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Video Production

Making a scripture video in your own language may be easier than you think

This article will introduce you to the things you need to think about before you start. It will also provide you with links to people and organisations who can help you in different ways.

First thing to think about:

Should we make our own video or should we use a video that someone else has made?

Before you start to answer these questions, make sure you can involve as many people from the community as possible. This article by Michelle Petersen should help.  https://scripture-engagement.org/content/participatory-methods-scripture-engagement/

This is true for all decisions you all will make, not just video.

It is actually not as difficult as you might think to make your own video. Think about your young people. Are they filming themselves doing something clever and sending it to their friends? Quite probably. Are they experts in video? Probably not.

Read More »Making a scripture video in your own language may be easier than you think

One Matchstick – The Senga Fire

  • by FCBH

“When we work together with our different gifts, we can say, ‘God has accomplished this.'” 
Rev. Katete Jackson Jones, BiLTA, Zambia

One year ago, Faith Comes By Hearing‘s video team set out to capture an incredible story of community transformation through God’s Word in audio. Now, the organization is ready to share that story with the world.

One Matchstick: The Senga Fire, tells the incredible true story of the Senga of Zambia receiving the Bible in their language for the first time in the tribe’s 2,000- year history.

Prior to this monumental breakthrough, no written or oral translation of Scripture existed in the Senga’s mother tongue. For years, interaction with the Bible in any meaningful way required the Senga to learn the languages of neighboring tribes. Though they desired to know and understand the Bible, their tribe was deemed too small to receive a written translation.

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Script Fit Videos

In 2019 I went to Southeast Asia to oversee a video dubbing. The team there assured me they had prepared the script to fit the video’s timing, and it was ready for recording. But when we began to dub the video, we realized that, in many parts, segments were too long. In other parts, as we watched the video, we realized that we could often see the actor’s mouth moving but nothing was being said in the dubbed language. We spent many hours of several days adjusting the script to achieve a good dubbing. We needed a translation consultant to approve every change. Precious recording time was lost and the dubbing took days longer than planned. 

When I returned to IMS-Waxhaw, many of my colleagues told me similar experiences they had had on the field. Something needed to be done to help prevent the “script fit blues.” All the instructions for preparing the script are in the Shell Video Manual (Step Five), which every field team receives when they apply to dub a video. But the manual can be a difficult read, especially for non-English speakers. And many people think that when it comes to script fitting, they already know everything they need to know. So I wrote the scripts, and we assembled a team to create two animated videos explaining the why and how of script fitting. Read More »Script Fit Videos

Faith-Based Short Films in Taiwan

In Taiwan, there are many creative Christians who are using media and the arts to impact their generation with the Gospel. In this article (originally posted on createtaiwan.com), I feature three Christian YouTube filmmakers using different approaches to sharing their faith, in both English and Chinese.

Although our office is in Taiwan, our focus on creating media has not been for the Taiwanese people alone, but for people groups all over the world. The church here is mature and growing, with many congregations in Chinese, Taiwanese and other languages.

The government of Taiwan has plans in place to become a bilingual nation by the year 2030. In school, students are taught both English and Chinese and depending on the interest of the student, many have the ability to enjoy watching films in either language with subtitles.

Read More »Faith-Based Short Films in Taiwan

online film festival

Mini-Film Mini-Preview Online Festival 2021

For the past several years, EMDC has been host to a lineup of films created to highlight stories focused on people and places where the Christian faith is not in the majority or crafted with the express purpose of sharing biblical concepts rich in spiritual depth and meaning. Genres usually include documentaries, animations, live-action, anthropological and experimental.

In 2020 the film festival moved online with the cancellation of our in-person conference. This year of 2021 will be more of the same as the EMDC.online platform will become the meeting place. We will also plan to produce a version that will be uploaded after the event to be enjoyed anytime.

If you want more information about any film, simply email us.

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Adama’s Dream Released in Sierra Leone 

Adama’s Dream is a movie about a young Themne woman facing terrible troubles in her village in Sierra Leone. Can spirits, witch doctors, juju, charms or prayer help her fight off evil? Can God save her daughter from death? Can fear stop her from following her dreams for a better life?  The movie was premiered on Sunday the 21st of February at 6:30 pm EST.

You can watch the movie below :

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Missions Filmmaking Part 1 & 2 (EMDC Podcast Episode #3 & #4)

Missions Filmmaking Part 1

For our third EMDC Podcast episode recorded on November 16th 2020, Tim and Steve begin a series of informal discussions with experts that will focus on specific areas of ministry interest. For this episode and the next, it will be filmmaking–specifically for missions and non-profit ministry settings. We will hear from creative leaders representing International Media Ministries, Youth With A Mission, Create International, Ur Vision and Greater European Mission’s Gemstone Media.

Missions Filmmaking Part 2

For our fourth EMDC Podcast episode recorded on November 16th 2020, a selection of ministry filmmakers representing International Media Ministries, Youth With A Mission, Create International, Ur Vision and Greater European Mission’s Gemstone Media have been giving advice and recounting stories. We pick up the conversation as the group explores formal education versus on the job training.

— Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/emdclive/message

Read More »Missions Filmmaking Part 1 & 2 (EMDC Podcast Episode #3 & #4)

Mobiles, Media, and Ministry: Lessons for Trainers and Learners

The Mobiles, Media & Ministry: Lessons for Learners & Trainers curriculum contains 41 lessons, 360 pages of trainer guide materials, 70 pages of student handouts, and over 1,000 presenter slides.

The lessons are divided into four topic areas:

  1. Foundations of Media Ministry: Principles and practices for developing media materials and strategy that lead to follow-up and discipleship.
  2. Mobile Ministry: The mobile phone is the device through which most media ministry efforts will be experienced. These lessons teach the capabilities and limitations mobile technology provides and how to adapt your media ministry efforts.
  3. Social Media: These lessons teach you to connect with the lost via social media so you expand your reach among almost any people you want to reach.
  4. Do-it-Yourself Media: These lessons teach anyone to create authentic, contextually-relevant media that can reach thousands.

Read More »Mobiles, Media, and Ministry: Lessons for Trainers and Learners