JULY 2011!
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE NO. 151
KTF PRODUCTIONS Tribute to “Search With Me” Remembering the series as it comes to a close
Watch final episode, “Prophet’s Burden” this month The 70th and final episode of “Search With Me” will be posted this month, finishing the fiveyear odyssey of our first, and only, series created specifically to encourage online discussion. The project which started out as one type of series would later take a turn in a new direction, almost totally redefining it.
Image from first season of “Search With Me”
In January 2003, the first episode of Search With Me was created and posted on the
!
internet. It was around this time that I noticed online video beginning to take root on the world wide web. The web was fast enough to begin posting video clips for people to watch without waiting for them to download before they could be viewed. Servers were large enough and fast enough so that video could be stored on them for playback on a site with little to no cost. Streaming services were no longer needed for online video. The process was called, “progressive download”, allowing the video to buffer while the person was watching it back. Even before YouTube was around, I was creating and posting these episodes on our website. Viewer response was very low. Since there was no YouTube, people had to know about our site to view the
episodes. And because no one could “subscribe” to the show, I’d post an episode and hope that people would happen upon it and view the episode. Sure, I advertised it on “Christian Music Videos” and offered an email subscription for those who wanted to know when I posted a new episode, but we struggled for viewership and participation. And since the efforts of KTF are totally volunteer and for this project, participation was our primary motivator, incentive to continue to create the show waned. However, there were a lot of things I liked about the first run of the show. The camera would follow me along as I went about my life, at which time I’d create an episode. Whether it was mowing the lawn, eating cereal, posting fliers on campus, or running a triathlon, we’d do an episode. The idea was to better connect with the audience, giving them a glimpse into my private life. Though I wasn’t able to get many to follow the series then, nowadays, this
Also Included Next Project Update Page “Christian Music Videos” Page “The Wartleys” Page “Rezin Dramatic Audio” Page
3 4 6 7
PAGE 1
JULY 2011! show concept proliferates the internet. For the first run, there wasn’t any consistent schedule. I could post 3 in a week, or 1 every other week. I’d create a new episode when the mood hit me, or when I learned something new in the bible worth sharing. The following year, in 2004, after 43 episodes, discouragement got the best of me. I stopped doing the show, to work on other projects that would hopefully have more success.
Image from first season of “Search With Me”
Though I ended the show, I didn’t trash all of my episodes. I left them on tape for archival purposes, never believing that they would see the light of day again. But… around 2005, YouTube sprung into existence. It was awesome! I could put all of my current productions online and share them with the world! It was free, easy to use and a wonderful tool for ministry. I began posting everything I had ever created that was less than 10-minutes long (and that I wasn’t embarrassed to share). I even started reposting the old Search With Me episodes, and before long, they began to get views. Then GodTube came around, along with other subjectspecific YouTube-like sites. I
!
ISSUE NO. 151 reposted all of my videos on these too, but it was GodTube that afforded Search With Me the opportunity to flourish – not in viewers participating in the series, but in the sheer number of views. I did see meager growth in participation as well, but before long I was seeing thousands of views for each of the 43 episodes. It has always been my contention that if any video received more than a thousand views, I would then deem it a “success”. When screening our movies in churches, schools or other locations, I’m happy when we’d have 500 people in the audience. Now, these short little episodes were garnishing thousands of views! Awesome. But even still, I wasn’t prepared to continue the series. I was knee-deep in other projects. But the project would eventually resurface.
project. I thought that if the old episodes did well, then the new episodes would do even better. I’d want to retool it a little though. This time, I wanted it to look more polished and less like a vlog. So I created an updated logo, new background and decided that I’d start using a teleprompter as well to keep me on task. This new series was to be more serious, no longer focusing on my daily life, nor on what God was teaching me at the moment. Instead, I began to point out scripture that raised questions concerning its meaning. I also began to present a stronger plea to the audience for participation, asking a specific question of the day, and providing an email for viewers to respond to. In March, 2009, we posted our first new episode in years.
Image from first season of “Search With Me”
As YouTube grew, I noticed that ordinary people were creating clips and posting a series of video logs on the site. There were shows of all types cropping up - comedy, entertainment, news, or just people talking in front of a camera. That, and the fact that the old Search With Me episodes were doing so well, gave me the idea to reboot the
Compare the first logo with the revised one when we rebooted the series
As we continued, I wasn’t as pleased as I thought I’d be with viewer reaction. Though we had several views when we’d post an episode, we’d have minimal
PAGE 2
JULY 2011! viewer participation. At first I posted a new episode each week. Then it dropped off to once a month. It even stopped for a period of time. Recently, it sputtered back to an episode a month on a fairly consistent basis. But as I continued to make episodes, I began to wonder if this is where I should be spending my time. The series didn’t have quite the response I was expecting, but when I get a series going, I feel a level of responsibility to those who are following the show. So I kept it up for a few months, looking for the most opportune time to put the show to rest for good. I figured 70 episodes was a good milestone. It is a nice round number. Though 100 would’ve been better, I didn’t see any point in continuing the series just for a number. So… there you have it. An idea that succeeded on some levels but failed in others. I think Search With Me did a lot of things well. I got a lot of my
Animation Project Update With so much happening with the three major projects that we’re working on, there isn’t much time left for the next big project that is in the pipeline. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t any work being done to move the project forward. Last month, I began the tedious process of uploading and archiving the digital assets for Poser 7. Over the years, we’ve collected several hundred, may even
!
ISSUE NO. 151 questions answered by those who God used to respond to the videos. Often times, when I was putting the video together, God would open my eyes to the truth of scripture. Therefore, many episodes are posted with a conclusion of what I think the scripture means. The highlight of Search With Me was a 10part series I did on the concept of “once saved, always saved”, asking the question of whether we could ever lose our salvation based off of our heart or our actions. I even brought in my pastor for a discussion on the show. That series stirred up the most conversation in the history of the series. I’ve never regretted doing a project for KTF, and this series is no different. I know that God used it in some fashion. Maybe He opened the eyes of a few viewers to the truth of his Word. Maybe He challenged an untruth that has been perpetuated, or maybe He just used it to bring more people to over a thousand props, people, or other various assets for Poser. Now all I have to do is put them in the system so that they are easy to find. Already, I’ve spent a good deal of time working on this, and I hope to be finished soon. The next step is where things begin to get fun. Once all of the files are in place, I plan to begin creating characters and locations for the next animation project. At this point, I even plan to post images each month as I create them.
search and appreciate the scripture. In any case, I don’t think it is up to me to speculate. But I do believe that God is leading KTF in a new direction and that the time for Search With Me is at an official end. Thank you to all who have watched the show, participated in the discussions, or prayed for us in this endeavor. We’ll certainly keep the episodes online and check them often to respond to comments, but today we say, “so long” to Search With Me. It has been good. You can find all of the online Search With Me episodes on our website.
By the time I complete “Rezin Dramatic Audio Series” and “The Wartleys”, it is my hope that I’ll have plenty of people and locations created so that I can begin writing the new series. I’m excited about some of the ideas that I’ve been kicking around already. However, since these things are always subject to change, I’ll share more about the concept once it begins to become a little more concrete. Visit this newsletter often to follow the progress of this series from the very beginning.
PAGE 3
JULY 2011!
ISSUE NO. 151
Christian Music Videos
Web revisions, facebook additions and “on locations”
EPISODES THIS MONTH
“Rise Again” Airs Week of July 4th
We have a lot going on with “Christian Music Videos” this month. Along with four brand new episodes of CMV featuring 8 new videos debuting for the first time on the show, we’ve also made adjustments to the CMV website. In an effort to transition to an HTML5 compatible website, we’ve created our first HTML5 compatible animated addition. What is HTML5 and why create for it you might ask? The primary reason I wanted to implement HTML5 elements is so that it will be compatible with Apple products such as the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Currently, these devices will not play most flash elements. So if you have an iPad and went to our main KTF page, you would not be able to view the animated features of what we’re releasing in any given week. If that animation were
!
HTML5, you would. The CMV site also needed a bit of trimming, the addition of much needed elements and a cleaner look. Hopefully, we’ve accomplished that. So take a look and see what we’ve done! Beginning the week of July 18th, we’re also making efforts to integrate facebook more with the weekly episodes of CMV. A new segment of CMV is being introduced that week that should encourage more communication on the facebook page. I’ll be there and Katie will be as well. I hope you’ll join in the conversation, we’d love to know what God is doing in your life! And lastly, we’ll be taking the show to several locations for future episodes. We’ll be in Grand Rapids, MI; Western Michigan University; Zeeland, MI; and Louisville, Kentucky. Don’t miss an episode!
“What’s In Your Hand” Airs Week of July 11th
“True Believers” Airs Week of July 18th
“The Way” Airs Week of July 25th
PAGE 4
JULY 2011!
ISSUE NO. 151
Free Christian CD Giveaway Drawing three winners this month for “Trin-I-Tee 5:7”
This is certainly one of those times where I wish I could enter to win a free Christian CD. But, since I run the show, I can’t enter, but you can! This month we’ll be giving away 3 free CDs from Trin-I-Tee 5:7 - Angel & Chanelle. I love these girls, even when they were three. How much do I love them, you ask? Well, next month, during the week of August 8th, Katie will dedicate an entire episode to the music of Trin-I-Tee 5:7. But you can listen to them first if you win their latest CD. Don’t forget to tune in the week of
August 8th as well because a couple of their new music videos will be featured on the show! You have all month to enter so don’t forget. And remember, it’s totally free. When I say free, I mean FREE! Just visit ktfproductions.com to find out how to enter. And remember... If you've entered before and haven't won, enter again. Even if you have won, you can enter too. There is no limit as to how many times you can win. But you can't win if you don't enter! (Please note: All entries must be from within the United States.)
Congratulations to last months winners: Gretta T. - Michigan Beverley J. - North Carolina
!
Prayer Requests? If you have a prayer request and would like Surgeon to pray for you, just email writecmv@hotmail.com and he will be happy to pray for you. No request is too big or too small. If it is important to you, then it is important to God. Be sure to put “Prayer Request” in the subject line so that I don’t miss it. I know that we try to put the call out to you in every episode of CMV, but I want you to know that we’re always willing to pray for you - any time. It never hurts to have another person agreeing with you in prayer.
Facebook Become a fan of the series on Facebook (also known as “liking” the series). By becoming a fan of “Christian Music Videos”, you’ll get frequent updates on what’s new with the series. You can also send messages to Surgeon and Katie if you wish. And now you can watch exclusive video clips from episodes of CMV only revealed to Facebook fans. Not into Facebook? You can also email the show any of your comments, questions, or prayer requests at writecmv@hotmail.com. We’d love to hear what you think about the show!
PAGE 5
JULY 2011!
ISSUE NO. 151
that God honors these as well if they are truly a sacrifice to you. In the comic strip, Abby fasts Strip, Puzzle & Cartoon television. Maybe I should For the next few months, I’ll consider this one. So... fast on! be releasing a new comic strip, a new online puzzle and a new Wartleys cartoon! So be sure to tune in each month to see what’s new.
The Wartleys
STRIP - “FASTING” I believe that fasting is one of the most overlooked practices in scripture. It can be difficult to do, and to some it may seem to be needless sacrifice. But I believe that it can be one of the most powerful forms of worship and obedience. I believe that God honors our willing sacrifice, and fasting empties us out so that God can fill us with what he wants. There are some who practice fasting once a week, some, once a month, others whenever they choose and yet others who don’t fast at all. I challenge you to fast, and while fasting, use the time to get closer to God and hear his voice. The most common type of fasting is food, but I have heard of people fasting luxuries and conveniences. I believe
!
PUZZLE - “TRUSTWORTHY” One attribute that I believe all Christians should possess is trustworthiness. Not only with money or responsibility, but also with secrets. If someone trusts you in confidence, it is a virtue to keep that trust and to be true to that person. In the puzzle, Kelly trusts Abby with a secret of her mother’s rehab and asks that she pray. I encourage you, that if you say you will pray for someone, to make it a priority and pray for them. Prayer is a powerful tool that God gave us to communicate with Him. I encourage you to take advantage of that privilege.
CARTOON - “SUPPORT” This 3-minute episode is Written by David M. Evans, and voiced by Sid Ellis (Milton), Kelly McMeekan (Sherri), Tom Cox (Jerry) and Jessica Cox (Judy) with additional graphic elements by Philip Stephens. The episode supported by 1 Thessalonians 5:14, highlights the importance of believers to encourage those who are struggling or who are reaching out with a need. The bible tells us that love is the most important attribute that we should possess. Watch this episode and see how God can use a person to encourage and pray for one in need. • Read the comic strip today, Friday, July 1st, above • Play the online puzzle Wednesday, July 6th • Watch the cartoon Wednesday, July 13th
PAGE 6
JULY 2011!
ISSUE NO. 151
Rezin Dramatic Audio Series
Website Tweeks, 4 New Websiodes & An Interview With Mia
(Shanara), and Larry FosterGoodrich (Harrack). • Tuesday, July 26th, download webisode 71, “Change In The Skies” featuring the voices of Troy Kilpatrick (Jean-Claude), Kelly McMeekan (Susan), Brian Woodman (Rezin), Shawna Smith (Mariah), and Mia Paluzzi (Fui-Lin). Each webisode is also narrated by David Evans. Keep up with each webisode this month, and listen to previous webisodes online or subscribe to them on iTunes.
I have big plans for Rezin once I’ve finished creating the entire 108 webisodes that make up the series. One of the things I plan to do is create a comprehensive 10-disc DVD/CD package containing all of the videos, audio webisodes and extras that I’ve created throughout the 10-years of working on the series. It will be made available primarily to the voice actors of the series, but will also be available to the general public for a donation. Unfortunately though, that is still some time away because this month will bring the total webisode count to 71 out of the 108. Even still, we’re well on our way. And while I’m still creating the audio webisodes, I managed to do a little tweeking of the website as well. I figured I could clean it up a little by taking out some of the material that isn’t needed and making it easier to access webisodes from any of the currently 5, 40minute episodes. Feel free to check it out when you have a
chance. The site isn’t how I want it at this point. I’ll have to create a few items first, but it is getting there.
FOUR NEW WEBISODES This month I’m releasing four more audio webisodes that continue the story where the last ones left off. • Tuesday, July 5th, download webisode 68, “Fallen Comrade” featuring the voices of Shana Gagnon (Sasha), Larry FosterGoodrich (Harrack), and David Evans (Duce). • Tuesday, July 12th, listen to webisode 69, “Regroup” starring Kelly McMeekan (Susan), Brian McMeekan (Rezin) and Troy Kilpatrick (Jean-Claude). • Tuesday, July 19th, check out webisode 70, “More Than One Casualty”, with voice actors Brian Woodman (Rezin), Shawna Smith (Mariah), Debbi Heiser
MIA PALUZZI INTERVIEW If you look closely at the credits above for webisode 71, you’ll notice that there is a new character in the mix. Mia Paluzzi plays the voice of FuiLin. Hear from her about how she got involved and about the character she plays in a short video interview we did with her way back in 2003 when we initially recorded her voice. • You can watch Mia’s interview Tuesday, July 26th, the same day that her first episode will be posted. You can also watch interviews from several of the other voice actors as well as the creator of the series on our website.
PAGE 7
JULY 2011!
ISSUE NO. 151
Contact Information and Relevant Links Christian Music Videos
Website | Facebook
Calendar Week of July 1st, 2011 Wartleys-“Fasting” (July 1) Week of July 4th, 2011 CMV - “Rise Again”(All Week) Rezin -“Fallen Comrade” (July 5) Wartleys -“Trustworthy” (July 6)
The Wartleys
Website | Facebook | iTunes Webcomics Nation
Week of July 11th, 2011 CMV - “In Your Hand” (All Week) Rezin - “Regroup” (July 12) Wartleys - “Support” (July 13) Week of July 18th, 2011
Rezin Dramatic Audio Series
Website | iTunes | YouTube
Hardcore Christianity
Website | iTunes
Search With Me
Website
CMV-“True Believers” (All Week) Rezin-“More Casualties” (Jul 19) Search - “Prophet’s” (July 20) Week of July 25th, 2011 CMV - “The Way” (All Week) Rezin-“Change in Skies” (Jul 26) Rezin - Mia Interview (July 26)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS David M. Evans Jeannene Evans
CONTACT INFORMATION ADDRESS KTF Productions P.O. Box 1583 Portage, MI 49081 EMAIL writecmv@hotmail.com
KTF Productions
WEBSITE www.ktfproductions.com
Website | Youtube 1 | Youtube 2 | Tangle | TruGodTV | DoersTV | Vimeo
KTF Productions, copyright 2011
NEWSLETTER Subscribe to the KTF Newsletter to be updated when every newsletter is posted. Don’t miss a single issue!
PAGE 8