Migrant Missions Videos

Those of you who actually know me will no doubt have seen both of these videos, but I wanted to write some commentary on them and put them here also for those of you who haven't. Or for anyone who wants to watch again. (Maybe I'm the only one who's watched them like 20 times...ok, probably more than that...haha). But anyway, here goes.

Top Video: The first version of this video was created in late 2007 as a response to some opposition in the church I was at. I showed it after the service on a laptop in a booth sort of situation. I also posted it on youtube and it got lots of negative attention and created some interesting debate. People still see it and comment occasionally. It has the most exposure of any of my migrant videos since it came out when political campaigns were in full swing, and thus "immigration" was a real buzz word. For a long time it was my highest youtube view count video.

The 2007 version had a lot of "filler" footage, fields of corn and pumpkins that didn't really have impact, because I didn't have near the footage I have now from subsequent trips 2008-2010 that I added into the Training Camp version above (read my Training Camp posts for more info on how that went). Really, I didn't touch the video until I had the opportunity to show it at a Generation 4 Justice Conference this past March (2011), at which point I took footage I'd shot in 2008 and 2009 and added it in, along with some additional still images that were more powerful than the footage that was there previously. I also removed a Bible verse I'd unintentionally taken out of context and double checked that the others were in fact in context, which they are. That version is nearly identical to this one, as this one was made only 3 months later (June 2011). However, I found 2010 footage and incorporated it into this final version, really perfecting it as best I could in the time crunch I was under. The differences are really minor and the average viewer wouldn't even notice them. I had to watch the two versions back to back to pick out what changed.

That said, it is a stronger version, if only mildly, and definitely left a mark at training camp. It would be interesting for those who went on the ACC mission trip to watch that version again and see what kids you recognize. Jenny, Sayra, and Lucia are in it for sure, and I have no doubt that some of the same kids from Camp 2 are as well.

 

The post-mission trip version was as much a work of love and a "baby" project of my (as in it's a very special piece to me.) I knew from before Training Camp that I was absolutely going to make this video, even if it was all that got made from the footage. To this point, other than a couple personal videos I made for a couple close friends, this is all that's come out so far. Five hours of footage came home with me in August 2011 and I went through every second of it multiple times. It was a much longer initial editing process than my 2007 version, simply because I had far more GOOD footage. I have over 5 hours of footage for that one, but much of it was extremely shaky, or constantly moving every which way, or just not shots that communicated. I've learned A LOT about what to look for and shoot, so it was a much more intensive process. I had a rough cut of it, sat on it, then literally probably doubled the number of clips in the final section.

Other big changes (besides the obvious of going to HD) were that the text got a lot fancier and moved. An additional Bible verse that was central to the trip (the only New Testament verse in the video) was added as well fairly late in the editing process because I felt like it should be there. 

Perhaps one of the most significant differences is very little of it happens at the Dillinger Camp as that is now closed down and I wasn't able to shoot any new footage there. I did use a few pieces of SD footage I'd shot in 2007 (famous car dealership shot, bathrooms, and a couple other shots) because I didn't have enough of the Sakuma Camps without people in them to make it compelling and I wasn't about to go the "corn for 2 minutes" route again.

My favorite significant difference in the format of the two versions is the crucifixion section with the kids with the red filter over them (signifying that they're washed in Jesus' blood) and words like "Chosen" and "Adored". It was actually a last minute inspiration. That segment just didn't have the power I wanted, and the clip of the crucifixion skit was dragging and lacking punch just playing normally, and it occurred to me... "what if..." and several hours of experimentation later the final cut of it was born (not to mention it let me get a few more shots of the kids in). I also added the thunder in the background, which is not featured in the original recording of the song "Sueno De Morir" to really kick up the punch.

What I love is it really paints a picture of the gospel as a whole - that Jesus died so we could be "Chosen" "Adored" "Forgiven" etc by God - and that those of these kids that have accepted Christ ARE those things even if the world doesn't see them that way.

Even if you've seen the videos I hope you enjoyed the explanation of their history and what's changed over the years and why.

If you couldn't tell, these kids are one of (possibly THE) greatest blessing God's poured out in my life and I really love and miss them all.