Guest Post: Dave Schwarz

@dcschwarz and @nickjones created Prolifik Films to provide visual storytelling for ministries, churches, and non-profit organizations who are serious about having impact and creating change. A noteworthy Prolifik Films project was the documentary “Only Love” featuring U2 frontman Bono which aired at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit last year. Dave lives in Saint Charles, IL with Robin, Brandon and Kaylee.

We’re all familiar with the tired phrase “the cobbler’s children have no shoes”. In fact, in some circles it’s so overused that it’s been rendered meaningless. But if we peel back the cliché, we typically conclude that the cobbler spends so much time at the shop earning a living that his family isn’t a priority. And this is why it gets repeated over and over by designers, printers, marketers and a host of other service providers who can’t make the time to help themselves .

But the possibility that what the cobbler does at work is the last thing he wants to do for his family is troublesome, too. And sadly, we all hear this sort of thing all the time. What’s the creative equivalent of this phrase?
“The musician’s baby has no songs written about her?”
“The photographer’s family has no portraits?”
“The designer’s house is all white—just as the builder left it.”
If that’s ever true—especially amongst creatives in the kingdom—then something is broken. In fact, I believe that the demands of the busy Easter season are all the more reason to blur the lines between those things that you love . . . from friends & family to the artistic or technical passions that you’ve been entrusted with.
This isn’t about taking your work home. This is about combining the things that you love to fuel, to inspire, and to challenge yourself creatively.
Nick and I were testing some equipment a while back and shot this one-minute sample of my family:

Let’s Go Bowling Spec/Sample from ProlifikFilms on Vimeo.

Now, I love that video for what it is. But practically speaking, I’ve found myself playing it in a handful of settings to illustrate one thing or the other. One potential client was expressing frustration about a casting agency & how their spots never came across as authentic, but after seeing the bowing spec, their perspective changed forever. They said that they’d trade the film crews, grip trucks, location fees and catering tables for something that felt that real. It led to some great conversations and a complete re-invention of their expectations—all from a simple little film that we put together just to test some new equipment & have some fun.

At a recent brainstorming meeting we were having trouble pulling all of the resources together to tell a handful of stories from start-to-finish. So, to explore the idea of combining simple visuals with live narration (or teaching) I played this one-minute video that I put together after a recent family trip to Washington DC:

Vietnam Memorial Wall Spec/Sample from ProlifikFilms on Vimeo.

As the video was playing, I talked about how a volunteer had chosen to spend some extra time with my seven year-old daughter. He honored us by telling her the story of the one female solider killed in action in Vietnam. He took Kaylee to a spot on the wall where he helped her make a rubbing of the soldier’s name—Sharon Lane. As we were getting ready to leave, this war-hardened volunteer veteran turned to us & with red, teary eyes, he said “Thank you. You guys just made my day.” I was speechless. A draftee, thrust into an unpopular, loosing war, and now volunteering nearly all his time in his last chapter of life—and we made his day. It wrecked me.

And after showing these simple visuals, and choking my way through the story, it clicked with the team. The series of illustrations didn’t need to resolve themselves on film. And our plans started going in a whole new direction.

I think that if we truly love what we do, and we live with enough margin to practice our skills and passion outside of our livelihood, that it’ll fuel and inspire us creatively.

Incidentally, I’ve also got a number of personal projects that failed—shots that didn’t work, moments that weren’t captured as I would have liked. And I learned from every single one of those, too.
The ability to tell stories, create moments, and explain, inspire or illustrate through drama and art . . . these are precious, noble gifts & passions. Some of us (myself included) need to be reminded that this aspect of being created in the image of God is way too important to use just to earn a salary. It’s not just what we do. It’s a big part of who we are.