The Orthodox Witness in America
Hey there I am Chris J. Davis, a sub-deacon in the Antiochian Orthodox Church. My background is in art and film production, although for the last 10 years or so I have been working with startups and the open source community.
As a convert to Orthodoxy I have witnessed first hand the confusion people have when you tell them you are Orthodox. If they have heard of Orthodoxy, the first question out of their mouths is "What type of Orthodoxy?"
Most western thinkers consider the many cultural expressions of Orthodoxy we have in this country as independent Churches, with different beliefs, practices and ideologies.
This web series aims to dispel this belief by gathering Priests, Deacons and hopefully Bishops from the various cultural churches and have them show the doctrinal and practical unity we have in this country.
This 3 episode series will be made available free of charge to Churches and Diocese across the nation, giving them a practical tool to give to people who are interested in our faith, or those who are struggling to understand the choice their loved ones have made to become Orthodox.
What will we do with the money?
Great Question! We want this to be of as high quality as possible. We are shooting on Canon 7d's, which are great for this type of film making. However we don't have lenses that will allow us to reach the level of excellence we are going for.
To really do the job we are envisioning, we need a couple of Cine lenses. Usually these lenses cost many thousands of dollars a piece. Luckily for us, some inexpensive models have come on the market.
We really need to acquire the following lenses to make this project happen in the way we want.
- Rokinon Cine CV24M-C 24mm
- Rokinon Cine CV35-C 35mm
- Rokinon CV85M-C 85mm
What will we do with any extra money?
Another Great Question! Right now we are going to be doing the series shoots with one camera, and cobbled together lighting equipment. Ideally we need another 7d body, and some decent lighting equipment.
Any money that is raised that exceeds the base amount will go towards purchasing another 7d body, and then better lighting equipment.
The Impact
There are very few tools like this available to our churches, which is a shame. Something accessible like this would be a real blessing to the millions of Orthodox Christians in this country, their loved ones and their friends.
As we are working on greater unity of our Churches in this country, a project like this would be an effective tool in helping spread the message that we really are one Church.
Other Ways You Can Help
Every dollar helps, but if you can't support our mission through financial donation, you can still play one of many important roles.
- Pray for this project, and for the Orthodox Church in America.
- Tell all your friends, and point them to this page. Spread the word about the work we are doing for The Word.
- Tell your Priests, Deacons and Bishops. Having the support of our Clergy will make or break this project.