History in the Making

Interviews with STORY Presenters

Some interviews with STORY presenters by some popular Nashville bloggers:

Pete Wilson interviews Ted Dekker
Jenni Catron interviews Ian Cron
Justin Davis interviews Mark Pierson
Stephen Brewster interviews Ed Dobson
Lindsey Nobles interviews Daniel Bashta
Darrel Vesterfelt interviews Darren Whitehead
Alece Ronzino interviews Naima Lett

Wednesday Morning Run-Down

• We survived the hurricane without loss of power or damage. Thankful for a day to read and watch movies
• It's Christmas every day watching the STORY creative elements pour in. These artists are incredible. And Barton Damer's new use of IMAG is incredible. Come see...
• Editing 187 pages of church planting material for a new resource called PLANT by the SBC of Virginia
• There is a big STORY blog tour with speaker interviews going down... today! I'll post links soon
• You can't be an event producer and not watch the VMAs. And I've gotta say GaGa's performance was staggering. All of the cutaways to artists in the audience showed completely transfixed, mesmerized faces.
• If it's unwise to speak incessently, I think it's wise to not tweet everything. Bad moods, cynicism, negativity...
• I think my STORY team wins for most use of exclamation points in emails. We are an excitable culture =)
• Lawrence Ink in Georgia halted the printing of our STORY notebooks for a misaligned QR code in a full page ad. Amazing attention to detail... and they reinforced our value of STORY partners
• I love store window displays. You know, like in New York, London. So we're bringing in Eric Wolfe to create a store window installation in the lobby of STORY
• Favorite commericals of the month: Apple Tree McD | Ride Home Capt Morgan | Dress Irresponsibly Pacsun
• I think I got this from Sam DuRegger, but a new conversational conference model called 50Kings
• A day in the life of John Lasseter (via @aaronsu)
• Oprah interviews Ralph Lauren (via Wade Tower)
• "The archetype of the Artist is marked by passion to express a dimension of life that is just beyond the five senses." (via @leimia) And I would add... there is one. =) It's why we themed STORY "Imagine Nation" this year.
• Cirque is coming to the Virginia Beach area this December. Anyone ever see Quidam?
• 104 year old designer Eva Zeisel on what she hopes to achieve with her new lamps: "I want them to sell." (A great idea is a spreadsheet with skin on #dreamyear)

The Apple Orchard

I don't know about you, but all of my ideas can be traced back to some singular, even obscure, experience in my past.

After dropping out of Reed College in Portland, Steve Jobs worked at an apple orchard called All-One Farm.

This is why you never, ever, ever discount the experience you're going through now. No matter how mundane. No matter how excruciating. It'll spawn something great later on.

The Thing, Flipped on its Head

Stripping down a creative element and then "layering up" to reinvent it is a big part of the STORY experience. But so is taking "the thing" and flipping it on its head. Love this GaGa cover.

The Football Fast

Every year, I post a challenge to skip football games in favor of bringing one of your dreams to life. It's never a popular post.

In fact, last year, one commenter sneered that I should leave my wife and children in order to become "even more productive."

Ugh. Not what I'm saying. I think I hit a sore spot with him.

The goal is simple - replace the time you'd spend lounging on the sofa, watching games, with the hard work of your dream.

Truth is, televised games barely have any football anyway.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the average broadcast of a football game lasts 185 minutes. But here's the thing - only 11 of those minutes are actual game play.

So where do the extra 174 minutes go in airtime?

• Players spend roughly 75 minutes in huddles
• 17 minutes are devoted to replays
• Cutaway shots to refs and coaches get 13 minutes
• Cheerleaders get 3 seconds
• Up to 60 minutes are commercials

Conquer the Learning Curves

Most of us only dream at the scale of what we've experienced before.

It's the learning curve that's holding us back.

But learning curves are meant to be conquered.

Some people are born into households where learning curves are naturally conquered and confidence is inherited. This is the advantage of princes. They were born in the palace. They grew up with the keys to the kingdom.

Actor Paul Giamatti's father was a Yale University professor who later became president of the university and commissioner of Major League Baseball.

Lord of the Rings star Sean Astin's mother was Patty Duke of the famous Patty Duke show

Gwyneth Paltrow's father was a famous movie producer. Steven Spielberg calls her "Gwinnie" and knew her as a baby.

Sofia Coppola learned how to make movies from her father Francis Ford Coppola.

Sylvestor Stallone didn't write about an unfamiliar subject with Rocky. His mother was a women's wrestling promoter.

I could go on and on and on...

These children grew up naturally dreaming at a much larger scale. Their parents conquered the learning curves for them.

If you weren't born in the palace, you can still beat the learning curves. You just have to work hard.

Study.

Try new things.

Take risks.

Become familiar with unfamiliar subjects.

And learn new things.

Starting now.

Calm Before the Storm

Wednesday Morning Run-Down

• Story is interesting. Backstory is fascinating.
• Story: A husband and wife raise a young boy into adulthood. They watch him graduate and tearfully bid him farewell at the train station as he goes off to college.
• Backstory: They stole him as a baby.
• Halfway through a screenplay for a familiar story that is loaded with fascinating backstory.
• Filmed 10 episodes for the Dream Year Subscription site yesterday morning, thanks to our friend Stephanie.
• Speaking of Steph, she just launched her new print shop.
• Elliott Munoz gave me a sneak peek at the new Subscriptions site in development. Incredible work.
• I'm privileged to be an overseer at Lifepoint Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia and got to experience their amazing hospitality this past weekend with my family.
• My friend Clint Clifton is adopting two young children from a ravaged Haiti... in addition to his own four kids
• The founder of TED is trying to reinvent conferences yet again (via @blainehogan). Can't let it get stale right?
• At STORY, we improve at least 20% every year. If you didn't come last year, fine. If you don't come this year, that's fine too. The later you come, the better we'll be.
• Barton Damer is executing a phenomenal new use for IMAG at STORY this year. I've never seen it done before.
• Lemonade the movie looks good (via Dan Schuesler)
• Dream Year Charlotte is January 27-29
• For Dream Year coaching in 2012, I'm looking for 12 high-stakes people who want to do something audacious in one year. Dream Year weekends and the Subscription program are included. But this will be a roundtable, a fraternity of friends who will work with me one-on-one. Think about it. More info to come in September.

The Ease of a Life Without Vision

I didn't start Dream Year out of a penchant for my own dreams. I honestly and truly believe every person has an audacious calling in life. But most of us ignore it in favor of comfort, faux security, societal expectations and "rationality."

It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you receive a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on the common-sense basis. ~ Oswald Chambers

Wednesday Morning Run-Down

• Scott Hodge was the very first person to hear the vision for STORY. He recounts it on his blog...
• Speaking of Scott, Kevin Costner and the Superman film crew camped-out at his church last week during filming
• Thanks for your STORY soundtrack suggestions. Our team is acquiring the music for iPods as I write this.
• Many of you emailed me music suggestions, and I'm sorry to say they have disappeared into the pre-STORY vortex of unread mail that is my inbox until Sept 16
• This company looks interesting: Media experiences by Second Story Interactive in Portland
• "The more often a person feels without acting, the less he will be able ever to act.” ~ CS Lewis
• Paper that can be planted after you use it
• Can't deny it. I'm looking forward to this read.
• Got to visit my friend Ben Shoun's Arrowhead Church in Morristown, TN over the weekend. Ben visited me in DC yeeears ago about planting a church up there. I said noooo (in slow motion) and encouraged him to plant where he has roots. Two years later: 600+ people. Incredible.
• This weekend, Ains and I get to visit Lifepoint Church in Fredericksburg which is quite a phenom story
• Save the date. Dream Year weekend Charlotte, NC on January 27-29 (weekend without football =)
• Never miss a creative event: Creative Everyone
• Check out Sam Mahlstadt's Kickstarter campaign to publish a book called Creative Theology.
• Big fan of Blaine Hogan. Check out his ebook Untitled. I'd like to point out that I helped him name it. =)
• The Weekly Standard: "movies are shallow"
• Jonsi to score the new Cameron Crowe film
• Graph: How long it took Google+ to reach 10m users
• The Canon 5D Mark II has found its home in Hollywood
• One of my Dream Year participants Kyle Baker creates these amazing posters and can do custom work
• Don't miss Clark's after party at STORY
• So many amazing creative teams coming to STORY
• NewSpring is sending 6 creatives...
  
• Cross Point in Nashville is sending 6 creatives
• Crossroads in Cincinnati is sending 6 creatives...
• And on and on...
• Don't miss the chance to inspire and grow your creative team. You've been to enough preaching conferences. =) Pour into the creative class in your church
• A sneak peek at one of the STORY notebook spreads. Gary Dorsey makes me cry with his designs. This year, we're making the books 10x14 like those gorgeous Cirque souvenir books... but you gotta come to get one

Your Music Suggestions?

I need your help.

A little music help.

We're constructing a music soundtrack for STORY. The stuff that plays during breaks and intermissions and fills the atmosphere throughout the halls on Sept 15-16.

The theme is Imagine Nation.

We are the people of a kingdom that cannot be seen. So our faith and are our imagination are inextricably linked.

The website is here. You'll see a tip of the hat to Gondor. To Hogwarts maybe? =) Certainly the city on a hill. There's an aquatic theme. The raven that returned an olive branch to Noah from an unseen land. If all else fails, consider the vibe. We're going for epic ethereal. Imaginative music.

What songs come to mind?

They lyrics don't have to be literal. It could be the sound, the feeling, an allusion. I'll be disappointed if they're all Christian songs. But looking for 1-3 suggestions from you.

The Artists Behind STORY, pt.2

Here are a few more artists who are helping to create the STORY experience... and I'm not even done! We'll call this part two. =)

Bjorn Amundsen
Filmmaker at Willow Creek Community Church
Bjorn is creating visual pieces for some of the speakers

Corbyn Tyson
Creative director at Monvee and filmmaker
Corbyn is creating a motion piece for a key moment

Elliott Munoz
Designer at a leading Washington DC design firm
Elliott created the original Dream Year site and is now design-architecting the new Dream Year Subscription site which will release in September

Stephanie B
Owner of Lifeography in Virginia Beach
Stephanie is filming clips for the new Dream Year Subscriptions site launching in September. I'll be in your face every Monday morning to kickstart your dream in 2012. =)

Nathan Davis
Comm director at Destiny Christian Center in OKC
Nathan designed the website for a fascinating new project I can't wait to tell you about in September.

Mitch Bolton
Designer at Southeastern Christian Church in CO
Mitch is creating the printed pieces for said project above.

Aaron Van Ruler
The most extraordinary developer I know
Aaron was a member of Dream Year 2010 and he's since been helping me bring my own dreams to life ever since. He developed the website for said project above and is creating a mobile storefront for STORY so you don't have to leave your seat. Resources will be delivered to you after sessions.

Blaine Hogan
Creative Director at Willow Creek
Blaine is creating a multisensory performance with live score

Everything You Need to Know About Coming to STORY

STORY is just over a month away, and I'd love for you to join us. Here's some info as you prepare for the experience:

1. Location: Park Community Church
The church is located at 1001 North Crosby Street, Chicago, IL 60610. If you're flying, either Midway or O'Hare works great.

2. Registration
Check-in begins at Park Community Church at 7:30a. Doors to the auditorium open at 8:30a. For speed of check-in, feel free to bring your Eventbrite ticket, but it's not necessary.

3. Parking
There is very limited parking at Park Community Church. The best thing to do is take public transportation or a cab from your hotel or the airport. However, there is a parking garage one block from the venue called the Kingsbury Garage - 950 N. Kingsbury Street, Chicago, IL 60610. The rate is $12 a day. Our parking attendants will help steer you in the right direction on the day of the event.

4. Hotels
We have arranged a special rate of $169 with Hotel Indigo (rate code: STC) located at 1244 North Dearborn Parkway, Chicago, IL 60610. However, you can find other good rates by searching discount sites such as Hotels.com. Also, there's a Howard Johnson one mile from the church for $79 a night. If you're interested in room or ride sharing, check out the STORY Facebook page.

5. Free Lunch Opportunities
STORY does not offer lunch as a part of the experience, but there are several options off-site. Also, several free lunches are available to a limited number of participants who RSVP using the links below. First come, first served.

• Visioneering Studios Lunch
  Thursday, September 15 in the Park Cafe
  You're invited to a luncheon hosted by Visioneering Studios and an opportunity to hear from Visioneering's President, Mel McGowan. Sign up HERE.
  
  
• In the Round Lunch
  Friday, September 16 in the Art Gallery
  Join In the Round Design Group for a facilitated conversation on all things storytelling, branding and identity, narrative in a contemporary context, technology and intimacy, the fine arts in the digital age and much more. Come for an exchange of ideas over free food. Sign up HERE. Also, nominate someone who has a great story to tell and could use a free website to tell it!
  
  
• Vanderbloeman Search Group Lunch
  Friday, September 16 in the Park Cafe
  You are invited to join Vanderbloemen Search Group, the premier executive search firm for churches looking to hire key Creative staff. Sign up HERE.

6. After Party on Thurs Night, Sept 15
The Creative Collective (www.creativecollective.is) is hosting a STORY After Party, presented by Clark (www.clark.is) on Thurs, Sept 15 from 9:00p to 11:00p. Connect with creatives from all over Chicago and the US for this exclusive event. Live music, food and art and more. All with the purpose to inspire you to create like you were created. Space is limited, so register HERE.

7. See the Complete List of Presenters
Click HERE to see the presenters and performers at STORY this year. We have also added Ed Saxon, the producer of The Silence of the Lambs, Adaptation, That Thing You Do, and other films.

8. Follow-up Filmmakers Workshop on Sat, Sept 17
ActOne, the leading training program for Christian professionals in Hollywood, is offering a follow-up, one-day workshop at Park Community Church on Saturday, Sept 17 from 9:00a to 3:00p. Three experienced producers - Ed Saxon (Silence of the Lambs), Terence Berry, and Justin Bell and Michelle Steffes - will talk about bringing your film project to life. Cost is $25. For more information and to reserve your spot, email Terence Berry at Terence@actoneprogram.com.

The Artists Behind STORY

I get to work with some of the most amazing artists throughout the country in putting together STORY. Thought I'd share just a few of them and what they're preparing for the event (I have about 10 more to add, so let's call this part 1 =):

Ryan Jarrell
Designer for the Village Church in Dallas
Ryan is creating the Inside Branding for STORY including the signage, tees, presentation slides, ID badges, etc.

Kyle Steed
Illustrator an UX designer at Fellowship Technologies in Dallas
Kyle is creating illustrations for a performance by Blaine Hogan

Nathan Corrona
Founder of DustBrand Films in Atlanta, GA
Nathan is creating at least five original film pieces for the event 

Jared Hogan
Filmmaker at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC
Jared is creating a short film for the experience

Heather Arment
Video designer for World Vision in Seattle... and my sister =)
Heather is creating motion backdrops for each speaker, like scenes from a stage production

Mitch Levin
Fine artist, founder of High Voltage Studio in Kildeer, IL
Mitch is creating some physial art pieces for the environment

Gary Dorsey
Founder of Pixel Peach Studio in Austin, TX
Gary created the outside branding for the event and the books which are 11x14" this year

Nolan Bruce
A young fashion designer I met at Starbucks in Virginia Beach
Nolan is creating custom bags for every attendee at the event