Recently, Nick and Chris fasted from television and visual media for an entire month. That’s right! A whole month without watching movies or taking in Internet videos. They embarked on this process shortly after realizing that they were trying to fill their loneliness of having moved across the country with entertainment. So, they guys set out to give it up — with the exception of the video they had to watch at work.

“The hardest part was probably walking into restaurants and finding a seat that did not face a television,” said Chris. “I found myself having an almost physical need to look at the screen. Even before the fast I was beginning to notice that my eyes were constantly drawn away from the people I was with and towards the box.”

“When you stop and think that something like nine hours of a person’s life can be spent in front of the television screen, it’s hard to believe that a person’s worldview will not be impacted. I’ve found myself watching television and movies that I know God would not want me to be taking in. So, the time came to just cut it off. Now that we’re allowed to watch TV again, though, I’ve found it less appetizing. We’re both doing more reading and have spent more time catching up with friends over the phone and in person. When we were in college we kept our television unplugged and in the closet so that it would be a hassle to watch it. It gave us a lot more time to make friends, go for walks, and enjoy real life.”

It may seem strange to challenge an audience on a media website to turn off their televisions, but we want to encourage you to strive for purity. If that means taking time off, then go for it! Now is a good time. If nothing else, you can start now and celebrate the end of your fast with Bringing up Bobby when it is re-released on DVD on 10.5.10!

You may even want to consider turning off your radio when you are driving or going for a workout. That extra bit of silence can allow you to slow your life down, focus on the other people in the car, and give you more time with the Lord. Perhaps you can challenge your church congregation to fast from media during the service! Let us know how you did by posting your experiences in the comment section!

Tips on Fasting From Television and Media:
* Make plans with friends and family members to help distract you.
* Take some extra time to read the Bible for yourself.
* Start writing to people you have not spoken with in a while.
* Get some exercise! Take up walking or jogging.
* Meet people! Check out your local newspaper to find some cheap events or groups that you can attend.
* Use your newfound time to share the gospel with neighbors.
* Read important books.
* Pray for people in power.

The Glowing Nose Podcast is the official podcast of Glowing Nose LLC, makers of the movies “Bringing up Bobby”, “Between the Walls”, and “Pint Size Parables”. Help us out by visiting the store page and picking up a few items. It would also help us if you would write a movie review of Bringing up Bobby and tell people that you like our podcast!

With Bringing up Bobby coming out on DVD on 10/5/10 we are thinking ahead. What will the future of Christian media look like? What are some opportunities that are open?

I’ve read several different articles that many young people are leaving the church due to the last decade’s push for fake-coolness in Christianity. We’ve also found that it can be really difficult to get a group to just stay focused on the Bible, even in a church. All of this creates a big open need/ opportunity.

The current market leaders in media tend to be on the extreme sides, leaving many folks in a gap. Since journalism is disappearing due to lack of funding, and talking-head programs are growing more popular (and are cheaper for networks), our educational media outlet options are shrinking. Especially for people like myself who seem to have missed the basics that are involved in high brow discussions about world happenings. Where does a person go to find actual answers?

It strikes me that there is a big gaping hole in the media world in general. There is nobody doing straight-up educational news — looking at questions like “Why is the US in Afghanistan?” Seriously. Do a search. What if the best place to go to answer big questions was a Christian media outlet? No raving lunatics. Not hour after hour of pundits on talk shows. No fear-based journalism (unless there is actually something to be afraid of). Just calm, level-headed, explanation.

Since we are already stretched in several directions, it can be hard for us to take on yet another task. I’m not even saying that we’re the guys to do this. But we’d love for you to keep the future of Christian media in prayer. Bringing up Bobby’s re-release is a big deal in multiple ways. It’s a litmus test to see how the Christian market will respond to a comedy film designed to be watched over and over again. If it does well, it could really expand the market and open doors for independent films.

Meanwhile, we’re working on stepping up the podcast. We’d love to connect with other podcasters and see if there is a way we can network and, possibly, find the funds to increase the quality of educational pieces.

Yes. We are working on a non-partisan history piece about why the US is in Afghanistan. It’s kinda complicated… may take a while… may never come together. But we’re trying.

The opportunity is bigger than one story. Join us in praying for an increase in interest in the podcast and for a way to make it a more sustainable part of what we do. What started out as a hobby has become an enjoyable part of Glowing Nose. Now we just need to find a way to balance all of our responsibilities while holding down other employment.

Thanks for following the guys at Glowing Nose as we experiment, fiddle with styles, and try to follow the Lord. Sometimes it may seem like we’re just being silly, but a lot of what we do is testing editing technique, ways to tell a story, and methods of communication so that we can be ready for whatever the future holds.

Stay strong. Pray often! And, if possible, pray often for us.

The Glowing Nose Podcast is a Christian comedy podcast dedicated to experimenting with sound while working with solid truths. You can follow us on Twitter or on Facebook.

When you purchase an item from glowingnose.com you are buying it directly from the filmmakers. No middlemen! Which means that more of your purchase goes to helping to support future Christian films, podcasts, and more.

And it is secure! We rely on Paypal’s excellent services to handle your credit card information and protect your privacy. We never see your credit card numbers, and we only receive the basic info needed to ship your order. That means excellent privacy for you!

FAQ

How do I cancel my order?
To cancel an order, please refer to the email that is sent to you as a confirmation. You may also contact us. If the order has not yet been shipped you will receive a full refund. If your order has been shipped, please send it back to us and we will gladly refund your order, minus shipping. Please be aware that we cannot refund items that have been opened or used. All refunds must be done via the credit card that was used to purchase the item in question.

Can I phone in an order?
We are still working out the kinks in that process! Since our call-in order volume is low and the start-up expense to process orders over the phone is so high, we have shied away from doing phone orders.

How will my order be shipped?
We ship to the US using First Class Mail via the USPS. We are considering offering other services once order volume increases.

How do I pay by check?
Please contact us for instructions. We will also need to know how many items you will be purchasing and where they will be shipped to in order to give you an accurate quote.

It is very easy for us to be jealous of people who are more successful than ourselves. In the case of Kyle, Chris has been struggling with Kyle’s prowess when it comes to Internet marketing. With John it has been more about how easy he makes it all look. In an effort to get over his own jealousy, Chris calls each filmmaker and fesses up. There is also a nice tribute to veteran Christian filmmaker Rich Christiano.

But what if there is a good kind of jealousy? Is all jealousy bad? Well, as we discover on the podcast, God Himself is described as having a jealous love for His people. It is a true gift to be pursued by the living God.

So, gather up the whole family and give a listen as Chris and Nick discuss the ramifications of jealousy. And we want to hear from you! When was the last time you confessed sin to someone else? How did it go?

Special thanks to vocal talent Bethany Williams, who is also trying to raise money for a missions trip.

Feel free to post a movie review of “Standing Firm” and “The Widows Might”.

It’s that time of year again. Time to go back to school. In this classic Glowing Nose Podcast, Nick and Chris discuss their good old days in college — and some tips for staying Christian in college. It also contains some great advice for high school students. Here are a few tips:

One of the main goals is to remember that the best defense is a good offense.

Be pro-active. Find a church and a group to belong to that preaches the Bible.

Get involved on campus and reach out to those you meet.

Help other people move in. Most college students are home-bodies and this is a great way to meet people before they get settled. Take down their information and become their college big brother or sister to help them transition to school life.

Be honest with people about your faith early on so they don’t feel trapped or lied to.

Read the Bible for yourself on your own. You’ll probably need to learn to defend your faith.

Pray regularly — it is a great habit to build up at a young age!

More on the podcast! Check it out and post your ideas below!

In an effort to curb some of these questions and still be helpful, we have pooled a bunch of resources to help you out. Please feel free to contact us if your question is not answered on this page, but also help us out and go through everything before you contact us.

Podcasts About Filmmaking

Filmmaking Advice

Piracy - Is Piracy Wrong?

On Cloud 10 with Andre Van heerden

The Business End

Film School?

“How To” Videos

Written Advice

Download printable version
So, you want to be a Christian filmmaker? How do I know? What steps do I take?

• What are some basic things to understand about before choosing a career?
o One cornerstone of our lives is to have no regrets. If you think you might want to try filmmaking (or being a pastor!), intern. You may find, like a lot of people, that it’s not for you. But at least you’ll know.
• You only have one shot at life. If you are going to do it, now is your best opportunity.
o Filmmaking requires a lot of time and money.
• You will probably only have more responsibility in the future. If you want to be a filmmaker, now may be the best time.
o Do not make career decisions based on money or time.
• You’d be surprised how little money a person can live on. Make a budget of the bare necessities and stick to it.
• If you don’t try it now, your life will most likely get more complicated, or else, you’ll be too set in your ways to change.
o Do not let your parents keep you from the desires of your heart.
• If you are an adult, you must make your own choices.
• People move away from home all of the time and are just fine.
• If you are a parent, understand that the greatest gifts you can give a grown child are freedom to fail and support when they need it.
o It is TREMENDOUSLY beneficial thing for you to be unmarried, have no children, and own no property when you are starting out. Those items are not deal breakers, but are great assets. If you are only dating someone, wait to get married. If you are about to get married, make sure your spouse is supportive of your desires. If they are not supportive, strongly reconsider marrying that person.

• What do I do if I don’t know if I want to be a filmmaker?
o Pray a lot.
o Check your motivations: do you want to be famous or do you want to make films?
o Intern like crazy. Filmmaking is not glamorous at all. If you get into it and see how much work it is, you may find yourself wanting to go elsewhere.
• Intern on a feature film if possible (unless you are a teenager and can’t move away, avoid local TV, news, etc unless that is specifically what you want. Filmmaking is far less stable and, therefore, a smarter choice. You are working for free – get the best education you can). It also looks better on a resume than local news.
• Check out postings on Christian filmmaking websites.
• Also look on craigslist, mandy.com, and in trade magazines. Call your film commissions.
o Realize the cost of being a filmmaker:
• Long work hours (approx. 12 hrs/day is a SHORT day)
• Low pay (hard to provide for a family in the first 5-10 years. Expect $100/day on a good day)
• Inconsistent employment
• The reality that you may need a second job for income
o Most importantly (after interning) make something yourself. Legally.
• Even if it is a short film, write, cast, produce it. Get actual legal clearance to shoot in your locations. Get permits. Rent good equipment.
• Accept your mistakes. This is an educational process. You’re doing this in order to make mistakes.
• Don’t break any laws. If you do, you will be cheating and your educational experience will not count for as much. This is to learn if you can take the heat.
• An example of a law: it is often illegal for a civilian to stop traffic without police assistance. If you need to stop automotive traffic, get police permission (often a simple process, especially in a small town).
• Do not use logos, copyrighted music, movie references, or found footage.
o If you have interned and made something yourself and you STILL like it, welcome aboard.

• What are some common misconceptions about the film world?
o Major studios have not had their own crews, actors, technicians, or laborers in well over 50 years. It is cheaper for them to hire independent contractors.
• The sooner you can free yourself of the traditional idea of working for one company, the more effective you will be.
o That said, almost nobody in the film business is full-time. Most people work job to job.
o It is not glamorous. At all.

• What are some common misconceptions about Christian filmmaking?
o The vast majority of Christian filmmakers have other jobs.
• Some people are pastors and are paid by their churches
• Many are involved in distribution of other people’s films and/or online store sales.
• We have a variety of other seasonal jobs we do.
• Most companies cannot hire people to do anything in the day-to-day operations because they can’t even afford to pay for themselves.
o Just because God calls you to something does not mean He will make it easy (read a lot about Moses for examples).
o Christian films are not in constant production. Even if you were to get hired on every paying Christian film shoot in the year, you would still spend a lot of time out of work.

• Should I go to film school?
o Intern first. Move to LA, NY, or another city where films are big and start offering to work for free.
• If you are not willing to move to a big city, realize that your options are greatly limited. You will almost certainly have to be producing your own films by yourself. Mobility is key.
• NYC and LA are huge selling points when people look at a resume. Films can be made anywhere, but that mystique still carries a lot of weight.
o AFTER YOU’VE INTERNED, if you like the work, but want time to hone the craft, find a film school that shoots on film.
o We have no recommendations on schools to go to.
• Avoid trade schools because they can pigeonhole you into a role in filmmaking that you don’t want.
• DO NOT go to a film school where you only do one job. You MUST force yourself to learn every task on the crew. The less mystery you allow in the process, the better equipped you will be to understand the tasks of the rest of the crew.
o Other classes to take in a film school:
• NOTE: ALWAYS double major. Get another non-filmmaking related degree that will help you out. Business, Computer Programming, and Teaching are all useful and related studies.
• Computer programming classes (especially web based)
• Professional writing
• Business classes, especially anything to do with bookkeeping and running a small business.
• Basic office programs for spreadsheets
• Graphic design and layout classes
• Marketing
• History (to get good ideas)

• How do I break into Christian filmmaking?
o The same ways you break into normal filmmaking:
• Make your own film
• Intern/ work for free and meet people (find listings online or by asking around. Ask good questions about the content of the film before you agree to help out so as to avoid working on objectionable material).

• Things to keep in mind when contacting a filmmaker to partner with them:
o Filmmakers are often approached by lots of people. So many, in fact, that when you approach them they might try to brush you off because you are one in a thousand others. You must stand out in a positive way. In other words, you must come with something to offer.
o Have something to offer other than just a screenplay. Any nut can write a screenplay. Most Christian filmmakers are auteurs and have screenplays.
o Most Christian filmmaking companies have no money to give you to make your project.
o Christian filmmaking is, for the most part, independent filmmaking. You generally cannot get away with being one thing. In other words, you will not get away with being just a screenwriter or just a director. You’ll most likely have to be able to produce, find locations, fill out paperwork, know something about sound recording and lights, and your way around a camera.
o Offer money, a big name actor, major distribution, or expensive equipment
o Answer the question: what tangible item (i.e. something beyond your good work ethic and ideas) can you bring that filmmaker that they don’t already have?
• What is the first step for someone who wants to make an independent film?
o Without a doubt you should work on someone else’s film. Learn from them.

• Will you read my screenplay?
o No. Due to legal reasons we cannot read your screenplay. It risks our insurance AND our livelihood, not to mention years of exhaustive work.

• Can you make an exception?
o No. See above.

• My child is a good actor. How can I get them involved?
o Honestly, you shouldn’t. The media world has nothing positive to teach them. The best education for your kids is a normal childhood. They can never get that back. Most parents of child actors that we have met are trying to live vicariously through their children. Check your motives. If your motives are pure, keep in mind that the best actors are rooted in reality and have stable lives. If you can teach your kids that, they will be well on their way once they are old enough to make good decisions for themselves.

• How can I audition for you?
o All of our auditions are put out via our email updates list, which you can sign up for on our site. The same is true for crew positions. We will also list them on our site. We do not hold any other kind of auditions and we do not save headshots or applications for the future.

• Can I make a living as a Christian actor?
o If you hope to only work in Christian media, the answer is “most likely, no”. That is, unless, you become an actor in some major TV program.
o If you are willing to do commercials, print ads, and secular projects then you certainly can. It just means always asking detailed questions about the scripts you will be working with and having high standards. Be prepared to turn work down. You will be turning down work, so be prepared to be frugal with your spending habits.
o Do not get into any kind of debt. Avoid buying new furniture, cars, eating out a lot, and any kind of credit card debt. Acting work dries up with no warning, so have at least three to four months of living expenses sitting in the bank for emergencies.
o Live in NYC or LA and be willing to travel where the auditions are.
o Find other work to do that you can freelance in. Maybe writing or selling items online. That way you can be flexible to go on auditions or be gone for weeks at a time.

It all boils down to one bit of advice: intern. Get out there and work for free to see if you like it in the first place. Any time you are considering a career, we strongly recommend that you go and spend time within that field before committing yourself. Sure beats 4 years of film school to find out!

We look at some important questions:
Should I go to film school?
How do I break into Hollywood?
Where can I find internships in the film industry?
Can I make a living as a Christian actor?

In this episode we take a break from our usual Christian comedy podcast/ This American Life style show to bring you some important information. But don’t worry — there are still plenty of great episodes in the archives.

During the podcast we mention an outline that you can use when considering whether or not to go into the film business. Download that document here.

Do you have any specific questions that you would like to have addressed? Go ahead and post them below and they just may appear on a future podcast!

This may seem like a simple concept, but it actually impacts our lives every day. We spend years teaching teenagers to take off their masks, until they become adults and we ask them to put them back on. In professional environments we are all asked to pretend that we have it all together, know exactly what to do in all circumstances, and we never, under any circumstances, let people know that we are afraid.

But is this okay? Is it healthy? Some would argue that it is. Our modern era has made it chic to reveal everything about ourselves to the world. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign was all about getting information to people. Twitter is alive with folks spreading news about what they had for lunch. These days anyone can have an audience. That may not always be a good thing.

Our special guests for this episode include singer/songwriter Jessica Ripka, who discusses her own journey to become more honest with herself as a musician. Her new album Don’t Listen to My Face is available now. Don’t forget to review “Don’t Listen to My Face”!

We also hear from podcaster Elliot Gaiser of the Conservative Private Radio podcast who discusses the role that masks have played in various political campaigns. You only have to think back as far as the election of President Barack Obama to see the impact that can be had by being personal with an audience. But did that personal touch demean or expand the office? We’ll leave that up to you to decide.

This podcast is especially interesting in that it does not answer a lot of its questions. We may not even agree with all of the ideas that are introduced in this episode. But we think it is important to think of the burdens we place on ourselves and on our public figures.

This is an important topic to discuss with teenagers (a great resource for youth group discussion!) and adults alike.

Please leave your comments! We want to know what you think! Please let us know how the podcast is being used in youth ministry, young adult outreaches, and in your own private study.