The first time I watched the movie Gospel, by David Leivick and Fred Ritzenberg, our screenwriting teacher, I was impressed by the scope of what David and Fred had accomplished: they captured and documented the energy and essence of Gospel music in the early 80’s, and it’s tremendous power to energize and inspire.

It wasn’t until Fred shared with us his personal stories about the making of this film, that I realized that this was all filmed in one amazing 4hr night at the historic Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Not only did the directors bring together 5 significant Gospel groups of the time, but also 7 camera operators, a DP and an editor who are now all very accomplished and sought after in their respective fields. Rewatching the camera moves, and realizing the film was all created in one special night, I was so impressed with the footage and the feat accomplished that I was brought to tears. Gospel music in itself is very moving, and the stories Fred told us about each of the groups who performed helped me to enjoy the film in a new way.

As with any artform, the more we learn the greater our appreciation; in the world of film making, I now have a deeper appreciation of all that is involved in the making of a movie, the artistry and ingenuity that goes into every shot, edit, and sound of the stories told.

Mark Berger said during one of his lectures to us last semester that he highly recommends that we live our lives high up on scary cliffs, close to huge drops, being brave, taking risks, and using all of our senses to help guide us through each moment. Mountain faces come in many different shapes and sizes; to all you fellow climbers out there, may your journey be satisfying, may you reach heights you only hoped for, and may luck, and the love of it all, accompany you all the way.

Our world was created by the dreams of many, and many dreamers are on their way.