Beyond the Mask - Alex & Steven Kendrick

[Recently] we shared some great fellowship with Stephen and Alex Kendrick (the Producer & Director of Fireproof and Courageous) down in Albany, Georgia.

Stephen and his wife Jill welcomed us into their home; in addition to sharing their film-making experience, they poured love and grace into us personally, encouraging us in our marriages and our walk with the Lord.

The meeting revolved around the script, which we spent most of our time reading and brainstorming. Stephen and Alex love the Lord, love to have fun, and love to work hard. At one point, Alex jumped up and said, “Ok, here’s how I’d direct this scene…” and then proceeded to lay on the floor, illustrating how the hero would wake up after being knocked out in a bomb-blast.

...to read the full article, click here!

BeyondTheMaskMovie.com

Beyond the Mask - Windmill Island

“We wanted our final set piece to be both historical and fantastically imaginative at the same time, and we found this contradiction in Windmill Island,” Nick, the Production Designer, told us.

In the early summer of 1776, Windmill Island (also known as Smith’s Island) sat off the shore of colonial Philadelphia in the Delaware River. Located just south of the Drawbridge Warf, the island stretched a half-mile west from Arch Street and was approximately one block wide.  Several decades before the time of our story, two immigrant brothers had constructed an octagonal windmill on the northern end of the island, givingit its name. They also built three docks on the western side, facing away from the city, and dug a channel into the interior of the small land mass.  Because there is no evidence that the windmill was ever in operation, it is unclear what the brothers actually built it for. By the 1770s, Windmill Island was abandoned…and there it sat unused until in the 1830s it was deemed a “shipping hazard” by the US government, and dredged under.  Hmm…a shipping hazard? Or perhaps, was Windmill Island destroyed to bury once and for all the role it played in a rogue British East India Company plot against the American colonists? This island offered us the perfect mixture of historical fact and mysterious background..."

- Click Here to read the full blog update at Beyond the Mask!! (you'll find more sketches and set photos of  the windmill as well)

Beyond the Mask & Veggie Tales

Director Chad Burns and his wife Angela met with Phil Vischer (Creator of Veggie Tales) last week in Chicago for lunch.

Phil has many years of experience creating Christian media content for families and it was a real privilege to sit down and hear from him. Phil had a lot of advice and a few connections to offer us.

Phil’s faith journey is similar to the journey traced by the hero in Beyond the Mask. Phil spent years thinking that his good works and fine efforts for the Lord would please God and earn favor. After a lot of hard lessons, Phil came to see that the Lord is more concerned with the orientation of our heart toward Him than the work of our hands. You can read a more about Phil’s journey and the Savior he loves in his auto-biography, Me, Myself, and Bob.

Phil’s timeless advice was simple....

Click Here to read the full article!

Beyond the Mask - New Year

January is a very exciting month for the Beyond the Mask project. Our main objectives are to (1) secure investments for the production budget, and (2) complete the final draft of the screenplay. Depending on how fundraising progresses, we will make final plans to begin shooting late spring or early fall of this year. Currently, Chad (in Champagne, IL) and Aaron (north of Detroit, MI) are meeting with potential investors in their areas; later in the month they will be visiting other major cities, including Colorado Springs and Washington DC, as we look to connect with people who will partner with us to create this Christ-centered action-adventure film.

In the mean time, pre-production development continues, as our creative team expands across the country. This week, production designer Nick Burns is in Michigan working on the design and construction of the top-secret final set piece. In addition, he’s meeting with lead costume designer Marilyn Burns to discuss big-picture ideas for the Main Characters’ costuming. In New York, our visual effects supervisor (Ethan Ledden) is working on test renders of an experimental 3D model of one of our major sets. Down in Ohio, Gabe Everson, our extras’ costumer, is designing and creating sample costumes. Philip Smith (a gunsmith and colonial craftsman in Florida) has begun the construction of a 18th century sniper rifle.

More picture and details to follow soon! Please keep us in your prayers.
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Read the Blog Here!

Beyond the Mask - Stephen Kendrick

"Director Chad Burns and his wife Angela met with Steven Kendrick (producer of Courageous, Fireproof, and Facing the Giants) last night. We discussed our shared passion to point people to Christ through film. We deeply respect the tremendous work that the Kendricks are doing to impact our culture and are excited to glean from Steven’s expertise. Over coffee in Georgia, Steven offered encouragement and valuable insight into our story’s theme and business plan.

Steven suggested that as we continue to approach investors, we emphasize our ability to create excellent period sets and costumes and to leverage large volunteer networks–core strengths of Burns Family Studios. The talk with Steven reminded us of...."

- Read the full article here.

Beyond the Mask - Location Scouting

Pre-production continues for the upcoming film Beyond the Mask from Burns Family Studios. Be sure to visit the official blog for more pictures!

Beyond the Mask - Set Construction

A team has begun working on a couple of the major sets for the Burns upcoming feature film, Beyond the Mask!

The crew has been busy building two awesome sets. The first is a Philadelphia city street which is being erected inside one of the pole barns. Although it is only a two-dimensional façade, the windows and doors are designed to be fully functional. The other set is a Delaware River dockyard.

See More Pictures Here - Read the Blog Post Here and Here

NEW FILM! - Beyond the Mask

Burns Family Studios has begun work on their next Christian feature film titled, Beyond the Mask! Check out this exciting Pre-Production trailer!

Synopsis

This story is an action-fused historic adventure, set in the international turmoil of the mid 1770's. Running for his life, an East India Company assassin buried his past in a quiet English village, assuming the mantle of an Anglican priest. But this disguise won't last for long when a woman he loves and a war he no longer wants force him to confront the question of who he really is. In the face of a looming global conflict, he discovers for himself the meaning and source of true justification and freedom.

Right now they need a little help raising some funds to build a major set for the project, and you can help by donating just $20!

Check out this promo video to see concept art, set locations, and find out more about the film!

About the Campaign

Right now, we are asking you to consider joining our team by voting for Beyond the Mask with a $20 donation. Through this Kickstarter campaign, we are planning to raise funding to purchase the materials we can’t scavenge for Beyond the Masks’ most important set – a full-scale, live-action 18th century cityscape. But, more importantly, through this campaign we are hoping to find a thousand voices to join with ours as we approach investors (the ‘men in hats’) about making a project like this come to life. By donating $20, you are voting for this project, saying, "Count me in. I’ll help spread the word; I want to see this become a reality."  This is the kind of thing the ‘men in hats’ need to see: there are over a thousand people who are excited about the project and are willing to lend a hand.

Learn More

BeyondTheMask.com

Beyond The Mask - Kickstarter Campaign