News item: Religious Group builds permanent outdoor film set near Sydney, Australia

[tfraser]

The religious group known as Jehovah's Witnesses has constructed around 70 buildings as a permanent film set in the countryside nearby Sidney, Australia for the purpose of filming the life and ministry of Jesus. 

So all actors are unpaid volunteers and every aspect of build and production is provided via voluntary donations; so not a commercial venture at all; and so not under those pressures/constraints. 

6 min video of the production approach and challenges here. including glimpses of camera work and the CGI used to augment the physical temple steps.

Episode 1 concludes when the boy Jesus is 12 years old, and begins 3 years before his birth. Episode 1 in up to Full HD can be streamed or downloaded free, no registration req. (1hr 11min) Episodes 2&3 are in production for summer 2025 release with further episodes in coming years.

[MrSMW]

The second picture I assume is the Three Wise Men.

Clearly confused as to where to find the stable block.

[eatstoomuchjam]

I wonder how security is there and how long before urban explorers get in for photos and/or someone else sneaks in and films some form of video nasty.

[ntblowz]

I wonder how much it cost to build those set.

[IronFilm]

21 hours ago, tfraser said:

So all actors are unpaid volunteers and every aspect of build and production is provided via voluntary donations; so not a commercial venture at all; and so not under those pressures/constraints. 

good grief, they have a techno crane on set, that's not cheap at all. $$$$$$

Shooting with an ARRI.

ARRI WCU4 focus controller. 

Jealous, they're using a Sound Devices CL16!!

[eatstoomuchjam]

1 hour ago, IronFilm said:

Shooting with an ARRI.

On the fanciest Ready Rig around!

[Snowfun]

On 1/4/2025 at 12:10 PM, eatstoomuchjam said:

On the fanciest Ready Rig around!

The cross? 

[eatstoomuchjam]

34 minutes ago, Snowfun said:

The cross? 

No.  In the photo he posted, the Arri is on a high-end Ready Rig.

[tfraser]

On 1/3/2025 at 11:28 AM, MrSMW said:

The second picture I assume is the Three Wise Men.

😂 yes and you can see in episode 1 where and when they visited the young child. 

You can even view it in Zulu, as I did for just one minute out of interest... also noticed you can switch to Ecuadorian Sign Language and a "few" other languages.

[tfraser]

On 1/3/2025 at 10:39 PM, ntblowz said:

I wonder how much it cost to build those set.

that's a very good question, even though the labour is contributed, the cost of building materials and these high end video production items will come to a very serious amount of money. (also some specialist works beyond the scope of volunteers may have required contractors and the're operating a business so of course will have been paid out of donated funds)

Although the final videos are provided freely without charge, they aim to make a version that is the most accurate ever made.

The first episode is a taste of things to come.  You just know that the film set is going to be in use for some years as the first episode is 1 hr 11 mins and Jesus is only 12 years old and really hasn't done anything yet 🙂 

and I don't think they can manage more than 2 episodes per year.

 

[IronFilm]

6 hours ago, tfraser said:

that's a very good question, even though the labour is contributed

I am very skeptical about the claim that all the labour is fully donated totally "for free".

I highly doubt there are any Mormons in Australia who own a Sound Devices CL12 or a technocrane of that level. 

And even if there is one (again, doubt it), would they necessarily give up for free weeks/months of their time each year to work for free on a production??? And on top of that, they're each bringing along six figures worth of equipment! (or even more!)

Doubt it!

That's why I suspect they're hired professionals they've brought onto the production, and at the very least most of the HoDs are pros who have joined on for this. (sure, the LX Assist or 3rd AC or 3rd AD or whatever, then they'll quite possibly Mormon members who are volunteering their time. But not most of the HoDs)

A final possibility, but a pretty wild one if true, is that the local Mormon organisation has purchased outright this equipment. That they (the local Mormon organization) own a Sound Devices CL12 (and the rest of the six figures worth of sound equipment that would go with this type of sound package!) and that they own a technocrane (one of this type is very very easily six figures worth, could even be a million dollar grip package), and so on ditto for all the other gear we saw in that BTS. 

Then the local Mormon members are then working "for free" using this equipment??

I mean, maybe when you consider they fact they likely have a full time in house AV team that's employed by them on regular salaries, then this possibility starts to become a little less wild. Maybe the person who does the live sound mixer each Sunday, who they have on a full time salary, is also the person who is during the week doing these film/tv productions when they're shooting it.