Major Catholic Animation Project

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Well I’m not black, so I might not be best for distinctly African characters. Other than that, I don’t have any strong preference. Maybe one of the angels (or Satan)?
 
Ducard said:
Well I’m not black, so I might not be best for distinctly African characters. Other than that, I don’t have any strong preference. Maybe one of the angels (or Satan)?
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That sounds good. I’ll pm you will Ezra Media’s current e-mail address, along with some of the angelic dialog, and a few of Satan’s lines. Pax!
 
I’d like to add one more thing; if anyone wants to look over my book and collaborate with me to adapt it to a screenplay, that would be very helpful. Idea on how best to compose the shot, and how to visually give the story movement would be appreciated. I’ll be happy to send anyone the text of my book via e-mail for this should he or she be interested.
 
Great to see a project like this. I’m a graduate from 3D modelling and animation and have always invisioned doing something of this scale myself. Preferably using high tech Hollywood Scale VFX with James Cameron, but it’s looking like I’d only accomplish this through a comic bok graphic novel. As a pieace that used beautiful art and had historical accurateness, spiritual essence and apologetics material all rolled up into one. At least as much as I’m able to do accurately, nobody’s perfect, so don’t worry if you later find yourself to have gotten something wrong in hindsight.

I would like to help but I don’t think I’ll be able to. As for some thoughts, it is more accurate that Adam and Eve were probably more red-skinned and had a resemblance closer to those of the Native Americans. The name ‘Adam’ signifies this. Anywya when touching upon Genesis, it would be a good idea to do some research into Biblical Creationism and Creation science. Try this website here: answersingenesis.org you’ll find a wealth of information and maybe even things you didn’t think about that you’d love to incorporate into your film. Also feel free to write to the staff at the website. I’m sure they’d love to help you with any questions you have.

Also I recommend reading as many commentaries on the Book of Genesis as you can. Ignore anything that tries to devalue Genesis in favor of Evolutionary perspectives, and focus on the parts that talk about typology and the non-literal meanings and things that foreshadow Christ and describe the condition of humanity and sinfulness. Some commentaries in the Gospels also harken back to Genesis and show the paralells between Christ’s sufferings and actions. There is an incredible richness that can be found that could help the art direction of your film.
 
Great to see a project like this. I’m a graduate from 3D modelling and animation and have always invisioned doing something of this scale myself. Preferably using high tech Hollywood Scale VFX with James Cameron, but it’s looking like I’d only accomplish this through a comic bok graphic novel. As a pieace that used beautiful art and had historical accurateness, spiritual essence and apologetics material all rolled up into one. At least as much as I’m able to do accurately, nobody’s perfect, so don’t worry if you later find yourself to have gotten something wrong in hindsight.
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Absolutely! I definitely want to keep all the elements stored in the event that any of the historical judgments I’ve made turn out to be wrong; the film will at least has the potential of being “fixed” if need be.
I would like to help but I don’t think I’ll be able to. As for some thoughts, it is more accurate that Adam and Eve were probably more red-skinned and had a resemblance closer to those of the Native Americans. The name ‘Adam’ signifies this. Anywya when touching upon Genesis, it would be a good idea to do some research into Biblical Creationism and Creation science. Try this website here: answersingenesis.org you’ll find a wealth of information and maybe even things you didn’t think about that you’d love to incorporate into your film. Also feel free to write to the staff at the website. I’m sure they’d love to help you with any questions you have.
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A good two years of research into the text of Genesis preceded the writing of Gan Aeden. It was well worth it, even for such a short work. Though I certainly consulted Answers in Genesis, I came to a different overall conclusion than they on several points. I’d like to explain what I mean, but first let me latch on to the interesting tidbit you bring up about Adam’s name.

First, we should note that “Adam”, in addition to being the name of an individual, is also the name of all mankind. The reason why is fascinating. “Adam”, being a cognate of “adamah” does indeed carry the connotation of “red”. Assuming an Egyptian background to the book of Genesis, “red earth” would usually have carried a connotation of the “profane” lands south of Egypt. The Ethiopians were people of the “red” (Egyptian dsr.t, ‘the red’, fem. of* dsr*), unholy land. Egyptians, on the other hand, were people of holy and fertile “black earth” (Egyptian* km.t*, fem. of km), such as surrounds the Nile.

Moses (and I do think that Moses is responsible for at least a large bulk of the Pentateuch), by showing the connection between “adam”, a Hebrew word for man, and “adamah”, was making it clear that the first man–and by extension, all men–was made of ordinary matter; he wasn’t made from anything uniquely sacred. All men were one family, a unity, none more “divine” than any other.

This, coupled with the statement that the Garden of Eden was planted “in the East”, suggests a location southeast of Egypt. This also gives us a spiritual comparison of Eden to the later Tabernacle. That’s all very well, you say, but what about the rivers?

I suggest that only one river flowed through Eden, and that the Hebrew “parad”, meaning “divided” or “separated” is telling us that no visible connection existed between the river in Eden and the other four. The other four are described as “heads”, not subsidiaries. In addition, “parad” is used to describe Lot’s departure from Abraham. No more visible connection remained between the two after that.

Now, we know that two of the rivers were, and still are sources of life for large parts of the world. The other two are more uncertain, although Josephus took one of them to be the Nile. Perhaps one is the Blue Nile, and the the other the White Nile. Regardless, if the river in Eden was holy, then Genesis seems to be saying that these other rivers receive whatever “sacred” value they have from the river of Eden.

As for Adam and Eve themselves, I looked at genetics to give the best idea for what they looked like. Belonging to “Halpogroup A” or earlier, they wouldn’t have exhibited genetic divergences from any ethnicity that came along later. This would make them of the same “race” as either Khoisan Bushmen, Ethiopians, or Nilotes. The Khoisan are the oldest of these groups, and they do have a “reddish” tint to their skin (cf. nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/images/temporary_exhibitions/extremes/extremes_large/africa/a_khoisan_man_northern_cape_south_africa/files/6398/nma.img-ex20042116-262-vi-vs1.jpg & nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/images/temporary_exhibitions/extremes/extremes_large/africa/portrait_of_a_khoisan_man_northern_cape/files/6400/nma.img-ex20042116-266-vi-vs1.jpg ). Their skin can get really light, or really dark. A good-looking Khoisan person really does appear to be a composite of every race in the world.
Also I recommend reading as many commentaries on the Book of Genesis as you can. Ignore anything that tries to devalue Genesis in favor of Evolutionary perspectives, and focus on the parts that talk about typology and the non-literal meanings and things that foreshadow Christ and describe the condition of humanity and sinfulness. Some commentaries in the Gospels also harken back to Genesis and show the paralells between Christ’s sufferings and actions. There is an incredible richness that can be found that could help the art direction of your film.
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Incorporating all the rich typology in Genesis into my book (and by extension, the film) was at the top of my list of priorities. Ever since I became a fan of Jacob Michael (whose website is sadly gone) this aspect of the Bible captivated me.

As I wrote the book I wanted to avoid a lot of the creationism/theistic evolution controversy that surrounds the text. I know I didn’t succeed completely, but my book could easily be interpreted either way. The film will be the same way; it will begin after the body of Adam is already there, and will not attempt to explain how it got that way! The only thing I wanted to make crystal clear was that in order for this body to be a man, God had to act upon it. He does, and thus, Adam is born.

Anyway, I’ve rambled long enough, and probably derailed this thread in the process…Pax!

+JMJ
 
I’m specially interested in a animation project about the Church History!!!

Are you planning in doing that part after the Old Testament one?

Great Project you have!

God Bless You!!!
:):)🙂
 
CesarAugustus said:
I’m specially interested in a animation project about the Church History!!!

Are you planning in doing that part after the Old Testament one?

Great Project you have!

God Bless You!!!
:):)🙂
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Thank you for the reply!

If this project is successful, it will lead to more projects. I sincerely hope to be able to follow sacred history all the way from Adam and Eve to at least the Council of Nicaea. This depends on what kind of grass-roots support Ezra Media gets, and at least partially on how well I can economize the next 60 years or so (should God bless me with an average life-span)!

I hope to bring in a few more writers and directors to make the process easier on everyone. The yet-to-be-named sequel to Gan-Aeden, which I think should cover the events immediately after to fall, up to the early life of Seth, would benefit greatly from this added (name removed by moderator)ut. But that’s a bit into the future!

Anyway, if we can build a team of collaborators who will invest themselves into Ezra Media, we will gain the experience needed to treat rightly the dramatic events of the Church’s early centuries.
 
delsydebothom said:
I’d like to add one more thing; if anyone wants to look over my book and collaborate with me to adapt it to a screenplay, that would be very helpful. Idea on how best to compose the shot, and how to visually give the story movement would be appreciated. I’ll be happy to send anyone the text of my book via e-mail for this should he or she be interested.
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I am interested. Though not a pro by any means, I have completed a class in scriptwriting, and have written a script that is registered with the WGA, so I’ve got some experience. And your project sounds great to me so far.
 
The project has a new temporary web home here. If anyone really wants to help out (and win my undying gratitude and eternal devotion) ask a question I can answer and stick in the FAQ page. Pax!

+JMJ
 
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