New horizons, knowing destiny

Interview with New Vision’s evangelism team about the gospel series “Destiny”

Text/Pictures: Li Weishan, Liao Ruoxuan, Zhang Kuili, Zeng Lizhen, Liu Weiling, Liu Xiaolin

Relying on faith, doing our part, asking for advice from many sources, and praying without ceasing, this is the way for God to accomplish us.

▲New TV accepted an exclusive interview with Far East Broadcasting.

In today's "self-media" era, a small smartphone can shoot micro-movies for evangelism, and there are many gospel-type films and television works circulating in the market. Why did "New Vision Evangelism" (hereinafter referred to as "New Vision") dare to pay a high price to produce a large-scale feature series "Destiny" under conditions of extremely limited resources? Why did the "Destiny" series spread widely around the world not long after the production was completed in May 2016? What attracts Chinese seekers and believers at home and abroad to watch attentively on computers, mobile phones or at conferences? Why are many churches willing to integrate "Destiny" into Sunday sermons, spiritual meetings and small group activities?

The interview team conducted interviews with the New Vision team out of curiosity and excitement, and also collected responses from many pastors and viewers who love using the "Destiny" series.

Do good deeds but witness your faith and gain Christ

The main producers of the New Vision team, Li Datong and Xia Keyin, immigrated to the United States 27 years ago. They have worked for national television stations in mainland China and have professional skills such as directing, photography, acting, copywriting, and production. They devote all their professional abilities and time to gospel film and television production, which is very rare in the Chinese film and television industry in North America.

In the early days of immigrating to the United States, they also worked at Chinese TV stations in Southern California. At that time, Chinese TV stations mainly broadcast Hong Kong and Taiwan programs and rarely produced original programs, so they established their own production company in 1993. He initially produced a series of programs about American culture and social life for domestic television stations, which became very popular. Later, I was accidentally introduced to a church to shoot a testimony video, and they agreed with the mentality of "doing good things." But at that time, I was proud and thought that the TV professionals who produced church programs would definitely do a better job than the church co-workers. When they first filmed the group meeting, they saw the believers sitting around studying the Bible and examining themselves, which was very funny.

Later, I gradually discovered that it is not easy to shoot a testimonial video. It is not only necessary to condense the life-changing experience of the interviewee and the deeds of God into a short video of fifteen to thirty minutes, but also to impress the audience. This requires in-depth and meticulous attention. Interviews need to be arranged concisely and concisely. In more than eight years, they interviewed more than a thousand people and produced more than 150 episodes of gospel programs, gradually realizing that these life experiences bear witness to God’s faithfulness and grace. The couple's stubborn atheism gradually changed and they eventually believed in Christ.

Dedicate yourself to the film and television profession and serve the Lord wholeheartedly

The opportunity came to them at this time. It coincided with China's commemoration of the 30th anniversary of reform and opening up. A domestic TV station commissioned them to film overseas parts, and the pay was generous. However, the tone of the film was one-sided praise of development, which made them very uneasy and worried about misleading the audience. Although it was turned on, after careful consideration, I finally decided to give up.

At the same time, they also observed that the Chinese church was extremely lacking in professional-level gospel film and television works. After praying for half a year, the couple heard God’s call and decided to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the gospel film and television ministry. With the encouragement and support of many pastors, "New Vision Evangelism" was established in 2009.

In order to buy time, the New Vision team used their own houses as mortgages to obtain loans and started work with only existing equipment. The first work was based on the story of a Chinese student who suffered a car accident in South Africa recommended by Pastor Feng Bingcheng, and was produced and filmed as "The Collision of Life". The result was a strong response and was widely circulated among Chinese people around the world. After watching this film, thousands of people believed in the Lord under the guidance of churches at home and abroad. After that, Xinshi successively launched "Africa of the Heart", "Poison", "Gongs in the Clouds", "The Unknown Preacher", "Little Brother Hang Ke'an", "Debts Repaid", "Great Love Dissolves Deep Enemies", "Beloved" Works such as "affectionate" are very popular.

▲The Life Witness Series published by New Vision Media.

Orders from Heaven, Focus on Values Series

The topic of "Destiny" was inspired by God. The New Vision team has seen the shocking moral decay in the changing society. What society currently lacks most is correct values. Man's attitude towards God will determine the rise and fall of a country and a nation. Man's limitations and hidden evil make it impossible for man to develop a bright future by his own strength, so he needs God's protection, guidance and blessing.

▲After the video was played in the church, everyone enthusiastically requested the DVD to show it to more people.

Then "Destiny" came out of the minds of Datong and Kejin - orders from heaven, everyone should listen to them, and those who live out their destiny are blessed. Psalm 33:12, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!" This sentence stuck in my heart, so the series was named "Destiny" and the tone was set to "interpret and demonstrate Christian character to present the kingdom of God" Values".

Which of the many qualities should you choose to photograph? During the preparation process, the New Vision team prayed and consulted pastors and experts from various places for their opinions. At the same time, they considered the expressiveness of character, visibility and other factors with a professional perspective on film and television, and first selected the "integrity" that is most needed in Chinese society and culture. , and later selected "forgiveness", "dedication" and "temperance", and additionally photographed seven important qualities: "joy", "integrity" and "humility". Each episode explores the relationship between character and the fate of society and even the country from different aspects, and in a simple and straightforward way, it proves the gospel truth of "Those who obey the heavens will prosper".

▲Pastor Wang Yongxin and Pastor Meng Fanyi discussed "Destiny".

attractive features

Everyone who has watched the "Destiny" series of feature films has been attracted by them. Some have watched Repent and Believe in the Lord, and others have watched Stepping into the Church Again - God uses this series to become a blessing to more people. How can "Destiny" be so attractive?

Feature 1: Big themes of the times, small stories around you

Because the mission of "Destiny" is to spread the gospel widely, and the audience is the general public, so when New Vision selected materials for each major theme of character, it spent a lot of effort to collect from all over the world. Although it is not earth-shattering, it is a vivid life story. .

For example, Grandma Qiu in the episode "Happiness" took good care of her grandson day and night for fifteen years after being hit by a car and becoming a paraplegic and losing the ability to speak. The grandson and grandson lived happily in love. Once, my grandson had an operation to transplant a rib into his throat to solve the vocal problem. The result was not ideal, but his grandson made his grandma laugh: "Didn't God take one of Adam's ribs and create Eve? Grandma, now I'm finished. My ribs and my wife are gone, take them out!" Grandma and grandson were happy.

Such ordinary and touching scenes are captured one by one in Xinshi's lenses. The stories selected in the "Destiny" series focus on contemporary global issues and the content closely follows the pulse of the times, thus winning the audience's recognition.

Feature 2: Deep influence

Xinshi has been serving the Kingdom of God for many years and has established a wide network of contacts in churches around the world. In this production of "Destiny", many influential pastors, experts, and scholars in the Chinese church were happily invited to appear on camera. Their own vitality and observation, interpretation, and comments on various characters were interspersed with real and touching stories. , greatly enhancing the depth and influence of "Destiny".

Feature 3: Professional-grade production

Laymen watch the excitement, while insiders watch the door. "Destiny" has had such a good effect since its release. In addition to the touching story and in-depth sharing, it is also due to the professional production standards. The New Vision team is well versed in the art of television and knows that if the audience does not understand it once, it is unlikely to go back and think about it. Therefore, it insists on using "vernacular" language in "Destiny" so that the audience can understand it after watching it.

Making choices among many materials, extracting the essence and key points, and weaving the context is a complex project that requires a senior and professional team of directors and co-workers. "About fifty hours of material were edited into a thirty-minute finished product," said Ke Jin, director of "Destiny." "Post-production, sometimes it may take several hours for a few seconds of footage." The spirit of excellence is inspiring. Thank you.

The beginning and end of a TV film are very important. The director specially designed a unified opening and ending for the "Destiny" series to deepen the audience's impression, so that after watching each episode, people can remember the theme of "Destiny": "You can achieve every quality. . Let each of us start today."

Feature 4: On-site shooting

New Vision, which has extremely limited funds, has been insisting on filming important characters and scenes as realistically as possible for many years. They believe that being immersed in the scene can bring out the true feelings. In order to save travel expenses, the most streamlined manpower was arranged for location shooting. Carrying heavy cameras, tripods, and recording equipment, it took several hours to reach the shooting location through mountains and ridges. Once, I even had to drive fourteen hours back and forth to film a two-sentence interview. The "Destiny" series has been interviewed and filmed in several countries in Europe, Asia, and North America.

Feature five: short and concise

Each episode of "Destiny" lasts from 28 to 30 minutes, focusing on a character theme. The content is solid and compact, the pace is lively, and it is convenient and suitable for use in various church situations. Participants can easily formulate two or three discussion questions from each episode of the video to match the topic information and create a good sharing effect.

▲The Life Witness series and the "Destiny" series produced by New Vision Evangelism.

Make the impossible possible

The "Destiny" series took nearly two years to complete. In order to save costs, Datong and Kejin filmed in a studio converted from their own garage. Post-editing took much longer than early-stage shooting. Editing, dubbing, and soundtrack were all completed with the most streamlined manpower, resulting in a huge workload. Some people say that "film and television is a regrettable art." Although he tried his best, the director still found many shortcomings after completion, such as unsatisfactory sound effects and errors in subtitles. However, the needs of gospel film and television are too urgent. To balance the production schedule and the pursuit of perfection, we need to rely on the wisdom and vision from God.

Although they try to save as much as possible, the production cost of each episode of "Destiny" is still US$70,000 to US$80,000, but New Vision adheres to the principle of "all rights reserved, copies are welcome" and responds to requests wherever there is need. They firmly believe that as long as their works are in line with God’s will and of high quality, they will be moved by those who are interested in supporting them. New Vision has always faced the challenge of manpower shortage, but God always sends volunteers with the same heart at the right time. Brother Geng Donghong, who has been the narrator of New TV programs for many years, is very passionate about the great mission commanded by God. He travels hundreds of miles back and forth every time he dubs. Not only does he not feel miserable, but he feels deeply honored to be able to participate in the ministry of the Kingdom of God. "I was the first and most moved audience," Brother Geng Donghong lamented in an interview. "Placing profit over justice and lack of integrity is a common phenomenon in today's society. Many testimonies in the film made me believe that God does not neglect to uphold His heavenly principles. People." During the production of the film, Brother Geng's faith was strengthened time and time again.

New TV has a small organization but high-quality programs. What’s the secret? The key lies in the strict control of the pastoral advisory group, the strong support of the board of directors, and the full cooperation of the co-workers and volunteer teams. Colleagues have different experiences, personalities and working styles, so they naturally have different ideas when creating. Although "iron sharpens iron, a sharp edge is sharpened", the tacit understanding of many years of cooperation allows them to know when to persist and when to give up. My own opinion.

"With faith, doing our part, asking for advice from many sources, and praying constantly, this is how God accomplishes us." The New Vision team witnessed with their own eyes that God made a task that everyone thought was "impossible" possible, and it was very outstanding.

▲Brother Geng Donghong is recording the narration.

Conclusion and blessings

The "Destiny" series of feature films carefully produced by the New Vision team with their wholehearted service to God, wholehearted trust in God and professional skills directly cuts into the deepest value issues of the country, society and individuals, like a clear spring, irrigating water in the desert. A new world and new horizons illuminate the road in chaos with the eternal destiny, reveal the truth that those who comply with the destiny will prosper, and lead people's hearts to the eternal hope.

I sincerely bless New Vision Evangelism. May God reuse this professional organization and continue to serve the Kingdom of God with pure enthusiasm. Pray that God will grant more resources so that more gospel film and television works that are in line with God’s will can be spread into the world and participate in God’s great mission. .