Some of you may have heard, and many of you probably haven't, but I'll be heading to India for two weeks this summer (July 19 - August 1) as part of a missions trip that my church, Kaleo Fellowship, is taking. Our team, along with a group from Providence Community Church in Plano, Texas, will be teaching at a pastor's conference and helping out with vacation Bible school for some kids at an orphanage run by Vision Nationals. My job will be to film a short documentary on some of the widows and orphans that Vision Nationals is helping. The documentary is part of a longer-term vision at Kaleo, which I have started working out in the vision statement for the film side of Kaleo's mission:

    "Film has become the most influential artistic medium, where the values
of our society are demonstrated and wrestled with. In a film, we are
being asked to imagine "what if," and try on a different worldview for
a couple of hours. Depending on how well a film has been made, this
new suit of ideas may fit like a glove, or it may chafe and constrict.

    Kaleo's clarion call is that it exists to delight in God above all
else, and to spread His glory to all people. Because we believe that
no area of our lives escapes the grasp of God's influence and control,
and that we are called to be heralds of God's good news into every
area of life, the film world is one such area that desperately needs
to be engaged by Christians. The film ministry at Kaleo will seek to
engage this world by critiquing and contributing to film's ongoing
marketplace of worldviews.

There are two main ways we will do this:

  1. Film & theology nights- At a typical film & theology night, we
will head out to the theater to watch a currently showing film, then
move to a public place such as a restaurant or coffeehouse to discuss
the merits of the film manifested in its story, acting and production
values; consider the filmmaker's intent and the worldview he or she is
presenting, and discuss possible Christian responses to the worldview
presented.

  2. Film production- Following Francis Schaeffer, we believe that
excellence in art adds strength and credibility to whatever worldview
that art may be communicating. Therefore, through the making of short
fiction and non-fiction/documentary films, we will seek to present the
hope of the gospel and the integrity of our worldview in a manner that
is both technically proficient and aesthetically pleasing. When
someone enters into the art worlds we create, our hope is that they
would see the reality of our fallen world, as well as the hope of
redemption that we have in Christ, and the internal consistency, the fit,
if you will, of our worldview."

  The aim of the documentary will be to profile the lives of 2-4 subjects,
whether widows or orphans, to show the lives they used to lead and where
they have come from, contrasted with the hope they have now. Towards
this end Kaleo has (with the help of some generous donors) purchased most
of the gear necessary to start such a project, including a camera, tripod,
microphone, boom pole, filters, editing software, etc. Before we head out
for India, there are some remaining items and expenses that we would
definitely need prayer and/or help with, some of which are for the team in
general, myself and Pastor David, and some camera gear in particular.
   
1. India Costs:
 
Final Payment to Providence:  $2,100.00
Travel costs while there (David):  $500.00
Travel costs while there (Jay):  $500.00
Airfare to Dallas for David:  $461.00
 
Remaining Video Equipment Needed:  $2,701.76
- Camera Price Difference (before rebate) $1,787.01
- Batteries (2) $239.90
- Warrenty $149.95
- Rain Cover $84.95
- Light $239.95
- Backpack $200.00

Total Needed: $6,262.76

    As I mentioned, the camera has already been purchased, but due
to some mix-ups and nearly getting ripped off, the camera ended up
costing significantly more than we had originally budgeted for. As a
result, the difference had to be made up out of a combination of
credit cards and personal savings.
   
    Additionally I think we're going to need to either buy or improvise a
reflector/diffuser system so that we can make the most of whatever
available light is at hand. This would basically consist of a collapsible
stand to which we could attach a fold-up reflector and diffuser (something
similar to the sunshade you would use in the windshield of your car).
Depending on the light sources, it may be necessary to bounce some
light onto a scene to soften a hard shadow, or to diffuse the light coming
from a harsh source. This is something that I think could be improvised,
or purchased used, but would really help take the lighting beyond the level
of fair to mediocre home movies toward something that looks genuinely
pleasing. Also, a set of closeup filters/lenses would be good for some
detailed close-ups, as well as a flourescent filter that would compensate
for the green look that you get when filming under flourescent lights. The
orphanage and Bible college there in Vishakapatnam are lit predominantly
with flourescent lights, so this is definitely something that we'll be encountering.

    So, the flourescent filters and the close-up lenses can be had for about $100
total, and the reflector/diffuser/stand system can be bought new for about $150,
or so I'm told, and possibly improvised for less. The key to all of this is that it has
to fit into a kit that I can carry on my back, pretty much by myself. I may have some
help operating the boom, but aside from that, this is pretty much a solo job.

    To those who have already helped us with this (and you know who you are), I
praise God for your generosity and care, and for those who are contemplating
some level of support, whatever it may be, I would say that this is a great opportunity
to be blessed, both in the act of giving and in the physical and spiritual return on
that giving. Pray and ask God that he would show you what he would have you do,
and pray also that as the trip gets closer and closer, my preparations would be
fruitful, and that we would have the grace of a smooth shoot. Thanks again!

Contact info:
    Me- jdawgreimer at sbcglobal dot net
    Kaleo- http://www.kaleochurch.com/contact.php

(By the way, hopefully soon I will have a short trailer of some of my Saudi Arabia footage
up so that you can check that out. I would have had it up sooner, but I had a better
idea, so I scrapped the old one and started over. It'll be worth the wait, though, I
promise.)