Monday, March 4, 2013

Steping into the Roles of a GFP Crew Member: STEP 4

I, Meredith Gilliam, present to you the fourth and final step in my mini-series Steping Into the Roles of a GFP Filmmaker. I hope that by the time you finish reading this, I will have given you encouragement, inspiration, and a little better idea of what it means to be excellent.

STEP 4: Editing to Excellence


Editing is another one of those processes that I leave to others, but that doesn't mean I haven't had a taste of it. When I was younger, my brother and his friends were very much involved in stop-motion animation, and later my friend and I edited our own home videos. Waiting for forever to get the “it's done” from Leah on movie proves that editing is much harder than you would ever think. Remember I said that when you film it can be a fifteen frame scene and be a fifty take day? In editing, every one of those fifty takes has to be filed through to pick out just the right one, then you have to merge it into the next frame in exactly the right way, or it will look “stop-y”. Do this frame, after frame, after frame and you'll be lucky to get a couple minutes worth in a few hours. I haven't even touched sound, people! Music and sound effects all have to be delicately broken into the clips. Loud enough, but not overpowering. Dramatic enough, but not fake. A special thanks to Ms. Oxendine for very beautifully and skillfully getting the job done.

Excellence. That's what we all strive for in anything we do. Whether it's an instrument, a drawing, a castle made out of Lego's, we all pursue the very best. Each flick published by Glory Film Productions is better then the last. Every message, every character, every storyline, we always try to make them as entertaining and impacting as our abilities will allow us. As I have hopefully shown you today, it's hard work. There is no easy road or shortcut. We have to push through those days of standing around while the featured actors screw up their parts for the hundredth time (yes, #sheepishgrin# I am guilty of it too), those days of 90 degree weather that we so often get in Florida, and those times where you feel like your inspiration has run dry and you have nothing more to give. But whenever the going gets tough, someone (probably Bennett or Will) cracks a joke and we remember why we are killing ourselves to make a movie, and this is why:

Each member of GFP want to see the company succeed. Whether that member pours their everything into it, or like the youngsters of the group, simply star as cameos, we are all willing to help out so that we can see others' dreams come true. We want to see the company succeed, but moreover, we want to see the people who make up the company succeed.

There's another reason too. It's the motto, or (if you will) slogan that we've had from the beginning. The name itself gives hint to what our purpose is. GLORY Film Productions. The GLORY belongs to GOD. We want to exalt our heavenly father with the skills and talents that he has blessed us with. We want to point people in the right direction through the best way we know how. Some people minister through singing. Some do it through mission trips across the world. Some do it with handing out tracks, and some people minister by doing yard work for the elderly woman down the road. Christians are meant to serve people with the love that Jesus Christ gave us. Glory Film Productions is our way of presenting biblical messages to a lost and dying world. We want to share with the community, the nation, and the world what great gifts that God has given us. He gave us individual gifts like acting, directing, writing, etc., but He gave us all one very important gift: His son. Jesus lived the perfect life that we cannot live, and died the harsh death that we deserved. That's what GFP is all about. Every difficulty we face, we push through it for Him, and for he individuals who need to know Him. May God bless Glory Film Productions as he has these past years, I can't wait to see where He will lead us next.

Forever One of a Kind,
M.G. <3

Saturday, March 2, 2013

The Search For Max | GFP Short Film


 
Hey y'all, here's our latest flick!
 
We hope you enjoy it and if you do, please share it with your friends!
 
Blessings,
Leah