HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS – IN-JAIL PROGRAM – News & Updates

We just completed our semester #28 end of semester film project.   We decided to do something a little different this time… shoot a music video.  And it actually started a month before.   Our friend, co-worker and former student, Tony Mendoza did an incredible arrangement of the song AMAZING GRACE.   The first thing we had to do was pre-record the song.

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We did this at a recording studio at 20th Century Fox.   Much thanks to them for helping us with this.

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With the song completed, we set up to do the shoot in our classroom “sound stage” at South Facility.

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The shoot went very well.  We had a little interruption with a 30-minute facility lock-down.  But it all still worked out great.

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Thank you to 20th Century Fox Sound and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for making all of this possible.

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Once edited we will be putting this music video on our youtube channel.  Please check out our channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1yZgLtp22hdEjY-rxby44w

 

MIRACLE MOUNTAIN PROGRAM – News & Updates

HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS’ – MIRACLE MOUNTAIN PROGRAM just completed its first brush abatement/fire prevention school taught by retired LACoFD Fire Captain, Darryl Coe.

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Darryl did an outstanding job.   This in-depth class taught our students the proper way, the LACoFD way, of clearing brush for maximum fire prevention.

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Thanks for Darryl, our chainsaw class was taught by F.S.A. Nathan Sotro, who was amazing.   He taught everything from the proper maintenance to the safe operation of a chainsaw.

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Our class even got a demonstration from a real fire camp.   These guys were incredible.

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This class was held over a two week period, was a lot of fun, we learned a ton and also had some great team building.   We hope our HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS FIRE PREVENTION TEAM can do their part to help make this fire season a little better than last years.

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Thank you to Mission College Re-Entry Hub for sending over Julio Catalan.   Our guys have already started working!   They just finished their third job; putting money in their pockets and making Santa Clarita a little safer against wildfires.   Much thanks to the County of Los Angeles 5th District, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and of course Retired Fire Captain Darryl Coe!

HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS – IN-JAIL PROGRAM – News & Updates

We had a terrific semester #27 “End of Semester Shoot” last month.  For those who may be new to this blog, at the end of each 12 week semester, we bring in a ton of grip, electric, sound, and camera equipment along with a lot of our Hollywood professionals friends.  All of whom volunteer to work with our students to help them build a set and produce a half-hour program.  You can see some of our past ones on our YouTube Channel.

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We turn our classroom in barracks 42 into a TV studio.

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This semesters shoot was of a radio podcast from our Straight & Narrow program.  Three of our guys, Charlie, Matthew & Tony, all of whom have been out for a long time, give advice on how to stay out of jail /prison and how to stay clean and sober.

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Our student crew did an amazing job!   We had a lot of fun and lots of laughter.

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We really did have a great day.  Thank you to all of our volunteers, to the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department and of course God!

 

8th ANNUAL ANGEL TREE – 2018

Our 8th Annual Angel Tree Gift Giving Event was a great evening of fun, fellowship but most of all giving gifts and showing God’s love to those children in need.  For those who may not know, Angel Tree is a ministry of Prison Fellowship.   Volunteers go out and buy gifts for children with an incarcerated parent.   Statics show that keeping a relationship between an incarcerated parent and their children greatly reduce the chance of those children going to jail or prison.

As in past years, we start out at In N Out Burgers for dinner and fellowship.    One of the neat things about this is that we get to connect with past Hollywood Impact Studio friends that we may not have seen since last year.   It’s a time to catch up and hear their success stories.  Praise God!   Thank you to In N Out for your excellent food and service.

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Then after a great meal, we loaded onto the Grace Baptist bus and Eden Ministries van and headed to Pacoima.  Thank you Grace Baptist Church and Eden Ministries for allowing us to use your vehicles and to Bob Amstutz for volunteering to drive the bus.

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We delivered gifts to (5) family, 15 children.   We also had a fun time singing some Christmas carols through the neighborhoods.  We may not have the greatest voices, but it is all to God’s Glory.

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And we had our annual end of the evening photograph of everyone.  Again what a great evening.   Thank you to everyone who attended and to those who pray for this ministry.

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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!   Excited to see what God does through this ministry in 2019!

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS – ALUMNI & MIRACLE MOUNTAIN – News & Update

I know it’s been a very long since we have updated the blog…  Lots going on.   All good.

First on HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS – IN-JAIL PROGRAM. We finished semester #26  with a terrific shoot.   We interviewed producer Ardon Albrecht who was one of the original producers on the THIS IS THE LIFE series.   This interview will go on the next DVD as bonus material.    Here are some photos from the shoot.

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One very exciting fact about this particular shoot is that we had three of our formerly incarcerated guys as part of this project mentoring currently incarcerated guys.   Love this MINISTRY!

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It was a great shoot!   We’re down for this month and then will start semester #27 in November.

Next, our ALUMNI PROGRAM is going well and we’ve added THE STRAIGHT & NARROW MEN’S GROUP led by our Chaplain Matthew Feldmeth.  After several meetings, we had a pizza party to help bound this group of men.

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MIRACLE MOUNTAIN –  we now have an agreement with the County of Los Angeles to begin our vocational training center on the lower compound.   We’re preparing it for students and now accepting applications.

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It’s been a great few months.   We will try to update our blog a little more often.   Thank you for your support!

HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS – ALUMNI – News & Update

Our HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS/LASD ALUMNI CONTINUUM (wow that’s a mouth full) continues to grow.  For those who may not know, this is a support group for those family members who have someone who is incarcerated and for those who have gotten out of jail and prison.  It’s a safe place to discuss everything.  Help with jobs, housing, and everyday struggles.   We meet every Tuesday night from 7 PM to 9 PM at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita.

For the past seven years, we have gone out and supported Angel Tree, (a ministry of Prison Fellowship).   We go out buy Christmas gifts for children of the incarcerated and give those gifts to the children making sure they know it is from their incarcerated parent.   Research has shown that if you keep a relationship between the child of an incarcerated parent and their parent intact, the chances of that child ending up in jail/prison drops dramatically.

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Our annual tradition is to meet at In N Out Burgers for dinner.

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Then we load into vans and head out to sing Christmas carols and deliver the gifts.

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It was a great night.   We had 22 Hollywood Impact-ers volunteer for this year’s event.

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Thanks to all who helped.  And thank you to Prison Fellowship for offering this ministry.