The world of cinema is changing all the time. Where is Cinema today? Is it only projected in a movie theater or released on DVD? Some of the most cinematic storytelling is happening on broadcast TV and cable. Furthermore, and most importantly, the web is currently redefining what it means to “watch a movie” or to “watch TV.” Cinema is now open to people without studio backing, traditional distribution channels, or highly visible marketing schemes.
This week, we are honored to feature Greg Batiansila, creator and showrunner of Leaving Eden, an original series about a pastor and his family and their life “between Sundays.” Leaving Eden “broadcasts” on the internet. You can watch it on its own website, on YouTube, Vimeo, blib.tv, or its Web Series Channel. You can follow them on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.
Where is Cinema? It’s all the places Leaving Eden is. It’s all around you. You just have to press play. – Editor
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Greg Batiansila
Creator/Showrunner
Leaving Eden, an original series
1) How did you get involved in cinema and why?
I’m a storyteller. I have written scripts since I was in fourth grade, and my senior thesis was a screenplay. I wish I had a really great story about when I was young and snuck into Battleship Potemkin and that changed me for good, but the truth is, we were so poor that any movie I could see was an incredible, immeasurable gift.
I’ve always just loved the storytelling. I loved what it did to me and how it moved people. Today, cinema represents the preeminent way to tell a story—an art form that demands excellence on a number of levels—but when it does, an art form that moves us like no other.
I’ve been able to create hundreds and hundreds of corporate videos as a creative director at an ad agency and the years of experience I have of being on set and creating pieces that move people are all groundwork for my own personal pursuits.
2) What project(s) are you particularly excited about (current or past) and why?
I’m currently on a hiatus between seasons of our original series, Leaving Eden. The series focuses on a man with an odd job—Ben Nicholson, who is a pastor. Our stories take us to the days between the Sundays, looking at the trials, stresses, tensions, the marital and family struggles of working an odd job, on call seven days a week.
The great thing about the show is its truly independent spirit. The cast is an extremely gifted group of actors and actresses, and we’ve assembled music from bands and artists all around the world for our soundtrack. We’re excited because the show has recently passed 71,000 total views between blip.tv and YouTube, and as far as we’re aware, we’re in a rare space with an episodic original series that has garnered that many views.
We are trying to get the show in front of a wide audience by entering festivals. The Independent Television and Film Festival chose us as an official selection in their drama category, but Christian film festivals don’t have a web series or series category, so there isn’t room for us to enter there.
Our strong desire is that the Christians—specifically those who comment on and promote the arts, but really, those who want to see artists flourish and grow—would watch and interact with us about what we’re doing. So far, we’ve experienced a lot of silence from practically everyone.
3) How does your faith influence your cinema-making?
Great question, because we’ve really been wondering if God is telling us to move on and create something else. In today’s world, the challenge isn’t creating the film–the challenge is finding the audience.
The silence we’ve experienced from what we had originally assessed to be a somewhat friendly group of Christian commentators and sites made us realize that there might not be a space for people like us. We don’t sell DVDs. We don’t market to churches. “Who’s behind you?” we’ve been asked countless times. No one. Just thought we’d tell a story.
I think it confounds Christians. Each episode of Leaving Eden doesn’t end with a moral and a Bible verse. The Christian author and speaker Skye Jethani comments that too often, Christians approach art and ask, “What does it do?” Unfortunately, there is no clear path in the Christian media community for artists who just want to talk about their art–art which might directly speak to the topics today’s Christian commenters are talking about.
Meanwhile, the general arts community doesn’t know what to do us. Our subject matter is not typical of the current webfest environment. One festival we entered chose five films as official selections: one, about a man and his teenage daughter who both came out of the closet (this show is a darling of the festival circuit); a show about an assassin performing his first kill (and a new kill each episode); one, about the gay hustling lifestyle in New York; another, a comedy about a drug dealer in LA; and finally an X-Files ripoff.
As an artist, I’m not against art that focuses on these topics. But in a post-Christian world, one could argue that we are as avant garde a topic as any. Still, the thought that we might be somehow sneaking the C-word—Christians—onto a festival’s screen puts us at a disadvantage.
At the ITVFest, a last minute scheduling change meant that some of the folks at our screening did not actually intend on viewing our show. Their reaction was important, and revealing, a lot of, “Well! That was pretty good!” and “I usually don’t watch stuff like this, but…that was beautiful!” The moderator started with a non-question: “You used some non-dialogue scenes to tell the story!” They were kind of shocked. I think they imagined Kirk Cameron was going to bust through a wall like the Kool-Aid guy and start yelling Bible verses.
There’s no really good reason for us to keep making Leaving Eden except that we are all pretty certain God wants us to tell this story at this time. It just gets artistically lonely following this path. And God has opened doors and sent us views, far beyond our expectations. We await further instructions…
4) Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?
We don’t have a Kickstarter or an Indiegogo. We’ve scraped together the things we need to create at a high level. We just ask that people watch, share, respond.
We’ve heard from many pastors and pastors’ wives who have all responded with words like “I feel validated” and “How did you know?”
One of the great stories for us is a band called The Jinxes. I approached them about using their music. They’re out of Monterey Bay, not a place necessarily known as a hotbed for Christianity, and not known for supporting original series by Wisconsinites about pastors. But they are true fans, offering to let us use their music for the show and even writing us emails of encouragement. Artists responding to us is our oxygen.
Money for a budget and lots of views would be great. But views and responses from people who appreciate art and cinema would mean so much to us. And prayers. Lots of prayers.
Watch Leaving Eden on its own website, on YouTube, Vimeo, blib.tv, or its Web Series Channel. Follow the show on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. And pray for the show’s creators.