Tech Tips for Catholics

If you follow us on Twitter, then you know how much we love Kickstarter.com.  Kickstarter is a fun way to fund creative projects.  So, whether you are a Christian musician trying to fund your album, an artist trying to inspire, a software developer with an idea for a game, or someone with an idea for a book and a board game, Kickstarter is a super, great way to get others involved.  What we love about Kickstarter is the community aspect of it.  I have personally created one project and have backed several other worthy projects.

Why really great projects do not succeed…

1. You have no clear vision for your project: If you don’t know exactly what you want out of your project, how do you expect others to be on board?
2. Your project lacks a personal connection: Kickstarter people are real people, doing what they love.  Show your passion. Tell your story.  If your kickstart does not feature a good pitch video, of you, then your project is destined to fail!  Just be yourself and have fun with it.
3. You spam, rather than share: Sending out unsolicited @ tweets makes the rest of the Kickstarter community look bad.  A status update, letting those in your social network(s) know about the project is fine (just don’t over do it!)  Letting your family and friends know about your exciting project is totally acceptable and encouraged.  Podcasting and blogging are other great ways to share your project with others on a personal level.  If your project is creative enough, the buzz may come naturally.
4. You have lame backer rewards: One of the cool things about Kickstarter is the ability to create fantastic rewards for different level of support.  The more special the reward, the more support you will have for your project.  Spend some time looking at what other successful projects have offered to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t.
5. Your goal is too high: Because Kickstarter uses All-or-nothing funding, it is more important to reach your goal, than it is to reach the amount you hope you can get to fully fund your project.  If you go above and beyond your goal, then great!  But, if you do not reach your goal, then you get nothing.  Some people that you see often, and who want to support your project, but do not feel comfortable using Amazon payments, will probably provide funds the old fission way.

We hope to support your Catholic Kickstarter in the near future.  If you kickstart a  project and you would like to plug it in the comments section below, please do!
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You and your school could each win up to $25,000 for education!

Get out your camcorders and let your creativity shine. The Diocese of Brooklyn is sponsoring a video contest about having “an active life of Confession.” For more details, check out www.i-confess.com
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And, as if that isn’t enough, there is also a video contest for World Youth Day!  For more details, visit www.envideomadrid.org
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We came across this behind-the-scenes look at a few commercials filmed for Encourage Priests and Catolicos Regresen.  The commercials feature Tom Peterson, President and Founder of Catholics Come Home, and Eduardo Verastegui, Actor, Producer and star of Bella.  Enjoy!

Here are links to these great websites:

• EncouragePriests.org
• CatholicsComeHome.org
• CatolicosRegresen.org

Every three months, our local Knights of Columbus council would sponsor a speaker for our Defending Our Faith night. This one particular night I was pretty excited, because one of my all-time favorite Catholic speakers was coming to our Parish. I arrived early, only to find a table of youth group kids eating pizza. Now even though I was in my mid-twenties, I had the appearance of a youth group kid and was invited to join the pizza-eating festivities. Don’t mind if I do : )

A man wearing a suit and a really cool mustache came and sat down at our table—as if I have the right to say that I was a part of this fine group of young people.  This man started to tell a story of Christ’s crucifixion in a way that I had never really heard described.  He then engaged us in an intriguing conversation that reminded me of  something C.S. Lewis might have said.  This man introduced himself as Dr. Ray and he proceeded to eat delicious pizza with us.

He looked different than what I had imagined his voice to be on the radio.  Dr. Ray Guarendi is one of the hosts of “The Doctor is In”, which I was an avid listener to on Living Bread Radio.  On the show, he takes calls relating to parenting, family relationships, homeschooling, adoption, and sometimes questions about our faith.

Over the year’s, Dr. Ray has appeared on national radio and television, including Oprah, Joan Rivers, Scott Ross Prime Time, 700 Club, Gordon Elliot, and CBS This Morning. He has also been a guest on regional radio and television shows in over 40 states and Canada.  Dr. Ray has authored several books, including “Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime”, “You’re a Better Parent Than You Think!”, “Back to the Family”, “Good Discipline, Great Teens”, and his newest book, “Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It”.

Dr. Ray Guarendi has a doctorate degree in clinical psychology and is the father of 10 adopted children.  I would say this makes him qualified!

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Grassroots Films is touring their award-winning film, “The Human Experience” in Rome this week.  My wife, Shanon, and I had the privilege of screening this film last Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio.  It exceeded my expectations!  It is a movie that will make you feel somewhat uncomfortable at times, but also joyful other times.  This movie will make you laugh, cry, it will humble you, inspire you, and challenge you.  Hopefully, it will make you a better person.

After the movie, Jeffrey Azize and Michael Campo were there for a Q&A session, which I so wish I would have recorded!  There were some really good questions, and some even better answers.  Jeff and Michael were both very genuine and humble guys.  They mentioned that one of the questions often posed to them is, “Will there be a sequel?”  It is their prayer that each person who sees this film will be inspired to live out the sequel in our own lives.  I really hope that they put a sort of Best of Q&A on the DVD when it comes out.

If you get a chance to go see this movie, it is so worth the time and money.  I was surprised to see all the young people there as well.  I ran into a seminarian, who resided at our Parish all last summer.  And I was surprised to see our Parish Priest’s 2nd cousin, who is also a Priest in the Cleveland diocese there as well.  What a small world!

Oh Yeah!  You might also be interested to know that Grassroots Films are the ones who did these films as well:

Below are some related links to this topic:

• Review: The Human Experience
• R.E.C.: Catholic Filmmakers Showcase

Rebecca of Catholic in Film School is currently working on a series of blogposts that take a deeper look at how our Catholic priests are portrayed in movies.  In her recent post, “Priests on film series: An Introduction,” Rebecca highlights some of the different stereotypes often found in Hollywood films.

1. The Jolly Priest: is just a fun, one-dimensional character that gives one-liners and the occasional dopey, yet still fatherly advice.
2. The Old Creeper Priest: is usually found in thrillers like The X Files, and is placed to further exaggerate the general freaky deakyness of the film.
3. The Epic Priest: Despite the positive portrayal, the “Epic Priest” also tends to be one-dimensional.
4. The Secular Priest: The “Secular Priest” and what I would deem the “Non-Catholic” priest character presents a set of unique problems, because there is nothing discernibly ”Catholic” about either of these characters. (I’ll talk more about this later in the series.)
5. The Non-Catholic Priest aka “Fr. Morals & Values:”

I too often get agitated at how priests are portrayed in movies.  Nuns also seem to get painted with a broad brush in more recent films.  Stereotypes are often born of lack of knowledge or inexperience.

“Negative stereotypes are bad for everyone, but when films stereotype Catholic clergy they create division and disharmony not only between the Church and the secular world, but within the Church as well between the laity and the clergy,” Rebecca explains. “Imagine for a second, an agnostic teenager who has never had a conversation with a priest beyond a, “Good morning, Father” on Sundays after mass even though he’s been going to church his entire life. If that teenager sees the despicable film “Quills” for example, what is he supposed to think about the Church and the call to the priesthood? Not much, in my estimation.”

If you watch many of the prime-time TV shows, you would think every Catholic priest is a pedophile.  Rebecca says, “the church is in a post-apocalyptic/post-9/11 era due to the sex abuse scandal (that has not ceased in some parts of the world.)”  I would have to agree.

Rebecca will be breaking down each stereotype on her blog so be sure to bookmark Catholic in Filmschool or subscribe to her RSS Feed. Also, check out Rebecca’s contributions to Catholic Tech Tips.

Below are some related links to this topic:

• Philip Hoffman vs. Mark Shea
• Quote: The Priesthood
• Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR)

JellyTelly, a new online children’s video channel from Phil Vischer, creator of Veggie Tales launched last night!

Try out JellyTelly for free this first month and if you like it, then it is a monthly subscription at $2.99 a month there after.  Your subscription will get you access to the daily shows and fresh games.  JellyTelly wants to spend the money on good Christian programming and not have all the influential advertising that our children are exposed to on, say, Nickelodeon and those types of networks.

If your children beg you to watch SpongeBob SquarePants, JellyTelly would be a more wholesome alternative.  Each Sunday, JellyTelly will show a “Movie of the Week,” which will feature a family friendly movie from some more known Christian movie makers, as well as some of the up-and-comers.  So check it out and see what you think!

Feel free to post your comments or talk about specific episodes in our comments section of this post : )

“Five Tweezy” is posting a little challenge.  Now, I know that many of you were too young to remember the ’80s, but I’m sure you can figure it out : )

Here are the step-by-steps:

1. 80′s attire – Rock it out!  (you may have to make a run to your local thrift store)
2. Download the “Missing Pages” song samples and Mix and Mash them up!
3. Get that video recorder and go to town.  Sing it, dance it, rock it out!
4. Submit your video to streetteam [at] becrecordings [dot] com.

Only the Top 10 videos will be posted so be creative and have a great time!

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I thought that I had not forgotten, but after watching this DVD on the seventh year anniversary of that tragic day, I realized that I had forgotten the feelings that I felt that day and the weeks following. This film is amazing, but at the same time paralyzing.

Originally this film was supposed to be a documentary about a probie/rookie firefighter named Tony, but it became so much more. This documentary is very real and at times hard to watch. Especially when you can hear bodies and debris falling to the ground. And then the sound of the floors letting go — collapsing one after the other. It’s a miracle that some of these guys made it out alive. However Fr. Mychal Judge (also known as “Chaplain”) did not make it.

Fr. Mychal was featured in a documentary entitled “Saint of 9/11“. His body was carried out by these firemen and laid in St. Peters Church upon the altar. In both films Father Mychal is seen in the lobby of the first tower praying continuously. You couldn’t hear him, but you could see him mouthing prayers as deep concern took over his facial expression. He was a man of great faith and he helped so many people. And God may not have answered all of his prayers that day, but every firefighter from Engine 7, Ladder 1 made it back to the station alive.

This film is a must see! This is not a movie for children. It is real. You are there. You will be overcome with emotions as if time were frozen on this day which took place just seven years ago. Jules and Gedeon Naudet, two brother filmmakers, have preserved this footage so that we may never forget this day. So that we may never forget how we felt that September morning. Both Jules and Gedeon survived which is a miracle in of itself. When you see the footage you will agree.

Each year, in honor of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, I reflect back on and pray. I pray for their families. I pray for those who lost friends. I pray for those who have forgotten. And I pray for those who would do such a horrible act. God bless America. And God Bless our men and women serving our country. Amen †

Catholic Media House is a really cool place to get mini movies, motion backgrounds, still backgrounds, and other visual resources to help evangelize “culturally Catholics” and non-Christians alike.

Let me start by saying that these videos remind me of a lot of the stuff shown on Sunday mornings during non-Denominational Church services (which I attended all throughout my college years).  Though on their website, Catholic Media House states that some of the resources could enhance Mass,  I would highly discourage these resources being used during the Sacred Liturgy!  That said, they would be perfect for small groups, Bible studies, RCIA, youth groups and the such.  The following is a quote from their about us page.

Our products are primarily designed to be used in bible studies, retreats, camps, youth and children’s ministry, RCIA, faith formation, devotions, rallies, special events and other types of meetings outside of the Mass.  However, with careful selection, some items may be ideal in the Mass, particularly in certain seasons of the liturgical calendar.  Care, obviously needs to be taken so that the media enhances our worship and is not a distraction.

There are some really comical videos!  I especially like the really, really short cartoons by Steelehouse Productions.  Oh and “The Don’t Song” featuring the duo Johnny and Chachi is hilarious.

I would also encourage you to check out Nineveh’s Crossing’s video titled “Confession” which features Dr. Ray Guarendi.  It is very well done.