By Richard Gazowsky
There are very few jobs in the world that are judged as severely as directing a movie. You work three to six years on a project and then are judged by public opinion in the short space of two hours. This judgment will determine whether your family eats or starves until your next project is judged in the same manner. Is it insanity to love this job? Why do the majority of people that come to WYSIWYG for a job want one specific position; “Director.”
Among the many non-Christians who have come to WYSIWYG looking for a job, there seems to be a clearer understanding among them that it takes many people to produce a movie; from production, grip, etc. Kieth Robinson, a non-Christian, one of the smartest young men I have ever met, hired on for our film, “Guardians.” He had four years of college under his belt and he finally made up his mind that his career goal was to be a cinematographer. He wanted to be the clapper loader which is real tough job. This job entails loading the film in the camera and clapping the time slate and working long hours keeping records of the days shoot, then driving the film to the lab. I admired him because he took his job so seriously and I knew he would be successful. In the last eight years, I have watched his name roll higher and higher in the credits and he is now doing cinematography on major feature films in the Hollywood industry.
Why is it that a young man who has no interest in serving Christ, is willing to be a servant within the movie industry while I’ve met smart young men, who desire to serve Christ, yet say, “If I work on a Christian film, I have to direct.” Am I crazy, or shouldn’t the commitments be reversed? Shouldn’t these Christians gush passionately “I want to just serve in this film project; I’ll sweep the sets or anything. Just let me give a portion of my life so I can say I have placed upon celluloid, for millions of people to view, a story that exalts my Savior, Jesus Christ.” O.K., O.K., I know I got carried away with this last sentence but I still wonder about the kinds of commitments we get.
It is only by the grace of God that the thirty-five people that currently work with our company are truly committed servants. But it’s taken thirteen years to build such a crew from the ranks of Christianity. Now let me premise this next comment by saying I love the Church Body and I happen to be a pastor myself. But the church is a place that is usually controlled by religious spirits and the structure is such that if you’re going to be anybody in the Church Body, you’d better be a pastor. I’ve analyzed this for years: why would anybody want to be a pastor? I have come to the conclusion that it is because of the power that is afforded by that position. As Mel Brooks would say, “It is good to be King!”
Something tells me that this is the same phenomenon that is occurring in the Christian Film Industry. Intelligent, sharp people believe that the position of Director is the position of power; that the Director gets to call all the shots. But of course, any of you who have actually successfully directed a film know that this is not true. It is the Producer who really has the power because he controls the purse strings and he can actually be off playing golf most of the time the film is being made. The Director has to be a completely insane workaholic and have an incredible handle on servant-hood. Of course, this is a variable which changes based on a simple formula: the greater the vision, the smaller the budget= the humbler the servant. The smaller the vision, the greater the budget= the more the Prima Donna. Just as a side note, I was in Iceland doing location scouting and found out another $200 million production had just been there and chose a location based on the proximity of a luxury hotel. This just confirmed to me the truth of the second formula.
Now some of you may wonder why I even bring in the subject of religious spirits. But I actually believe that these spirits are the source of the conflict we are discussing here. These spirits influence Christians in their thinking, which I believe the Apostle Paul identified as mental strongholds against the knowledge of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) I’d like to break down three issues I believe Christian directors face when working with others:
#1) I have a word from God to make this movie and I don’t want anyone to change it.
#2) I don’t want Satan to influence this film. To ensure that it is holy, I must be in control.
#3) Every time I get together with Christians to do something, we fight and disagree so I work better when I work alone.
The first issue I presented is a concept that many people have in the Church that God only speaks to one person. We in WYSIWYG have learned that words from God are collective. The Apostle Paul tried to teach this to the Church in 1 Corinthians 12: that there are many parts of the Body of Christ. But it is one Spirit: The person of the Holy Spirit that works in us all. The Bible clearly emphasizes the necessity of a leader over any project. This leader is not a dictator but a servant to the collective group.
As an example of this: recently, the Lord gave me a dream and I saw the next television show that we are to produce. Even though this dream was a clear word from God to me to do this television show, I knew that it must be confirmed out of the mouths of two or three witnesses. So I waited to see if God would speak the same word to others on the team. Sure enough, a young 18-year-old intern, David Lanza, had a dream that was one of the scenes for the television show and on the same day, Jackie Bahou, had two dreams and saw two other scenes for the same show. This was the confirmation that we all were looking for. All of the members of the staff feel comfortable because, Yes, God spoke to Richard Gazowsky, the Director and leader but at the same time, just in case Richard’s will is out-of-control, God spoke to others and confirmed it and this settled any questions that may arise.
The second issue is ensuring that your project or film remains holy. Come on guy, wake up! If you’re the only one that’s in control of it, it is guaranteed to be perverted towards your own ego and desires. I mean, didn’t Jesus even say, “I’m not going to show up unless there’s two or three of you?” Get over the control issue.
The third issue is a big, big one. This occurs not only in the film industry, but also in Christian business. I cannot count the number of times I have heard a Christian businessman say, “I will never do business with another Christian again.” My own experience bears out these issues. The worst threats I’ve ever received, including lawsuits, have been from fellow Christians with whom I have done business. Why do some Christians seem incapable of working together? The answer to this and all of these questions is simple: Satan does not want Christians united and working together. So, he targets any relationship. Satan’s one and only job description is this: he is the division-causer amongst the brethren. So how should we respond to this? Our company WYSIWYG has chosen to work with Christians at every possible opportunity and to be prepared for the division-causer to show up. When he does, we love bomb our Christian brother with forgiveness, understanding and compassion. Soon the storm passes and that Christian becomes the greatest business partner we could ever hope to have.
So now let me come to the conclusion of the matter. I began this posting by discussing the issue of working 3 to 5 years on a project and having the audience determine in two hours if your time has been well spent. This situational dynamic would cause many people to freak out under the stress, but for me, it was a moment of pure spiritual joy. Let me explain: upon completion of my first film, we showed a rough cut to about a thousand people. By the time the credits started to roll, I realized that the film was bad. Really bad. They laughed when I wanted them to cry, and they cried when I wanted them to… oh, let’s not go there. It’s too painful still! Now, like most directors, I wanted to leave the test screening and not talk to anyone. I was red in the face, because truthfully, I had made the film to match my likes and dislikes which were definitely different than the people in my audience. But for me this was a revelation. Instead of running away, I went up to the front and answered questions; embarrassing, almost hurtful questions. This experience also changed me and showed me what it meant to be a servant-leader.
The second film, “The Roman Trilogy”, went through two public screenings. In the first, we had fifty-five percent positive responses, thirty-percent undecided, and the rest, once again, too painful to discuss. But this time, I was prepared. A lot of my arrogance and self-will had been dealt with in the first film. So this time, I went back and re-wrote the last scene. To my amazement, our next screening saw the positive response rise to almost ninety-percent.
Once again, I was learning that there is one Holy Spirit and He works in us all. What good is a head without the other parts of the body? You would never say to your feet, “I don’t need you,” or to your hands, “You’re not important.”
I have also been learning that every single person on that film set is just as important as myself. This leads to the answer from my opening statement, “Why am I directing films?” The first time I was in the director’s chair was on the set of Guardians, which much of it was shot in San Francisco’s historic
Old Mint. There were about twenty-two variables that had to come into alignment for us to get the shot that night. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Suddenly, when the fog reached its perfect density, I yelled, “Roll camera!” The appropriate series of commands went forth and the eight demon swordsmen began their battle against the angel of God. When Keith, our aforementioned clapper-loader, checked the gate on the camera, the scene was complete.
I stood there on the still-fogged set and felt like a weight-lifter just finishing an Olympic-sized session of weight reps. I grabbed my family, hugged them and exclaimed, “I was made for this, right here; this tension, this conflict, this creativity. It is so humbling, but yet so fulfilling. I know now that for this purpose I was created.” In this very moment, I realized I’d never felt so alive. Some men look for the house on the lake, the chaise-lounge at the beach, or the first-round at the golf course. Not me. I’m wired like that old sergeant who’s establishing discipline during boot camp. I can only find fulfillment in the midst of the battlefield where tension and stress pull from every side and then there, in that place of mud, smoke and blood, my purpose becomes clear, singularly focused, and those around me clearly shine as brothers that I would die for.
12 Comments
February 6, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Richard,
Thank you for that enlightening piece. A musician friend and I were just talking about the artisans who built the Temple, in much the same way. It then occurred to us that none of them even had their names on their work. Imagine how many would “get a word from the Lord,” if their name was left off a project.
Thanks for your leadership,
Chris Ahrens
Director (and I use the word with humility)
D.O.P.E. (Death Or Prison Eventually)
P.S. I think we have entered your competition.
Thanks, love, blessings,
Chris
February 6, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Amen! If there’s one thing I’ve learned through experience and God, being a director is ALL about servanthood.
Whether boosting the talent, or encouraging the crew in the 12th hour, directing is leadership at it’s height. If a director does not encourage those gifted around him to stretch in their creative giftings and allow them to soar, it will not be as good as it could have been.
Being a director means putting ego aside and making the project and the crew your first priority. It’s then, everything will fall into place.
On a side note, Richard, I so enjoy your transparency and honesty. Your posts allow us to learn what you learn from God, which hopefully, will prevent us from having to go through the same learning experiences – some of which can be quite painful and eye-opening.
Blessings, thanks so much for opening your heart!
Michael
February 6, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Hi Richard,
I was at the WYSIWYG film fest and though missing the screening of “Trilogy”, it went as I expected having suffered my ‘own’ first Christian movie production screening. Like you, I’ve been through the whole ‘all bout me’ humbling – and have also seen secular film makers share the same lessons.
I need to add something to the following:
“I will never do business with another Christian again.” … Why do some Christians seem incapable of working together? The answer to this and all of these questions is simple: Satan does not want Christians united and working together. So, he targets any relationship. Satan’s one and only job description is this: he is the division-causer amongst the brethren.”
I agree with your insights, Richard, until this part.
Other than give Satan all the credit here, let’s also acknowledge we are all basically ’selfish’ beings, to the core, even after coming to Christ. We need ‘transforming’ and this takes time. The Holy Spirit calls us to works knowing we will not learn in any other capacity than by ‘directing, pastoring,leading the parking lot crew’ etc. This selfishness is magnified in ‘Christian’ projects because our worldly cynicism has lifted from our perspectives when coming to Christ, making us more vulnerable again to others’ rejecting our ideas.
We believe everyone should embrace and serve ‘our side’ on every venture, in spite of their anointed visions. It doesn’t take Satan to burst our bubble, just another equally passionate soul who is also in need of ‘transformation’. Satan need only sit back and fuel our conflicts and even earn credit/power when we use him to scold another into serving our calling…
But when we are sure of our calling, coming not of ourselves but from God:
1 A Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” 2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! 3 Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. 4 The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
Thanks for the article and allowing us to chime in!
Don
NW Christian Film Maker
February 6, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Cool, Right on, Richard!
That is timely. Yeah!
February 6, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Hi, I have been watching the VOP and WYSIWIG for a long time. I was a little concerned about how the church was in disrepair and the numbers really down when I was there. Oh yes, God still moved! I felt WISYWIG was more importent than the church.
I am encouraged after receiving all the awesome newsletters to know that you are in revival and the church is getting repaired by God’s hands!!! We miss the VOP and feel it is our long distance home. Keep sending the newsletters!!
February 6, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Dear Richard
Thanks for sharing your heart about directing, etc. It was so good to hear how Jesus has been, and still is, leading you in taking his heavenly visions and putting them on film.
I’m a christian scriptwriter in the UK and I’ll be coming through California on a ‘pitching tour’, probably next year…I’m hoping to stop by WYSIWYG and be encouraged by what God is doing in and through you guys.
God bless
Mark Maddock
maddockfamily@tiscali.co.uk
February 7, 2008 at 1:03 am
love you emails, they always change me.
ted
February 7, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Chris:
Appreciate your response. I did imagine and started laughing at what I saw. Very cool analogy!
Michael:
I loved the insight.
Don:
I really enjoyed reading your response to my blog, especially where you disagreed with me because I have struggled with the same thought: Quit giving Satan the credit, you’re just dealing with bad people.
As a matter of fact, I received numerous emails in response to the blog (which do not appear here) that made the same observation you made.
So let me take a moment to answer it from my own lunatic fringe worldview.
God has taken me through numerous layers of understanding.
At layer one, I felt that all activity that influenced the world around me was generated at the human level. This led me to become, in my early life, an autocratic, domineering leader that usually got my will by the tone and volume of my voice.
At layer two, I ran into the revelation of spiritual authority and realized that no matter how much I yelled and used manipulative practices, if I didn’t have authority, nothing much happened. So where did this come from? After much research in the Scriptures and in my own layers of relationships, I discovered that it was an invisible, inexplicable paradox of power that existed in my life and even people that didn’t know me would respond to the authority I had. When I was properly covered by human authority, for some reason, doors opened. These doors that opened were so disconnected from my current sphere of influence, I began to realize that something in the invisible world around me was responding to my level of obedience. Of course, Apostle Paul confirms this in Corinthians when he says, “Be ready to avenge children of disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” This was a huge eye opener for me because in my early twenties, I suddenly realized that there was a strong influence over my life from the invisible realm.
Now God has taken me to another layer. The closer I get to Him, the more dramatically different from me God appears and I suddenly realized that judgment against my brother and even my enemies was completely and wholeheartedly illegal, to the point that even Michael the Arch Angel spoke like a gentleman to Lucifer when he was in contention over Moses’ body. Come on, just take a moment and think about that amazing scene! Big, bad, righteous Michael reeling in all of his righteous indignation about the trillions of wicked lies that satan must have formulated in front of him. Now Michael is in hand-to-hand confrontation with this evil force and he shuts down and ‘Pollyanna’s’ ‘Hannibel Lector.’
At this point, I got it. It is really not your brother. It is a force of sin in your brother, be it demon or flesh motivated. The force is what must be dealt with, not your brother. So from my world view, God has given me this incredibly slick and ultimately cool arsenal of Matrix-like weapons: love, joy, peace, gentleness, meekness, long-suffering, etc. Now look, before you go ballastic and think I’m jiving with you, these weapons actually work. But you have to use them in an agressive and assertive way. You can’t fake it, it’s got to be down to the core of your inner belief system. Believe me, I know! I’ve been tested on this one.
I honestly feel like I’m finally becoming a new, innocent Christian. Wide eyed, bushy tailed and believing that the whole world is made of sugar and spice and everything nice. I mean, I’m not going to worry, judge or seek vengeance on anybody. Why should I? My big, strong Daddy God is going to whoop ‘em. I can honestly say My Daddy is bigger. But at the same time, my Daddy is super fair. He has spanked me right in front of my enemies- oh! Did that hurt! Talk about ego killing.
As gross as this sounds, I’m going to tell you a real world experience that happened to me. Recently, Michael Jacobs a filmmaker, shot a movie based on our company and the current film we’re working on. I went to the premiere screening at South by Southwest Film festival in Austin, TX. As I watched the film, I heard myself bragging about how our film was going to be funded. Oh, did I feel stupid! As I watched my pride displayed before a completely secular audience, I knew God was dealing with me on a very personal level. This happened right in front of people that could be called my enemies. Amazingly, when I answered questions from the audience, this ‘hostile’ audience, obviously aware that I was under correction myself, actually spoke gently with me and helped ease my wounds. After the festival was over, the numerous articles written about the Question and Answer session were refreshingly friendly and had a complimentary undercurrent. Unbeknownst to me, i thought I was being beat up but I was using one of the weapons that God had placed in my arsenal called long-suffering.
Try it sometime. Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
Mike:
Hope to see you soon!
Ted:
Keep praying, man. You intercessors are what make things work!
-Richard
February 8, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Richard,
Rejoicing with you as we stroll along the journey towards His glory! I think I see us joined at the hip with perhaps different perspectives based on the angle of our view… ???
I am premiering a clip tonight of an ‘in the works project’ to a local secular festival. Nervously looking for feedback, your experience refreshes me! The message will be hostile too to this artistic crowd, yet the connection I hope to make is lessons learned through the struggle to relay a passion vehemently opposed by others.
Blessings,
Don
February 9, 2008 at 11:34 pm
“I can only find fulfillment in the midst of the battlefield where tension and stress pull from every side and then there, in that place of mud, smoke and blood, my purpose becomes clear, singularly focused, and those around me clearly shine as brothers that I would die for”.
- Richard G.
Boy do I know how you feel…
It was in those life and death moments of my past that I felt the test of Heaven the very most. On each ocassion I clearly sensed that the Angels had hunted me down, singling me out for God to take me for His very own.
I once said in a prayer, “If I were in charge, I would invade Hell because they would never see it coming”. That night, I had a dream of my future and I had fallen in battle. When I woke up I knew that God was listening to my every thought, so I said, “Well if I fall, get ready, because Im going to bring two thirds up with me”.
- Hektor
February 13, 2008 at 10:39 pm
You mentioned a TV series. May I ask what series that is or are you not at liberty to say? My reason for asking is I’m a screenwriter and I’ve written a pilot for a TV series.
Thanks
February 24, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Feb.24 ,2008
Hi Richard.
Grettings from Kvinesdal,Norway.
I remember you mostly as an young man
driving the Sunday Scool bus,and also for
taking one of my girls at the Girls Home as
your wife.
Iam so proud of you young man.
Yoy and your family live in my heart.and I
pray for you.
You will make it,and God will go with you.
God bless. liv