Do You Hear?

Do You Hear? Trailer from Geoff Schultz on Vimeo.

Do You Hear? is Elevation's 2008 Christmas series all about hearing from God. This past sunday was the second week of the 3 week series which will conclude with Elevation's first Christmas Eve services, which will be held at Belk Theatre in Uptown Charlotte at 3, 5, & 7 p.m.

It is going to something you won't want to miss - if you're in Charlotte for Christmas Eve, you should be there!  You can listen to the first two weeks of the series here (week 1) & here (week 2) or go to www.elevationchurch.org to watch the video online.

Here is another piece that was used during the worship set this past week.  People really responded well to this unique element.  It is awesome to see God reach people in a way they didn't expect when they walked in the doors that morning.

Silent Worship from Geoff Schultz on Vimeo.

When We Can't, He Can

So, this morning on my way into work, I was thinking about my previous day at the office and how I really left at the end of te day feeling flustered. We did a shoot for a trailer for an upcoming series which I knew was coming up, but found out that morning that is was schedule for 2 o'clock that afternoon. Naturally, I felt a little stress because of it coming up all the sudden, but nothing that I couldn't deal with. Then, I was a bit late meeting up with Larry when our videographer showed up because of another project I was helping with. THEN, when I thought that I was going to have a little staff support during the shoot, something came up where Larry and Wes couldn't be there during the shoot. I was just me, our camera guy, and our actor.

"Great" I thought to myself. I don't really have any experience directing a shoot, and I instantly thought to myself, "I can't do this, I'm an animator, I animate, I don't know how to direct a shoot." And so the shoot didn't go as smooth as I had hope, I left late to our staff workout, and I just felt flustered as I rushed out of the office not really knowing if I had accomplished what I need to for the day.

As I said, I was thinking about all of these things on my way into work and God just really called me out. Of course I can't do it all. If I could, why would I need God in my life. If I could do it all, where are the challenges? Where's the growth? The truth of the matter is we can't do it all, but He can. God really showed me through that little experience yesterday that when I feel like I can't, to call on Him and ask Him to step in and take over, and through our weaknesses, there lies His strength. When we can't, He can.

Little Superstar

I love dancing. I'm not the best, but I feel that I can hold my own on the dance floor...but compared to this little guy, I ain't got nuttin' - an oldie, but a goodie.

The Real Change Campaign

This past sunday was the final week of "The Real Change Campaign" series.  During a time of economic crisis, Pastor Steven preached truth and hope into the lives of the congregation, letting everybody know that the "real" change lies within the box, with the things we have influence over and not the things outside of the box, the things we don't have influence over.  Again, the stories flooded the office of people finding hope in God's word and being reminded that responsibility with what He has given us is the answer to achieving financial freedom. Check out the trailer that preceded the series and the bumper used for the 1st few weeks of the series.

Visionary Love Dream Sex

The first series that I had the pleasure of doing work for Elevation Church was right at the start of a series in September 2008 called "Visionary Love Dream Sex."  This series worked through the book "Song of Solomon," a book teaching us about God's intentions for a relationship between a man and woman.  The couple in this book moves through the the process of courtship into marriage, and all the comes with that.  Pastor Steven preached the truths in this book boldly, and judging by the letters that poured into the office, God worked to heal many relationships and marriages through that series.  You can check out the sermons online here under sermons from the media menu. (HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!)

Here are the 2 different graphics I did for that series. Enjoy!

When You Know You Can Do Better

I think it is safe to say that most of us have experienced or come across something in life that we are almost CERTAIN we can do better than what's currently being done.  Those thoughts often end with a few snide comments towards whatever it is that didn't meet our expectations, or may even lead to us dreaming about the idea of how we could improve upon what already exists.

Those dreams, I feel, too often get thrown to the wayside or are crushed with fear and doubt that we aren't really capable of pulling off what is in our head.

My wonderful wife Cheyenne is an example of the complete opposite.

So during our wedding planning process, Cheyenne did pretty much all of vendor research.  She loved it (at first) and often spent countless hours sitting on my bed in my old apartment watching "How Do I Look" and flipping through pages and pages of wedding magazines.  When it came to finding our photographer, we must have looked at over 100 photographers and to be quite honest, weren't to excited at what we were finding.  I can distinctly remember Cheyenne saying time after time, "Are you serious, they are charging $2000 for THAT!  I can do better than THAT!" which as I mentioned above, is where most of us stop.

After seeing some pictures that Cheyenne had taken on a weekend trip to the mountains with some friends, Sara and Erick, who began to follow Cheyenne's blog she recently started, asked if she would shoot their engagement pics. Taking our first shoot, we thought it might be wise to purchase our first digital SLR, a good ole' Canon Rebel XT.  I second shot using my point-and-click Fuji and for our first shoot ever, I don't mind patting ourselves on the back even now.

Flash ahead... we got married that June (2007) shot a couple weddings that fall and started booking for 2008!  Spring flew by and Cheyenne found herself in over her head with photography work.  Next step, quit the day job @ Davidson College and go in full-time. Now, she has already started to book weddings for 2010!  WHAT?!?

My wife turned a dream into a reality.

She took an "I can do better than that" statement and DID it.

God has a way of revealing gifts to us that we never knew we had, and when we trust Him that He gave them to us for a reason, amazing things can happen.  I encourage you to take whatever that dream is, that idea that just won't leave you alone, the one that keeps tapping you on the shoulder and whispering in your ear, and listen to it... it's probably there for a reason.

www.cheyenneschultz.com

Even You Can Inspire Those Around You

So this morning while I was at work checking my email, I received, perhaps, the nicest email that has ever been written to me. After reading it, I wrote back and asked if I could post this and was given the green light.

Hi Geoff,

I came to SCAD as a young aspiring Rrrrrrising STAAAAAR! When I was
there you were an RA or some sort of administrative something or other.

You made enough of an impression on me that I, to this day, remembered
your first name. I also remembered a time-based-type piece you did for
a scene in Blackhawk Down, which was one of the first pieces I saw
that drove me to study mograph at SCAD.

Anyway today someone just emailed me about a piece I did from a scene
in Pulp Fiction asking if I "invented" time based type. Hilarious. But
then I started thinking about where the inspiration for that piece
came from, and I remembered your Black Hawk Down piece that made such
an impression. Such an impression that it immediately popped to mind
when I had the same assignment 3 years later. That piece is why I
chose a clip with two characters having an intense dialogue. That's
when I began my rampant internet search to find your video. To no
avail, I'm afraid.

So I went on a googlethon trying to put Geoff, scad, and blackhawk
down together. I also randomly remembered "off-brand", but that ended
up being a dead-end leading only to a piece in Nagle's pdf portfolio.
The name "Nagle" only brought back memories of a goatee. Eventually,
being the supersleuth that I am, I found you.

I thought you'd like to know that you inspired someone to jump into
mograph, and were largely responsible for the clip I chose to make the
Pulp Fiction piece. So thanks. I hope you are still making stuff that
inspires you, and potentially long-haired high-schoolers. Not to brag
or anything of the sort, but for your interest and hopefully delight,
I ended up being the student of the year in broadcast design for 2008.

And send me your Blackhawk Down Piece if you still have it. I would
love to indulge in the nostalgia.

best and good luck,

Jarratt

I was totally thrown back in my seat after reading this.  To some it might not seem like that big a deal, but to me, knowing that I was able to make an impression on somebody, to encourage somebody, and to inspire somebody without even realizing it really made me think.  Whether we realize it or not, the interactions we have with people that may seem mundane and ordinary may turn out to be profound and extraordinary.  Don't pass up the opportunity to make an impact. Take every chance to influence those within your circle. The way you carry yourself day to day and the character that you develop within yourself shows up in emails like this one and prove to be worth the effort. 

Now, with no further ado, "Black Hawk Down Time-Based Typography Animation" from my first motion graphics class.

Jarratt recently graduated and took a job working for Favorite Color, a studio out of New York City.  Jarratt, your reel looks great.  So cool that I was able to play a part in inspiring somebody as talented as you are.  

Shout Out!

This one goes out to my junior boys over at Forest Hill - a.k.a. The Junior Juggernauts.  Before becoming  a part of Elevation Church, I called Forest Hill my home church here in Charlotte.  I met a lot of great people while attending there, learned a lot, but most importantly, had the opportunity of serving with some of the best high school students this side of the Mississippi.

Formally known as the Sophomore Sensations, the Junior Juggernauts (name still pending) bring an unexplainable element to The Heights (the name of the high school ministry @ Forest Hill) that is nothing less than contagious.  I kid you not, I have never witnessed a level of energy and excitement matched with a level of acceptance and enthusiasm for other students that these guys bring week in and week out.  It was probably the toughest decision about taking my job at Elevation that I would no longer be able to serve with these guys, but our friendship extends beyond Sundays, and they have been nothing but total support in me shifting focus on where I am spending my time in ministry.  

I could go on and on, but I'll some up their awesomeness in the video that we shot to promo their life group this year.  Some of the guys aren't recognized in this video, but they are still awesome too!  Miss you guys, this one's for you.

The Pilgrims Are Rolling In Their Graves

Now hold up just one minute.  Christmas decor in the stores and Christmas songs on the radio BEFORE Thanksgiving?!?  What is goin' on here? 

Growing up, my family always placed a lot of emphasis on Thanksgiving, taking some time in our busy lives to sit back and realize just how blessed we really are.  Not just with WHAT God has given to us, but more importantly WHO He has placed in our lives.  Now I do greatly enjoy everything that goes with the "holiday season," the lights, the songs, the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, seeing family, the whole 9-yards, but I was always under the impression that it started the day AFTER Thanksgiving, not 3 weeks before. It just seems wrong to me that you can't even turn on 102.9 to listen to some good ole Delilah on the radio because it is already on a 24/7 rotation of Christmas songs.

I hope that everybody enjoys their Thanksgiving dinner in a few weeks and takes some time to realize how blessed we all are and to thank God for everything and everyone that He as given to us.

If You Could Change One Thing About Yourself...

what would it be? Often times, people respond to this question with answers such as:

"I wish I was thinner."

"I wish I was taller."

"I wish I had blue eyes."

Now, I've never really been a fan of this question because I've come to a point of just really appreciating the way I am, BUT, there is one thing that I have always been envious of... and that one thing is a nice, full, beard. May seem weird, but I've had a few friends throughout my college years that ROCKED the beard and I'm stuck with this sparse, thin, straight, splotchy patched field of facial hairs that amount to a whole lot of nothing. Enjoy a few pics of some ways I entertain myself as I shaved these sad little things about once a week or so when Cheyenne starts complaining about it scratching her face when I go in for a kiss!

I trim. Don't shave. It's just how I like it.

Can't even grow sideburns.

Are you serious? What the heck is up with that little splotch?

1st, the gotee.

THEN, the stache!

This is the face I make while chasing Cheyenne around while rockin' the stache.  It totally makes me look creepy...(Jon and David, this one's for you).

All gone!

A Vine That Needed Pruning

     Not too long ago, Pastor Steven Furtick preached a message that I felt God had written specifically for me.  Based off of John 15:1-8 (see below) I found myself at the exact point of a vine that needed pruning.  Now, I wasn't at a point in my life where I found myself bearing no fruit... I mean, I had a great job, I enjoyed who I worked with, I was attending an awesome church, I was volunteering with some AMAZING high school guys @ Forest Hill, Cheyenne's (my wife) new photography business was exploding...everything seemed to be "good" in my life.  I could see exactly how God led me to where I was, but I couldn't see where He was about to take me.

     Now I had been doing some volunteer graphics work with a young adults and singles ministry called CharlotteONE and really enjoyed it and thought that it would be great someday to be able to work as a motion graphics designer for a ministry.   That is when I came across the job opening at Elevation and by the divine planning of God, was able to hear this message of the Vine and the branch.  As I began the interview process and battled leaving a lot of "good" things in my life, I realized that I was being pruned, God had something "GREAT" in store for me.       

     Being pruned isn't always easy, in fact it hurts to have live braches cut off.  Leaving my friends at work, my boys at "The Heights," and making other life changes that come with the territory of stepping into ministry weren't all easy, but the promise of greater fruit has been made to me and my hope and trust are found in the words of our awesome, faithful, and loving God.

John 15:1-8

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

It's kinda like graphic design in motion...

When I meet new people and they ask what I do, I naturally respond, "I'm a motion graphics designer," which is 9 out of 10 times followed by an awkward head nod and a half smile, meaning "I have no clue what that is, but it sounds cool." My typical response: "I make commercials and graphics for TV." This is usually enough to satisfy their curiousity, however there isn't a better way to tell you what it is I do other than showing you. SO, here is my current demo reel, a collection of the work that I had done while working at Limerick Studios. I am currently working at Elevation Church as their motion graphics designer and will be sure to post the work I am doing there as time goes on. I hope you enjoy my 2008 demo reel!

Come One, Come All

Well, if you are reading this, you are enjoying my very first blog post.  I have to say, this has been a long awaited moment for many and I know that you will probably have a hard time sleeping tonight because you'll be wondering when the next post will be coming...

SO, to start us off, I'd like to share this little gem that has been a huge inspiration in my life right now.  After watching this video, I have acquired a new perspective and understanding of what it means to have complete confidence in yourself.  I hope that this encourages you throughout your day. Enjoy!