Visioncasting | Shane Sooter

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Your first look at the next release from city on a hill

Written by shanesooter on April 18, 2012 - 3 Comments

We’ve spent a lot of time lately talking about our upcoming shoots…because production is exciting. When we martial an army of people and resources and spend 6 to 8 weeks in the gladiatorial effort of filming, it’s just flat-out thrilling. But there are other important developments going on here that just aren’t as exciting to watch or talk about. THE CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE is well into post production, with a gorgeous score about to hit final mix. H2O is weeks away from a re-release,

and a teen version of NOT A FAN is nearing the end of post production. But perhaps the biggest thing coming down the pike is the release of our newest flagship series, GODS AT WAR.

In GODS AT WAR, longtime City on a Hill partner Kyle Ildeman hits the subject of idolatry. Whi

le it may at first glance seem to be an outdated, irrelevant issue, Kyle proposes that it’s actually the central issue. Behind whatever sin we’re struggling with, behind all the disappointment and frustration we’re living with, we usually find a false god that is winning the war for our heart. Until that god is dethroned, and Jesus is placed in his rightful place in our lives, we will never truly live. Take a look at how that plays out through Kyle’s teaching and five remarkable stories:

So it’s 2012, and we’re still talking about idolatry. What do you think? Do you think this is still a driving issue in peoples lives? Will you be using this study? Let me know in the comments below.

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Giving the Gift of Life

Tackling the challenge of equipping 1000s of Pregnancy Centers

Written by shanesooter on November 11, 2011 - 1 Comment

I’ve been thrilled by the response to my past several posts, as I’ve shared the vision for The Life Project. Clearly, people understand the urgent needs of this battleground issue, and see the power of media as a way to make a profound impact. Wh

en completed, The Life project will be a one-of-a-kind resource, providing pregnancy centers a full library of resources to address all their greatest challenges. And as of this week, its most critical component is finished

– a collection of crisis intervention films designed to quickly reach the hearts of women facing an unplanned pregnancy (and you can see them HERE if you havent’ already).

But one thing we’ve learned at City on a Hill Productions over the years… creating resources is only half the battle. Getting them into the hands of the people who need them is every bit as challenging as the act of creation itself. So how will we get The Life Project into the hands of the 1000s of centers around the country who could use them on a daily basis to minister to hurting women, serve families in need, and save lives? We pray that its with the help of people like you! Take a look:

Over the next couple of months, we’ll be building a nationwide listing of pregnancy centers who want to use The Life Project in their work. These will be listed on an interactive map at The Life Project website (still a work in progress). When we kick off a nationwide church campaign in January (to coincide with Sanctity of Life Weekend), both groups and individuals will be able to go to that map and “adopt” a pregnancy center, providing access to the ever-growing resources of The Life Project through a monthly sponsorship.

So what do you think? Do you think this somewhat unconventional model is the best way to equip centers with this resource? Is this something your church or small group

would like to be a part of? Do you know a pregnancy center that would like to become a part of this adoption program? Let me know in the comments below.

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When Media Misses the Mark

Its only funny until it happens in your church

Written by shanesooter on October 25, 2011 - 1 Comment

The ability of media to make a profound mental and emotional impact on a viewer makes it a powerful tool in the work of the local church… most of the time. But what about those times when media misses the mark? What about when you roll someth

ing into a weekend worship service that fails to support the message of the pastor, or the moment of worship that has been

crafted, or worse yet, the very identity and character of your church?

Hopefully, that just doesn’t happen in your church because stringent approval processes must be cleared before anything plays on a weekend. While I’m the last one to advocate hampering the creative freedom of your teams, I also know artists well enough to understand that sometimes inspiration can take them in a direction that seems great in the moment of creation, but that ultimately fails to serve

the intended purpose of their work. Frankly, media is a weapon. Wielded with precision and skill, it has tremendous power for good. But as with all weapons, you need to adopt a philosophy of SAFETY FIRST.

As a hysterical example of what it looks like to go dramatically off-message, check out these short commercials for the University of Lincoln in the UK. Created by a well-meaning but misled student, they are totally fantastic – except for the fact that they utterly fail to capture the identity of the school. Check them out: