Richard Ramsey's Blog

Last Night on Conan: John Ramsey

2012-05-24T12:39:00.000-04:00

Here's the clip of my brother, John Ramsey, doing stand-up on Conan.

Tonight on Conan: John Ramsey

2012-05-23T11:49:00.001-04:00

My brother, John Ramsey, will be appearing on Conan O'Brien tonight on TBS 11/10c! Be sure to watch!

Tyranny Of The Tolerant

2012-04-28T16:49:00.004-04:00

The "Tyranny of the Tolerant" was in full display as controversial and theologically conservative Pastor Doug Wilson gave a guest lecture at the University of Indiana.

Warning: the above video contains graphic language and uncanny parallels to Acts 19:23-41 (complete with riotous shouting, mindless chanting, and an authority figure from the visited community having to intercede and remind everyone to act like civilized adults).

Blue Like Jazz

2012-04-19T17:18:00.000-04:00

Donald Miller has blog-posted an update regarding the response to the film based on his book, Blue Like Jazz. There's the box office figures as well as the appraisals by critics and audiences on both sides of the divide. I've only read the first chapter of the book (years ago), and haven't seen the film (though I plan on seeing it tomorrow night), so I'm not entirely sure why the film is so polarizing. Maybe I'll still be scratching my head on that one after I see the movie.

I say this to convincingly establish that I don't have a bias towards or against Donald Miller or whatever it is that gets people so jazzed up (yuk, yuk) about his book before I discuss the comment from his blog that stuck out at me most:

"It should be noted that no review criticizing us for not sharing the gospel shares the gospel in their review."

Ha ha! Perhaps there is a hint of smugness in that remark. And, to be frank, I feel that I've detected more than hints of smugness from the films creators who've frequently framed this as the first Christian film production ever to be guided by artistic and personal authenticity. But, I digress (into possibly being judgmental. I hear the filmmakers are great guys, and perhaps are pretty battle weary.)

But, I love what Miller calls attention to with his review on the reviews. It points out this misguided notion that every "Christian film" HAS to share the gospel. This is a silly, arbitrary, and myopic standard held by Christians who don't and can't apply it to everything else.

A couple of years ago, I was reading "The Divine Conspiracy" by Dallas Willard when I was struck by this passage:

“When all is said and done, the gospel for [those] on the theological right is that Christ made the arrangement that can get us into heaven. In the Gospels, by contrast, the gospel is the good news of the presence and availability of life in the kingdom, now and forever, through reliance on Jesus the Anointed."

(For those inclined to view the term “theological right” as condescending, please know that Willard does justifiably and astutely take the “theological left” to task on their version of the gospel.)

To paraphrase how he puts it elsewhere in his book, the gospel isn’t just that if we believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection we get “fire insurance.” It’s that “the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” meaning that it is within reach and accessible to us now through the person and power of Jesus Christ.

When I read this, I had two reactions:

First, I believed Willard was right -mostly because some verses flooded my mind when I read his assertion.

Second, my mind quickly recalled the debate amongst Christian filmmakers and faith film enthusiasts about whether or not a film must overtly present “the gospel” in order to be a worthy Christian film. (Incidentally, the debate amongst filmmakers seems to have decidedly settled on "no.")

Given Willard's quote, I wonder if films enthusiasticly lauded for preaching the gospel aren’t actually preaching the gospel (at least not in its fullness), but rather only a facet of it.

That doesn't mean these films did something morally wrong. It just means people may be giving them credit for something they haven't actually done and unfairly holding films like Blue Like Jazz to a standard that has actually yet to be met even by their most beloved devotional-driven films.

What about you? Have you seen a Christian film that teaches, overtly or covertly, that “the presence and availability of life in the kingdom [is accessible] now and forever, through reliance on Jesus the Anointed?”

Incidentally, I leave you with some two reviews of the film written from a Christian perspective. One is positive. One is negative. Both are level-headed.

gods @ war

2012-04-18T16:58:00.001-04:00

Here is a trailer for an upcoming City on a Hill project that I am very excited about called, "gods at war." I had very little to do with this particular production, so I was able to have a completely fresh viewing a couple of weeks ago...and, I was blown away. It's very powerful. Obviously, I'm partial to scripted narrative, but there is nothing like people telling their own actual (and extremely compelling) stories.

The thesis of the series is that any time we break commandments two through ten, we're also inescapably violating commandment one: "You shall have no other gods before Me." At the risk of sounding like a cliched commercial spokesman, I was skeptical about the premise (one I'd heard several times before). I suspected that elasticity was being added to the word "idolatry" in order to maintain its relevance in an age when Christianity is battling secular humanism rather than overt paganism for hearts and minds.

This series repeatedly inspired me to take a look at my own life and see that so many times I've looked to so many things to do for me what only God can. That's idolatry.

So...I stand corrected. And convicted.

"The Rage Against God" by Peter Hitchens

2012-04-16T13:14:00.000-04:00

Friday Night, I was out with my wife and decided to stop by a book store and purchase Peter Hitchens' book The Rage Against God (promo video above).

Peter Hitchens is the brother of the late Christopher Hitchens, the famous anti-theist who comprised one quarter of the self-styled "Four Horsemen" of the "new-atheism." The other three horsemen being Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett.

For those who've been living in a cave...or an insulated Evangelical bubble...since around 2006, the "new-atheism" isn't necessarily made new by the arguments. It's made new by the way in which those arguments are often presented - through strident militancy and shame-based condescension of believers.

Clearly, I'm tipping my hand with such a description. Fans of the four-horsemen might argue that my assessment either unfairly describes "new-atheism" or unfairly implies that such brazen ridicule of faith isn't justified or necessary.

I can sincerely say Christopher Hitchens was my favorite of the four. I disagreed with at least ninety percent of what he said...but, he said it all so well, didn't he? He was clearly talented, perhaps even...dare I say...gifted as a writer and speaker. But, more than that, I got the sense that despite (or maybe even because of) his curmudgeonly personality (or personae), he's someone I would have genuinely liked if I had known him.

His brother, Peter, has many of the same qualities. He's a gifted writer and speaker with a clearly brilliant mind, and he's willing to use his talents to boldly proclaim his convictions. But, his convictions are quite different from his brother's.

Peter is a Christian.

Moreover, he's a former anti-theist and Marxist himself (having burned a Bible at the age of fifteen). So, his book is largely a "there and back again" journey.

I started the book at around 11:15 Friday evening...and finished it around 5:00 the next morning. I was riveted. It's hard to explain why because being a semi-autobiographical, cultural analysis and apologetic, it's obviously not the type of plot driven narratives what we describe as "page-turners."

Perhaps its largely because I find the mere existence of Peter Hitchens and his faith fascinating and delightful for particular reasons. His faith stands in direct contrast to all the self-congratulatory compliments so many skeptics often pay themselves. (Seriously. How much pride and condescension emanates from the self-given moniker "freethinker?") We're so often told this is a battle of faith vs. reason and that the educated, intelligent, and perhaps even well bred will pick their side accordingly. Yet, here we have two brothers with a nearly identical upbringing, education, culture, and even DNA.

One believes. The other does not. How affirming or infuriating depending on your point of view.

If you have a genuine interest in apologetics, how Christianity simultaneously effects and is effected by culture, and how hard-hearted skeptics come to conclude that there is a God after all and that Jesus Christ is His Son (Peter says it's more likely to be by art than by argument), then you'll love this book.

For a much more thorough review of the book itself, I recommend this series on Doug Wilson's blog. Start at the bottom and work your way up.

Preach it...?

2012-04-10T14:11:00.000-04:00

"The danger is this: When your Premise is an idea you feel you must prove to the world, and you design your story as an undeniable certification of that idea, you set yourself on the road to didacticism. In your zeal to persuade, you will stifle the voice of the other side.

Misusing and abusing art to preach, your screenplay will become a thesis film, a thinly disguised sermon as you strive in a single stroke to convert the world. Didacticism results from the naive enthusiasm that fiction can be used like a scalpel to cut out the cancers of society.

As a story develops, you must willingly entertain opposite, even repugnant ideas... [The finest writers] see the positive, the negative, and all shades of irony, seeking the truth of these views honestly and convincingly. [...] Ultimately, they express what they deeply believe, but not until they have allowed themselves to weigh each living issue and experience all its possibilities."

-Robert McKee

Story

Luke 3:5

2012-04-09T15:54:00.000-04:00

"I think the tragic feeling is evoked in us when we are in the presence of a character who is ready to lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing: his sense of personal dignity. The flaw or crack in his character, is really nothing - and need be nothing - but his inherent unwillingness to remain passive in the face of what he conceives to be a challenge to his dignity, his image of his rightful status."

- Arthur Miller

"Tragedy and the Common Man"

Ramsey Bros. Pictures In The News

2012-01-04T16:43:00.001-05:00

CBS News: "Some truly amazing ideas can end up being so simple. Take this series of videos created by two brothers where they play old home videos of themselves and add in commentary. Genius!"

Read the full article. here.

Huffington Post: "So if you've ever sat back with an "American Beauty" DVD and thought, "Thank goodness for this featurette about the significance of lines in the opening scenes," you're gonna love what the Ramseys have to say about noogies and Air Jordans."

Read the full article here.

And, of course, click here to watch the "Home Video Commentaries" series.

Home Video Commentaries: Not What You Saw

2011-12-29T20:59:00.003-05:00

After a year-long hiatus, Ramsey Bros Pictures is pleased to finally release work twenty plus years in the making. Enjoy.

From "The Song" Playlist: Joe Pug - "Nation of Heat"

2011-11-18T11:49:00.000-05:00

Another video via LaundroMatinee. Love this guy's voice. The question of "Who does he remind me of?" is quickly answered. In fact, you probably won't have time to even ask it. Lyrics like, "If I didn't own boots, I wouldn't need feet?" Harmonica holder? As they say, "Bad artists copy. Great artists steal." And, if you're going to steal, steal from the best.

Another great thing: It's hard steal from a guy as generous as Joe Pug. He's apparently found quite a bit of success can be had in giving music away for free. Devoted fans spread the word and go to shows. So, if you think he's great...google is your friend.

From "The Song" Playlist: Nicole Atkins - "My Baby Don't Lie"

2011-11-17T13:09:00.001-05:00

I'm hoping to consistently feature artists that I've come to really enjoy while doing music and style research for "The Song." This video via LaundroMatinee features Nicole Atkins doing a stripped down version of "My Baby Don't Lie" from her classic/psychedelic rock-inspired album "Mondo Amore."

"The Song" - Screenwriter's iPod Playlist

2011-11-17T11:21:00.001-05:00

I like to listen to music as I write. Not that that's rare or anything. But, for a music driven project like "The Song," it's particularly helpful. Through the writing process, I've developed a fluctuating iPod playlist. Some songs come and go as the story changes or as their novelty wears off and they no longer inspire the emotions and sensations that inspire. You know when you listen to a song so many times that you can't hear it anymore? Some songs have been on the list since I started.

Anyway, below are snapshots of the playlist as it currently stands. Recommendations?

Open Casting Call For Feature Film, "The Song."

2011-11-15T11:44:00.001-05:00

The man, the music, the meaninglessness. Have what it takes to play a modern day Solomon?
To audition, visit www.thesongofsongs.com

The Life Project - Three Casts, One Story

2011-11-11T15:15:00.001-05:00

As I've stated before, in order to reach as many people as possible, we decided to film the central piece of "The Life Project" with three different casts: African-American, Hispanic speaking Spanish, and Caucasian.

In the above video, the entire story plays out while featuring segments from all three casts.

To learn how you can help get "The Life Project" into thousands of crisis pregnancy centers, visit givethelifeproject.org

The Life Project

2011-11-09T15:23:00.001-05:00

Last year, I had the privilege of directing and writing what will hopefully be the first of many episodes in "The Life Project." From Shane Sooter's blog:

I’m thrilled to premiere these films, each designed to quickly reach the hearts of women facing a crisis pregnancy. Responding to advice of our pregnancy center partners, we crafted three versions of the same story – one with a Caucasian cast, one with an African American cast, and one with a Hispanic cast speaking Spanish. On a creative level, its fascinating to see the many subtle variations created by the different casts. But I hope that nuances like that are lost on you as you watch the first time. I hope that you are drawn into the story, that you are moved, and that you are eager to share this tool with others. Enjoy.

"The Song" On Pinterest

2011-11-02T18:22:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, my wife introduced me to pinterest.com. It's basically a virtual cork board. You create different boards, and if you like a photo on the internet, you can "pin" it to your collection. At this point, my pinterest account is entirely dedicated to "The Song."

So far, I have set up boards for all the characters, and one of the major locations. When working in collaboration, it's important to be able to get images out of your head so that others can understand and add to them, and make composites of them. That way, over time, all the creatives for the film begin to see the same characters...and, thus, the same film.

Jed:

The story takes us from Jed’s early twenties, when he’s a gifted, charismatic, optimistic, and wise-beyond-his-years aspiring singer-songwriter, to his early thirties, when he’s famous, burnt out, and world-weary. Basically, imagine someone who could write the contemporary equivalent of Song of Solomon at age 23 and the write Ecclesiastes at 33.

As I stated earlier, "The Avett Brothers" accounted for a substantial chunk of my iPod playlist while I was writing "The Song." To me, Scott Avett (above) is very Jed. His music has incredible depth...and, on stage, he's a hurricane of barely, but brilliantly controlled chaos.

Rose:

Jed’s sweetheart and later wife. She’s the radiant, lovely, intelligent, and innocent girl next door (if you lived on a picturesque farm) that your mom and the Bible told you should marry.

Finding pictures for this character has been tough. In fact, I'm not even thrilled with the one I posted above. Seeing as Rose is not a musician, there's not a famous person who comes to mind when I try to picture her. So, I don't really know what or who to "Google" when searching for a picture that captures her essence.

Shelby:

This character on the other hand...well....I've found that my "villains" are often the most quick to mentally materialize for me. Makes me want to do a film where the villain is the main character.

Shelby's the girl you wouldn’t take anywhere near your mom. One of Jed’s fellow musicians, she’s beautiful, brazen, and sultry. While the real Solomon was brought down by 700 wives and 300 concubines…well…Jed has Shelby.

I'm not in any way saying that Nicole Atkins (pictured above and whom I have never met) is personally like Shelby -just that she has a great look and style (fashion and music). And, the audience response to her singing (at the 1:36 mark) in the below video is a striking testimony to her ability to captivate and enchant an audience...

Avett Awesomeness

2011-10-25T17:01:00.001-04:00

Usually when writing scripts, I compile a fat iPod playlist for the sake of mood. This was especially necessary for "The Song." These guys accounted for about 70% of my list. Mostly because they. are. AWESOME.

You doubt? Then watch the video. Especially, the hoe-down at 4:25.

And...I'm going to see their show in Lexington Thursday Night.

"Story" Recap

2011-10-25T12:20:00.001-04:00

This past week, I had the privilege of attending Robert McKee's "Story seminar." I think the above video gives you the best sample and explanation. I spent most of my weekend somewhere between the extremes of the "Adaptation" clip and the actual calm interview. Sorry if the langage offends, but it really does provide the best window into my weekend. For anyone interested in screenwriting, or filmmaking in general, I highly recommend his book, "Story." It was a tremendous help in writing "The Song," and is a good summary of his seminar.

We are Solomon

2011-10-21T21:03:00.004-04:00

"Without Him, who can eat and find enjoyment?" - Ecclesiastes 2:25

Shane and I just finished the second day of the Robert McKee Story Seminar. It's been very informative and helpful, and I look forward to going back and reading "The Song" after what I've learned here.

McKee is very brazen in his opinions on a wide variety of issues. Today he semi-lamented that good stories in cinema seem to be more and more rare. He says when he was a kid it was a couple a week, now it's a couple a year. He basically attributed this to Western decedance (though, I'm sure some would dismiss his diagnosis as nostalgia).

He basically said Western life is too easy to produce good stories en masse. Westerners don't work anymore...well, not real work. He said studies show that only about two hours of actual work get done in an eight hour work day. Technology, education, and affluence have given us a lot of leisure time, which has given us opportunities to reflect, which makes us realize how terribly unhappy we are. And, a lot of our stories reflect that personal and pervasive unhappiness.

He went on to say that the spectre of death should be a sufficient motivator for us to get out of the chair and get something done...writing a good story, specifically and that writers know that life is really meaningless.

Wow. It was almost...almost...like listening to a New York paraphrase of Ecclesiastes.

As I've told people that "The Song" leans very heavily on Ecclesiastes as source material, I've lost count of how many people have indicated that that is one of their favorite books, if not their very favorite book, in the Bible. Despite the books timelessness, I suppose one could dismiss this as a trend, but enough people have said it to make me wonder if there's just "something in the air" in this age in which we live that makes that book really resonate.

I think part of it is that it provides a sobering and yet comforting alternative to the "too blessed to be stressed" facade that often permeates American Evangelicalism. But, listening to McKee, it hit me...

The West, at many class levels, is full of Solomons -comparatively affluent, educated, leisure-lovers, who have easy access to comforts and experiences that the ancient king could not have foreseen, and who have time to sit and reflect and realize that they are utterly miserable and wonder why all their possessions, achievements, relationships (actual or digital), and experiences simply have not satisfied the deepest longings of their heart.

Story

2011-10-21T11:36:00.000-04:00

Shane Sooter and I are attending Robert McKee's "Story" Seminar in New York. I plan on blogging some reflections on it later, but Shane's got a head start. Click here to read his thoughts.

Madison Ave

2011-10-20T16:47:00.001-04:00

How "Evangelistic" Films Hinder Evangelism

2011-10-18T13:42:00.002-04:00

I snapped this in (the formerly communist) Romania in 2008. Originally meant to be functional rather than beautiful, it is now neither. Christian artists, take note.

A friend and co-worker, Amy Whikehart, sent me a fantastic article on the conspicuous lack of meritorious literature from Evangelicals. Here's a couple of dead-on insights:

"But if evangelism must be the primary purpose of everything we write, then a lot of God’s character will remain unreflected—which will, ironically, not help the cause of evangelism."

"So it is not surprising that, with no such emphasis coming from its leaders, the popular Evangelical subculture seems even more addicted to pragmatism in its approach, as a brief trip through the 'Christian bookstore' will show. Fiction can only be justified if it has an overt evangelistic purpose; works of visual art must have a Scripture verse tacked under them.

"Perhaps when our theologians become concerned with the good of the thing made, some of our people will, too."

Amen.

Click here to read the full article.

C.S. Lewis was an atheist and a highly trained literary critic. In his autobiography, he said that one of the things that began to turn his heart toward God was the fact that many of his favorite authors (such as George MacDonald) were Christians. They didn't reach him by speaking Christian-ese, but by speaking his language in his accent.

Peter Hitchens, atheist-turned-Christian, and brother of current famous atheist, Christopher Hitchens, believes that art will be a more effective means of reaching educated and hard-hearted cynics and skeptics than reasoned argument. He says this based on his own experience. His atheism began to erode after being unexpectedly confronted by a piece of renaissance art.

Roger Ebert is currently an atheist. It's too difficult to imagine his heart being transformed by the current environment of Christian films.

Crafting "The Song"

2011-10-17T13:20:00.000-04:00

The script for the feature portion of "The Song" is done. But, several months ago, the story was a series of scattered scribbles on whiteboards and notecards. Here's a glimpse of where were were in February. Looking back, it's interesting to see how the process changes things and which ideas make it in and which ones don't. And, which ideas couldn't have been anticipated and simply materialize during the actual writing process.

Announcing City On A Hill's First Feature Film!

2011-10-14T14:33:00.002-04:00

Inspired by the life and works of King Solomon, The Song tells the story of a young, aspiring singer-songwriter whose marriage and life suffer when the song he writes for his wife propels him to stardom.

From director, Shane Sooter:

"Already more than a year in the making, I’m thrilled to go public with this monster of a project about one of the Bible’s most perplexing figures. Like our previous five projects, this will take the shape of a television miniseries, a small-group curriculum, and a church campaign resource. But on top of that, this project will stand as City on a Hill Productions' first feature film.

As this will be the subject of many blog posts to come, I’ll resist the temptation to discuss the incredible opportunities and challenges that come with doing a giant, multifaceted, music-driven project like this. For now, I’ll leave you with this teaser: in the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing the details on our first nationwide casting search. Ready to audition? Can you sing, play an instrument, and act? Know someone who can? Get in on the action early…give me the scoop in the comments."