From King Kong to the King of All Kings — Part 1

There is always a story behind the story. My journey as a first-time feature film director is a story in itself, and every story has a beginning; this is mine.

In the fall of 1973, I was five years old when my parents took my brother and me to see Disney's "Robin Hood" at Showcase Cinemas in Toledo, Ohio. It was our first time watching an animated feature film, and it left me mesmerized, sparking a love for animation and cinema.

I started to draw every day. Both my mom and dad encouraged me to keep drawing, especially when I was frustrated that it didn't turn out the way I had envisioned it.?

One day after school, my mom took me to our local Kmart department store for me to pick out a picture frame. She hung that frame in our family room, where she would proudly display my latest artwork. I didn't realize it then, but looking back, my mom showed me that what I had created mattered.

A couple of months later, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on CBS introduced me to the true meaning of Christmas through Linus, my first introduction to God. Those few lines planted a seed deep in my heart that would lie dormant for the next 17 years.

During the summer of 1975, I saw King Kong (1933) during "Monster Week" on CBS. I was mesmerized and asked my dad how it was made. He took me to the library, and we checked out the book "The Making of King Kong."

That same summer, I made my first stop-motion animated short using a Kodak 8mm film camera, a makeshift King Kong made with a soldering wire armature and covered with plasticine clay in the shape of the great ape.

My dad was an artist, a draftsman, and a model builder. Little did I realize, when explaining to my dad what I wanted for my Kong and other shorts, he built and painted the models, sets, and props based on my ideas. I was directing. This is where my dreams began to take shape.

I was nine years old when Star Wars was released on May 25, 1977. I was forever changed. I now wanted to make my own Star Wars movies but didn't know how they did it.

On weekends, I would ride my bike to the local comic book store and buy any magazines with articles about Star Wars. Cinefantastique, Famous Monsters, and Starlog became my film school. My parents' backyard didn’t look like much, but it was my studio backlot. This is where my dreams began to take shape. Don't underestimate the power of imagination and dreams.

"The Making of Star Wars" television special aired on ABC in the fall of 1977. I used an audio cassette recorder and placed it next to our Zenith television speaker to record the entire special. I listened to that cassette tape every day after school. All of my friends had their favorite Star Wars heroes; mine weren't on the screen, but the unsung heroes behind the scenes who created the magic.?

Christmas of 1978, one of the gifts my parents gave me was the "Star Wars: A Pop-Up Book". This simple yet beautifully illustrated and engineered book had a profound impact on my life. I was so captivated by the pop-up cutouts, such as the Imperial Star Destroyer, Rebel Blockade Runner, and various planets, that I asked my dad if we could dismantle the book. I intended to animate each cutout against a background of my choosing.

My dad, being ever supportive, built an animation stand for my Super 8mm film camera and lights. Together, we went to a hobby store where we purchased a black poster board, a sheet of plexiglass, and an assortment of rhinestones in different sizes. We scattered the rhinestones all over the poster board, representing stars both near and far, and carefully placed the planet cutout on top. To elevate the plexiglass sheet, creating a table-like structure, my dad crafted legs so that it stood about a foot above the poster board. I then positioned the cutouts of the Imperial Star Destroyer and Rebel Blockade Runner on the plexiglass.

With great dedication and patience, I meticulously animated each ship by moving the cutouts incrementally, frame by frame, across the starry backdrop. Little did we know at the time, that using the plexiglass would create a pseudo depth of field and a hazy effect, resembling the distant beauty of the Milky Way. It was a serendipitous discovery, proving that sometimes the most incredible outcomes arise unintentionally.

I eagerly awaited the film to be developed for weeks, anxiously anticipating the moment when I could premiere it to my family and friends in the neighborhood, using our Bell & Howell film projector.

Growing up during the seventies and eighties was a time filled with unforgettable memories, particularly in the summer. With school on break, my days were spent hanging out with friends at the arcade, losing track of time at the local comic book store, and eagerly anticipating the latest blockbusters in theaters. Those summer movies shaped my imagination and inspired my dreams.

I never forgot the lessons I learned as a child, the moments of inspiration that fueled my passion for animation and storytelling. I was guided by those early experiences, by the love and admiration I had for the movies and filmmakers who shaped my childhood.

And now, as I reflect on my journey to date, I realize that the story behind the story is what truly matters. It's the moments of wonder and discovery, the support and encouragement from loved ones, and their unwavering belief in me that have brought me to where I am today.

As a first-time feature film director, I am proud to share this part of my story, a story that is still being written. It's a story of passion, perseverance, and the power of dreams. I am excited to be part of the Salvation Poem Project team, where we get to tell the story of the life of Jesus, 'Light of the World,' which will inspire and captivate audiences, just as I was inspired all those years ago in that movie theater in Toledo, Ohio.

More to come…