It occurred to me
that it's been a while since we've had a discussion on the state of
Brightsword Productions and the projects on our platter. For that, we'll
need to cover a bit of history. As some of you may know, Gatewalkers
was not our first long form project. Nor was it intended to be our first
public offering. There was a speculative fiction thriller called
"Othersight." Being our first project, I'll readily admit I walked into
it a bit naive, and quite optimistic. This had the happy effect of
allowing us to do things that shouldn't have been possible, if we'd
known any better. On the down side, it can come back to bite you years
later. Being an introvert by nature, and having no experience with
leading people at the time, I let some things slide that should have
been addressed immediately. As I'm sure you know, people tend to take
liberties when working with "nice" people, and that was just the
beginning of the spiral.
The intended release for Othersight was
delayed for reasons beyond our direct control, at least at the time, but
I knew we couldn't just sit back and wait. The filmmaker's best friend
is inertia, and if you aren't in the middle of at least three projects,
you're pretty much considered a hobbyist. If someone asks you "what else
do you have?" you're required to have an answer, or you've just
torpedoed your career. Since the mythic rules of filmmaking frown upon
gaps, we moved into the strange and wonderful world of the webseries,
and Gatewalkers was born. But something happened during the
pre-production, something that can be crippling for a profession that
relies so heavily on people. A series of betrayals of trust had made me
leery of relying on others, if I may speak the sad truth plainly,
especially in the church.
Thankfully, I had proven friends behind
me, and the new friends that came along the way allowed us to do
marvelous things together, but I believe my own baggage and private
fears were responsible for the project not reaching as far as I'd
planned. With first class burnout from trying to make sure all the
pieces came together on schedule and were released on time, and no money
for Season 2, Gatewalkers died at season's end. Needless to say, this
felt very unsatisfying for cast and crew alike, and Chaos on the Fringe
was born as a way to close out that era of our lives. For this reason,
and the fact that it is a short, it takes back seat to any endeavor
aimed at actually making some money. It will be released, but it's not
at the top of the priority list.
This brings us full circle,
Othersight is still unreleased, and with every passing year, every
passing project, my skills and understanding improve to the point where I
see every single flaw in the project, every error in judgment, and it's
painful. I promised to see it through, I promised to release it to the
public, but I struggled, because I had learned so much, and I realized
how many foolish assumptions I'd put into the work. But in all this, God
was working.
This last winter saw me at an all time low in
life, a black knot of doubt and frustration. Yet through all that, I
learned so many things. Through the process of making impossible movies,
I learned leadership. From the betrayals, I discovered my own fears.
From the frustration, I finally learned to let go, and that was the
greatest revelation of all. If I truly believe this is my calling, then
it is my duty to work as hard as I can, learn as much as I can, to tell
the best story possible. But I am not allowed to discredit that work. I
may have taken it all on myself, and made foolish mistakes, but in the
end, God used it to change me. I have grown more in five years as a
filmmaker than the previous ten. Sadly, part of that has been unlearning
the habits formed as an employee, but still... Now I wake up every
morning and say, "Okay God, it's your project." That brings incredible
peace, I may still be working my tail off to see things through, but
now, when things go wrong, it's 100% his worry, not mine. Not even a
lead backing out thirty minutes before call time rattled it.
Which
brings us to the present. Othersight still must be released, but we are
now too broke to go with the original plan, so we are seeking out the
best download/print on demand services that will allow us to deliver
without jumping through too many hoops. I have printed out a copy on
standard home DVD's for everyone involved, so, if you're reading this, I
hope to be getting those out to you soon.
This new promo we have
been shooting is the product of this learning process, this time I'm
trying to do it right. I have no idea where this is going. Could be
small, could be really big. It may not be what I expect, it may not be
what the church expects, may not be what the world expects. But for the
first time, that's not my problem. I will reach out and offer the
vision, share the call, and leave the rest up to Him.
It
seems fitting, with this conversation about the journey to where we are
now, that I leave you with these words from another person looking
back, and to the future. A future that may be playing on your screens
very soon...
"It is written in our oldest
texts that man was created good. If this is so, it did not last. For
great evils have come upon all mankind, and no matter how far one runs,
evil will find them. For evil does not come from without, but from
within.
The price of this has been a history written in blood. Worlds
groan under the weight of oppression, their people crying out for
deliverance. But in darkness, even the smallest light is a beacon.
Such
are the Illani, the last hope of a galaxy in flames. Warriors without
peer, they fight to free the peoples of the galaxy from the oppression
of dark lords and the chains of dark gods. These are a breed apart, for
they carry in their hearts the light of an ancient promise, and on their
tongues the words of a sacred oath.
Unstoppable, because they are living proof of an ancient truth.
For 'tis so much to be a Knight, that you must first die to live."--- Excerpt from the Memoirs of Akerra of Ser
