tfraser Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSMW Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 The second picture I assume is the Three Wise Men. Clearly confused as to where to find the stable block. eatstoomuchjam and sanveer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatstoomuchjam Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntblowz Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 I wonder how much it cost to build those set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 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!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatstoomuchjam Posted January 4 Share Posted January 4 1 hour ago, IronFilm said: Shooting with an ARRI. On the fanciest Ready Rig around! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowfun Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 On 1/4/2025 at 12:10 PM, eatstoomuchjam said: On the fanciest Ready Rig around! The cross? IronFilm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatstoomuchjam Posted January 6 Share Posted January 6 34 minutes ago, Snowfun said: The cross? No. In the photo he posted, the Arri is on a high-end Ready Rig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfraser Posted January 6 Author Share Posted January 6 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tfraser Posted January 6 Author Share Posted January 6 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatstoomuchjam Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 8 hours ago, IronFilm said: I highly doubt there are any Mormons in Australia who own a Sound Devices CL12 or a technocrane of that level. I think the OP said they're Jehovah's Witnesses, not Mormons. Huge difference, though your comments are otherwise likely to be accurate. There also probably aren't any Witnesses who have that kind of gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 4 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said: I think the OP said they're Jehovah's Witnesses, not Mormons. Whoops!! My bad, I got one totally batsh*t crazy cult mixed up with another totally different and only somewhat less crazy cult. Think I just had Mormons on my brain during that moment I was writing that post, as they just opened up a massive new temple (biggest in the entire country! Did you know our former Prime Minister was a Mormon? And Jacinda Arden's uncle was in charge of Mormons for the entire Pacific Region) right across the road from where I grew up and my family is. 4 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said: There also probably aren't any Witnesses who have that kind of gear. Yup, doesn't change at all my conclusions in my previous post at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clark Nikolai Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 7 hours ago, eatstoomuchjam said: I think the OP said they're Jehovah's Witnesses, not Mormons. They're different? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSMW Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 I heard the Amish community were thinking of doing the same...except it will have to be a series of live action events rather than a recorded production or stream. The acting will probably also be a bit wooden... Boom, I'm here most days 😘 IronFilm and majoraxis 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eatstoomuchjam Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 16 minutes ago, Clark Nikolai said: They're different? Well, if I remember right, both think that only 144,000 people will be granted eternal salvation... but one of the two groups is trying to restore first-century Christianity and thinks that the reformation didn't go far enough and the other follows a guy who claimed to receive the words of his god on a series of golden plates that he carried around in a hat and requires its followers to buy magic underwear from the church. But from the standpoint of "I can't believe anybody buys this shit," I guess they're functionally equivalent. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronFilm Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 20 hours ago, MrSMW said: Boom, I'm here most days 😘 I guess for audio the Amish won't be allowed to use a carbon fibre boom, and it has to be a wooden boom? majoraxis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSMW Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 3 hours ago, IronFilm said: I guess for audio the Amish won't be allowed to use a carbon fibre boom, and it has to be a wooden boom? Voice trumpets. These productions will be live and rely entirely on voice projection and acoustics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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