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

CSAT TV wanted to support the creation of the film Son of the 11th Hour. This is currently in production. It is about a 2015 incident when Coptic Christians left Egypt to work in Libya and were “made an example of” by kidnappers, yet kept the faith. Their story, made with the permission of the children and widows of these martyrs, created a church in Egypt which gives hope to thousands of daily visitors.

The studio interview with the director was conducted by Heidi Saad, who is fluent in Arabic. The Behind the Scenes interview was conducted by Jo Bond — and it was very hot !

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

Watch our interviews, now on youtube, and you can also support the film if you like (see the previous links)

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

Follow us on LinkedIn.

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

This particular work did not win a Telly (It was not entered because it is not yet completed), however we have done some behind the scenes and we invite you to watch the interviews. Each person on set could relate to the characters and we hope that other people will, as well. To face a tragic event with bravery, strength and still give hope for a better future.

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

There is never enough time and there is always room for improvement, but to lower the stress, it is best to take a deep breath, be patient, do your best, then give the future to God.

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

Write it. Shoot it. Cut it. Make it count. Move on.

It’s not the spotlight you need to make a star shine, it’s the people who know how to light it, frame it, and lace it with imperceptible SFX which carry emotion. Celebrate the work of the entire crew, not just the stars on camera.

Can you share a behind the scenes story or fun fact about the making of your piece?

The Director and Producers wanted to make sure there was no gore and all actions were implied. The set, filmed North of Hollywood, was filmed during one of the hottest days in Southern California. The location had snakes, flies and very rudimentary facilities. So, that part was real, but when the actor who played the leader of the bad guys was to throw a jar, he faked it, but our interviewing host did not know he was going to fake it and flinched and ducked… After the scene they had a laugh about it and the main actor (with the white turban) asked “Was I really that scary?” which was not a question you would normally get from a bad guy.

Another actor, (with the shoulder length curly hair) normally plays comedic roles, so playing a bad guy was really different.

Another comment made from one of the former US Vets was that he was deployed to address this event back in 2015, and only later did he realize it when he was selected to work on this film. So every person had some connection to this story in some way. It brought a genuine authenticity to it all.

Son of the 11th Hour Behind the Scenes: https://ravisionproductions.com/sonofthe11thhour/soteh-bts/

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

We hope the show will be seen by many people.

Complete this sentence: ‘Great video storytelling is…’

… tap dancing on a vaudeville stage while juggling flaming swords— and praying the crowd applauds. Timing is everything.