Voice actors urgently needed

Can you get to Eccleshall, Staffordshire tomorrow and Tuesday 27th-28th July 2015 for one hour per day?

Can you act in a characterful cartoon voice?

Would you like to make £25 per hour for these two hours?

We are in pre-production of a new children's animation, and require one or two people (adults, probably female) to create three beautiful, convincing characters for the trailer.  Each character speaks less than 100 words of dialogue.

We are looking for american accented voices for a girl of approximately 8, a boy of approximately 10 and a boy of approximately 12.

We would normally expect such voices to be created by an adult female actress.

It is intended that this show will become a mainstream production for television, and so there is potential for the successful artists to be involved in numerous 12 minute episodes in future.

For more information please e-mail cheethamwilkinson@yahoo.com preferably with a recording of your voice attached, fao Joe.

Christian musicians wanted, Christian poets wanted, Christian performers wanted.

We are delighted to announce that in the week beginning Monday Sept 14th 2015 we will be filming a new chat show called 'Faith in Action' in partnership with UCB TV, at the UCB Broadcast centre in Hanchurch, UK.

We are looking for performing artists such as songwriters, poets, comedians, rappers or anybody with a great gift to showcase.  All work must be completley original work to which you hold full copyrights.

'Faith in Action' takes on a traditional chat show format, with live performances, chat, VT's and a variety of guests.

Aimed at the Christian faith community, our new production is intended to serve a practical purpose, namely to motivate and encourage viewers that ordinary people can put their faith into action in extraordinary ways.

Each show will feature a live performance interlude, offering space for original Christian artists to showcase their work to an audience potentially reaching many thousands.

Are you an original artist with your own poetry, rap, songs or other performance art which you would like the opportunity to share?  We'd love to hear from you.

UCB are a Christian charity, which means this is a UNPAID opportunity.

Here you can see some of UCB's great content:

http://www.ucb.co.uk/player/live

We understand that exposure alone should not be a motivation to perform, however we are serving the Lord and creating something intended to strengthen, inspire and lead people into a strong place of self-confidence and connectedness with their calling and potential to serve.  In sharing your work with us, you will be a part of that.

Are you able to commit 100% to coming to Hanchurch, in Stoke-on-Trent, UK, on Sept 14th from 2pm onwards?

Are you able to bring everything you need to create a live performance to camera?

Do you create your own ORIGINAL content; music, songs, poetry, rap, comedy?

We'd love to hear from you. If you would like to bless us and our audience with your gifts, please e-mail some examples of your work via links/youtube to ChristianMoviesUK@gmail.com fao Joe.

Christian songwriters and performers wanted for Christian television production

UCB, a British Christian charity, are in production of a new television chat-show series called 'Faith in Action'.  The show is intended to inspire and motivate people to take their faith outside the boundaries of their own homes and their own personal prayer life, and out into the world where it is so desperately needed.

Check out some of UCB's great content here: http://www.ucb.co.uk/player/live

We want you to be a part of it!

The show is bright, uplifting, fun and non-preachy. Original thought and new ideas in compositions and performances are welcome.

As a guest on the show, you will be playing a part in fulfilling the great commission, and ensuring that your performance has the greatest possible impact.  We are looking for musicians and performers with a genuine heart for sharing the love of the Lord with a needy world, in a media context with the potential to reach many thousands of viewers.

We are looking for writers and performers of original Christian music, comedy, rap or poetry to perform as guests within a traditional chat-show format.

As UCB are a charity, this is not a paid performance.

We understand that 'exposure' should not be the main motivating factor.  Although there is significant potential for your music to be heard by a large audience, we are keen to recruit people who can offer their services to a charity whose fundamental aim is to share the Gospel.

Do you write and perform original Christian music?

Can you be at UCB broadcast centre in Hanchurch, Stoke-on-Trent, UK from 2pm on Monday Sept 14th 2015?

Can you bring everything you need to produce a live performance to camera?

If you would enjoy the experience of working in a small professional television studio environment and creating a polished live video performance for the inspiration and uplifting of our viewers, then please send your details including an MP3, YouTube link or other example of your work to Joe at ChristianMoviesUK@gmail.com .

https://www.youtube.com/user/UCBBroadcasting

Christians Together

We have launched a new Facebook page called Christians Together Worldwide. We would be delighted if you would join our growing community by liking our page, we are growing daily and share some great posts from a variety of excellent quality Christian sources.  If you like daily Christian encouragement, Christian Bible study and fellowship on your Facebook page then join Christians Together Worldwide today.  Click here: https://www.facebook.com/ChristiansTogetherWorldwide

Making a TV show on a low budget

HOW TO MAKE A TV SHOW ON A LOW BUDGET, KIDS' TV

Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew is a television production for children created on a very tight budget.  This video illustrates the importance of planning.  Part of the problem we faced when we first began producing this show was the wrong mindset.  Once we started thinking that our limitations went beyond simply the budget, there were compromises in other areas.  What I mean by that is that a low budget can get you thinking that your production isn't valuable, when in fact the value of your show lies in the quality and fullness of your vision for it, and not the amount of money you have to throw at it.

In fact, when the budget is tight, even more attention should be given to the areas where you are not constrained by a tight budget.  One of these areas is planning. It doesn't cost anything to spend time planning colour schemes and designing sets, beyond your own time and some cardboard and glue.

Enjoying the process of making mock-ups and colour swatches can mean the difference between a show that looks the part and one that doesn't, and that has nothing to do with budget.

The above was a very enjoyable part of the production process.  Just spending time and care on nailing the colour scheme boosted our confidence and gave credibility to the process.

All of the colours we chose were compared, balanced, agreed, composed and juxtaposed until we were happy.

The entire set including all paint, boards, fixtures frames and fitting cost very little, far below that of any mainstream TV production.  But care and attention means it looks polished and professional.

How to make a kids TV show and get it on TV

How to make a TV show for children and get it on television.

For those of you reading this who don't know me, I am currently in production of season 3 of my kids' TV show which airs in numerous countries around the world.

Here's the thing.  Do it.  Just do it.  I'm not being simplistic and dismissive, read on. Don't wait for permission or approval.  If you have a passion for children's literature and want to turn it into TV, do it.  If you have a heart for telling your own stories and want to do that through the medium of TV, do it.

That's the most important advice I ever received.  Don't wait for permission, don't wait for approval, don't wait for somebody to tell you it's a great idea.  Don't wait for anybody except God to lead you.

Here's how I like to think of it.  There are two kinds of people, one in the majority and one in the minority: those who say 'I want to make a kids' TV show' and those who say 'I am going to make a kids' TV show.' I can't stress enough how important those two heart attitudes are to the success or failure of your project because here's the thing, you CAN do it.

I'm not saying you're hugely talented, I'm not saying your show is going to be brilliant, but what I am saying is that unless you make that second statement and speak it confidently into your own life, you are highly unlikely to succeed.  You see, so much of the difference between the wannabes and the doers is just that attitude.

'I want to' is waiting for support, permission, affirmation, leadership, a pat on the back, encouragement and even assistance.

'I'm going to' is saying 'I will lead, I will affirm my partners, I will encourage and assist, I will give approval to those who draw alongside.'

So how do you become the kind of person that thinks like that?  That may be a bigger question that I can't answer right here, perhaps there's a little soul-searching that needs to be done on your part but I will give you a clue as to how it worked for me. It's this.  If I didn't feel confident, I acted like a confident person and did what I thought a confident person might do.  If I didn't feel kind or generous of spirit, I behaved kind and generous of spirit as I thought such a person would,

Your speech is important too, not just to the people you are trying to communicate to, but to yourself as well.  Never say 'I am trying to make a kids' TV show', never.  Say 'I am producing a kids' TV show.'  You may feel like you are lying, but simply be sure that you aren't, get on and do it.  People will believe you, why wouldn't they?  You are doing what you say.  But so much of it is about self belief, which requires convincing yourself over and over again until you really believe it yourself.

I am not talking about any kind of deception whatsoever, please don't be tempted to exaggerate, that will put you in a very difficult position.  I remember when my wife first started teaching and had her first class to herself, she felt like a fraud.  But she wasn't, she was qualified and she was doing it.  What are your qualifications?  Getting on with it, doing what you say, that's what qualifies you.

Now that you're all pumped up and you're going to do it let's really make sure you're not wasting your time.  There are any number of ways you can go about it practically, I'll list a few that will help you.

1. Create a show 'bible' and tout it round existing studios who might be willing to invest with you.  This is the most cost effective idea, but probably the least likely to succeed since all you are offering is a concept.  But if it's brilliant...A 'bible' is a document which outlines characters, synopses of storylines for the first season, as well as outlining the scenario and themes, USPs etc.  It also contains artwork. Do an awesome one.
2. Create the bible as above but with a trailer.  This will really enhance the saleability as the concept will be strengthened and clarified.  Tout it around studios and investors.
3. Create a full episode and bible as above.  This will demonstrate you as a serious player with a fully realised show which is far more investable.
4. Create an entire season.  This puts you in a very strong position, you have 'hard assets', and the market is always on the lookout for quality content.  Here, the risk lies entirely with you, as sales and revenue are not guaranteed.
5. Remember, you ARE making a kids' TV show, you are not TRYING.

My own approach was somewhere between 2 and 3.  I then approached a local studio and we made season one together on a tiny budget.  Now, at season 3, budget is increasing, popularity is growing, and distribution is more widespread.

Now that some of the basic (very basic!) theory is out of the way, I just wanted to touch on a couple of things which will help ensure you succeed.

1. Go for quality! At every step, ask yourself how it can be done better.  Squeeze the absolute best out of whatever limited resources you have, and don't accept anything less.  It's incredible what you can achieve with a very tiny budget in live action TV.  My puppets are made from old towels, cereal boxes and children's clothes we no longer used.  I made the sets from old board I found in the garage when we moved house, and the paints were poster paints from the pound store.  And yes, they're on TV!
2. Research!  Understand your audience, what engages them and keeps them entertained.  The first half of our first season suffered from some real issues of lack of punch and flow, and the entire structure had to be changed to keep the kids gripped!
3. Listen to constructive criticism. It's tough, but get ready to be put through the mill. I'm not talking about nay-sayers and discouragers, Let them stew.  But people who are genuinely interested and have something to say, hear them out.  Be open hearted, be ready to adjust and don't bother being pointlessly defensive over your baby.  A one-man-show often ends up looking like a one-man-show, and is worse for it.  More ideas, more brains, more invention should be encouraged and sought.
4. Be original.  It's easy to think that you can make a kids' TV show because you've seen them all your life, you know what they look like and how they go.  With this attitude you'll probably just end up with a worse version of something which already exists.  Who wants that?  Think your idea through deeply, share it with people and adjust it according to feedback.  Give it back-story, enrich it with a well considered scenario full of meaning and purpose, give your characters purpose. Be original, so that if even the biggest studio saw you bible they would say 'Wow, we've never seen that before!'  If you're not original, why would somebody put money and time into your idea?  Make something new.
5. Consider live action before animation.  Puppets and human actors can be extremely cost effective, but animation is very expensive, even poor animation.

So, just a very short blog on the subject I wrote this simply to encourage you that it can be done.  I may write a blog post about how to do it with no money, how to do it with £200 and how to do it with £1000, but that's for another time.  Please share!  Below is an example of my kids' TV show, showing the cut-out sets and clothes puppets I mentioned above.

Christians Together Worldwide

Join the conversation!

We have a new Facebook page for people wanting to share an online Bible study and community fellowship.  Check it out here! www.facebook.com/ChristiansTogetherWorldwide

Christians Together Worldwide on line Bible study and community forum fellowship

Join the conversation!

'Christians Together Worldwide' is an exciting new on-line community drawing together believers from every walk of life to share and study God's word together.

Using video Bible readings from Joseph Cheetham-Wilkinson, this fellowship is all about being supportive, exploring Scripture, and encouraging one another on our diverse and varied journeys.

This is a fellowship of believers and seekers, and we are different in that we are not passively listening to a preach before walking away, but we are engaging, learning, growing and getting our teeth into it together.  So come on, get involved, wherever you are in the world, if you are a Christian or you are genuinely seeking answers about the Christian faith then let's draw alongside one-another and JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Why not start with us on Chapter one of the Gospel of Matthew as we work through the whole new testament?

Gospel of Matthew chapter 3 Bible reading. Christian community Bible stu...

Why not get involved with our new on line community of Bible study and fellowship?

Christian videos, Bible study video, Bible discussion group, Matthew cha...

New Christian song from Joseph Cheetham-Wilkinson

It's been a few weeks since my last post, but here we have my first new Christian praise song in a while!  Feedback so far has been good, what do you think?  It's made me want to spend a bit more time in the studio anyway! It's called 'God's Love Pours Down', and it's about remembering how we came by our salvation, by grace! Not by what we've done, and certainly not by what we deserve. It's always worth keeping that in mind, especially in these times where so many Christians fight, argue and snipe at each other! We're all imperfect, flawed, broken damaged goods, saved by the same unmerited favour of a loving God.

ecwid store

Christian kids Bible lessons

Check out our new series of Christian kids' Bible lessons with new videos from Jovis Bon-Hovis and Stipy Monkey!

Who is Jesus and What did Jesus teach

We are in production of a new series of short, easy to understand videos for young children covering basic Bible subjects.  Have a look at these fun Christian kids videos and let us know what you think!

And here's number two:

Sharing the Gospel with children in Indonesia

Jovis Bon-Hovis is now airing in Indonesia!  I do hope the children there enjoy the show, it's such a privilege to have our little production seen by so many people around the world.

We really hope the show encourages children to nurture their own relationship with God and gives them lasting and fond memories of good things on TV!

Christian music and videos

Check out the channel,  there have been lots of changes recently and new videos added, including our brand new Kids' songs from season two of 'Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew!.

Christian Singers wanted UK, Christian songwriters wanted UK, Christian performers wanted UK.

We are looking for original artists who can perform their own original Christian material in front of camera for a TV pilot shoot of a Christian chat show in Stafford UK, on Sat Oct 18th 2014 at around 2-3pm.

We are looking for quality, complete material. We will simply provide two microphones.

We will consider comedy, rap, songs and instrumental musicians.

This is an unpaid opportunity, but could offer good exposure as the pilot will likely be broadcast on a major Christian TV channel.

Please send FULL details and links to info@Christian-Movies.co.uk

UK unsigned Christian singer songwriters wanted

We are the producers of a Christian chat show called 'Faith in Action', as well as a Christian children's television show called 'Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew!' and our chat show features a regular music slot which allows unsigned artists to showcase their talent.  We are looking for only original content, not covers, from singers and rappers who are confident to perform live.

This is not a paid opportunity, but is a chance to be seen TV across the UK on a Christian channel.  You need to be able to come to Stafford under your own steam, to perform in front of our cameras in our studio.

In exceptional circumstances, a high quality video submission may be acceptable provided you own all the rights.

Please contact us at info@christain-movies.co.uk with your information and some examples of your original work.

Feedback on Jovis Bon-Hovis and the Creation Crew

Had such a lovely piece of feedback from a UCB viewer yesterday. She had e-mailed UCB to say thank you for a piece of software they provide, and ended up explaining how useful and supportive the children's TV was to her five year old son. UCB asked her 'What are your son's favourite UCB shows? And below is her reply. What is particularly valuable and encouraging for me about this feedback is that it is made in the context of the world's most popular and successful Christian kids' TV shows. She said:

"Stevie loves Jovis Bon-Hovis. That's his favourite. Stevie loves the one with 'Buck Denver' and those programmes with the flying balloon with the monkey and 2 brothers in it. He and I found 'What's in the Bible' good with the 'Sunday School Lady' very informative at same time as fun. Not sure without checking if these are ucb but my son likes 'Veggie Tales' and 'Super Book' as well. His ultimate favourite is Jovis Bon-Hovis as funny. Each bit is short so keeps him interested. He loves the silly side but important bits to learn ie the main theme. Stevie likes the fact that Jovis often makes mistakes and doesn't do it right and then Booky Worm tells a story and conviction hits him. Or cinviction comes via the mouse. This helps as he sees conviction as helpful and how easy wrong feelings get us in a pickle. Also if this man makes mistakes and learns by them then its a helpful thing to learn by mistakes rather than a condemning and judgmental thing. Its a tool to help spiritual growth. It reminds my son and I of Pinocchio. He needed a conscience to be his guide, we have the holy spirit. Stevie likes God rocks. We love music and traditional musicals in general. This is why Stevie likes God rock's as it's music orientated with a Christian message. I hope this has of use. Sharon."

Nailed it!

How can I get more visitors to my website

Online marketing strategy:

Outline of options and possible outcomes.

Joe Cheetham-Wilkinson, 07528 007872

It's crucial to be aware that product and content are king. It is possible to guarantee visits to a website, converting those visits into sales is an entirely different issue.

In the first instance we need to have complete confidence in the product. If the product is not desirable or saleable then the cost implications of drawing in traffic will outweigh the benefits gained from a low conversion rate.

Conversely, a unique and desirable product on an attractive and communicative web-page will legitimise advertising/website/seo spend.

Things to consider:

• Pay per click is an effective marketing tool; you only pay for the advertising when an interested party clicks on the ad.
• Pay per click advertising is easy to get wrong. A strong understanding of the web and how people search is essential, as well as research and communication directly with Google experts. It is easy to pay a high price for clicks from users who were never going to buy. My experience means I can ensure the lowest price per click, meaning more visitors for your money and the most targeted marketing.
• The user experience is key. Your core messages must be instantly communicated, within the first few seconds a visitor must have gained a strong understanding of your product, encouraging them to explore further.
• Website visitors watch videos far more readily than ever before, increased network speeds and slower loading times mean video invites visitors into your 'space' in a way still photography doesn't, encouraging them to engage with and fall in love with your product. All major websites use video, however production and display is now accessible to the lower end of the market. A simple videotour, like these two videos below, can greatly enhance the user experience:
  
  
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• Social Media cannot be ignored. The old saying 'Most of my business come from referrals' is as true today as it ever was. The 'like' and 'share' options on social media platforms like Facebook bring targeted advertising in front of your key demographic based on comprehensive data analysis of an individual's internet search history and habits. Its' a powerful and effective way of focussing a marketing campaign more accurately than has ever been possible before.
• Open a Facebook page. (Not to be confused with advertising on Facebook) This is more of an expectation than a powerful marketing tool. Having a Facebook page can act as a blog you can use it to link with your site, and you may find people sharing your links occasionally.
• Employ a part-time blogger and link-builder. Writing articles on blogs, forums and social media sites which include links to your site will make the site appear more important to search engines like Google, as well as drawing in visitors who click the link directly. This is an effective long-term strategy; it doesn't have the instant results that PPC has, but unlike PPC it's effectiveness continues after the campaign of work and spend is finished. It can take many months for this approach to show results, but it is tried, tested and proven as the most effective long-term approach.
• Regularly adding to the website itself makes it appear more current and relevant to the search engines resulting in an increase in natural (not paid for) traffic.
• Optimise your site for the search engines. Paying a professional to look over your site to check and correct/modify every aspect of its 'visibility' is best practice, and is an effective way of securing good results as a long-term strategy. The benefits of work done are also not lost as instantly as switching of a paid for advertising campaign.
• Every website you create is an opportunity to capture a different audience. For example, a website set up solely to appeal to those who need an outside office space will draw in a different audience to a website set up solely to appeal to mums looking for a hobby room. This kind of website is called a 'satellite site', a basic, simple one-page website hosted on it's own unique url with the purpose of drawing people in via a link to your main site. It's a bit like fishing with a net off a boat, the net being the main site, and then fishing with ten, twenty or a hundred rods from the other side.

Fundamental suggestions:

Update your website with key messages, visual and textual, which are communicated instantly.

Add video to the home page to encourage visitors to engage, explore and fall in love.

Begin a social media campaign and analyse the results weekly, adjusting the campaign accordingly.

Begin a pay-per-click advertising campaign, analyse the results weekly and modify the campaign accordingly.

Add to the website regularly, at least weekly.

Consider creating a number of satellite sites.

Submit articles to blogs and websites regularly on related subjects, linking back to your website.

Optimise your website to make it as visible as possible to the search engines.

Options to move forwards:

One-off:

Ten satellite sites can be added to any of the following options for a one-off payment of £250. These sites will be live for two years, after which there will be a £250 fee if you wish to retain them. Low cost strategy with modest long-term benefits.

Option one:

The tester.

Guaranteed visits. For a one-off investment of £200 I will create a one-month Pay Per Click marketing campaign for your website. I will carefully analyse the data at the end of each week, and modify the campaign accordingly, in order to pay the minimum possible for each click meaning more visitors for the money, whilst achieving the best quality of visitor.

Purpose:

This will give excellent data for analysis without committing to a long-term financial investment, enabling us to strategize future campaigns with our eyes wide open. Visitors are guaranteed, and we will be able to assess the quality and quantity.

Option two:

Tweak and test.

Incorporating option one as part of the plan, you will give me access to the back-office of your website to check it over for any obvious SEO errors or omissions, modifying as necessary, for a total of £300

Option three:

Visual impact

Incorporating options one and two, I will also make some modifications to the front-end of the site, adding some relevant text to the images in the slide-show and clarifying the message for the user on entry for a stronger first impression. £350.

Option four:

Invite them in!

The addition of video will greatly enhance the user experience, strengthen the sites search engine visibility (sites with videos are given priority over sites without) and familiarise the client with the product. Overall the site will appear more professional and credible. I will produce a simple video tour for you by visiting the site and shooting on a high quality Panasonic digital SLR camera in High Definition. In order to keep costs down, I aim to film, edit and upload to the web all within one working day. Working in conjunction with options 1,2 and 3, the total one-off fee would be £450.

Option five:

Beginning to strategize long-term

Incorporating options 2,3 and 4, (tweak and test, visual and text impact plus video) we will embark on a longer term Pay Per Click campaign. Pay Per Click does work, and a commitment to a longer term strategy will mean better data, a more focussed and consistent campaign, maintenance of ongoing and current awareness enabling the build of momentum (Liking on social media, sharing links, improvement in non-paid rankings) .

This can be cancelled at any time, there is no minimum commitment. For an opening investment of £450 followed by monthly payments of £200 I will manage the campaign weekly, checking and testing results, and modifying the campaign accordingly.

Option Six:

Pincer movement.

Incorporating all of the above, with the addition of a social media (Facebook) campaign. Allowing me to target potential visitors based on interests, age, marital status, location and more, in conjunction with all of the above we will have a powerful marketing machine with enormous potential. Again, this can be cancelled at any time, it is completely feasible that you will receive too many enquiries, and the investment can be reduced without any sort of penalty or notice period.

The opening investment would be £650 followed by monthly payments of £400.

Option Seven

Market-Zilla,

an all-out assault on the web.

Incorporating all of the above, with the following additions:

One new satellite site created every week on a unique url linking to the main site. Renewal after 2 years.

Setup and management of a Facebook page, with 100 word article added daily (five days a week)

Setup and management of 'blogger' and 'wordpress' blogs, with a 100 word article added daily (five days a week), linking to the main site.

Weekly 100 word article added to the main website.

The opening investment would be £900 followed by monthly payments of £725.

The above campaigns are examples and therefore flexible; all the elements can be mixed and matched to suit your requirements.