Tell us a bit about your organization and what your specialty is in the film and video space.

Family Theater Productions is a faith-based production company in the heart of Hollywood. Our features team produces series, documentaries and narrative feature films, while our digital team produces short-form serial content for internet and social platforms.

What is your organization’s ethos and how does it set you apart from industry competitors?

We are steeped in the Catholic imagination, providing content that is faith-based or faith-informed without preaching to a choir. We invite all our audience to discussion and an open-minded engagement with new perspectives and the beauty of art and stories captured through a lens of faith.

How can people join or learn more about what you do?

Check out our website and YouTube channel, both named Family Theater Productions! A whole host of projects (and many more in the pipeline to come) can be found there. If you want to make a connection or collaborate, especially if your work is faith-informed or aligns with human dignity and fostering positive relationships, email ahewitt@familytheater.org.

Tell us about your Telly Award winning piece. What’s the story behind it?

My Telly award-winning series, Creating Sacred Beauty, came from a desire to explore the various forms of modern sacred art and the artisans behind it. Our host, Katia Villanueva, leads us through discussions with these artists whose faith has informed the fundamental aspects of their creative work, whether it be entirely religious in nature or not. From painting and animation to tattoos and dance ministry, the series covers uncovers how art infuses life with wonder and meaning and brings us closer to the divine.

What are you most proud of about this piece? What was your biggest challenge during production and how did you solve it?

I am most proud of the diversity in modern art we’ve been able to showcase, drawing people’s attention to artforms we may not pay much mind to, or artforms we wouldn’t think could intersect with the sacred. One of the biggest challenges was actually coordinating production with Judson Studios, as they are a very busy stained-glass firm and had a tight window of operation. They have glass featured all over Los Angeles and multiple projects at once, but I had a limited window of time to film on-site for the main portion of the episode, and get b-roll around town demonstrating their work. Through some creative collaboration in scheduling and lots of open communication with the Judson team and churches nearby that showcase Judson glass, we were able to put together one of the most dynamic (and one of my favorite) pieces in the series. Communication, open-mindedness, and determination are everything when making the art come alive against the odds.

Do you have any advice to other filmmakers based on your career or your team’s approach to work?

Communicate your vision and hopes for the project as openly as you can, and don’t be afraid to throw out an idea that may seem unrealistic at first. Be open to ideas and firm in your creative vision. You’d be surprised how willing to play ball a good team will be. Your team will respect a leader that is friendly to collaboration while confident in leading everyone toward a common goal.

Tell us about the most memorable response you got from this work.

There have been so many positive reactions, from the series subjects and outside viewers as well. One of my favorites, though, is from one of our subjects, Ximena Palencia, who was discovered through her episode and was offered to illustrate a children’s book after her work was showcased. It was great to be able to facilitate that moment in her professional career.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling…’

… bringing the “there and then” to the “here and now,” wherever you are at in this moment.