Author Archive

Meet the Actor: Chance Bridgman

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“Look at his eyes.” That’s what Bill, the video director, said as we watched the audition tapes. That’s one thing about Chance that stands out. He has great expression in his face; a trait that’s valuable to a director and a producer. I think you’ll notice it, too, as you watch the Amazing Wonders Aviation Worship Rally DVD.

As you’ll discover in Chance’s Q&A below, he already is a real professional. And it showed, as he arrived on set prepared every day. Though a video shoot is always hard work, Chance and his fellow cast members helped to make this shoot a lot of fun! It was great to meet his mom, Dawn, and his two brothers, Chase and Chandler (talented actors as well).

The cast. That's Chance in the middle, wearing the navy shirt.

Now, I introduce you to my friend, Chance—

Q: What character do you play in the VBS 2012 video?

A: I play the character “T-Man.” I’m 12 years old.

Q: What was the hardest part of the video shoot?

A: The hardest part of the shoot was working with the “green screen.” For one thing

I had to hold myself in strange positions for long periods of time, and for another I

felt silly acting as if something was happening when it wasn’t! But it was all worth it

when I saw the finished product.

Chance and the green screen

[A note from Lynne: "Green screen" is when you place an actor against a green cloth or screen and capture him in action. When shooting green screen, the actor is isolated, with only empty surroundings. In post-production, the video editor places that actor into a scene or against a different backdrop. In Chance's case, he was placed against video of a blue sky and was falling into the ocean.]

Q: What was the best part of the video shoot?

A: The best part of the video shoot was working with the awesome team of adults and

with the other kids! I was sad when it ended, because I felt like I had made new

friends. My favorite scene was the one where I have to wear the fruit helmet with

the “spy camera.” I looked and felt ridiculous, but it was hilarious and we had so

much fun with that scene!

Chance with the fruit helmet!

Q: Was this your first acting job? If not, what other jobs have you had?

A: No, this wasn’t my first acting job. I had worked on a couple of films for local public

television, and I have been in a lot of community theatre plays and musicals. I love

live theater, but the good part about film is that if you mess up you get a second

chance!

Q: What’s your favorite part of school?

A: As you can probably guess my favorite class at school is Drama! We are currently

working on an adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland.” I also like recess and study hall.

Q: What sports do you like, and do you play any?

A: I like most sports, but especially like volleyball, tennis, football and basketball. I am

currently playing basketball for a club team.

Q: If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A: I have been blessed to be able to travel to many neat places, but if I could, I would go

to Antarctica… preferably on an ice-breaker!

Q: Would you like to continue acting?

A: YES! I hope to make acting my lifelong career…

Q: Anything you’d like to add?

A: Thank you for giving me an opportunity to answer your questions. I hope you enjoy

the film as much as I enjoyed being a part of it!

In Honor of My Good Friend, Jeff

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I’m so glad to have the honor of writing about my good friend, Jeff Slaughter. As many of you have heard, or perhaps you read the blog post here on December 1, VBS 2012 will be the last VBS with Jeff as our songwriter. Jeff and I began working together when LifeWay’s VBS was redesigned in 1996. Our first project was VBS 1997: The Wild and Wonderful Good News Stampede™. It was Jeff who suggested that we provide choreography videos for our customers. So, we began to produce those with VBS 1999: Mt. Extreme™. We’ve come a long way since then! When our budget would allow, we were able to shoot the choreography segments on location along with the video dramas. My favorite on-location shoot was in Israel in 2008. We shot the songs for Club VBS: Truth Trek™ and the ballad for VBS 2012: Boomerang Express™ (“Because”).

Shooting at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem

We also had the great fortune of shooting the ABCs of Becoming a Christian segment at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem. Very, very special.

Since the December 1 blog post shared about Jeff’s great work with our team, I thought it would be fun to let Jeff do the talking this time. So, we sat down for lunch and I asked him the following questions.

Me: What was your favorite VBS theme?

Jeff: Boomerang Express™. First of all, I got to travel to Australia! And we shot the ballad in Israel . . . in front of the Garden Tomb. I loved that the biblical content was about a relationship with Jesus and about Peter’s relationship with Him. I think it’s great that LifeWay’s VBS is all about helping kids know how to become Christians, but I especially liked that this one focused on showing kids how to go beyond that and build a friendship with Jesus.

Me: What was the most challenging song to write?

Jeff: “We Believe” (VBS 2005: Ramblin’ Road Trip™). My daddy passed away in March of ’03 and later that same year we began working on Ramblin’ Road. I couldn’t write though. Since he’d passed away, I hadn’t written anything and I just felt stifled. I couldn’t find that creative place anymore. I didn’t know how to begin. Then, I heard the Lord say to me, “Go back to the basics. What do you believe about me? If you could put the most important things you believe about me in a song, what would you write?” As I began to focus on the truths about Him that I had learned throughout my life I could feel Him gently leading me back to that sweet place of creativity. I went to the piano and began to play for the Lord . . . pouring out my sadness as I pressed into the keys. Memories of His faithfulness and love flooded my mind . . . along with memories of things my daddy had taught me about the Lord. All of a sudden I began playing the opening melody of “We Believe.” As soon as I heard it, I began to cry. I wrote the rest of the song in about 30 minutes . . . crying the whole time. “We Believe” went on to become the first VBS song to cross over into the church as an adult choir anthem. It was one of the most challenging to write, but it will always be one of my favorites!

Me: What’s a favorite video shoot memory?

Jeff: The trip to Israel. Habakkuk 2:2-3 was Scripture that meant so much to me as a child and as a teenager. I know some people have heard me tell the story about being an outcast at school because I was overweight, I wore funny glasses, and I was in the band. But, that Scripture helped me know that God had a plan for me, and it would be revealed to me in His time. When we were in Israel, some of the crew and I got to visit The Shrine of the Book. [That’s where the Dead Sea Scrolls are housed.] We all were walking around on our own, looking at everything. I stopped to read an ancient manuscript that was on display. I couldn’t believe it! It was an original handwritten manuscript of Habakkuk chapter 2! When I shared it with you, you told me that this particular exhibit was on display only that year in celebration of Israel’s 60th anniversary! It was amazing.

Me: I remember that. It was amazing. That was a great experience.

Me: Is the rumor true that you’re a good cook?

Jeff: Yes! I am a good cook!

Me: Any dishes you’re known for?

Jeff: One time I fixed this dish called “Pistachio Crusted Chicken with Coconut Ginger Chili Sauce.” It was awesome!

Me: Tell us where kids can connect with you at CentriKid camps this summer.

Jeff with a fan

Jeff: I’ll be at Lee University and at Ridgecrest Conference Center. You can find the dates on my web page: http://www.jeffslaughter.com/. Camp has been such a vital part of my life for 26 years and I still love it! I’m looking forward to seeing everybody and seeing what the Lord has in store for us!

 

Meet the Actor: Dillon Waidyatilleka

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“Why’d ya tell her that?” That’s how I learned to say Dillon’s last name—Waidyatilleka. It’s pronounced with the same cadence with which I’d state that question!

We thought it would be fun to introduce you to the terrific cast from the Amazing Wonders Aviation Worship Rally DVD. So, I’ll be writing a feature on each of them every few days. Dillon plays the central character in this year’s video. He had lots of physical action to perform (such as open-ocean swimming for yards and yards). Unfortunately, in a video shoot that means he had to do those scenes over and over, and then one more time. (As Bill, our director, famously says: “Perfect! Now, let’s do it again.”) But, Dillon was a real trooper and never complained (at least not in front of us)!

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Airplane Props for the VBS Musical

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If you were fortunate enough to attend the Nashville VBS Previews and see the children’s choir from The People’s Church in Franklin, TN, you would’ve seen these cute airplanes they added to the theme song! Several people have asked where the choir purchased these. The choir director ordered them a few years ago from Oriental Trading. They currently are out of stock or no longer carry them, but we’re thinking they just might make them available again if there are enough requests!

Official title and product number: “Amazing Airplane”  IN-61/9054.

Every year we get questions about “that program the kids presented” at the VBS Previews! You’ll find the musical printed in The Music Book (005404192) which sells for $5.99. This book contains the six VBS 2012 songs along with the written drama and production notes. Be sure to check it out!

Geek of the Week

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“I said it’s great . . . to be . . . a Tennessee Vol! I said it’s great . . . to be . . . a Tennessee Vol!” My friend Kathy Trundle knows how to chant those words along with me! We frequently are both in Neyland Stadium, screaming this cheer and many others, trying to help our beloved Tennessee Vols come up with a victory. (Unfortunately, it didn’t go so well this year.)

Kathy and I share three loves—UT football, the Great Smoky Mountains, and VBS. Those of you familiar with the Smoky Mountains know that Cades Cove is a beautiful, serene place; one of the first settlements in the Smokies. Kathy’s mom was the last child to be born inside Cades Cove before it was turned over to the National Park Service in the early 1930s. One of my favorite memories is the day Kathy took Sherry Spillman and me on a private tour of the cove. What a treat!

Kathy is a great supporter of LifeWay’s VBS, and does such a great job promoting VBS throughout Tennessee. I’m sure countless people across the state could share stories of gratitude about Kathy. THANK YOU, KATHY, for supporting LifeWay’s VBS and for supporting our team! I appreciate you!

1.    What are your VBS roles (state, association, church, etc.)?  

I am the VBS Specialist for Tennessee Baptist Convention. In that role, I work with Associations in training for VBS.  I enjoy visiting and speaking at churches to encourage them in their outreach ministry through VBS.

2.    What is your “geekiest” VBS moment? 

My “geekiest” moment takes in an different element in VBS.  I have this reputation for getting reports and information from churches anytime, anywhere.  One year after Outrigger Island, I was in a store and noticed a person looking at the beach theme decorations.  We got to talking and discovered that she was from a church who hadn’t reported their VBS, so in talking to her, I was able to get information to file a VBS report for their church and also found out the name of their VBS Director as well.

3.    What makes you continue to do VBS year after year?

I love VBS.  I love being able to train folks to lead VBS in their church.  Often, I meet people who tell me they saw me at a training event and how much that event meant to them and in turn what an impact a training event had on their church VBS.

4.    What is your favorite VBS theme to date?  

Most definitely my favorite theme has been Big Apple Adventure because I was able to go to New York City to see the impact that the ministry of Metropolitan New York Baptist Association was having on the people of New York City.  I got to meet the Director of Missions, George Russ.  Through this trip, I had a greater appreciation for the work being done in NYC.

5.    You might be a VBS Geek if . . .

You have all the shirts from VBS back to Windows on the World and constantly look for ways to encourage and help others to do VBS in their own church!

6.    Will we see you at one of the VBS Previews in January or February? (Which one?)

I will be at the Preview at Ridgecrest and hope to be at the Preview at LifeWay at the end of January.

'Tis the Season

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Good morning from Nashville! It’s a cold morning here; currently 35 degrees! You can tell the holiday season has begun. Once Thanksgiving arrives, our VBS Team begins planning our annual Christmas lunch and discussing a charitable action to do this season. January will be here before we know it! ‘Tis the season!

‘Tis also the season to ask you to pray for our VBS Team. As we begin production on VBS 2013, I’d like to share these specific prayer requests with you.

1)   We finished up Writers Conference for VBS 2013 the week before Thanksgiving. Please be praying for the great group of people who are writing materials for your VBS kids. They want to provide the very best curriculum for your church.

2)   On Monday of next week, December 5, we’ll be meeting with our good friends from the International Mission Board and the North American Mission Board to hear their ideas for missions stories for VBS 2013. They’ll share with us things that are happening here in the U.S. and around the world that might be good stories to support our Bible content and life application statements. Please pray that we’ll make wise choices.

3)   We are in the beginning stages of brainstorming video ideas for 2013. It reminds me of pouring molasses—it starts out really slow, then picks up speed. At the moment, the molasses has not fallen out of the jar! Please pray that we will have the discernment to see God’s direction for this product and will have the wisdom to know how to make it happen.

With a team of 10 people, and more than 120 products between us, I have no doubt that each of us could provide a long list of prayer requests. All of us are dreaming, planning, sketching, and working now to make VBS 2013 fantastic. ‘Tis the season!

Thank you for partnering with us. We look forward to seeing many of you at the VBS training events in January and February!