Moon Setting, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Interesting Places, Nature, Tim Frakes Productions
Arrived at the office early to find this waiting for me out front.
Tags: Full, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Moon, Nature, Tim Frakes Productions
Fighting Poverty in DuPage County
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under News, Tim Frakes Productions
This March, Tim Frakes Productions will team with People’s Resource Center in Wheaton, Illinois to produce a new video about that organizations work. PRC has been fighting poverty in DuPage County since 1975. Today, more than 31,000 DuPage residents rely on the PRC for help each year. It will be an honor to work with them and help tell their story.
Other interesting projects keeping me busy this spring include:
Haitian Artisans for Peace International
Recording three music videos with a Haitian choir. The videos will be shown at the United Methodist Church General Conference 2012 (April 23-May 5, 2012 in Tampa, FL).
ISAE Billy Graham Project
The Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College asked me to produce a new documentary that looks at the life of Evangelist Billy Graham.
The Jazz Passion
Sat., March 17 I will record the Jazz Passion at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville. The Jazz Passion features 24 of the best professional jazz instrumentalists and singers from the Chicago metropolitan region performing a one hour original musical presentation which tells the story of the last portion of Christ’s ministry from temptation to Resurrection. Tickets can be purchased at http://finearts.northcentralcollege.edu .
Seminex Documentary
Seminex (later known as Christ Seminary Seminex, is the story of a split in North American Lutheranism that led to the creation of the ELCA.)
Christian Family Services
CFS is an adoption, foster care and family counseling service based in St. Louis.
Alliance Women Ministries
The Alliance Women have asked me to create a video that helps them raise funds for global projects that support children.
Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions
The Parliament has asked me to help them create a video that focuses on sacred spaces in the Chicago area.
Tags: Adoption, Church, DuPage, Haiti, Justice, Poverty, Resource Center, Tim Frakes Productions, Video
People of Faith Publicity
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Documentary, History, News, Tim Frakes Productions
People of Faith: Christianity in America is getting some local media attention these days. Wheaton College issued a news release this week. Also, Jane Charmelo, a reporter for the Lombardian, our home-town newspaper, ran the following piece in it’s February 15 issue.
‘People of Faith’ explores church history
- by Jane Charmelo, Lombardian and Villa Park Review Newspapers
A new DVD series has been released that takes a look at the history of the American church, produced by documentary videographer Tim Frakes.
“People of Faith: Christianity in America” is a six-part documentary that “takes a look at key themes, controversies and personages in the history of the American church,” he related in a press release.
Frakes described that the series runs over three hours in total length, and “is aimed at church-based adult education classes and small groups in an effort to promote both general knowledge about church history and discussion about the historic, contemporary and future role of the church in American culture and society.”
Frakes, a 18-year resident of Lombard, owns Tim Frakes Productions in Glen Ellyn, and is an award-winning videographer, video producer, script writer and editor. He is a 1984 graduate of Harding University, and his videos can be seen on major TV networks and have been distributed around the world on DVD. The Lombard resident has produced programs in 20 countries throughout Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, Europe and the Middle East, as well as in the United States.
When asked how he got into video production, Frakes responded, “Back in high school in West Chicago, I worked for the West Chicago Press, a weekly local newspaper, and became fascinated with mass media.” “At Harding University, I enrolled in the school of journalism. They required spelling, so I moved to radio. Radio was fun, but television was even more enticing,” he continued, adding, “After college, I went to work for WCFC-TV 38, Channel 38, Chicago, and worked my way up the ladder to become a producer. The rest, [as] they say, is history.”
Frakes mentioned that from 1993-2007 he served as principal videographer for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and in 2007 launched Tim Frakes Productions, which “produces single camera documentary and image video for non-profit, faith-based, broadcast and corporate clients.”
He is also a contributing producer for “30 Good Minutes” on WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago.
Frakes said the “People of Faith” series was commissioned by the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, a center for research that also is a program at Wheaton College. It was founded in 1982 by evangelical historians and Wheaton College alumni Mark A. Noll and Nathan O. Hatch.
Frakes said the documentary was funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. an Indiana-based foundation established in 1937 by three members of the (Eli) Lilly family.
He outlined that the series is compiled of six programs, each of which addresses an aspect of the history of the American church, adding that it “tells the story in the American context and from the colonial period forward.”
Frakes said the project had been in the works for about five years, and he came on board about a year-and-a-half ago as producer, editor and director. The series was written by veteran author and executive producer Steve Rabey and Frakes was assisted by documentarian Paul Butler.
“Faith in the New World: From Monarchs to the Marketplace” is a basic historical overview of the church history, according to Frakes, and “Many Mansions” takes a look at the diversity within American Christianity.
Tim Frakes pauses on the grounds of a golf course converted into a massive tent city following the January 2010 Haiti earthquakes.
“The Challenges of Change” examines the role of innovation in shaping the historic and contemporary church, Frakes highlighted, and “Homegrown Saints” tells the stories of 10 “important and historic” figures throughout the church history, such as John Hughes, Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Rev. Billy Graham, among others.
Lastly, “The Future of Faith” discusses current issues and future directions, Frakes added.
He said the documentary also includes interviews with over 30 scholars and church notables such as Noll, Martin Marty, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, Jean Bethke Elshtain and R. Laurence Moore.
The final result, Frakes said modestly, is “a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of the history of American Christianity.”
As for the interviews with current church figures, “The scholarship is impeccable,” he added.
Frakes said he believes that “People of Faith” is meant to reach “a broad national audience,” adding that it is geared toward “educational and congregational settings [for] Christians of all stripes.” Frakes noted that the series, which includes study guides and support materials, is available through Vision Video at www.peopleoffaithseries.com. For more information on Tim Frakes Productions, visit his Web site at www.frakesproductions.com or on Twitter @timfrakes.
Tags: America, Christianity, Church, Faith, History, Tim Frakes Productions, Video, Wheaton College
Matthiessen State Park Fog
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Interesting Places, Nature, Tim Frakes Productions
Matthiessen State Park is located in central LaSalle County, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. These shots were taken along the Vermilion River which runs through part of the park. My son, Connor performed the guitar music.
Tags: Illinois, LaSalle County, Matthiessen State Park, Nature, Tim Frakes Productions, Vermilion River, Video
Tim Frakes on Vision Video
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Award winning video, Documentary, History, Tim Frakes Productions
Most of my productions serve clients with specific needs. However, some of my work is available for purchase. Vision Video, is a Pennsylvania based Christian and family DVD distributor that offers drama, documentary, live events, curriculum, and rare historical footage among the many genres. I am proud to be associated with them.
Most recently, Vision agreed to distribute People of Faith: Christianity in America. Here is a list of documentaries available for sale through Vision Video that I have produced for the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College and earlier in my career, through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
People of Faith: Christianity in America
Is America now or has it ever been a Christian Nation? What is the meaning of separation of church and state? How can the church be a faithful Gospel witness in a pluralistic society? What will the church look like in the future? People of Faith: Christianity in America brings perspective to these questions and more.
Saving the World?
In 1910 over a thousand Protestant missionaries, theologians and church leaders from around the world gathered in Edinburgh, Scotland for an unprecedented World Missionary Conference. Saving the World? chronicles the assumptions and expectations that Protestants carried into the 20th century and highlights some of the major — and unexpected — developments in the hundred years since that meeting in Scotland.
Glory to God Alone: The Life of J.S. Bach
In this video journey we are accompanied by Bach authorities including classical guitarist Christopher Parkening. They guide us through the development, personal crises, challenges, remarkable work output, and the compelling inner motivation of Bach and show why it was so important to the composer that his gifts be used for the glory of God alone.
Opening The Door to Luther with Rick Steves
Open the door to Martin Luther with public television travel host Rick Steves. He takes us to areas of Germany known as Lutherlands. From Eisleben, where Luther was born, to Wittenberg where he taught and preached, and to several other areas, we learn about the tumultuous events of the Reformation and the monk at the center of it all. We see how this Augustinian monk, who most wanted the quiet of a religious life, was thrust into the center of 16th-century world-shaking events.
The Morning Star of Wittenberg: The Life of Kaite Luther
This video documentary provides an intimate look at Katharina von Bora, former nun, 16th Century entrepreneur and wife of Martin Luther, father of the Protestant Reformation. It is an in-depth look at the life of the woman who helped Luther change the course of history. We learn how she coped with incredible demands and survived the continual onslaught of unpredictable developments.
Zamzam: A Missionary Odyssey
A gripping, true story of faith on the high seas from World War II. An old Egyptian liner carrying 144 missionaries, bound for mission work in Africa, was mistakenly shelled and sunk by a Nazi warship off the coast of South Africa. The passengers abandoned ship, and their precarious plight was filmed by two photographers who just happened to be on board. Here is their amazing — and some would insist, miraculous — story.
Lives Of The Apostles Paul And Peter
In these two programs, author and Public Television travel expert Rick Steves takes us on location to explore the lives of two great apostles.
Tags: Church, Documentary, Education, ELCA, History, Rick Steves, Tim Frakes Productions, Video
Candace Minster – Spiritual Journey
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Chicago Sunday Evening Club, Education, Faith Based Production, Nature, Peace and Justice, Spiritual Journey, Tim Frakes Productions, women
This story reminds me of summer. Candace Minster is an Environmental Education Coordinator at the White Violet Eco-Justice Center, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-in-the-Woods, Indiana. I recorded this story for 30 Good Minutes, WTTW, Channel 11, PBS, Chicago on a blazing-hot summer day.
Tags: Gardening, Justice, Spiritual Journey, Sustainability, Tim Frakes Productions, Video, women
People of Faith: Christianity in America Reviews
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under History, News, Tim Frakes Productions
Having no shame, I asked a few friends to review People of Faith: Christianity in America for the Vision Video website. If you are planning an adult Sunday school curriculum, consider these recommendations.
Time flew by
People of Faith Christianity in America presents an outstanding overview of the history and practice of Christianity in America with all of its rich diversity and profound complexity. Respected religion historians excellent narration and skillfully edited video move the story forward compellingly covering a lot of territory in six short episodes. I watched the entire series in one sitting and the time flew by. I highly recommend this program.
– Robert Black, 30 Good Minutes
Excellent tool
For those who are fascinated by the relationship between religion and culture in the United States the video series People of Faith Christianity in America is a trustworthy guide. Each of the six sessions guides the viewer to follow an issue or trend in the history of Christianity in the United States and see its manifestation in religious social and political events throughout our history and today. The clear and focused narrative along with the superb visuals and commentary by universally respected scholars makes this an excellent tool for use in classes for adults and teenagers in the congregations of all denomination.
- Claire Buettner St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Park Ridge Illinois
Excellent history
People of Faith does for the history of Christianity in America what Ken Burns has done for the history of the Civil War baseball and jazz. Steve Rabey’s scripts are carefully researched and easy to follow. This isn’t just a dry chronology. Rather each episode follows a thematic view of the last two centuries in a way that would allow that episode to stand alone in a classroom setting or fit seamlessly into a viewing of the entire series.Coproducer editor and videographer Tim Frakes is a consummate storyteller who has kept the episodes visually captivating through impeccable variety and pacing. Interviews with scholars help the viewer not just to grasp what happened in the past but to understand how the church institutions and organizations we know today have come to be. This series belongs in every congregational collection and university library.
- Rev. Mark D. Johns Ph.D.Associate Professor of Media StudiesLuther College Decorah Iowa
Order on DVD or download electronically through Vision Video.
Tags: Church, History, Tim Frakes Productions, Video
Shalom Singers Video for United Methodist General Conference
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Carribean, Music, Tim Frakes Productions
This February I will be back in Haiti recording several new music videos which will be integrated into worship settings at the United Methodist Church’s 2012 General Conference, scheduled for April 24-May 4 in Tampa, Fla. The music group, The Shalom Singers, are part of a UMC funded development project known as Haitian Artisans for Peace International in Mizak, Haiti.
Here is a short piece I cut together during a live worship in Mizak in 2011.
Tags: Haiti, Haitian Artisans for Peace International, Music, Tim Frakes Productions, Video
People of Faith: Christianity in America
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Client Production, Education, History, News, Promo, Tim Frakes Productions
In October, 2010, Larry Eskridge from the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals at Wheaton College asked me to help produce People of Faith: Christianity in America, a six episode video series that tells the story of American Christianity in all its diversity from the colonial period to the present. The series is a fast-paced account of the people, ideas, movements, and organizations that influenced the course of America’s Christians down through the years.
People of Faith: Christianity in America is available through Vision Video. Call 1-800-523-0226 or log on to
http://www.peopleoffaithseries.com to order the 2 DVD set for home or congregational resource library.
The scope of this project is massive. Larry, writer Steve Rabey and producer Paul Butler began the project in 2006, but the sheer weight of the material brought production to a crawl. Larry and Paul asked me to drive the length of the field and move the ball over the goal line (to use a sports metaphor)! My role has been as producer, videographer and editor. Paul did quite a few scholar interviews early on. He also began the editing process on episode 3. Steve Rabey wrote the scripts for all six episodes. After taking over the project I contributed with additional scholar interviews, hours of new worship footage, historical landscape exteriors, hours and hours of editing including narration recording with Tim Lundeen and narrator Maurice England.
Synopsis
Episode 1. Faith in America: From Monarchs to the Marketplace
The people who arrived on the shores of the New World came from many places. They came for many reasons. And most of them brought with them traditions of Christian faith that had been practiced in Europe for centuries. But an interesting thing happened once these new arrivals settled down in this vast and fertile land. The regulation of religious practices that had long been controlled by kings and governments in Europe was now up for grabs.
Over time these people of faith created something in America that had never been seen in the history of the world. They created a nation where this religious freedom gave birth to unprecedented levels of religious diversity, experimentation and competition among churches and religious groups.
These spiritual pioneers laid the foundation for a spiritually diverse New World where faith and practice were no longer controlled by monarchs, but by common, everyday men and women.
Episode 2. Many Mansions
Jesus once told his disciples, “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” And many Americans have embodied this diversified vision of heaven in the way they look for churches. But how did American religion become so diverse? The answer has a lot to do with the people who came here, and the policies they established.
Episode 3. Rebels with a Cause
Christians have played an important role in American public and political life from the beginning, but that doesn’t mean people of faith always speak with one voice on social issues. In fact, members of various churches and faith traditions have frequently found themselves on opposing sides of these issues—often pursuing different priorities and outcomes. The one thing they do have in common is that people of faith share a common desire to battle principalities and powers to usher in their vision of a better world and often see themselves as “rebels with a cause”.
Episode 4. Challenges and Change
For generation after generation, Americans worked to create a place for faith at the center of public life. But you know what they say: “The only thing that’s constant is change itself.” As times changed, culture changed. So churches and religious groups responded to cultural change by focusing on new issues and challenges.
While Christians applied their faith in new ways to new problems, other people suggested that faith was irrelevant for modern times. But Christians in America were not about to give up. Instead, they reached down deep, re-examined their faith, and explored ways to apply their values to the changing social landscape.
Once Christians in America felt they had created the ideal church or the good society, new developments and challenges arose which upset the status quo and forced them to rethink their beliefs and find new ways to apply them to current conditions.
Episode 5. Home Grown Saints
More than any other nation, America has given its citizens the freedom to shape their religious lives as they see fit. Centuries ago in Europe, religion was largely controlled by popes and potentates. But America has taken a more open approach that has leveled the playing field, allowing anyone and everyone to play a role in the country’s thriving religious life.
America has been home to so many people of faith that it’s challenging to pick out ten of the most influential Christian leaders of the past two and one-half centuries. Home Grown Saints is a short list of ten men and women of faith who had a great impact on the shape of Christian faith in America.
Episode 6. The Future of Christianity
Christianity spread throughout the world over the past 2,000 years. And it has thrived in America over the past two centuries. But what does the future hold for faith? We asked Catholic, Protestant and evangelical experts eight questions about the future of Christian faith in America.
People of Faith: Christianity in America is designed for use in congregational settings, adult forums and Sunday school classes. Featuring leading authors and scholars of American Church History including:
Martin Marty: University of Chicago
Curtis Evans: University of Chicago
Mark Noll: University of Notre Dame
Scott Appleby: University of Notre Dame
Jean Bethke Elshtain: University of Chicago
Joel Carpenter: Calvin College
Philip Gleason: University of Notre Dame
Thomas Kidd: Baylor University
Darren Dochuk: Purdue University
Kathryn Long: Wheaton College.
Tags: America, Christianity, Church, History, Tim Frakes Productions, Video, Wheaton College
Honoring MLK, KKK Cross Sculpture at Chicago Temple
Posted by timfrakes | Filed under Culture, Education, Faith Based Production, Interesting Places, Peace and Justice, Pro Bono, Spiritual Journey, Tim Frakes Productions
If you are in Chicago’s Loop, stop by the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple and check out a sculpture based upon a cross that was burned on the lawn of Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi in the autumn of 1963. The students were being encouraged by Ed King, the campus minister to go into the city and to try and desegregate the churches on Sunday morning.
That not only led to the arrests of the students, but also led to the KKK burning a cross on the college lawn. Ed King kept the cross and gave it to the United Methodist Church who were in the process of trying to desegregate the denomination nationally. So, this cross became the symbol for the desegregation of the United Methodist Church in the 1960′s.
Eventually, the cross was taken to Pittsburgh at the general conference and walked around the conference hall. It became a rallying point. Later, the cross was given to Gerald Forshe, a pastor in Chicago, who brought home. He took it to Jack Kearney who was a very well regarded sculptor in town.
Kearney took that charred wooden cross, encased it in a kind of skin of metal, so that it wouldnt disintegrate. On it, he placed the obviously African American, distressed, truncated Christ. And so Jerry has had this sculpture for over 40 years in his own possession.
But when Jerry was very ill last spring he wanted to make sure that First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple received it and put on public display. The cross is a gift to the church that we can make available to people who visit and want to know the story. This cross not only referrers back to 1963, but it, holds a great deal of power for us today.
This summer, First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple had a guest who came to worship. He was a retired university administrator from Mississippi. He saw the figure on the cross and immediately said, “That is James Chaney.” James Chaney was one of the three young men who were murdered as they tried to register voters in Mississippi in 1963. Chaney was the only African American among the three. And so at least for that person, he saw in this figure, that historical moment.
Tags: Art, Chicago Temple, Cross, James Chaney, James Cheney, KKK, United Methodist