You may or may not have heard the news, but about a month ago my wife gave birth to our first son! And I know everyone says this, but he has already completely changed our lives! We’ve had late nights–or more accurately, endless nights–and so many new rhythms. One of the serval things I didn’t anticipate is how having a newborn forces you to live in the present. Already, we’re hanging on his every movement; noticing small changes; and just trying to survive from moment to moment. Having a son has really helped me put things in perspective.  For instance…I am proud of that boy and he does nothing but eat, sleep, scream, and defecate. If I love my son for just being alive and being mine, how can I question God’s love for me? This new perspective also hasn’t diminished my love of this job! Writing scripts and shooting commercials is not any less important–quite to the contrary. It reminds me that I can put everything I have into making the best films possible, knowing that I’ve got this new life supporting me and also to support! We’re infused with a new hope (Star Wars pun not intended), and I can already see him improving the way we tell stories here at His Grace Productions.

And, at the risk of a not-so-subtle transition, something else that has been pushing my creativity over the last couple of years and bringing hope to our team is Josh Barbur. Josh is another member of the His Grace Production crew that you really need to meet. (To meet the rest of our crew check out these blog posts.)

Have you ever had a moment when God brings the right person across your path at just the right time? That’s been Josh for me. We met working production at our church where I heard he was a good shooter. The rest has been history in the making. Josh has grown with this company, and he is a huge asset to our team.  From camera op-ing to lighting design, there’s not much this guy can’t do. Speaking of which, he plays in at least four different bands and is about to go on tour this summer with “Night Traveler.” See, my guys are rock stars! Oh wow… Dad jokes already?

Josh is always on the move and always booked. Whether he’s working with me, filming something for the church, playing with Thinking Caps, or sitting in with another band that needs him, his schedule is jam-packed. He’s a servant, a man of God, and he’s the person you want in your corner when walking on set.

For His Grace Productions, Josh does a little bit of everything. On some shoots he’s our DP (director of photography) and on some shoots he’s in charge of lighting. (Pro-tip: The best way to increase your production value before purchasing a $100k camera is to light your projects well! This can be economical but can also take a long time. Thankfully, Josh IS a rockstar and can take budgeting lemons and make lemonade.) Josh is also a certified Steadicam-op and brings a high level of skill to each shooting. Whether he’s focused on perfecting some important detail, capturing big-picture shots, or bringing new, creative ideas, Josh is a source of inspiration and hope on our team. If you haven’t met him already, I hope you get to soon! (For now, you can stream the Thinking Caps!)

Another source of excitement and hope is the short film we’re working on. (For more on the short film, check out our last blog post.) We’ve officially begun casting, and so far we’ve had more than 150 people respond to our call (thank you Texas Film Commission for helping us spread the word)! Call backs and auditions will be happening soon and not long after that we’ll begin to shoot. We’ve got a location scouted–Jake’s Texas Tea House, a great restaurant and perfect backdrop for our story–and have had good conversations with the owners. I’ve been working with Will to get the shot list, and it’s all coming together. Then, depending on how this first vignette turns out, we’ll work to secure funding and shoot a full episode to use as a pilot that we’ll then pitch with the hopes of shooting a full series or feature-length film. To keep with the theme of this post, I’m hopeful.  Not because of circumstances, because we all know how quickly those change, but because Jesus Christ is faithful. We have a living hope that is solid, unchanging, fixed (1Peter 1:3). May everyone who reads this have an extra dose of hope today and as always don’t hesitate to reach out. We love hearing from you all!