see? What is the big picture? Consider their style back then and what it is now? Can you see it? Can you see far into the future that this is the same filmmaker of long ago?
Now think about it. While it's still difficult to make a film, doesn't this give you more hope and inspiration? It reminds you that it is indeed possible even with an incredibly low budget to make a descent movie. It shows us that someone who was a gatekeeper in Hollywood overlooked the technical flaws of these films, and had enough insight to see their talent and potential and they went to the next level.
Now how about you? When people don't see the talent in you if it's really there (be honest of course) What do you really see? What does God see? He sees potential. He sees the heart. He made you. Even if nobody believes in you - He believes in you because He knows you and He made you for such a time as this. Be encouraged and press on. Your day will come.
Now think about it. While it's still difficult to make a film, doesn't this give you more hope and inspiration? It reminds you that it is indeed possible even with an incredibly low budget to make a descent movie. It shows us that someone who was a gatekeeper in Hollywood overlooked the technical flaws of these films, and had enough insight to see their talent and potential and they went to the next level.
Now how about you? When people don't see the talent in you if it's really there (be honest of course) What do you really see? What does God see? He sees potential. He sees the heart. He made you. Even if nobody believes in you - He believes in you because He knows you and He made you for such a time as this. Be encouraged and press on. Your day will come.
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