Man Shoes (New short film!)

 

So, I know we've not uploaded anything new for a while now, excluding the Q&A talk show video featuring myself and Meredith.

 

BUT.

 

Today, that changes!

 

After church, I rounded up my three youngest brothers and managed to persuade them to help out with this video. A big shout-out to my dad and other brother, Will, for lending their "man shoes" for this flick. It took a little coercing but finally they were willing to abandon their kicks and let the little guys clomp around in them.

 

 

 I had gotten the idea for this video a few weeks ago when I overheard Luke, age 6, asking Mom quizzically, "Mom, why does Will wear man shoes even though he's not a man?" (He was referring to Will's size 13 men's' sneakers.)

 

It was a cute quote and it stuck with me, demanding further attention.

 

And then a thought struck me the other night, on how to make a film out of the concept. What if I took a bunch of shots mimicking the stereotypical "tough guy" stride, with the boys wearing shoes much too big for them, and then use the video as a means to comically point out a basic truth concerning real manhood?

 

Okay, so maybe it's not a very deep video, and, with no dialogue or plot, it is rather shallow in some areas. But, like I said, it's meant to be simple and light hearted.

 

I personally like how the video quality turned out, and lemme tell ya...shooting in slow mo? It's a ball.

 

So anyways, I hope y'all enjoy! If you do, why not spread the love and share it with your friends or anybody else you think might like to watch it?

 

Have a blessed Monday!

-Leah

 

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Hey all! I know it's been an awfully long time since anybody posted anything here, but as you may have heard, Google Friend Connect is apparently vanishing. So. Here's a new means of following our blog! Just click the link above, and you can be subscribed through Bloglovin'.

 

Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!

 

 

Blessings,

Leah Kathryn

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

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

 

Stepping into the Roles of a GFP Crew Member: STEP 3

 

Happy Monday to you all, welcome to the third section in my mini-series here at Glory Film Productions. Enjoy!

STEP 3: Lights, Camera, Action!

Filming is (obviously) an extremely vital component in the movie making scheme. Cinematography is, as I have previously stated, not my forte. Thus developing the script into a visual format is left to Camera Queen Leah K.

However, I am by no means left out of the filming process. Even if I'm not acting in front of a camera or an audience, I have found an excellent past-time: being behind a camera filming Leah behind the camera. Behind the scenes clips are my thing- watching and filming- so I get a close-up view of how the movie making is done.

Filming has it's own set of challenges. If it rains it pours, (see BTS Files: Rained Out) if it's a fifteen frame scene it's a fifty take day. Being on set or location can be a tedious task, but it can also one of the lots of fun (see What REALLY happens while we're filming). It's when you finally see that plot that's been in your head come to life. When those strokes of ink on a page turn into sounds coming from someone's voice. By the end of the day, you may have only completed a three minute section, but that's three minutes more than you had before (and trust me, we're grateful for every minute we get!)

Forever One of a Kind,
Meredith G. <3

Rumpelstiltskin | Official Blooper Video!

 

The blooper video for Rumpelstiltskin is finally up on the web after much frustration with Adobe Premiere Pro.

 

Enjoy, y'all!

 

-Leah

Stepping into the Roles of a GFP Crew Member: STEP 2

Welcome to the second section in my mini-series: Stepping into the Roles of a GFP Crew Member. In this series, I hope to open up a small window, letting you get a glimpse into what an amateur film maker's life is truly like. So, without further adieu,

STEP 2: Screenplays

Of course, most modern actors wouldn't have jobs if we had no scripts; thus comes step number two: screenplays. For RUMPELSTILTSKIN, I wrote, and did a form of the storyboard, but for most films I co-write and leave the blocking to others who are more skilled with cinematography. Writing is almost as difficult as brainstorming; in some ways it's harder. Scripting is pivotal not only for the purpose of the actors, but for the whole crew, it's the way we get our ideas organized and file them into an orderly document. We all have ideas that could potentially create the epic films of tomorrow, but the diamonds are hidden in the mines of our thoughts, writing them out into scripts or sketching them out into visual storyboards is the solution for figuring out what we truly want in the film.

However, breaking through those mines can often reveal things that you had never thought of before. Unlike the Brainstorming side of things, scripting isn't fully dependent on whims, but it still requires a mind that has an even mix of creativity and practicality.

 

Forever One of a Kind,

M.G. <3

Meredith G: Stepping Into the Roles of a GFP Crew Member (STEP 1)

Meredith Gilliam here, typing to you with her own fingers. I have been blessed to work with Glory Film Productions, and though my work has been mostly highlighted in the dramatic area, I do a lot of things behind the scenes that by most viewers are often overlooked. I step into many different roles as the progress of a film pushes forward. Take our “longest” film (running at just over 13 minutes) RUMPELSTILTSKIN. My involvement with this short started in my living room as myself, Director Leah, and my mom began the wonderful yet difficult process of- you know what I'm talking about:

STEP 1: Brainstorming

This is a part of film making that must be done, but it is a very slow and careful task. It usually spends hours of our time. Those hours turn to days, and -for feature-length projects- those days scatter out over months. With every idea, there comes a problem. Questions like: “is that realistic?” or “can we do that with our limited resources?” are very commonly asked during step 1.The answers to these questions never come easily, and while we consult one another dozens of times to try and find our own, we have to remember to ask for Jesus' help, the one who came up with the ultimate storyline.

Now, hear me as I'll quote one of my own sayings, “All storms end in rainbows, we just have to wait for the clouds to clear.” And while there is much blood, sweat, and tears, we can always rely on the excellent determination of our team and God's everlasting love to end up with better films then the ones before.

forever one of a kind,
M.G. <3

Nominated!

 Filmmakers of the Next Generation has been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award! Thank you Victoria!

 

The Liebster award is where bloggers nominate other bloggers they enjoy with 200 followers or less. Any type of blog can be nominated. It's a way to get to know new bloggers and to network with them. Here's how it works:  List 11 facts about yourself. Answer the 11 questions the blogger who nominated you left. Ask 11 new questions for those who you nominate. Choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog!

 

 

11 Facts About Me:

 

1. "Favorite Song" and "Eye on It" (Both by TobyMac) are my most recent music obsessions.

2. I abhor all cheese except for mozzarella.

3. I love to garden.

4. I'm 5'8.

5. I have four brothers.

6. I play seven different instruments.

7. I loovvvvveee white chocolate.

8. I'm ultra random.

9. I'm half introverted, half extroverted.

10. I love learning new things!

11. I spend wayyy too much time on movie-making related stuff.

 

 

Questions from Victoria:

 

 

1. What's your TV series? Favorite TV series? The Twilight Zone for sure.

2. Favorite superhero? Batman!

3. If you could have any pet whether it is mythical or real, what would it be? A griffin, most definitely! But a cow, horse or miniature donkey would be nice too. ;)

4. If you could live in the world of a book or movie, which one? Either my own, or the Narnia series.

5. Favorite music artist? TOUGHHH. I have about a hundred different faves.  It depends on the genre.

6. What is your favorite scent? Anything zingy and fresh; or warm, luxurious and cozy.

7. Hunger Games or Twilight? Neither. 

8. Motorcycle or car? TRUCK!

9. Favorite cookie? White chocolate macadamia nut!

10. What is a quirk about yourself? I have giant feet.

11. Do you have a favorite blog? Hm, hard! I have lots of favorite blogs. How about we just go with favorite website? www.bulkherbstore.com

 

 

 Questions for My Nominees:

 

1. Would you rather visit Spain, Japan, or Australia?

2. How long have you been blogging?

3. What is your favorite movie?

4. Do you have a favorite actor?

5. What historical period interests you the most?

6. White chocolate or dark chocolate?

7. How tall are you?

8. Do you play any musical instruments?

9. How old do you think the universe is?

10. Christianity: religion or relationship?

11. What's the most important decision you've ever made?

 

Nominees:

1. Cora

2. Hristiyan

3.Andrew

4.Jacob

5. Brittney

6.Aidyl

7.Heather

8.Rachel

9.Aili

10.Hadassah

11.Caitlin

 

 

Have fun! Don't forget to link back!

 

-Leah Kathryn