PLOT DEVICE - One Year Later

Everyone has their favorite July 4th holiday memories and experiences. It’s no different for me. Growing up, we always went to my grandmother’s country church’s picnic. Many years later, Karla and I remember moving into our current house in 1990, and we were painting our bedroom on July 4th instead of participating in all kinds of neighborhood festivities. Who can forget our famous July 4th Choir Cookouts (featuring Back Yard Burgers coming to my house to cook them in my back yard) - with “live” music to annoy our neighbors and a hundred cars parked all over the common ground area.

For reasons I will re-visit in a moment, some very unexpected things were happening at the same time as last year’s July 4th holiday.

It’s been a fun year, and I thought I would take the space here on my blog to re-cap some of those highlights, and then I may finally change my Facebook profile picture! HAHAHA!

Seth’s short film, PLOT DEVICE released on-line on June 27, 2011 with ONE view! -
(I think it was me!)

20 days later it had 478,000 views! -
(currently it has 980,000 views counting YouTube and the “Behind The Scenes” clip)

In a 5-day stretch around July 4 last year, it had 311,000 views!

So, this time last year, we didn’t know what we were dealing with.
(people in countries I could not pronounce were viewing my driveway, front yard, and cul-de-sac on the internet!)

Since July 13 of last year, here are just a few things that have happened:

1. Seth went to Los Angeles in mid-July 2011 to meet with potential Hollywood talent agents

Hollywood Reporter - Article

Hollywood News - Article

2. Seth signed with ICM in August

Hollywood Reporter - Plot Device Filmaker Signs With ICM

3. Seth made his second trip to Los Angeles in September - had (21) meetings in (7) days - met with Producers who make movies and Executives who make the decisions which movies get made. (the purpose of those meetings was to introduce Seth to as many influential movie-making people in Hollywood as possible)

4. Seth was asked to speak at the annual NAB Convention’s MediaMotion Ball in Las Vegas

MediaMotion Ball - Seth Worley

5. PLOT DEVICE was featured as part of ‘in-flight’ entertainment on VIRGIN AIRLINES domestic flights during the month of April

6. PLOT DEVICE was nominated and won a Webby Award - (a Webby Award is supposedly the equivalent of an ‘Academy Award’ for internet content)

Plot Device - Webby Nomination - Red Giant Blog

Webby Awards - Plot Device - Winner - Article

Webby Awards - Plot Device - Winner

7. PLOT DEVICE was featured in an on-line Forbes Magazine article

Plot Device - Forbes - Article

8. Seth will be one of the speakers/presenters at the upcoming STORY 2012 Creative Conference in Chicago in September - (the list of speakers/presenters is quite impressive - if you want to take a minute to read about them at this quirky/creative website)

Story 2012 - Chicago - Seth Worley

There are many other really neat stories that happened along the way - new relationships - potential doors opening, etc… It’s been a crazy, wild ride of a year. Seth continues to educate me about the film industry - I spend a lot of time on my IMDB Pro app reading about who’s making what films, what they cost, and other inside scoop! (takes me back - a little bit - to my days working in the music business where I would open up Billboard Magazine to see what’s happening in the crazy music business!) I would never compare the Nashville Music Business to Hollywood because I know so little of both.

I do know that of all the websites, research, articles, and everything else I have read this past year, the most profound article was this one.

What It's Like To Fail At The Box Office

I will never forget what this guy says at the end of his article! It sums up what I believe about people with a calling and passion and ability. Seth sent this to me, and of all the great and fun things that we have experienced this past year - this article will remain central to anything that may or may not ever happen in Seth’s future. It’s a phenomenal lesson!

So - Seth is taking the necessary “next steps” on his journey, and when the time is appropriate, I will share those. Thank you for sharing in this past year with us.

For now, whenever you need a good laugh, just click HERE and enjoy!

The Masi Choir - Living Hope In South Africa

The journey began in July of 2004. Karla and I boarded a plane for Cape Town, South Africa at the request of our Missions Minister, Scott Harris who had introduced us to a man named, John Thomas. John's story is amazing, and his vision, leadership, and compassion for the people within walking distance of his home and church (who suffer in poverty and many with HIV/AIDS) is extraordinary. You can (and should) read about Living Hope HERE Karla and I led our first team of musicians to Living Hope in Cape Town in March 2006. We led seminars for local musicians/worship leaders, and we worshiped at the Masiphumelele Baptist Church, led by their (small in numbers, but powerful in spirit in sound) Choir! From the very first time I met John Thomas, it was his dream for someone to help this Choir record a new CD. The next year - March 2007, we took our second team to Cape Town with the primary purpose of recording this Choir. God led Steve Hindalong to us (Steve wrote the ever-popular worship song, "God Of Wonders"), and his passion for this group (as Producer of this project) was evident from the first time we walked into their tiny church building.

Between March 2007 and today, so many different people have stepped up at just the right time to do whatever needed to be done to help The Masi Choir and Living Hope. John met (3) significant Christian artists who all visited Living Hope and told John they would do whatever they could to support Living Hope, so through a series of what could only be called small miracles, we were able to record Dan Haseltine from Jars Of Clay, Mark Hall from Casting Crowns, and Michael W. Smith - each doing one song on this CD.

Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay recorded his vocal on the song, LORD BLESS AFRICA - The South Africa National Anthem. Mark Hall re-recorded his song, IF WE ARE THE BODY - adding The Masi Choir singing backing vocals. Michael W. Smith recorded a new song (written by Steve Hindalong and Jeremy Johnson), WE SING - about the people of the community of Masiphumelele - who after their beloved Pastor of their tiny church was murdered in his own church - they still sang, and they will always sing.

So - tomorrow night - THURSDAY, APRIL 26 - we will gather in the Worship Center of Brentwood Baptist Church as part of the Worship Leader Magazine Song DISCovery Creative Conference and celebrate all that God has done and is doing, and part of that celebration will be for people to hear more about the work of Living Hope, and to launch the release of this CD - The Masi Choir - Living Hope In South Africa.

We will hear from John Thomas, be greeted (via video) by Dan Haseltine and Mark Hall, then hear Michael W. Smith sing his song from the CD and share of his experience of visiting Living Hope. Worship Leader Magazine Song DISCovery Creative Conference NIGHT OF WORSHIP Thursday - April 26, 2012 - 6:30pm to 8:30pm - Brentwood Baptist - Worship Center - FREE - Doors Open @ 6:00pm

If you cannot attend, please watch via "live" webstream on your computer or mobile device - CLICK HERE

Bridge Building

I have lost count of how many of these I have built. Actually, it’s probably only 3, but it could be as many as 5.

If you know our neighborhood, one of the things we love about it is the common ground behind our cul-de-sac that connects the backyards of homes on other streets.

Between those yards and common ground area are varying degrees of ditches where water flows (sometimes like a raging river) ultimately into the Harpeth River.

After 22 years of water flowing, you can imagine that some of these ‘ditches’ become pretty deep. So at some point several years ago, after watching many a kid using my backyard as a short-cut to get home in time for dinner, I decided to build a bridge to allow easier access for said kids. After all, I don’t want to be responsible for a kid being late for dinner because he drove his bike into MY ditch!

So, my simple combination of pieces of lumber to form an 8x8 bridge became just that - a structure spanning and providing passage over a gap or barrier.

By now, you may be asking why have I built so many of these in my backyard? Well, I never dreamed that water would flow so furiously that it would carry my bridge away, but it has - frequently.

Karla loves this bridge, and we have been without one for several months now, so this week I decided we needed the latest version.

I chose this week for another reason.

Today is Good Friday, and (3) years ago on Good Friday, we had my Dad’s Memorial Service.

One of the amazing things I shared with my Dad over the last 20 years of his life was the opportunity and privilege of building something together. He taught me many things about building stuff. I am not the craftsman of many of my friends, but I have many wonderful reminders of my Dad’s handiwork in and around my home.

So, as corny as it may be - I proudly dedicate this latest version of the Worley Bridge to my Dad - in memory and honor of you, W.J.

Thanks, and I miss you - you were a true bridge builder in the way you lived your life.

Marriage - 33 Years

My first words to Karla this morning were - "thank you for staying married to me for 33 years!"

I really wasn't kidding!

It's pretty amazing to get to spend 33 years of your life with the same person.

As I write this, Karla is showing pictures of our wedding to Ben. (we have no video of our wedding because camcorders were not in existence in 1979) Just writing that makes me feel even older than I am.

Anyway - I am grateful today for the blessing of marriage and for the testimony that it is of God's grace!

And my kids and grandkids should be grateful, too - HA!

Here is one of my many favorite pictures of Karla - taken in 2006 at one of our (3) most favorite places God created - Cape Town, South Africa!

Happy Anniversary, Karla - my life would be terribly boring without you!