How to create media content that engages the audience.

If you are as young as I am, you'd remember the days of Voltron, Thundersub, good ol' Sesame Street (where I learnt how to rhyme), even the Sunday-Sunday Tales by moonlight. And then there was G-force, Speed Racer and TerraHawks (Expect the unexpected-Tiger Ninestine). Those were days when choices were few & TV time was limited. Today choices have gone out of the roof (there's Ben10, Power Rangers, The Legend of the KungFu Panda, Dora the explorer, Samurai Jack and so on. (do you know any popular ones I missed out? Drop a comment!)

You will agree with me that it is getting increasingly difficult to watch, listen to decent things on TV or the radio these days. Everything seems to be punctuated with sex, lust, power & violence. If you are someone concerned about the atmosphere that the next generation grows in & the values they imbibe, you would like to screen what they engage thier minds with right? But the challenge is this, where can I get wholesome content?

Did you know that Tolkien and CS Lewis were friends? They both decided to do something about the state of print media, using fantasy literature, in their days. Oh, you don't know who those 2 guys are? JRR Tolkien wrote The Lord of the rings trilogy & Lewis wrote the 7 book Chronicles of Narnia. Both were a response to the desire to have imaginative stories that depicted redemption.

So here are some practical tips to creating media that is engaging yet full of values.

1. Use The bible; It is full of stories! Put yourself in the scenarios. What would have been your response? How would the character have acted/reacted if he/she were living in another timeframe?

2. Use fresh camera angles By viewing an issue from fresh angles, you present it in a new light. Tell the story from another person's point of view e.g. a third party, an onlooker. For example, if you were an investigative reporter following Joseph's story, how would you report it?

3. Real life stories or situations work well too. Focus on the values you'd like to teach & use the experience/story to project it.

4. Perfect the art of story telling

5. Make it believable. Hollywood sells make-believe like its true life. They use the right props-musical ambience, costume, special effects, etc

Generation Shift

The whole of 2011 was riddled with the toppling of despots in Africa. From the fall of Lauren Gbagbo to the death of Gaddafi, Africa was rocked with a shockwave of change as the youth began to cry for relevance and the removal of the old crop that had robbed them of their potential for so long. I believe the events that have happened were a prophetic symbol to us of the shift that is happening. Have you observed that the same seems to be happening in spiritual circles too? Before you crucify me, I'm not talking about the usurping of church leaders but rather the sudden dissatisfaction with the way church is.

I was speaking with a pastor who had gone to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife to speak with a group of about 200 students. He asked how many knew Benny Hinn and was shocked to see only 4 hands raised. It is obvious that this generation of youth is disconnected from the seeming spirituality of their forefathers. A few years ago, the line between gospel and secular music was very clear. You couldn't imagine church choir members singing at shows like Nigerian Idol or MTN Project Fame (not that it is sinful). Today the views of today's young believer about sex, spirituality, service to God, relationships, entertainment, etc are so diverse.

The reasons are not far-fetched.

Increase in knowledge, dwindling moral standards, the advancement in technology and the natural tendency of young people to hate the mundane and uninteresting have all contributed to what we see around us today. Another major factor is the dearth of good role models. Most parents and models are too busy running the rat race and thus have abandoned their wards to the vices, expertly weaved into our social fabric by the devil.

The devil understands that to take the future just influence the youth. He simply provides  them the influence that would serve his ends. So it would just be a matter of time before the seeds he has sown mature into the ripe harvest of godless, rebellious individuals. All the while, these youngsters are attending church and youth fellowships but rotting deep inside, simply looking for the right opportunities (and freedom) to express their fleshly lusts. However these guys were created by God to express His nature and bring His kingdom to the earth.

The reaction of the older generation, unfortunately, is usually one of the following

• Ignore Them: What difference can they make? Young people are only meant to be seen not heard.
• Overindulge them: Give them all the luxuries/freedom/resources they need and leave them to learn by themselves
• Manipulate them: Monitor, supervise and control their every move and action. This eventually backfires as it suppresses the individual and he rebels against it either openly or internally.

What we should be doing is getting involved in their lives and modeling to them the right lifestyle. The glory of young people is their strength! Youth are usually passionate about anything they are involved in and today's youth would make excellent God-chasers but then they need to see, from us, that following God is profitable and exciting and not boring and uninteresting.

N.B. Over the next few days I would be focusing on strategies to effectively evangelizing today's youth. Stay tuned and check the facebook page (http://facebook.com/RAMPAGEOutreach) for updates on special events and trainings.