1 00:00:02,750 --> 00:00:03,750 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:04,769 --> 00:00:05,689 Speaker 2: Hey, Matt, thanks for joining me. 3 00:00:06,550 --> 00:00:08,430 Speaker 3: Absolutely, Michael. It's an honor to be with you today. 4 00:00:09,110 --> 00:00:12,530 Speaker 2: Matt Neff, CEO of Sight & Sound Theaters, which brings 5 00:00:12,570 --> 00:00:14,870 Speaker 2: the Bible to life. I'm big fans of what you 6 00:00:14,910 --> 00:00:20,050 Speaker 2: guys do. You do this through live theatrical musicals, celebrating 7 00:00:20,070 --> 00:00:24,900 Speaker 2: your 50th anniversary this year. You guys have theaters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 8 00:00:24,980 --> 00:00:27,060 Speaker 2: and Branson, Missouri. As I say, Lancaster, I think. I 9 00:00:27,220 --> 00:00:28,540 Speaker 2: might be mispronouncing that. 10 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 4: Not bad. 11 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:30,580 Speaker 3: Not bad. 12 00:00:31,330 --> 00:00:34,050 Speaker 2: I don't want to assume everybody knows what you guys do, 13 00:00:34,150 --> 00:00:36,930 Speaker 2: who you are. What do you think makes Sight & 14 00:00:36,930 --> 00:00:38,750 Speaker 2: Sound unique? And for those who have never been there, 15 00:00:38,890 --> 00:00:40,849 Speaker 2: what is Sight & Sound? 16 00:00:41,350 --> 00:00:41,670 Speaker 3: Yes. 17 00:00:42,370 --> 00:00:45,930 Speaker 4: Well, we are first and foremost storytellers. That is our calling. 18 00:00:45,970 --> 00:00:49,430 Speaker 4: That is our passion. We love bringing either the Bible 19 00:00:49,450 --> 00:00:53,100 Speaker 4: to life on stage shows or true redemptive stories of 20 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 4: God's intervention with man on screen via films. 21 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,460 Speaker 3: That's our passion. And we love storytelling. 22 00:01:00,180 --> 00:01:02,740 Speaker 4: Using the creativity God has given us to tell these 23 00:01:02,780 --> 00:01:05,700 Speaker 4: stories that have been changing lives for hundreds or thousands 24 00:01:05,740 --> 00:01:08,380 Speaker 4: of years. And our role is simply to tell them 25 00:01:08,420 --> 00:01:11,580 Speaker 4: again and see how the Lord works through them. And 26 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:13,030 Speaker 4: that does not get boring. 27 00:01:14,140 --> 00:01:18,230 Speaker 2: And these are not just Bible plays. I'll try my 28 00:01:18,270 --> 00:01:20,710 Speaker 2: best to describe it, but I think I've heard it 29 00:01:21,050 --> 00:01:24,610 Speaker 2: described as a stage as wide as a football field. 30 00:01:25,250 --> 00:01:27,330 Speaker 2: So it's kind of a surround sound stage. 31 00:01:27,830 --> 00:01:28,010 Speaker 1: Yeah. 32 00:01:28,410 --> 00:01:33,850 Speaker 5: You have live animals, you have screens, you have special effects, 33 00:01:33,930 --> 00:01:38,030 Speaker 5: there's people walking up and down the aisles, you know, characters, 34 00:01:38,510 --> 00:01:41,490 Speaker 5: characters and animals, and it's a musical, of course. 35 00:01:41,950 --> 00:01:42,170 Speaker 3: Yes. 36 00:01:42,970 --> 00:01:45,890 Speaker 2: What would you add or, yeah, I mean, did I 37 00:01:45,940 --> 00:01:46,660 Speaker 2: get some of that right? 38 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 4: You totally did. You sound like a pro. 39 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:50,300 Speaker 3: You've been here. 40 00:01:51,140 --> 00:01:53,500 Speaker 4: So, yeah, I think the biggest thing that makes us unique, 41 00:01:53,540 --> 00:01:56,580 Speaker 4: I'm not supposed to maybe say traditional theater, is the 42 00:01:56,620 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 4: immersive experience. 43 00:01:57,810 --> 00:01:58,230 Speaker 3: Elements. 44 00:01:58,390 --> 00:02:02,530 Speaker 4: And that's been from the beginning. Our founder, Glenn, as 45 00:02:02,570 --> 00:02:05,590 Speaker 4: a creative and an artist, just wanted to put people 46 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:07,780 Speaker 4: in the heart of the story. How can we make 47 00:02:07,820 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 4: it more relative to the person in the seat? So 48 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 4: some of the things you mentioned are ways that we 49 00:02:13,540 --> 00:02:16,540 Speaker 4: do that. So every show when we're designing it, it's 50 00:02:16,580 --> 00:02:18,700 Speaker 4: designed with that in mind. How do we surround the 51 00:02:18,740 --> 00:02:21,140 Speaker 4: guest with the story that they can be a part 52 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 4: of that? And what we see happen is when you're 53 00:02:24,180 --> 00:02:27,630 Speaker 4: in the story, walls can come down, It connects hearts 54 00:02:27,669 --> 00:02:30,090 Speaker 4: to what the Lord wants to do. So some of 55 00:02:30,130 --> 00:02:32,190 Speaker 4: my favorite things to watch are if a guest comes in, 56 00:02:32,510 --> 00:02:34,420 Speaker 4: you can spot the guest who was drunk there, you know, 57 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,700 Speaker 4: by a significant other, like the guy whose wife took 58 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,660 Speaker 4: him to some Bible show, right? And in the beginning, 59 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 4: you know, his arms are crossed and he looks like 60 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 4: the furrowed brow. And then halfway through, he's like, okay, 61 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,980 Speaker 4: all right, this is not what I expected. And by 62 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,340 Speaker 4: the end, he's crying, you know, like those are my 63 00:02:52,380 --> 00:02:55,260 Speaker 4: favorite moments when you see that happen with guests. 64 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,530 Speaker 3: And so, yeah. That's what we get to do. 65 00:02:57,550 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 2: How do you guys make sure that the spectacle doesn't 66 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:03,619 Speaker 2: overshadow the message, though? Because it's both, but I'm just curious, 67 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:04,540 Speaker 2: what would you say to that? 68 00:03:05,100 --> 00:03:07,780 Speaker 4: That is probably some of the most passionate debates in 69 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:13,830 Speaker 4: the production process are letting story drive the spectacle. We 70 00:03:13,850 --> 00:03:17,290 Speaker 4: love cool stuff and things that impact people, but we 71 00:03:17,310 --> 00:03:19,410 Speaker 4: have to be really vigilant to say, but does it 72 00:03:19,510 --> 00:03:23,170 Speaker 4: serve the story? Does it advance the story? And if 73 00:03:23,250 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 4: it doesn't, then we have to Cut our darlings, so 74 00:03:26,060 --> 00:03:28,769 Speaker 4: to speak. Things we might be a little attached to, like, oh, 75 00:03:28,810 --> 00:03:31,030 Speaker 4: that would have looked cool. Yeah, but if it doesn't 76 00:03:31,070 --> 00:03:33,730 Speaker 4: really advance the story, it's not going to serve it. 77 00:03:34,450 --> 00:03:36,610 Speaker 4: And that makes for a better production, is what we found, 78 00:03:36,690 --> 00:03:40,430 Speaker 4: just by really being committed to what moves the story 79 00:03:40,530 --> 00:03:44,090 Speaker 4: forward the best. And I love how some of my 80 00:03:44,130 --> 00:03:46,950 Speaker 4: colleagues like to say it, when spectacle and story meet, 81 00:03:47,010 --> 00:03:49,750 Speaker 4: that's like the magic that can happen at sight and sound. 82 00:03:50,090 --> 00:03:53,350 Speaker 4: Great example of that would be an older show, right? Noah, 83 00:03:53,390 --> 00:03:56,450 Speaker 4: the story of Noah. Top of Act 2, you are 84 00:03:56,710 --> 00:03:58,090 Speaker 4: in the Ark for the first time. 85 00:03:58,550 --> 00:03:59,950 Speaker 3: The audience is literally in the Ark. 86 00:03:59,990 --> 00:04:02,510 Speaker 4: The curtains rise and you're surrounded by it. And it's 87 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,220 Speaker 4: a moment where it's all coming together for Noah too. 88 00:04:05,780 --> 00:04:08,340 Speaker 4: So the heart of the story is hitting the same 89 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,300 Speaker 4: time the spectacle is being revealed. Those are the magic 90 00:04:11,340 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 4: moments that we strive to hit. And just see what 91 00:04:15,020 --> 00:04:17,950 Speaker 4: the Lord does with that. It's pretty fun. 92 00:04:18,830 --> 00:04:19,770 Speaker 6: I don't know if you have an answer for this, 93 00:04:19,810 --> 00:04:22,869 Speaker 6: but I'm curious. How many different characters of the Bible 94 00:04:22,930 --> 00:04:27,750 Speaker 6: have you guys– spotlighted. And if you don't know, just 95 00:04:27,770 --> 00:04:33,380 Speaker 6: kind of help me name some of them. Samuel, Noah, Moses, Daniel, David. 96 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 6: Those are ones that are off the top of my head. 97 00:04:35,460 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 6: I think you had an Esther. 98 00:04:37,460 --> 00:04:39,420 Speaker 4: Jesus, Esther, Ruth. 99 00:04:40,900 --> 00:04:41,539 Speaker 3: Yeah, a lot of them. 100 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:49,510 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. Let's talk about Joshua. That's your latest production. 101 00:04:49,570 --> 00:04:53,130 Speaker 2: Give us a preview of what that production is. And 102 00:04:53,170 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 2: I ask that because you could have gone a thousand 103 00:04:55,710 --> 00:04:56,620 Speaker 2: directions with that story. 104 00:04:58,000 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 3: That's always the challenge. 105 00:04:59,779 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: It's my understanding that it began, I haven't seen it yet. 106 00:05:01,779 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 2: I wish I had, but it's my understanding that it 107 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 2: begins long before he takes the mantle of leadership. Is 108 00:05:07,620 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 2: that correct? 109 00:05:08,540 --> 00:05:09,060 Speaker 3: Absolutely. 110 00:05:09,779 --> 00:05:12,100 Speaker 4: Yeah. And, and that's, I guess I'll give this little 111 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:12,940 Speaker 4: sneak peek away, right? 112 00:05:12,980 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 3: Like we wanted to jump into. 113 00:05:14,940 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 4: The heart of the story and portray what made Joshua, Joshua. 114 00:05:20,370 --> 00:05:22,890 Speaker 4: So the top of the show literally jumps right into 115 00:05:22,930 --> 00:05:26,529 Speaker 4: the crossing of the Red Sea. Like, boom, curtain opens. 116 00:05:26,870 --> 00:05:28,050 Speaker 4: There's Moses on the rock. 117 00:05:28,770 --> 00:05:29,450 Speaker 3: Here they go. 118 00:05:29,550 --> 00:05:33,210 Speaker 4: And you start to see this just normal Israelite Joshua. 119 00:05:33,510 --> 00:05:36,130 Speaker 4: You see his character revealed in that first scene, even 120 00:05:36,150 --> 00:05:38,909 Speaker 4: in the crossing. You're like, there's something different about this guy. 121 00:05:39,730 --> 00:05:42,109 Speaker 4: You know, when everybody's complaining, there's something different. 122 00:05:41,870 --> 00:05:42,589 Speaker 3: About this guy. 123 00:05:43,130 --> 00:05:46,310 Speaker 4: He's keyed into what God is doing. He's keyed into 124 00:05:46,390 --> 00:05:47,500 Speaker 4: honoring Moses. 125 00:05:47,250 --> 00:05:47,810 Speaker 3: As their leader. 126 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 4: So yeah, there's a buildup to who this guy is. 127 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 4: The hard part when we're producing shows is identify what's 128 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 4: the core message we believe the Lord once told through 129 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,550 Speaker 4: the story today, right? So it's not just, well, let's 130 00:06:01,589 --> 00:06:05,090 Speaker 4: retell Joshua. It's, no, what's the core theme? 131 00:06:05,130 --> 00:06:05,810 Speaker 3: What's the message? 132 00:06:05,850 --> 00:06:08,770 Speaker 4: And so like, for example, what emerged in this production 133 00:06:08,850 --> 00:06:13,730 Speaker 4: was the fact that the actual promised land was more 134 00:06:13,770 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 4: about the giver of the promise, right? Like the heart 135 00:06:16,580 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 4: of Moses, the heart of Joshua was to be about 136 00:06:20,260 --> 00:06:23,900 Speaker 4: God who was giving the promise. He is the promised land, 137 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,790 Speaker 4: not the physical space so much, right? So it's like 138 00:06:27,650 --> 00:06:29,290 Speaker 4: most of Israel is like, let's just get to the, 139 00:06:29,830 --> 00:06:30,890 Speaker 4: get us to the promised land, you. 140 00:06:30,870 --> 00:06:31,909 Speaker 3: Know, whatever, whatever, whatever. 141 00:06:32,570 --> 00:06:34,850 Speaker 4: And you have that moment in the Bible with scripture 142 00:06:34,870 --> 00:06:37,350 Speaker 4: where Moses is saying like, Lord, if you go without, 143 00:06:37,790 --> 00:06:40,270 Speaker 4: or if you let us go there, but you're not 144 00:06:40,310 --> 00:06:42,900 Speaker 4: going with us, your presence is ignored before us, I 145 00:06:42,940 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 4: don't want to go. 146 00:06:44,070 --> 00:06:45,250 Speaker 3: Like that's the heartbeat. 147 00:06:45,390 --> 00:06:48,420 Speaker 4: So that essence of being with him is one of 148 00:06:48,450 --> 00:06:51,140 Speaker 4: the things we got to communicate through this story. And 149 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:52,820 Speaker 4: that's the part I love about the show the most. 150 00:06:53,380 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 4: You just see this heart after the father and the fulfillment, 151 00:06:56,740 --> 00:06:59,620 Speaker 4: joy and peace, because you can find that in the wilderness. 152 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:01,900 Speaker 4: You can find that when you have new food, when 153 00:07:01,940 --> 00:07:05,609 Speaker 4: you have new weather, like his presence is always accessible 154 00:07:05,670 --> 00:07:08,790 Speaker 4: to us. So for me, that's probably the main theme 155 00:07:08,830 --> 00:07:11,670 Speaker 4: that I love coming out of his production. And that's 156 00:07:11,690 --> 00:07:14,610 Speaker 4: the fun work is like mining for what are those subtle, 157 00:07:15,190 --> 00:07:18,750 Speaker 4: maybe hidden themes behind these characters that we've read about 158 00:07:18,830 --> 00:07:22,430 Speaker 4: hundreds of times maybe. Or in some cases, people have 159 00:07:22,450 --> 00:07:25,150 Speaker 4: never heard the story and now this is their first introduction. 160 00:07:26,330 --> 00:07:28,930 Speaker 2: I think a lot of times these productions, movies as well, 161 00:07:29,510 --> 00:07:32,180 Speaker 2: not specifically sight and sound movies, but Bible movies and 162 00:07:32,210 --> 00:07:34,420 Speaker 2: Bible productions, it's not driving back to the Bible because 163 00:07:35,540 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 2: I want to know which part of that was 100% biblical. 164 00:07:39,300 --> 00:07:39,710 Speaker 2: That really is. 165 00:07:40,390 --> 00:07:40,710 Speaker 3: Yeah. 166 00:07:40,870 --> 00:07:42,650 Speaker 2: And sometimes I'm shocked to learn that it was in 167 00:07:42,690 --> 00:07:47,190 Speaker 2: the Bible, you know, to my own shame. But how 168 00:07:47,210 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 2: do you guys balance creativity with biblical fidelity? Because that's 169 00:07:52,020 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: a question anybody who does these types of projects has 170 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:55,500 Speaker 2: to deal with. 171 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 3: Exactly. 172 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:56,980 Speaker 2: Yeah. 173 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 4: Because we recognize like we're, we are telling a creative portrayal, right? 174 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:03,620 Speaker 4: A true story, but not just a true story, a 175 00:08:03,660 --> 00:08:07,610 Speaker 4: sacred scripture. So we take that pretty seriously. So When 176 00:08:07,670 --> 00:08:10,250 Speaker 4: push comes to shove, it's always going to err on, 177 00:08:10,510 --> 00:08:13,090 Speaker 4: we're going to honor God's word, right? Like, we're not 178 00:08:13,110 --> 00:08:15,310 Speaker 4: going to, I don't know, add some kind of crazy 179 00:08:15,350 --> 00:08:16,170 Speaker 4: character there. 180 00:08:16,050 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 3: That's going to make you go, wait, what? 181 00:08:18,540 --> 00:08:21,580 Speaker 4: What's this message about, right? That's not what the message 182 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,980 Speaker 4: of that scripture said. So, finding creative ways to tell that. Like, 183 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,460 Speaker 4: for example, we don't know much about Joshua's wife in scripture. 184 00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:33,030 Speaker 4: In the show, we have a character who plays his wife, 185 00:08:33,150 --> 00:08:35,380 Speaker 4: and she's a key part of the show. and how 186 00:08:35,410 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 4: she helps call him up, how they grow together. We 187 00:08:38,540 --> 00:08:42,059 Speaker 4: don't really know what that relationship looks like scripturally, but 188 00:08:42,460 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 4: that's not going to detract from core scripture, if that 189 00:08:45,980 --> 00:08:49,830 Speaker 4: makes sense. So that's how we endeavor to handle that. 190 00:08:50,350 --> 00:08:52,430 Speaker 2: And the cool thing about these productions is each one 191 00:08:52,470 --> 00:08:55,970 Speaker 2: of them ends with a gospel presentation. For those who 192 00:08:55,990 --> 00:08:58,650 Speaker 2: don't know, that's how it ends. You have the story 193 00:08:58,670 --> 00:09:00,850 Speaker 2: of Joshua, you have the story of Moses, you have 194 00:09:00,870 --> 00:09:02,670 Speaker 2: the story of David, and at the end of every 195 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,650 Speaker 2: single show, You hear a gospel presentation. How did that 196 00:09:06,690 --> 00:09:08,330 Speaker 2: start and why is that so important to you guys? 197 00:09:08,350 --> 00:09:11,030 Speaker 4: That's a good question. How did it start? 198 00:09:11,170 --> 00:09:12,970 Speaker 3: I think it was, I don't know. 199 00:09:13,010 --> 00:09:15,850 Speaker 4: I feel like that's kind of always just one. 200 00:09:15,870 --> 00:09:17,620 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it does stretch back to the very 201 00:09:17,630 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 2: beginning because I think you're fabulous. So that's what I've 202 00:09:19,900 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 2: heard at least. You're founders. 203 00:09:20,940 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 3: Sure. 204 00:09:21,620 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 2: That was the point. You don't want to convert people 205 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,679 Speaker 2: to followers of Joshua. You want to convert people to 206 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:27,479 Speaker 2: followers of Jesus. 207 00:09:27,540 --> 00:09:27,719 Speaker 5: Right. 208 00:09:28,300 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 2: Well said. 209 00:09:29,660 --> 00:09:30,740 Speaker 3: That's about scripture, right? 210 00:09:30,780 --> 00:09:34,180 Speaker 4: And every story presents either a direct or a shadowed 211 00:09:34,260 --> 00:09:37,059 Speaker 4: image of Christ to come. So like, for example, in 212 00:09:37,100 --> 00:09:40,160 Speaker 4: this show, Joshua, right? There's that moment where the angel 213 00:09:40,179 --> 00:09:44,020 Speaker 4: of the Lord meets Joshua before they take Jericho. And 214 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 4: it's one of my favorite, like, even one of my 215 00:09:46,140 --> 00:09:50,210 Speaker 4: favorite scriptural interactions, even though it's brief. I just love 216 00:09:50,250 --> 00:09:53,530 Speaker 4: the fact that Joshua meets, he sees this warrior and 217 00:09:53,570 --> 00:09:55,450 Speaker 4: he goes, are you with us or against us? 218 00:09:56,010 --> 00:09:56,650 Speaker 3: It's like, neither. 219 00:09:57,380 --> 00:10:00,619 Speaker 4: The commander that hosts the Lord's armies. Oh, Joshua's on 220 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 4: the ground, right? 221 00:10:01,700 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 3: Shoes off. Like, this is all we know about. 222 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 4: So, there is that element in this story as well. 223 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:10,979 Speaker 4: And that's where you get to see Christ interact with him. So, yeah, 224 00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 4: everything is geared to point to him because that's what 225 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 4: scripture does. 226 00:10:16,330 --> 00:10:18,750 Speaker 2: So, amen to that. And you guys are I think 227 00:10:18,780 --> 00:10:21,390 Speaker 2: you're going to film one of these, film it before 228 00:10:21,410 --> 00:10:23,970 Speaker 2: a live audience and show it. You're going to bring 229 00:10:24,010 --> 00:10:27,550 Speaker 2: it to theaters all across America. Yeah. October the 30th. 230 00:10:27,570 --> 00:10:29,650 Speaker 2: Is there anything you would add to that? 231 00:10:39,530 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 4: Well, we love getting to do that because we recognize 232 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:46,179 Speaker 4: right now that show is running in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. So 233 00:10:46,220 --> 00:10:48,140 Speaker 4: the only way to see it is to physically come. 234 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:49,460 Speaker 4: Not everybody can do that. 235 00:10:50,020 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 3: So to capture. 236 00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:54,569 Speaker 4: That before a live audience and then do a quick 237 00:10:54,630 --> 00:10:57,689 Speaker 4: edit and then show it around the country in movie 238 00:10:57,710 --> 00:10:59,850 Speaker 4: theaters is pretty exciting. It's a great way for people 239 00:10:59,870 --> 00:11:02,370 Speaker 4: to experience the story who maybe can't physically come. 240 00:11:02,850 --> 00:11:04,189 Speaker 2: And for those who missed what we said at the 241 00:11:04,230 --> 00:11:07,510 Speaker 2: top of the podcast here, there's a location in Lancaster, 242 00:11:08,290 --> 00:11:11,350 Speaker 2: one in Branson. They don't show the same production, though. 243 00:11:11,870 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 2: I don't even know what's showing in Branson right now, 244 00:11:13,510 --> 00:11:18,450 Speaker 2: but it's not Joshua. David is showing there. How often 245 00:11:18,470 --> 00:11:20,550 Speaker 2: do you guys launch new productions? 246 00:11:21,850 --> 00:11:22,550 Speaker 3: Pretty frequently. 247 00:11:22,570 --> 00:11:25,229 Speaker 4: We are always working on two new productions at a time. 248 00:11:25,730 --> 00:11:28,700 Speaker 4: It's a four-year process to create a show from start 249 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,860 Speaker 4: to finish. So, yeah, we have new ones in the 250 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:34,420 Speaker 4: works and excited to tell them if here's a hit. 251 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,660 Speaker 2: When does the next one launch? Do we know that yet? 252 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,420 Speaker 4: Well, next year we will have Jonah returning to the 253 00:11:41,470 --> 00:11:45,860 Speaker 4: Lancaster stage. It was last year, 2017. And every time 254 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 4: a show returns, it gives us a fresh opportunity to say, 255 00:11:48,380 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 4: all right, how do we make this more relevant for today? 256 00:11:51,020 --> 00:11:53,710 Speaker 4: What technology didn't exist last time it was on stage 257 00:11:53,750 --> 00:11:57,050 Speaker 4: that we can incorporate to make it more impactful? And 258 00:11:57,090 --> 00:12:00,030 Speaker 4: then at Branson, we'll have Daniel, the story of Daniel 259 00:12:00,050 --> 00:12:02,969 Speaker 4: will premiere in Branson next year. It'll be brand new 260 00:12:03,050 --> 00:12:05,309 Speaker 4: for the Branson stage. 261 00:12:05,590 --> 00:12:06,390 Speaker 3: And we're excited about that. 262 00:12:07,050 --> 00:12:08,809 Speaker 2: In terms of a brand new, brand new one, though, 263 00:12:08,830 --> 00:12:11,610 Speaker 2: I guess we're more than a year away from that one, though. 264 00:12:12,170 --> 00:12:12,770 Speaker 2: Stay tuned. 265 00:12:12,790 --> 00:12:14,010 Speaker 3: Okay. 266 00:12:14,070 --> 00:12:17,660 Speaker 2: Stay tuned. Well, we can talk about the movies. You 267 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 2: guys are now in the movies as well. I guess 268 00:12:20,620 --> 00:12:23,210 Speaker 2: it's called Sight and Sound Films. You had a movie 269 00:12:23,260 --> 00:12:27,130 Speaker 2: a few years ago called I Heard the Bells. And 270 00:12:27,150 --> 00:12:30,030 Speaker 2: then you had one this year called Great Awakening, which 271 00:12:30,090 --> 00:12:35,410 Speaker 2: was about the friendship between Benjamin Franklin and I forget 272 00:12:35,450 --> 00:12:36,330 Speaker 2: the evangelist's name. 273 00:12:36,710 --> 00:12:37,429 Speaker 3: George Whitfield. 274 00:12:37,450 --> 00:12:40,370 Speaker 2: George Whitfield. Thank you so much. I kind of just 275 00:12:40,390 --> 00:12:44,650 Speaker 2: had a brain lapse there. Wonderful movie. And people love 276 00:12:44,670 --> 00:12:47,370 Speaker 2: those movies. Some people wondered when you guys were doing this, 277 00:12:47,870 --> 00:12:49,630 Speaker 2: why is Sight and Sound getting into movies? And I 278 00:12:49,650 --> 00:12:52,559 Speaker 2: think everybody else knows now. It's because they're pretty good 279 00:12:52,620 --> 00:12:55,780 Speaker 2: at it. But why did you guys want to do films? 280 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's one of those, boy, it wasn't birthed out 281 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 4: of like, boy, it'd be cool to make movies. 282 00:13:01,820 --> 00:13:04,300 Speaker 3: Let's do that. Because it's really hard. 283 00:13:04,179 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 4: Work and very expensive to do it. It was really, 284 00:13:06,820 --> 00:13:09,540 Speaker 4: we felt called. It's as simple as that. We felt 285 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,540 Speaker 4: like the Lord really stirred us to a different style 286 00:13:12,580 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 4: of storytelling. How could we reach people maybe in fresh 287 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:20,020 Speaker 4: ways that we aren't through stage productions? And as we 288 00:13:20,070 --> 00:13:22,140 Speaker 4: teased that out and really sought the Lord on it, 289 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:25,810 Speaker 4: we also felt clarity that they would, like the stage shows, 290 00:13:25,870 --> 00:13:28,850 Speaker 4: they would also be true stories, ways that we've seen 291 00:13:28,890 --> 00:13:32,210 Speaker 4: God work in the life of mankind. And we sensed 292 00:13:32,250 --> 00:13:34,990 Speaker 4: that they did not necessarily have to be Bible stories. 293 00:13:35,570 --> 00:13:39,609 Speaker 4: So that kind of opened things very, very broadly. And 294 00:13:39,630 --> 00:13:41,410 Speaker 4: there were just certain stories, and then we felt like 295 00:13:41,429 --> 00:13:43,410 Speaker 4: the Lord would stir in our hearts. So like with 296 00:13:43,429 --> 00:13:46,929 Speaker 4: The Great Awakening, that was one that stirred actually, boy, 297 00:13:46,950 --> 00:13:49,620 Speaker 4: all the way back to, I'd say 2019 originally is 298 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,420 Speaker 4: when it started to percolate. But we felt like it 299 00:13:52,460 --> 00:13:54,819 Speaker 4: wasn't the first one to tell. Like it's a little 300 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 4: bit too big of a story for it first. So 301 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 4: it became the second film. And just that relationship between 302 00:14:01,059 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 4: George and Ben that most people don't know about, how 303 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 4: formative it was to our nation. But more than that, 304 00:14:07,220 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 4: how much God. 305 00:14:08,059 --> 00:14:09,060 Speaker 3: Desires for us. 306 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 4: Day to awaken to his presence, to awaken to him 307 00:14:13,340 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 4: in our lives. And so our film was, our intent 308 00:14:16,860 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 4: was for a call for America to awaken once again, 309 00:14:19,300 --> 00:14:20,700 Speaker 4: because we did it. 310 00:14:20,710 --> 00:14:24,130 Speaker 2: Hey, Matt, let me ask you about COVID. I know 311 00:14:24,190 --> 00:14:27,970 Speaker 2: that that was a unique time in the nation's history, 312 00:14:27,990 --> 00:14:30,190 Speaker 2: and especially sight and sound, because you guys rely on 313 00:14:31,010 --> 00:14:35,340 Speaker 2: in-person visitation. You still rely on streams like Hollywood can. 314 00:14:35,770 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 2: So what types of Challenges did that present, and how 315 00:14:39,540 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: did you guys survive? 316 00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:43,020 Speaker 3: Man, extreme challenges. 317 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 4: Because right before that happened, I mean, we were teed 318 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 4: up to have the strongest year we'd ever had. Record 319 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,420 Speaker 4: pre-bookings at that point for Queen Esther was going to 320 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 4: be a brand new show. Here at Lancaster, Noah was 321 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 4: going to be on stage with Branson. 322 00:14:57,040 --> 00:15:01,740 Speaker 3: We were pumped. And supposed to open mid-April, or I'm sorry, mid-March. 323 00:15:02,460 --> 00:15:05,190 Speaker 4: And the week we're supposed to open that week, That 324 00:15:05,390 --> 00:15:09,290 Speaker 4: Wednesday night, I'm watching basketball with my boys, and the 325 00:15:09,310 --> 00:15:11,210 Speaker 4: announcer comes on and says, the NBA is going to 326 00:15:11,250 --> 00:15:13,870 Speaker 4: suspend the season starting tomorrow. And I just went, oh, 327 00:15:15,090 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 4: this is not good. I just couldn't believe it. And 328 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,140 Speaker 4: the next day is when everything started to unravel, so 329 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 4: to speak. And our governor in Pennsylvania asked large venues 330 00:15:25,420 --> 00:15:30,370 Speaker 4: to close immediately. So we went into triage. 331 00:15:29,950 --> 00:15:33,300 Speaker 3: Mode as far as, Lord, what are we doing? Because, 332 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 3: you know, we didn't know. Like, is this two weeks? 333 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,630 Speaker 3: Is this a month? You know, nobody knew. So we 334 00:15:37,670 --> 00:15:41,130 Speaker 3: decided that we would honor that. We would close. And 335 00:15:41,190 --> 00:15:44,230 Speaker 3: then just kept seeking the Lord. Like, what is your wisdom? 336 00:15:44,750 --> 00:15:46,930 Speaker 4: And pretty quickly, it's interesting. One of the things we 337 00:15:46,950 --> 00:15:49,570 Speaker 4: felt like the Lord challenged us was, what's in your hand? 338 00:15:50,290 --> 00:15:52,780 Speaker 4: Kind of the question he asked Moses, you know, what's 339 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:53,140 Speaker 4: in your hand? 340 00:15:53,260 --> 00:15:53,780 Speaker 3: Oh, a staff. 341 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 2: He throws it down. 342 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:55,220 Speaker 3: That's a snake. 343 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,780 Speaker 4: Oh, it's more than a staff. In our case, we 344 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,940 Speaker 4: had the story of Jesus ready to be in movie 345 00:15:59,980 --> 00:16:04,390 Speaker 4: theaters Easter weekend. And then movie theaters were closed as well. 346 00:16:05,090 --> 00:16:07,170 Speaker 4: So we were like, what do we do? So we 347 00:16:07,210 --> 00:16:11,160 Speaker 4: reached out to some broadcast networks and Trinity TVN said, hey, 348 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:15,060 Speaker 4: we'd love to show that worldwide and stream it Easter weekend. 349 00:16:15,100 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 3: We're like, go for it. 350 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:16,370 Speaker 2: Here it is. 351 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,220 Speaker 4: And best estimates, somewhere north of three, three and a 352 00:16:20,220 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 4: half million, maybe more people around the world experience the 353 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:28,230 Speaker 4: story of Jesus in three days. Well, You know, if 354 00:16:28,270 --> 00:16:30,510 Speaker 4: we have two sold-out theaters in a full year, that's 355 00:16:30,550 --> 00:16:34,510 Speaker 4: like 1.4, 1.5 million people we can reach in a year. 356 00:16:35,450 --> 00:16:38,500 Speaker 4: In three days of us being closed, way more people 357 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 4: experienced the gospel. That was mind-blowing. And even though that wasn't, 358 00:16:43,980 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 4: you know, that didn't bring in anything financially, it was 359 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 4: like reaching people. And it stirred us to accelerate the 360 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,180 Speaker 4: launch of Sight Sound TV. 361 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 3: As a streaming platform. 362 00:16:54,460 --> 00:16:57,120 Speaker 4: It gave us the idea to broadcast Queen Esther once 363 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,410 Speaker 4: we were able to run the show again later that fall. 364 00:17:00,170 --> 00:17:01,770 Speaker 4: And so we get to the end of the year. 365 00:17:02,450 --> 00:17:04,350 Speaker 4: Biggest financial loss we'd ever had in our history. 366 00:17:04,390 --> 00:17:05,470 Speaker 3: We had barely survived. 367 00:17:05,490 --> 00:17:07,010 Speaker 4: We had to take on a new bank that kind 368 00:17:07,030 --> 00:17:08,730 Speaker 4: of got us through with a breach loan and all that. 369 00:17:09,619 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 4: And we had reached three times more people than. 370 00:17:12,140 --> 00:17:13,400 Speaker 3: We had ever reached in a year. 371 00:17:13,420 --> 00:17:16,419 Speaker 4: It's just like, Lord, how did Betches tap it? 372 00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:20,709 Speaker 2: And yeah, it went that way. And I know you 373 00:17:20,750 --> 00:17:23,669 Speaker 2: guys were under some heavy restrictions there in Pennsylvania, and 374 00:17:23,750 --> 00:17:27,830 Speaker 2: I'm assuming Missouri as well. I don't know, state halls. Yeah, 375 00:17:27,850 --> 00:17:31,790 Speaker 2: state restrictions are different. But you guys had limited seating. 376 00:17:31,830 --> 00:17:33,570 Speaker 2: I guess you were spaced out for a while. At 377 00:17:33,609 --> 00:17:37,370 Speaker 2: what point did you guys go full theater once again? 378 00:17:37,390 --> 00:17:37,910 Speaker 2: Do you remember? 379 00:17:37,930 --> 00:17:42,409 Speaker 4: Oh, man, in Lancaster, not until I think halfway through 2021. 380 00:17:42,410 --> 00:17:46,230 Speaker 3: Wow. Yeah, it was a long, long haul. 381 00:17:47,170 --> 00:17:52,820 Speaker 4: It's either closure or then greatly reduced capacity. Missouri, we 382 00:17:52,859 --> 00:17:56,680 Speaker 4: did some spacing in 2020, but then 2021, we were 383 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 4: back full normal ability anyway. 384 00:18:00,340 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 2: Some of my favorite restaurants in America were kind of 385 00:18:03,100 --> 00:18:06,560 Speaker 2: either closed or really changed their menu during COVID. So 386 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:09,380 Speaker 2: I think COVID really impacted some of us in ways 387 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:11,750 Speaker 2: like that that really didn't have a major impact. But 388 00:18:11,790 --> 00:18:16,340 Speaker 2: you guys had your ministry kind of I don't know 389 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:18,340 Speaker 2: if threatens is the word, but I mean, you guys 390 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: were in danger of closing. I mean, what did you 391 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:22,860 Speaker 2: guys learn about God's faithfulness during that time? 392 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:26,120 Speaker 4: Well, what's cool is we saw, and we've seen this 393 00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:31,540 Speaker 4: many times in our past, near-death experiences, but gone, right? 394 00:18:31,740 --> 00:18:32,900 Speaker 3: But here's what's cool. 395 00:18:32,940 --> 00:18:36,780 Speaker 4: The thing I realized, and it's interesting, that first day 396 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:41,310 Speaker 4: where we decided like, okay, we're going to close in mid-March. Yeah, 397 00:18:41,330 --> 00:18:44,090 Speaker 4: it was a crazy day, wild day, long day, exhausting day. 398 00:18:44,350 --> 00:18:47,189 Speaker 4: And so the next morning, I wake up and I'm just. 399 00:18:47,290 --> 00:18:49,650 Speaker 3: Staying in bed. I'm just praying. I'm like, Lord, what 400 00:18:49,690 --> 00:18:50,950 Speaker 3: is going on? You know, that. 401 00:18:51,850 --> 00:18:53,669 Speaker 4: And all of a sudden he starts reminding me of 402 00:18:53,730 --> 00:18:58,969 Speaker 4: his faithfulness in past seasons. But not just that. He 403 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,380 Speaker 4: revealed to me, he used those to take us from 404 00:19:01,430 --> 00:19:03,859 Speaker 4: where we were to where we were supposed to be next. 405 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:05,020 Speaker 2: I was like, whoa. 406 00:19:05,859 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 4: So you're up to something new. And so I literally 407 00:19:08,660 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 4: came into work excited. And I remember finding one of 408 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,850 Speaker 4: my colleagues and shared that. He's like, are you kidding me? 409 00:19:13,850 --> 00:19:16,150 Speaker 4: He's like, I woke up this morning with this burning 410 00:19:17,350 --> 00:19:20,369 Speaker 4: sense of how do we get the people? If they 411 00:19:20,390 --> 00:19:21,710 Speaker 4: can't come to us, how do we go to them? 412 00:19:22,369 --> 00:19:25,290 Speaker 4: So all of that's what led to the Jesus on 413 00:19:25,330 --> 00:19:30,490 Speaker 4: TV and all those things. So again, it's the Lord, yes, faithful, 414 00:19:30,990 --> 00:19:35,310 Speaker 4: not just faithful. It's like, and let's work towards what's next. 415 00:19:35,830 --> 00:19:37,930 Speaker 4: And usually we get comfortable, right? It's like, we don't 416 00:19:37,970 --> 00:19:40,350 Speaker 4: want to change. Figured it out. Let's keep doing this thing. 417 00:19:40,850 --> 00:19:42,330 Speaker 4: The Lord's like, nah, I got something else in mind. 418 00:19:43,270 --> 00:19:45,910 Speaker 4: So that's what we've seen, not just faith, but through 419 00:19:45,970 --> 00:19:48,859 Speaker 4: the faithfulness taking us to what's next, as only he 420 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:49,179 Speaker 4: can do. 421 00:19:50,580 --> 00:19:51,260 Speaker 5: Do. 422 00:19:51,980 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed today's interview, please make sure to subscribe 423 00:19:54,700 --> 00:19:57,060 Speaker 1: and share the episode with a friend. A big thanks 424 00:19:57,359 --> 00:19:59,590 Speaker 1: to the team at Life Audio for their partnership with 425 00:19:59,710 --> 00:20:03,050 Speaker 1: us on the podcast. If you go to lifeaudio.com, you 426 00:20:03,090 --> 00:20:07,690 Speaker 1: will find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts in their network. 427 00:20:08,190 --> 00:20:08,770 Speaker 2: See you next time. 428 00:20:09,330 --> 00:20:09,750 Speaker 5: Thank you.