Last week’s #FilmFriday Suggestion was The Last Samurai!!! A powerful, well-crafted epic set in 19th century Japan takes you on a journey of self-discovery and a new appreciation of the meaning of the word “honor”. With amazing fight choreography, exceptional performances from Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, and Koyuki, this film will transport you into the lives of the Samurai and open your eyes to a world you may not have experienced before. Check out this epic film as soon as possible!!!!

Today’s FilmFriday Suggestion is Nick Cassavettes’ The Notebook (2004)!!! Based off of the novel by the same name, this film has been hailed as one of the most romantic movies of our generation; and for good reason! From it’s captivating wrap-around story of two old couples struggling with a certain illness, to it’s central story of love between a rich city girl and a poor country boy, this film touches our emotional side and never lets go. If you love the kind of romantic stories that takes you back to memory lane and inspires you to fall in love all over again, then check out this romantic feature this weekend! WARNING: You may need a tissue handy by the end of this film!!!

There are two paths we can follow:

The Path of Knowledge or the Path of Life.

One leads to Nothingness and the other leads to Eternity.

Therefore…Choose Your Path of Destiny.

Our first project, The Sacred Eternal is a short film and a pilot of a miniseries. The story is centered around the future event of an approaching, Eternal Kingdom.  A thousand years into the future, when God’s Kingdom has been established here on Earth, many will be raised to life again.  Of these many, Jonathan, who had no reason to believe in the divine, is brought back to life and is given an opportunity to learn the meaning of life.  Jonathan’s wife, Samantha, is given the honor of teaching Jonathan God’s ultimate plan for humanity.  It is in this hope that he will let go of the pain caused by this present life and embrace the joys of a future, eternal life with her in His Kingdom; Samantha gives her all in bringing Jonathan to the light of truth in hopes that together they will live forever.  

To be a part of The Sacred Eternal and to donate to our production, click here  ——> IndieGoGo

The Characters:

Jonathan Peterson -  Played by BENJAMIN KANES (The Other Guys, Transformers 2) He takes his marraige seriously and tries to understand his wife’s recent conversion to Christianity. He has little reason to believe in the existence of the divine.

Samantha Peterson -  Played by JENN GOTZON (Frost/Nixon, Doonby) She is torn between her new found faith and her commitment to her husband. She is a caring and guiding force in Jonathan’s life and is committed in teaching him the ways of God.

Pastor Johnson -  Played by DAVID SHAVER (10 Seconds, The Job)  He is the pastor of the Church of God Samantha attends. He has a gentle heart and guides Samantha in teaching her husband about the Kingdom of God.

Ezra Reginald -  Played by ALTORRO PRINCE BLACK (Second World II: Blood, Fire, Smoke / Missing Link)  He is Jonathan’s colleague and friend. His immature and uncommitted lifestyle cost him his marriage.

***We were especially thrilled to be contacted by Jenn Gotzon through her agent when she heard of our project!  When we learned that the actress that played in Ron Howard’s Academy Award nominated film “Frost/Nixon” wanted to be a part of our production, we were overwhelmed with joy and excitement!!!  We knew that Jenn along with Benjamin, David, and Altorro, would be well able to breathe life into our characters who are set in this overwhelmingly powerful event of the coming Kingdom of God!

The Impact

The impact this project will have on others is monumental!  We believe that everyone, big or small, is looking for meaning in their lives.  Everyone has questioned to themselves: “Who am I?”, “Is there a God?”, “What is the meaning of life?”, “What is humanity’s ultimate destiny?”.  Because of that, we are producing a film that seeks to give answers to these BIG questions.   That is why this story will impact anyone who has ever asked these questions at least once in their lives.  Whether you agree or disagree with the answers presented in this film, it will nevertheless impact many by the visuals and style of its cinematography and will ultimately drive audiences to want to research even deeper the answers to life’s biggest questions.

If we do not reach our goal and if this production is not made, then we will not be able to inspire and impact audiences by illustrating the beauty of this coming Kingdom.  We understand that our film can make a difference in the lives of individuals who watch it and we want to be able to give them a new perspective about our place in the grand scheme of things.  We want to reassure audiences that what is in store for humanity and this Earth is greater than anything our imaginations can hold!  But, without this film getting made, we won’t be able to reassure our supporters the greatness of this plan for humanity.

What We Need & What You Get

We need $40,000 to make this all happen.  We need this funding to help pay for the equipment, the locations, the transportation, the wardrobe, the make-up, our cast, our crew, the postproduction, the editing, color correction, audio mix, distribution costs, dvd duplications, merchandising expenses, film festival fess, and marketing.  By helping us in your contribution, you will officially be a part of our production and our creative family.   So, in turn, we will offer to you many, many incentives: free digital downloads of the film and behind the scenes footage, dvd copies of the film, movie posters, t-shirts, blu-ray copies, tickets to our premiers and after-parties and SO much more!  We want to make sure that you get first pickings in our finished product.  We will deliver our incentives once our film is completed which we project to be mid March of 2012.  Until then, we will keep all of our supporters updated on the process and give you free access to our behind the scenes footage.

Please, please donate what you can, $10, $15, $25, whatever you are able to give and help us make this production possible.  It is a powerful story of love, eternal life, and the coming Kingdom of God!  Thank you for your support and contribution!

Sincerely,

Daniel C. Pickett

On July 20th, we had our first audition for “The Sacred Eternal” and was wowed by how much talent had showed up that honestly wanted to be a part of our production.  A week later, on July 27th, we had our 2nd auditions and I must say, we had more talent pour in this time around than last time!  We were definitely busy all day today!  From organizing our schedule, scripts, sides, headshots, and recording each casting session, we were on our toes the entire time!  We did get a sincere compliment on how we held one of the most professional auditions they’ve ever experienced.  And that meant a lot to us.  We put a lot of work into being professional to both our talent and crew but at the same time, having a sense of humility, integrity, and compassion in how we deal and work with our talent especially.  We understand the nervousness, vulnerability, and uneasy struggles that comes from being an up and coming actor/actress in the film industry.  So, our hearts and sincere salute goes to all of our hard working, dedicated talent that took the time to get to know us and our passion project.  We are deeply humbled.

Now that casting should be over, we will be racking our brains for the rest of the week in choosing the cast for “The Sacred Eternal”.  We will try to have our casting announcements by the end of this week/weekend.  There is still so much that needs to be done after our cast is chosen!  We are planning on jumping right into rehearsals by next week or the week after and in the middle of that process, I will be meeting with our Director of Photography to discuss further our plans for lighting, shot composition, locations, and storyboards.  While this is going on, we will launch our funding/marketing campaign for all those that want to be a part of this project but can’t get to us face to face.  If you want to help bring this production to life, we are open to donations which will have AMAZING incentives attached to them.  From free Exclusive Backer’s Edition DVD sets, to t-shirts, free entries to our wrap party, and special tickets to our premiere in a major city, there are many reasons to help us bring this story to life!  We honestly believe that investment is a TWO way street.  You invest in us, we will invest in you.  It’s that simple.

So, again, I can not stress this enough, I am humbled by all that came out and I am moved by this project all over again.  Hearing our talent say the words and act them out before my very eyes gives me chills and reminds me of why I wrote this story in the first place.  It’s a chance for the gospel of the Kingdom of God to be told in a new and exciting way.  So THANK YOU to all of our talent that came out.  We commend you, we honor you, and we salute you.  And remember we will not forget you.  For every film that comes out after this first one that will continue our story, there will be another character that will be introduced.  We will always keep you in mind even for our future roles!  So thank you for coming out and hanging with us.  We deeply appreciate your dedication.

In closing, I will say that no matter what your dreams are in life, always remember that what you have become always trumps what you have accomplished in life.  So, keep dreaming, keep pursuing, but never forget to be who you were always meant to be.

Keep posted on our updates, you will not want to miss the next few announcements we will post!  May God through our Lord Jesus Christ bless you, keep you, and guide you through this life and into His glorious Kingdom.

Amen!

Sincerely,

Daniel C. Pickett (Writer/Director)

While we prepare ourselves for the preproduction phase of our short film project “The Sacred Eternal”, we stop and contemplate on the many themes presented in our screenplay.  What exactly are dreams?  How do they relate to visions that we have of the future?  And how do they transform the memories of our past?  These are questions that the audience will be left to answer after viewing our visual story.  There are times, as human beings, that we have an inherent desire to picture and experience a perfect world on Earth.  Where evil did not exist.  Where pain and suffering was done away with and peace and love reigned supreme.  It’s as if we look at the evil others do and know that something is wrong.  In a world where genocide, murders, wars, starvation, and disasters are rampant, it is no wonder we long for a time when all of these things will be things of the past.  We long for a time when our dreams of a coming utopia will transform our painful memories of this present evil world into memories of hard lessons learned.  Could it be, after all of our longing, that that time is in fact coming?  Could it be, that the Earth will finally know eternal peace?  Could it be, that a literal coming Kingdom will finally show us what our world will look like when His way of life is applied?  May your search for these answers be not in vain.

The script and story is taking shape.  The title may finally remain.  The characters’ message is maturing.  I grow in anticipation with this particular project since I have high expectations for it.  This story that I have written deals with three big questions:  1.) What is the Kingdom?  2.) What is man?  3.) What is sin?  It is these three questions that drive the story and orchestrate the events that unfold over the course of a thousand years.  The protagonist of our story (Jonathan Peterson) is thrown into a place and time he does not understand and is taught the secrets of the Kingdom of God.

This story is a spiritual journey and will contain many ambiguous and strongly poetic cinematography, transporting the viewer into another world.  I have several candidates in mind to take up the mantle of cinematographer.  I also have a “wish” list for the actor and actress to play Samantha (Jonathan’s wife) and Jonathan himself.  I also have a few candidates in mind to compose the original score for this tale.  But, of course first thing comes first…funding.  And in order to get funding, I have to make sure my T’s are crossed and my I’s are dotted.  Story boards are next on the To-Do-List.

As I continue the process of drawing the shot compositions for this project, do not hesitate to share with anyone this upcoming project.  I plan on using local talent in the Philadelphia area in all aspects of production.  If you have experience and/or desire to work on this project, send your resume and cover letter to danielcpickett@gmail.com (storyboard artists are welcomed to apply!!!).  Please note that compensation will be on a deferred basis since funding has not been gathered as of yet.  What I can offer is the chance for creative minds to collaborate together to create a visually stimulating story.  If you are up to the challenge and the experience, join me on this adventure as we move forward.  Thank you!

-Daniel C. Pickett

As I continue the 2nd draft of my script, I can’t help but to realize the importance it is for me to remain Biblically accurate with my message.  After going through my 1st draft, I couldn’t help but feel that I was telling a powerfully engaging story.  At least one that I myself would find rich and vibrant.  The story is what I like to call a “poetic conversation that spans over the course of a 1,000 years.”  It is in this conversation that we come to understand the ways of God and His divine plan for humanity.  It’s an exciting feeling!  But, Biblical accuracy is the most important element in my story-telling.  The point of going this route, the reason I’ve been in seclusion for two years, the purpose of my own life conversion, is to tell stories portraying the same truth that transformed my life.  What point then would remain if my stories do not reflect the truth that set me free?  So, I have come to the realization that no matter how good I think my 1st draft is, like so many great screenwriters have said in the past, “The 1st draft is crap.”  So, out with the old, in with the new.  The writing continues, and I promise you, the story will remain engaging but most importantly, informative into the glorious future that awaits us all!  Stay tuned for future updates!

Sincerely,

-Daniel C. Pickett

Make sure to “like” my Facebook page to keep updated on my latest projects!!!  You will not want to miss out on them!

While working on my script for my first short film, I couldn’t help but to contemplate on some thoughts that came to mind.  Earlier today, or I should say last night, a customer labeled me as being rude to her.  Now, for many of you that do not know, I work as a Total Rewards Coordinator at Bally’s Casino.  Allow me to give you the back drop of this type of job.  I essentially work in two departments, both of which deal with customer service and their needs.  One being Total Rewards itself, where customers come and complain and/or request information about their comps and rewards accounts.  The other department is Bally’s Bus Center, where we greet mostly garrulous but sometimes intoxicated customers and give them slot machine vouchers.  Now, on my course of learning the ways of God and what it means to be a Christian, I can say quite honestly that I do not have it all nailed down.  When I look in the mirror, do I see the One that I try to resemble?  The answer to that question is a resounding “NO!”  Worse yet, when others see me and what I do and how I act, do they see the reflection of the One I say I represent.  I might be able to speak for many with yet another resounding, “NO!”  So here is a dilemma that I am faced with.  If under one breath I say I represent Christ and His coming Kingdom, and yet I act in a manner that is contradictory to who Christ is and what His Kingdom represents, then am I not by the strictest of terms a hypocrite?

When the customer labeled me as being rude, I had to recheck myself.  Mountains of excuses began to pile around me as I tried to shield myself from the pain of admitting that perhaps I was in fact rude.  We tend to do that don’t we?  When we are confronted with a nasty part of our personalities or when we are corrected with something we need to work on, we tend to make excuses to some how put the blame on someone or something outside of ourselves.  We’ll say things like, “Well, they shouldn’t have done this…”  or “They shouldn’t have said that….”  Some how someone else has caused us to act unseemly, or in this case rude.  But, when I looked closer at myself, I realized that I am the one who has to make a choice.  And suddenly, something incredible happened.  I realized that I have the final say.  Even when things are not going my way, that doesn’t mean that I have to take out my frustrations on unsuspecting customers.  Think about it.  How can I possibly represent Someone who is the absolute image of God Himself if I can not handle my own frustrations?  Am I not to handle the world with care and gentleness as a mother dove nurses her young?  How can I become a public representative of Christ if I can not keep in check the parts of my personality that are ungodly?

I think when we take each day one by one, and surrender each day to our Father, we slowly weaken those parts of us that are ungodly.  It can only happen by the Power of His Spirit.  I, by myself, can not stop or subdue the evil nature within.  That is why I need salvation.  That is why you and me need Someone to redeem us.  Our nature of ungodliness can not lead us to God.  But since it is our nature, then how can we subdue it?  Another Nature must enter within us and make war with the evil nature that lies within.  And that is what I am going through my friends.  There is a war that is being waged within me.  On one side, there is the nature of sin and death, and on the other side, there is the nature of God and Jesus Christ.  Only one can win in this battle and the one that I give the most attention to and the most time to will undoubtedly win.  This is the battle my main character faces.  He longs to be like the One who has called Him, only to discover that he still has a Human Nature he has yet to defeat within himself.  This is the battle we find ourselves.  Which Nature, which Will, which Life, will we live?  And that question ultimately leads us to equally thought-provoking questions.  What kind of battle do you face within yourself?  What life are you trying to live?  What destiny are you trying to fulfill?  Have you known God and gotten to know Him?  How do you measure up to Him that has the power to raise you to Eternal LIfe?  Are you worthy to bear His name?  These are questions that I ask myself everyday.  Now, I am determined to represent the One who called me out of this world and into His marvelous Light.  I hope that you too may catch a little of this contagious motivation to seek His face and to become just like Him.  I pray that the answers to these questions will be revealed to you and that you will be transformed into a new creation, bearing His Nature of Righteousness.

Daniel C. Pickett

To all of my fans,

I wanted to take this time to share with you some of my thoughts over the course of these two years and hope you can get some insight in who I am as a person.

[Destiny] – the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.

I’ve contemplated very heavily throughout my life about my own destiny.  Haven’t you?  I used to ponder the questions “Who am I?”  ”Why am I here?”  ”Who is God?”  ”What is man?”  All my life I’ve been searching for these answers.  All my life until the year 2009.  After graduating from Full Sail University with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Film, I went through a series of life changes.  In many ways,  I was becoming a different person entirely.  My personal beliefs about the world, life, God, and mankind had been radically transformed and suddenly, what seemed to matter to me during college was not that important any more.

It’s kind of hard to explain.  It’s like I was walking around with a veil over my eyes, thinking I had the world figured out.  It took about 3 months after graduation for the truth to be revealed to me, and to be honest, it rocked my entire life.  Everything I believed myself to be, and who I was to become, was transformed.  I wasn’t so sure of where I was going before graduation, but after my life began to change, the Destiny became more clear to me.  More real to me.  For the first time in my life, I felt as if Someone had reached deep within me and planted a seed of potential.  I know I may be sounding vague with all of this.  You may call it a paradigm shift or a crisis of faith.  But no matter what anyone calls it, the truth is that my beliefs have changed everything I am and will ever do.

Which would explain why I’ve been laying “dorment” for two years now.  It took me two years to attain my Bachelor’s degree in Full Sail.  It would take more years to earn another type of “degree”.  I was in the process of discovering who I really was and what I am to do with this life of mine.  The answers to my life-long questions were slowly and gradually being revealed to me.  Like crawling before you walk, I had to relearn and unlearn many things for this transformation to be complete.  Now that I’ve been blessed with those answers, I can safely say that now I am gathering myself to reveal the projects I’ve been wanting to bring forth.  There are stories that I want to tell that will act as the megaphones of my beliefs.  I hope they will ignite conversations and stir up debates.  I pray that it will inspire others to search for the truth and live life more abundantly.  I hope that you personally will join me on this journey and discover this Destiny that has been revealed to me and that is before us all.

The Destiny is real.

Sincerely,

- Daniel C. Pickett

Make sure to “like” my Facebook page to keep updated on my latest projects!!!  You will not want to miss out on them!