Dr. Ted Baehr sat down with director Brad Silverman ( Holly Wood Movie Director) to hear how God radically changed his life and called him to make movies with a purpose. Read the encouraging conversation below. Hollywood Director: Seek First the Kingdom of God Movie director Brad Silverman says God called him to make films with a purpose. (Focus on the Family) Dr. Baehr: Hello, Im Ted Baehr, publisher of MovieGuide and Im here with one of my favorite directors, who won our $100,000 Epiphany Prize for Grace Unplugged, Brad Silverman. You do a great job. Brad: Thank you very much. What a privilege to be here today, and what a wonderful and memorable night at MovieGuide. Dr. Baehr: Yes, and I know weve interviewed you before, weve put you on stage before, but I want to go a little deeper. Just how youve lived in Hollywood when your life changed after you had a spiritual experience and came to Christ. Brad: I was in my early to mid-20s. Im of Jewish background. A dear friend just started dialoguing with me about, really at that time, the Jewish roots of the Scriptures, which, ironically, was very foreign to me. I really didnt know the origins of the Scriptures were of such Jewish influence. Over the next three, four years, as our friendship grew, the Lord just broke me. Or I should say this: He allowed me to sort of achieve the effects of me running the show, and I just ran myself right into a brick wall. So, I came to faith in Christ, and just walked away from the entertainment industry for about a decade. My career was actually just starting to go somewhere as a writer/director and I walked away for about a decade. I wanted to go into full time ministry, and thought thats where the Lord was taking me until about four or five years ago, when I felt Him calling me to start making movies again. Dr. Baehr: How has God sustained you or worked in your process of doing this? Brad: Well, when I got back into the film business, I had nothing to lose. If you told me today, You can never make movies again if it meant compromising what I believe to be honoring to God, the answer is no. I walk away. So we did a film a few years back, and then did Grace Unplugged, and it was sort of like Id rather not make movies than make movies that I feel dishonor God and the Scriptures. Dr. Baehr: So whats your favorite part of the industry? What do you like about it? Brad: I think my favorite part—it may sound a little hokey, I guess—but I really enjoy the team-building process. Dr. Baehr: Thats beautiful. Brad: I really do enjoy the collaborative process, especially the privilege of being a director is that no one really tells me what to do, which has its positives and negatives, but I love the lets build a team, lets create an environment, lets create a culture where we can truly try to build each other up from the ground up. It sounds so silly, but when we eat on set, Ill go sit with the interns, and they think its interesting. The interns think, Oh wow, the director is sitting with us. Im going, Its just me, but all thats to say I love building that culture of teamwork and that kind of thing. Dr. Baehr: In the old days, when my father was a star, you used to get together with everybody. It was a community affair, and I remember those days. Now, the star has to have a trailer, then the stars hairdresser has to have a trailer, and then the hairdressers dog has to have a trailer, and now youre going down the line, so everybodys locked up. Brad: Maybe its just a philosophy of mine, like No, you have to be in the trenches. How dare I do that? How dare I expect someone to do something that Im not willing to do? Same thing with the actors. I think—you know, I try to encourage them to be a part of this family. Look, youre making a movie. Its hard work, lets have fun, lets make it a family environment. I believe that in that we have so many opportunities to share Christ and speak the truth into peoples lives. Dr. Baehr: This is contrary to what most people think about the industry. They think the entertainment industry is a bunch of people who just are aimless. You know, youve got focus. Youve got a family; youve got children. Brad: Well you know if I may speak boldly, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and then all the other things will come. You can edit this out if you dont like it, but my priority is the Lord, and everything transfers from that. Everything stems from that, and thats my focus. Im not ashamed of the Gospel, and I know that that may limit certain opportunities I have, but so be it. I just have to be true to who I am and who the Lord has made me to be.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 06:54:50 +0000
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