When you sell 50 million of anything, you get people’s attention. Not only did VeggieTales attract a great deal of attention, it also inspired a lot of people to try their own hands at video production. I still remember my shock when, in Big Idea’s heyday, we made our first recruiting visits to art schools and were mobbed by fans. What surprised me the most, though, were the number of kids pursuing animation at those schools who said, “VeggieTales is the reason I went to art school.” Once I got over my surprise, my next emotion was a strong sense of responsibility. I had, after all, inspired these kids to pursue art as a form of ministry. Now I needed to help them.
My first response was to give jobs to as many as I could. This works well, up to the point where you have hired more mouths than you can feed. Then, as we discovered at Big Idea Productions, things fall apart very rapidly, and soon you aren’t helping anyone at all. Since Big Idea’s bankruptcy I’ve been trying another approach: Advice. Help likeminded artist/ministers avoid the mistakes I made. Save them the trouble. In the last few years I’ve had email conversations with dozens of artists and artistic entrepreneurs all across America and in several other countries. To disperse my nuggets of hard-earned wisdom more broadly, I’ve decided to write a few articles, which you can read here first.
So… you have an idea for a Christian kids video series that you’re pretty sure could be the next VeggieTales. Cool. You probably have a few questions about how to bring your own big idea to life. The first step? Make sure you’re asking the right questions.
About a year ago I got an email from an excited young potential video producer with a burning question for me: “When you made your first VeggieTales video, did you burn the DVD’s yourself, or did you hire someone to do that for you?” Very politely I pointed out to the young would-be producer that, firstly, when we made the first VeggieTales video, DVD had yet to be invented. Folks were buying VHS cassettes, and there were enough VHS duplicators competing for work that there was no reason for anyone to duplicate their own VHS cassettes. Secondly, I pointed out that he was asking the wrong questions.
What are the right questions? Well, let’s start with this. The production of a video, film or TV show is secondarily an act of art, and primarily an act of commerce. It is a business venture. Even if your production funding comes from donors who wish never to see their money again, you will still need to work through exhibitors, broadcasters and/or retailers to reach your audience, all of whom are commercial operations with commercial motivations. Regardless of your artistic (or ministry) aspirations, producing your video or film and delivering it to an audience is, first of all, a business proposition. Your ability to accomplish your artistic or ministry objectives depends largely on your understanding of the business behind your venture. So the first question any budding producer should ask is this: “Do I understand this business?” If you want to make a home video, the first step isn’t to write a script or learn computer animation, the first step is to learn the home video business. What’s working? What isn’t? What are the trends? Where is the business headed? Same for the feature film business, the TV business, or the dry cleaning business, for that matter. Never attempt to launch a business without a decent working knowledge of the industry you are entering.
So what’s the first step to launching any new business venture? Learn. Learn everything you can about the industry. Every industry has trade magazines, and, now, trade websites. Subscribe to the magazines. Read them. Frequent the websites. Attend tradeshows. Opportunities are created by trends, and trends are identified by watching conditions change over time. Because I am in the entertainment industry, I read Variety every week. I have done this since 1994 in the very early days of VeggieTales, when the $250 subscription price really could have been used for other things – like food. Why? Because something deep inside me told me my ability to minister through this crazy, mixed up industry was dependent on my knowledge of its trends – of what was working today, and, even more importantly, what wasn’t. I started reading production magazines like Millimeter, Videography and Cinefex while I was still in high school in the early 80s. I loved learning how things worked – how my favorite films were crafted. What I didn’t realize at the time was that this insatiable curiosity would be a huge competitive advantage – the reason my films would be more likely to reach an audience than the films of someone equally creative but less curious.
Contrary to popular belief, VeggieTales was not entirely a ‘happy accident’. While its success was far from a sure thing, when I conceived VeggieTales in the Fall of 1990, I was very deliberately crafting a creative venture that grafted my desire to minister to kids atop the societal and technological trends I had been observing for several years. What trends were those? On the technical side, it seemed to me that CG software and the UNIX workstations that powered it were finally reaching a point where a very simple character could be feasibly animated in a half-hour program. New developments in multitrack digital audio recording ( in particular, the ADAT 8-track recorder) and non-linear editing (the Media 100 as a low-cost alternative to established but expensive Avid) were dramatically reducing the cost and expense of long-form video production. Without the development of any one of these tools – Softimate 3D software, Silicon Graphics workstations, Alesis ADAT digital multi-track recorders and Media 100 non-linear editors – VeggieTales could not have been produced for the tiny amount of money I was able to raise, if at all.
But physically producing the first show was only half the battle. The flipside of the coin were the societal trends in motion at the time. In 1990, as I sat down to brainstorm a new kids show, Christian bookstores were on the rise. There have always been Christian bookstores around, mostly selling Bibles and church supplies, but the rise of the Christian music industry in the late 1970s, coupled with the success of a new wave of Christian celebrity authors like James Dobson had expanded the scope of Christian retail through the 1980s. Christian bookstores were growing even more as the 80s drew to a close, fueled by the success of superstar Christian artists like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, and the heightened sense of self-identity in the evangelical community following the rise of the Moral Majority and then the Christian Coalition as major players on the national political scene. It’s as if the conservative Christian community was saying, “We’re here! We’re somebody! And look – we’ve got our own stores!” The first generation of kids raised on Christian rock started having kids of their own, and Christian music labels responded in the early 80s by producing Christian kids albums like Agape Force’s “Bullfrogs and Butterflies,” the Christian world’s first platinum-selling kids album. Christian bookstores were now about much more than just Christian books. They were about Christian lifestyles.
By the end of the 80s, as Amy Grant brought Christian music to the masses, something else was invading American homes in record numbers: VCRs. VHS cassette decks were now “must have" items, and entrepreneurial producers were responding by cranking out videocassettes by the millions. A few Christian music labels attempted to produce video versions of their kids albums, with mixed results. Then, just as I was sitting down to think through my own filmmaking plans as a 24 year-old animator who loved to read trade magazines, James Dobson’s uber-ministry Focus on the Family delivered to Christian bookstores the first big budget Christian video series, McGee & Me. While most of Hollywood would never hear about McGee & Me, my mother was working at a Christian publisher at the time, and so I knew what Variety didn’t. McGee & Me was selling a ton of VHS cassettes direct to Focus on the Family's fanbase, and, more importantly, through Christian bookstores.
To me, the trends were clear. PBS and the TV networks had no interest in overtly Christian kids shows. But for the first time in history, that didn’t matter. VCRs provided direct access to living rooms for films that the networks wouldn’t air. Christian bookstores provided access to those parents who most wanted their kids immersed in Christian values. I wanted to minister to kids, and I was pretty sure the solution involved VCRs, Christian bookstores, Softimage, Silicon Graphics, ADATs and Media 100s. Remove any one of these elements and the whole thing falls apart. The key to throwing a touchdown pass is not to throw the ball to where the receiver is, but rather to where the receiver is going to be. (And that's coming from someone who hates sports analogies.) The key to a project like VeggieTales, and to any new business whether motivated by money or ministry, is to craft an idea not for where the world is right now, but rather for where the world is headed. Entrepreneurship is a lot like divination – do it right and it looks like magic. But it isn’t magic, it just involves lots and lots of reading.
Learn. Read. Absorb. Everything. This is lesson one. If you’re still with me, and you still want to minister to the world through films, I have good news and bad news. Stay tuned – there’s lots more to talk about.
Continued in Part 2>
hey phil, totally off track to your post, did you see that bob the tomato made the daily show/colbert report holiday special?
if you go to comedy central you can watch it – one of the reporters is in a christian book store and he picks up a talking bob the tomato and has a moving moment. it’s really cool.
thought you’d want to know.
Phil
Wow, I recently in my life have felt I should produce a Christian animated videos for kids and adults alike…so I sat down and thought where shoud I go to get more info on whats going on out there, add what could I do to get where I need to go…..well my first stop was BIG IDEA.com just to see whats going down and then I fell on your site with the post “So You Want to Make Your Own Christian Videos?”. Flashing in my face like a bright neon light, an answer to prayer. man God it good
It comes at a time right when I needed to here Gods voice, to see if this is a road I should go down……
Thank you for this post and I look forward to reading the rest of what you have to say
Jason McArthur
Hey Phil,
You present sound advice suitable for ANY person considering launching a business venture. As a matter of fact, I get a lot of questions from working mothers looking to go into business for themselves or work from home, and if I were half as eloquent as you are, this would be the advice I dispense to them! 🙂 I guess I’ll just start quoting you more often.
I also got my copy of Me, Myself and Bob! I’m so looking forward to reading it – I’ll be burning the midnight oil to read it without interruption…of course that’s probably wishful thinking…,my WorkingMom.com ministry isn’t just a clever marketing tactic; my husband Big Dan and I actually do have four (Lord willing soon to be FIVE) children under the age of 9 at home…
I could always read your book at the office as part of my staying ontop of trends and market research! Not a bad idea, I think I actually WILL put it in my briefcase!
Anyway, keep up the good work.
Your Friend,
Sabrina
Thanks for this Phil, its good to get helpful insight of the right things to do, im looking forward for more.
Heheheheh…sorry, but my short attention spand just skipped to the end of the article…good news, or bad news?
If this could have been explained a little simpler, I wouldnt be confused, so I’m just gonna get back to reading your book, mkay?
Chapter…17 I think. And now that I’m finally up that far, i think I need to give you a hug for every previous chapter. Onward to another sleepless night…wait wait, classes tomorrow, drat!
…onward to another sleepless night!
This is a great reminder for us creative types–to succeed, business skls are just as important (if not moreso) than artistic ability and vision. I can’t wait for part 2.
Also, I oredered your book on Amazon.com and can’t wait to read it. Your openness about your successes and failures is a real blessing. I’ve learned a lot from you and am looking forward to learning more.
Great article!
Can’t wait for the next one!
A very insightful article, Mr. Phil. Thanks for sharing what you’ve learned. I think your advice goes for any business, even for career choices; seeing what people need, where trends are heading, and then meeting that need. God bless! 🙂
Hi Phil
My name is Danielle ; I live in London Ontario (Canada). I saw you on 100 Huntley Street this morning… I had heard of Veggie tales before but never knew who the man behind the stories was. I listened so intently to the program this morning, amazed at how humble you are after such an ordeal. As I watched the program my heart ached and tears streamed down my face, I’m so scared of going outside God’s will … many times in the past three years I have exhausted myself because I was doing things in my own strength. When you spoke of your new adventure (Jelly Fish) I totally understood the message behind the name … when you are flowing with the current and have no plans or selfish expectations on where you need to be … that’s when you are exactly where God wants you to be (submitting and trusting him to do the work and fulfill every need to get you where he wants you). Thanks for the wonderful testimony!
PS. I have written a couple of children’s stories (I’m working on a series) and I would love some input on them … if you have the time to read one of them … and let me know what you think it would be a huge blessing.
Danielle
I just finished my myself and bob and I have to say I loved it! I had read your diary account here on this site and enjoyed it immensely, so I didn’t expect to be surprised by the fuller story, well I was, I was brought to tears by the end of it. thanks
I am a little alarmed at the number of Christians who are looking to be celebrities (I am not inferring that was an impression I gleaned about you from your book) who want to be the next Amy Grant, or to make the next big Hollywood movie, or write the greatest story, that would save hundreds of thousands of people, as the adorable little caterpillar said in Jonah “the world doesn’t need more people who are big and important” we need people who are compassionate and willing to love even when love seems like the hard choice.
Thanks Phil!
I laughed, I cried, laughed some more…then sobbed! Your book and life have made an enormous inpact on me. Our lives have paralleled in many ways. On the brink of stepping out into unfamiliar cartooning-territories, your book served as a timely warning to me from God.
While costly in many respects, your sacrifice was not in vain. As millions were so positively affected by the Veggies God created through you, so will your testimony triumph for the glory of God. I pray God lead you and guide your every step with His wisdom and for His glory…in Jesus’ name!
Again, Thanks!
Kim (of WillyWoe.com)
audiobooks2buy.comThis is very interesting article st VeggieTales video, did you burn the DVD’s yourself, or did you hire someone to do that for you?” Very politely I pointed out to the young would-be producer that, firstly, when we made the first VeggieTales video, DVD had yet to be invented. Click on the link http://www.audiobooks2buy.com/specialOffers.aspx/MP3
Hello,
My name is Richard Williams, and God has recently placed in my heart to start my own Animation Film Studio. Just yesterday I pray to my Abba, Father through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on what to do with beginning a completive career as this. I have an AAS degree in Graphic Communication from Saint Louis Community College at Florissant Valley, and I am current attending the University Missouri- Saint Louis (UMSL). UMSL and the state of Missouri is not giving me the opportunity to at least step through the door of a campus that teach nor company that produces Christian animated films. After reaching all yesterday and before, I thought maybe God is not calling me to the animation film industry. I cannot even get a full-time or part-time position in my own state as a graphic artist, illustrator, graphic designer, or portrait artist. However, when I seen your website that said ‘SO YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHRISTIAN VIDEOS” I thought man. Can it be that easy; a website that ask the question I am asking. With this being said, I believe my prayer has been answer some. Though I still need the answer on what schooling do I need as well as what company that will give me a stepping-stone. Therefore, I have not had the privilege to read everything on your web site, but I thought after I seen you comment box I should ask my question. So, my you please get back to me as soon as you can. My email address is rpw63112@yahoo.com. Thank you for your time and consideration.
P.S. Thank God for you and the God giving talent that God has place in your heart. Veggie Tales has allowed me to see life in a new perspective. I never seen a Christian animation film until I seen one of your films which took my breath away. I was so overwhelm and delight that God has someone preaching to the youth to value life, life in Christ Jesus, and life perspective and goals. God bless you and continue to remain encourage.
Sincere,
Richard Williams
Hey Phil
I loved the article it reminded me of the journey I believe God has me on. Two years ago I felt like God told me and some friends to start writing a screenplay and make a movie I thought great I’ll just write this thing and be done. Well almost two years later where not just rewriting for the fifth time where in a constant learning mode. I have learned that just because God calls you doesn’t mean the magic happens and the thing gets done. It all takes work, learning, practise, failures happy moments of joy and dread its about taking steps and trusting God that there are no “happy accidents” and your article has given me courage to go on because as of today I wanted to quite. You see I keep looking for the end of the road and God keeps telling me its not the end of the road that helps us grow in an area of our lives its the journey he has us on, the walk right here right now thats really important.
Thanks for the encouragement and walk on with him in all he calls you to as I will now.
Trevor
frootbearerseries.com.Mr. Phil
Thanks for the advice. I have been a fan of veggietales for some time now. You are such a gifted individual, thanks for inspiring me! And your book blessed me so much! Thank You!
My name is Joyce Evans, and I too believe God has given me a ministry for reaching our kids. I have 3 of my own and know the importance of getting them rooted in the Word of God. God gave me this vision in 2000, and this year, I finally published my first book! Praise God! The journey has been long, but well worth the wait!
The name of my ministry is ‘Frootbearer Series”. I honestly believe we as parents and spiritual leaders need to train our children in the way they should go, and when they get old, they want depart. (proverbs 22:6). The bible also tells us to “teach them daily, the commands of the Lord. (Deut 6:7) So I have begun this with my own kids, teaching them to develop a heart to walk in God’s Word. I am basically starting this first series with the fruit of God’s Spirit, Gala 5:22-23.
I have written and illustrated my first book entitled “A Granny Goodness Day”. My second book is coming out this fall, “Rotten, but not Forgotten”. I am having a blast! I must admit, the legal aspects are boring, but the creative part is FUN! I am planning to move this to 3-D animation soon!
If you get a chance, please stop by my website and tell me what you think. http://www.frootbearerseries.com.
Blessings!
Joyce
Thank you Phil for sharing your life story so honestly.
As the mother of an eight year old who already loves making movies, your book encouraged me to not look so much at what he is doing at the moment, but who he is becoming. I pray that he learns to wait upon God and to be content with God alone.
Hey guys,
Mr. Vischer is right that the Christian video industry is changing. I’m a Christian film distributor and I can tell you that things are changing rapidly. Don’t doubt it.
Now for some encouragement, all you Christian filmmakers may want to check out my blog series on Christian movie distribution.
In Christ,
Scott
Nice article. Found your article to be informative. I Have a small radio station and tv production company. Not sure which direction to go next. I’m basically ready to try different ideas. Have A Great Day !
INTERESTING ARTICLE.
YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION. YOU SAID IN YOUR ARTICLE ,
” The key to throwing a touchdown pass is not to throw the ball to where the receiver is, but rather to where the receiver is going to be. (And that’s coming from someone who hates sports analogies.) The key to a project like VeggieTales, and to any new business whether motivated by money or ministry, is to craft an idea not for where the world is right now, but rather for where the world is headed .
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I BELIEVE I CAN APPLY THIS IDEA TO MY SITUATION .
GRACE & PEACE TO YOU,
HECTOR DE LA ROSA
Dear Phil,
I still have the letter, personally signed by you from 1996 in response to my letter, after reading about your Big Idea productions in the Chicago Tribune. I was new to the area and was looking for work in the Christian arena. I was interested in voiceover work with you and also added that I was a professional choreographer. Your letter said submit a “cassette” voice tape. I did so and got a call from your staff to come see you. Then i received a call about doing choreography for a possible Stage SHow you were creating to take on tour.
The possibility of working with you had me swirling as I was a new Christian and couldn’t wait to use my creative talents for His Kingdom. Well…then it happened..the calls I sent to you were answered by confusion. Some staff said we are moving to Lombard and things are changing quickly. Please try back later..then NOTHING…I never heard back from you again…but from my experience in the acting, dancing, media field, disappointment was part of the package. I was use to either losing an audition to a prettier, more talented *or knew the producer” lady, so I didn’t take it personally.
After hearing you on the radio today at Moody….I pulled over and said a prayer for you.
I had always just felt you were one of the REAL people..honest and genuine. Rarely do you see that in this industry. However, being a Christian ..you have held up with integrity in tact …and for that you should feel good!! God is protecting you from the evils of the world so you can focus and use your talents for Him!!! I feel that’s he directs my paths in the same way and I worry NOt…for tomorrow will worry for itself…(my interpretation)..LOL. I once wanted to be a star..win a crown as Miss something or be rich and famous…but God has another use for me..so I wait and work and go where He leads..and so far He has never let me down….stay strong and best wishes for your new websiste!!
.Peace Be with you..KB
I love to song.
Hi,My name is Irma and I really need your help!
God has given me a mission and I am trying to find guidance in my journey. I have been an artist since childhood and feel God is directing me to fulfill my purpose on earth through the gift he has given me. I know what I am suppose to do and started a few drawing on the project. But I don’t know where to go from here, as I am an artist who does realism, having no training in animation. I feel you are where God is guiding me in hopes that you might help. I know the need to reach out with positive messages is vital right now and the concept God has given me will hopefully help reach out to our children and teens. I want to create a feel good cartoon embedded with the love and compassion God wants us to share with one another. Although I can’t really go into detail with my project at this time. I do know it will do what it is meant to do if God wills a way for me to bring it to reality. Thank you so much for your time, God Bless, Irma
Hi Phil V,
My brother Rob is great at 3d modeling and I have some large format printing experience. Perhaps God might want us to use these together to work towered the upcoming holographic end-zone. Let us know if there’s any way we can be of service!
Also to all those who read this too.