BibleStoryZone! Immanuel In Schools 2004

How was Immanuel In Schools Received?
The play was received with overwhelming enthusiasm by the schools who saw it, both staff & pupils, and invitiations were made to the team to return the following year with another presentation. Sadly, this was never to happen as the 'money people' didn't share the vision of the team or the enthusiasm of those who saw the play. By the time the money obstacle was overcome through vigorous negotiation, the team had fragmented and comitted to other things and projects.

Immanuel In Schools was a superb opportunity to present God's message in the Bible to the world in a way which kids could understand, relate to and really enjoy. However, it was consigned to history and to the happy memory of those who took part and those who saw it.

Why Is I:S a Useful Resource?
Many Churches have commented on the fact that the original Immanuel play was great but they could never attempt such a project as so many people were required. I:S is designed to be put on simply (few props and simple set) by only a few people with the script designed so that only five actors play all the parts!

I will eventually provide the script for you to download as well as as much production information as I can find, for example, PowerPoint slides, sound effects and hints on organising such an event. Perhaps your church could actually manage a production on this scale? If your church wants to use this material, please feel free to, but please acknowledge the source!

Notes on the Immanuel In Schools Video Source Tapes
Over the course of two live performances and three Dress Rehearsals, footage from six different camera positions was filmed. Theoretically, this should have provided masses of material from which to edit together a complete version of the whole play. However, due to some operational 'problems', much of the recorded footage was unusable.

After the initial attempt, the whole idea was written off, deemed too difficult to produce anything worthwhile from the available footage. Subsequently, two more attempts to piece the footage together were made with no success.

So, six years after the event, what you see here is the fourth attempt to find enough usable clips containing individual lines that were successfully recorded - to piece them together. The result will be a full record of the event, albeit full of obvious and undisguisable edits with shots clearly from different performances or rehearsals. Continuity is without question, compromised!

Also, the only sound recorded was through the microphones on the individual cameras which means it isn't great quality. The blips, drop-outs and crackles you hear are on the recording, not on your computer!

Keep checking back for further scenes as they are worked on, and for production downloadables.

Notes On Scene 1
Introduction:
Live, the introductory dialogue was displayed in PowerPoint by projector onto a large screen which formed part of the set. As no camera was ever pointed at the screen during that part of the play, it wasn't recorded - you can only hear Michele reading the dialogue. I have added the words to the footage of a darkened stage so you can see something of how it looked to the audience.

Prophet 1 - Micah:
This was recorded quite close up it seems, although the colouration of each camera angle was completely different!

Prophet 2 - Isaiah:
There was hardly any intact/clear footage of this part and so I have had to make a lot of edits to string together each line of dialogue from what footage was recorded.

To diguise the colour differences between all the versions as well as the focus issues, I have added an 'aged' effect over all the prophets' section. The thinking behind this is that it is supposed to convey the idea of a recalling of history!