A Southern Boy's Adventures in LA: Ben's Reasons For Moving to Hollywood

So, many of you have been inquiring as to my health and wellness out here in sunny Los Angeles, (where I'm proud to report that the weather is finally getting cooler... yesterday our high of 90 became a nice chilly 82 by the end of the day.  See?  We have seasons), and I must admit I've been absent from the blog boards lately.  I've been keeping my amateur film review blog rolling along pretty well, and just added my latest review for Changeling the other day, I film that I highly recommend.  You can read it here. As far as how I'm actually doing though, this little story has been a long time coming, but here goes:

Like 3 weeks ago, my roommate JP (pictured above at the grave of Cecil B. DeMille) and I decided to go spend the afternoon in Hollywood and see the sights we've so far just drove past or avoided altogether, basically we finally did some of the more touristy stuff we swore we'd never do (haha, that's what we get for swearing, right?).  Ironically and somewhat morbidly, one of the more touristy things and first things we did was go to Hollywood Forever, a famous cemetery in town.  This is where some of the most famous directors, actors, and various other household names from the early days of Hollywood are buried, and as such it's become a sort of tourist destination.  We thought it would neat to see the final earthy resting places of such famed directors as John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The African Queen), and Cecil B. DeMille, (The Ten Commandments, also appeared in Sunset Boulevard as himself), and actors like Douglas Fairbanks (silent film star of The Thief of Bagdad), Rudolph Valentino (huge silent film star of virtually everything else), and Tyrone Power (The Mark of Zorro).  Being big film school nerds we were pretty excited and enjoyed (as much as one can) touring the cemetery.  I was struck by a few thoughts, some of them slightly profound:  

Obviously, all of these people are dead.  They've turned to ash and returned to the dust of the ground, it's been a long time since they were  "appointed to die once and after that, face judgement" as Hebrews 9:27 tells us.  I can't tell you for sure which ones are currently spending an eternity in heaven and which ones sadly are not, but I can guess that the majority would unfortunately be the latter category.  It struck me as well that while these people are gone, they remain with us in a very unique way.  Think about it: no other art form on earth that I'm aware of can capture a person as completely as film can.  The irony here is that they were actors, so who we see on screen in the films they've left behind is rarely the real person they were.  But still, we have their movements, speech patterns & voices (for those who weren't silent film stars at least), facial expressions, and personalities recorded for all time in a unique medium that people still watch today.  You can turn on many stations on Christmas as see James Stewart playing George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life.  People still recognize and know who he is, and always will.  Granted, he'll be frozen in that role he played and the body he had back in 1946, but still you have to admit, that's incredible.  The paintings of Monet, the writings of Dickens, and the symphonies of Mozart have been with us as well in unique ways, but the performances of film actors are recorded in such a way that I find extremely comprehensive and compelling in a way few other art forms can be.  

So what's my point?  Well first off, these works of art won't last forever either.  Only one work of art will, and it's the book of Holy Scriptures, the Bible.  People's souls will too, they are like rays in math class, they have a firm beginning, but no end.  Everything else on this earth is like a line segment with a clear beginning and end.  Some art, some names, are lost to history and never remembered by the masses in the way others are.  But for those who stand the test of time, there is a unique chance to continue to impact lives long after theirs has ended.  Think of what Martin Luther (a great current example as October 31st approaches) did all those years ago.  His writings and convictions still encourage, inspire, and yes, even infuriate many to this day.  He left a legacy that made an impact for the kingdom.  What have these men and women in Hollywood left behind?  An impact, yes, but for what?  The history of cinema?  The world of art?  These impacts are still just as temporal as the men and women who left them.  They will be forgotten and left behind at the end of time as we know it.  Only what is done for the kingdom will matter.  And that's why I'm out here... to combine the two loves and interests I have impacting the world of art and yet also leave a greater legacy in that sphere: an impact for the kingdom.   I've heard it said that you can influence someone from afar, but can only impact them from an up-close and personal experience.  That's why I believe in what I'm attempting to do here in Los Angeles.  I believe we're called to take the gospel to the culture and impact it where it is.  I know some have a calling to bring art into the church, and I admire the heart and effort behind such attempts in those cases where the attempt is spiritually sound and appropriate for acceptance in times of corporate worship.  But I also would say that the so-called emergence of some theologies that have sacrificed the principles, doctrines, and teachings of scripture as they attempt to court the culture have only left the church in a worse place than before to effectively communicate this gospel message to the world.  I'm out here to hopefully pursue a calling and career in Hollywood itself, and to help the efforts of other like minded believers seeking to transform the culture from within.  Paul exhorts us to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds... likewise, the church ought not conform to the culture, but seek to transform it by the renewing of those spheres in which the culture has dug it's claws deep, be it politics, media, science, medicine, business, athletics, education, etc.  I have huge respect for those in the full time service of the ministry of the church, but I would simply challenge more people to follow me out here to Hollywood, to help in this battle to influence hearts and minds for the good of the kingdom, to see people transformed for eternity.  So that's it basically, that's my reasoning and rationale for being where I am and doing what I do.  It's also because I love it, obviously I feel called to take the reins of a filmmaker and use the power of film to tell stories both visually and using dialogue to influence (and hopefully impact) audiences with my worldview.  And it's crucial for more of us to be here.  A survey done by George Barna has shown that while 80% of people can remember the plots of films they saw over two months ago, indeed, they can even recall entire passages of the scripts from those films, only 20% of the same people interviewed who said they regularly attend church can remember the theme of the sermon preached that week in a Sunday service.  I'm not advocating pastors change what they're doing at all or spice up their sermons with video presentations, the proclamation of God's word is still the highest earthly calling there is.  I'm just saying that in many ways (and I don't say this proudly or to brag either) tomorrows filmmakers will be impacting in a way that todays teaching pastors simply cannot, if current trends continue.  

Now I'm different from most kids that go to film school.  I was raised on classics, and believe many of the best films Hollywood has made were made before 1965.  I like to listen to sermons and consider myself somewhat of an intellectual.  I read things, and that includes books with chapters and no pictures too.  Many of those graduating from schools today that I've talked to don't give a flip about classic literature or classic film.  They aren't religious and if they are, many swing towards the more liberal end of the theological spectrum.  They hate history and reading.  They only want to make films that are edgy, or continue to prolong the current trends and stereotypes that reflect the postmodernism and relativism that our culture exalts.  Am I saying that everyone who makes art films or music videos is a fool or has no greater intellect or inspiration?  Absolutely not.  They are simply called to communicate on different levels and to different individuals than I feel I am.  That's one of the beauties of this medium: film can be used to teach, provoke thought, entertain, move, or challenge many different audiences on many different levels.  Unfortunately in the wrong hands films can also be used to defame, exploit, sexually arouse, attack and misrepresent certain viewpoints and subjects.  Once again, it's not the camera itself that is good or evil... that's amoral.  It's the attitude of the heart of the man or woman with the title "director", "screenwriter", "artist", "producer", or "actor/actress" that makes the difference.  That's why when people tell me "Ben, you know everything in Hollywood is evil, what are you doing out there?", I have to hold my tongue and remind myself that they've bought into this horrible picture of what this place is.  Now I'll readily admit that it's not the same Hollywood of the 1950s.  They don't make nearly as many To Kill A Mockingbirds and It's A Wonderful Lifes as they used to.  They certainly make more Brokeback Mountains and Saws than our culture needs.   There has been a shift in thought and worldview out here as the media has pursued a more liberal and homosexual agenda than before, that's all true.  But it's no reason to give up on this place.  The last few years have also seen the acceptance and success of such films as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Passion of the Christ.  It was only a little over 28 years ago that a film like Chariots of Fire actually won best picture, the highest award given out by the industry.  This place is completely capable of recapturing some of it's past splendor and once again telling stories with moral significance to a generation of Christ-followers.  But in order to do that we need more screenwriters and directors to come out of the church and move out here to help make it happen.  We need actors who will use their platform of celebrity for good and not for frivolous and trivial issues.  We need more believers, less skeptics and haters.  So yeah... all of this was going on in my head as we walked around this graveyard and I reflected on eternity and my calling as an artist and what that means.  Hope it wasn't too heavy for any of you.  Haha.  I blog because I care.  Thanks for reading.