The One With Johnny Driver of Red Forest Films

Welcome back, friends!! We know it's been awhile but we're back with a special episode as we sit down and chat with our very dear friend Johnny Driver of Red Forest Films! Join us for a good time with plenty of laughs!

Check out Red Forest Films here: www.redforestfilms.com

If you have questions you would like to submit, please email us at info@theredletterdays.com

For inquiries and information about our services, please visit our website at www.theredletterdays.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:05

Hello, everybody. And welcome back to another episode of the Red Letter Days Podcast. We are your hosts. I'm Sean.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

And I'm Michaela.

SPEAKER_04 0:15

And we have a special episode today because we have a very dear friend with us today, Johnny Driver. Hello. Hello. Dude, thank you so much for saying yes to this. Oh, first of all. Of course. I mean, this is we've known each other a long time now. Like 21 years already. Forever, I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_04 0:36

Like almost as long as our our marriage here.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

I know it's crazy.

SPEAKER_04 0:40

I think because you guys got married in 2005 too, didn't you? 2006. 2006. Okay. So we were just right after you guys. So, but yeah, we've we've known each other a long time. And so that's why we wanted to have you on. Like, because there's some aspects to this. The reason we brought you on, not just because we've been in a relationship so long, but we've been in the same industry, you know, and all that, and we've we've worked together, you know, for for so many years, and we've done a lot of stuff together over the years. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

You're a legend, my friend.

SPEAKER_06 1:12

It's it's because my name, my name precedes me. Yeah, I've heard of you before, and it's just because my name stands out whenever and no one says just Johnny, everyone says Johnny Driver, so it's like one of those things right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:25

It's a cool name, it is very cool.

SPEAKER_04 1:27

Yeah, it is it is a cool name. And I think it's it's so funny because there's a lot of people that I know because of you. Um, and I think that is a sentiment that is like across the board uh as far as people that live locally and stuff like that. Like we know people because of Johnny Driver. Like, you've been this glue and this like a connection kind of deal. Exactly, exactly. So and then, of course, your beautiful wife, Jamie. Yes, she's not with us today, but shout out we love her so much. We love you, Jamie. She's not with us anymore. No, she's she's still with us.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

She's with us. She's still with us. She's just not today.

SPEAKER_06 2:07

Just not today. She doesn't really like being in in front of mics and stuff like that either. Like she's more of a but like I don't know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:16

No, I I totally think she should just give it a chance, but well, maybe maybe someday we'll get her off. If she listens to this and it's not too scary, it's not too intimidating, it's just chill. Oh, yeah. Jamie, it's just chill. It's just it's it's pretty chill over here.

SPEAKER_06 2:32

And there's I got grapes and I got Diet Coke.

SPEAKER_04 2:35

And there's a charcuterie. There's charcuterie thing. There's Diet Coke. Yep. And there's comfy chairs.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Chill. All the things.

SPEAKER_04 2:42

Super comfortable. All the things. So super comfortable. Anyways, thank you. Sweatpants and everything.

SPEAKER_06 2:48

Yeah, that's I didn't wear mine, but I got my slippers on even. You do got your slippies on. It's very cute. I got Dunder Mifflin socks on.

SPEAKER_04 2:56

Yeah. I know. Those are great, man. Um, so let's go back in time. So you guys you guys moved to town um around around.

SPEAKER_06 3:07

Yeah, 2006. We we got married uh April 1st, 2006.

SPEAKER_01 3:13

I love that.

SPEAKER_06 3:14

And yeah, which is April Fool's. No one believed us that we were they're like, is this real?

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Happy anniversary.

SPEAKER_06 3:20

Yeah, that like just happened.

SPEAKER_05 3:21

Yeah, just passed. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_06 3:23

Um and moved out here. I think our honeymoon was kind of driving out here. Okay. And um little road trip over there. And road trip, nice, you know, stopping places and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 3:34

Yeah. Ooh, that's fun. That's a fun idea.

SPEAKER_06 3:36

Yeah, yeah, it was really cool. We went up to Niagara Falls first and then we and then we drove awesome um over. But it was yeah, it was a lot of fun. And uh moved here, no idea what I was gonna do when I got here. I was kind of I was working for Pepsi at the time in Cleveland.

SPEAKER_04 3:52

Yes, we've had this conversation. Because you worked. Well, it was Corwin, but it was Pepsi products.

SPEAKER_06 3:58

Yeah, mine was Pepsi Co. And then same deal. We were doing the same thing. Yeah, um, but I quit my jobs to to kind of do that, which is I mean, it's not really a smart idea to kind of you know quit your job and just move across the country and stuff. But uh, we had a place. Uh her grandparents on top of their garage had offered us a place and stuff, and perfect. Yeah, so it worked out. We landed here.

SPEAKER_04 4:21

Yeah, that's great. And we got connected not too long after that because we got connected through Living Hope Church. Living Hope Church, yeah. Um, and I remember you coming on the scene like, who is this guy?

SPEAKER_02 4:34

I was awesome.

SPEAKER_04 4:35

This is Johnny Driver. And as soon as I heard the name, it's like Johnny Driver sounds like somebody that I want to know.

SPEAKER_06 4:44

Yeah, and I had I had through Jamie, uh, because she was going to LSM and stuff like that, and she knew the Deceasers and like just a bunch of mutual friends and things like that, people that worked at the church. And so I was able to kind of get in with some new friends and stuff and meet people, and uh yeah, the rest of the yeah. And then meet you guys, and then yeah, it was it was awesome.

SPEAKER_04 5:05

I mean, yeah, I mean meeting meeting you, man, was truly it was just one of the best things ever because we've like I said, we've just been through so much together now over the years, and you've just been such a dear friend to us and our kids and everything over the years, and and so to to be able to do all these things and and tap so much like to our story together, it's just it's it's really cool.

SPEAKER_06 5:30

So it's been an honor to to know you guys. Yeah, man. Like you said, we go we go so far back. Yeah, yeah. Michaela, do you remember the um when I first started at Living Hope, I was like, I would hang out in I think it was called the Juice Box.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

It was called the Juice Box.

SPEAKER_04 5:43

Yeah, we need to talk about the juice box because like that's that's your like video kind of roots and are part of part of your video roots and everything.

SPEAKER_06 5:54

Yeah, yeah. The the juice box was a so um at Living Hope Church, there was two houses across the street where um one house was the creative department, and I think the other house was the production side of it, like the printing stuff and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

More physical producer, yeah, yes, not ideas.

SPEAKER_06 6:15

You were in the juice, and I remember because it was all like just just really disheveled boys that worked in there. Is the best way to put it.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

It smelled really good in there.

SPEAKER_04 6:28

What do we have? We had like Nathan de Caesar, David Carroll, Brian De Caesar, Brian de Caesar, Kevin Anderson, uh David Sorrell. David Sorrell. Oh wow, yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 6:37

Me and the boys.

SPEAKER_04 6:38

Yeah. Was Aaron ever over there or Aaron Knight? No. Jason Pecker was over there. Oh, yes. Jason Pecker. Uh Stephen Kaji, was he ever over there? Kaji was over there. Okay. All right, comment.

SPEAKER_06 6:49

So that just gives you an idea of like what that truly disheveled boys. That house was.

SPEAKER_04 6:55

Like Lost Boys almost. Yeah. Like you were Wendy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:58

And I remember before I worked, I remember going into the house and just like hanging out there. And it was just, yeah, it's just this crazy Lost Boys house. And then in the corners is cute little Michaela in the corner working on her computer.

SPEAKER_04 7:11

I'm like, so it's it's kind of crazy. It was perfect because, oh my gosh, just picturing you as Wendy with the Lost Boys. Oh, yeah, it makes perfect sense.

SPEAKER_06 7:22

And I quickly found out that you can definitely hold your own versus.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Well, you kind of have to.

SPEAKER_04 7:29

But it worked perfect for us because I was working, was that graveyard shift days? Yeah, that was. Okay. So I was at the airport working graveyard shifts.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

And so doing video, which is funny. Like it's just funny how everything all works out. But um yeah, my job there was to work on video projects, but we always had them last minute. So it was like you're working through the night. It's not just graveyards, it's like you're working 48 hours straight, basically. Um, you know. So it but it did work out nicely since you were working nights. Yeah, it's like, okay, I can just choose my hours.

SPEAKER_04 8:06

If I wasn't working, because I think I was doing 10-hour shifts too at a time, um, graveyard shifts, and so, but yeah, it worked really well for us.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

We called it the juice box because that's where we wanted the creative juices to flow, right? Like just so uh somehow I don't remember how it someone came up with that. That's what yeah, it stuck.

SPEAKER_04 8:26

Do you remember the photo of Kevin Anderson standing on the roof of the juice box with his cape?

unknown 8:33

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

That's just a little picture of what our days were like.

SPEAKER_06 8:39

So I think he got forbidden from wearing that cape. I think they told him he wasn't allowed because he he would do the weirdest stuff. Like he would when he had that cape on, he thought he was Superman. Yeah. I don't think there was any like yeah, but he was.

SPEAKER_04 8:53

He was his cape or his sword, like one of those swords, he would come out, he would just yeah, his cowboy boots. Oh man, just just an epic personality, he is. Yeah, he's a big, big personality. Oh man. So, anyways, fast forward, how did you let's let's move into because you've been doing, and this is one of the big questions I wanted to ask you because you've been doing wedding stuff as first of all, what's the name of your company? Uh, Red Forest Films is the name of my company. And we've we've referenced you a few times now, but yeah, so then I want more, but just it's coming.

SPEAKER_02 9:32

Yeah, it's coming.

SPEAKER_04 9:33

Just keeping coming.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

You're you text me all the time, you're like, dude, why are you talking me up so much?

SPEAKER_02 9:38

I can't help it. Because you're a legend.

SPEAKER_04 9:42

I appreciate that. Maybe maybe you can walk us through like the humble beginnings of Red Forest films and then how you got into weddings and stuff like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:50

Well originally video, I was so I was obviously working at Living Hope Church as their um young adult pastor. And um after Nate De Caesar left, was asked to take over kind of the video side of it and stuff, and that's where you know Stacy was working there. Stacy Brown. Oh, that's right, Stacy. So she yeah, she came into the juice box, then Kevin Anderson. Right. And those guys. Um, so I started doing video there and kind of got like kind of it was scratching that creative itch, I think that you have, you know, and um to see something from beginning to to finish was was really nice. Um to be able to do that. And so uh yeah, started doing video, and then um after I left Living Hope, I just kept doing video. So I would have other churches still contacting me. I did a lot for like Summit View and um some for like Vancouver Church or what First Church of God was back then. Yeah, and um even Kingsway have done some of their paddle raise videos. Did you have that was back then?

SPEAKER_04 10:55

Did you have a background in video then to or did you just kind of not really?

SPEAKER_06 11:01

I I was taught video through Nathan De Caesar. Okay, so he's the one that I don't know. I was like, oh, this is really cool. You can actually put some cool stuff together, yeah, things like that. So I was you know, yeah, I was like I was very interested in it, and um yeah, so that's that's kind of how that that began.

SPEAKER_04 11:19

But and and what a what a way to start like the the videos that I remember seeing, I wasn't a part of that back then, but the videos that you guys put together back in the day at Living Home, some of the most off the cuff, like wild videos, just a blast, just a lot of different ideas and brains coming together, and like what's the weirdest thing that we can make right now?

SPEAKER_06 11:45

Especially because we were so by the script, you know, for the weekend stuff. Yeah, so everything was like, Oh, let's do a My Story, let's do a testimonial, yes, and so it was like our way of like, okay, we have all this equipment, let's start making like stupid stuff.

SPEAKER_04 11:59

So the testimony stuff, that's that's what I fell in love with, you know, and everything. And but so did you guys work together then?

SPEAKER_01 12:08

Not like officially, because I had moved out of the department before Johnny came in, like just barely. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:16

And so you moved upstairs, I think, in the church.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

So I switched into the worship department and then upstairs.

SPEAKER_06 12:22

We are still down in the in the mud, in the dirt, working our way on up.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

But but we did get to collaborate a little bit every now and then. And right.

SPEAKER_06 12:32

Yeah, and I was still in the like I I had an office upstairs too, because of the youth department. Yep. Stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

I mean, they moved us around a lot, but you were doing multiple jobs, like lots of different jobs at once, as yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:46

It was a it was a crazy job. As most as most employees at at Living Hope did it back in those days.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

But we did get to work together on some cool projects and we sure did, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:57

Yeah, it was fun.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

Like Christmas stuff and whatnot, like yeah, those kinds of things.

SPEAKER_04 13:02

So that's so that church church video stuff kind of helps start your career then. Right. Okay. So I just kept doing it. Yeah. So how did you get into weddings and stuff like that? Because when did you start doing weddings?

SPEAKER_06 13:17

Um, I started doing wedding. I it was I met a guy named Bryce, Bryce Phelps, who've you've met. Yeah, yeah. He used to have a dreadlock beard and he's the greatest guy. He lived in a bus out in Woodland, a big purple bus, uh two double decker bus. And he had this video gear and he sounds made up. Yeah, it does. I only had I just had like a uh I think a Canon 60D at the time and stuff, but he needed someone to shoot with him, a wedding with him. And I was like, sure, I'll do that. And then um it kind of just snowballed from there. Okay, and we just started shooting a lot more weddings together and buying more stuff and um more gear and stuff like that, and then just kind of turned into films.

SPEAKER_03 14:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 14:03

So it wasn't Red Forest films before you started doing weddings then? No. Okay, no. It was I was with just You're like, I'm getting pretty busy, I should probably have a name and like have a Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 14:15

Yeah, I had more and more people asking me about doing um what do you Weddow Weddow. My favorite thing. I love doing weddings.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

Um Wettos are the backdoor.

SPEAKER_06 14:33

It's like so. I was doing weddings with with Bryce for a long time.

SPEAKER_03 14:41

Yeah. And then uh you gotta snort out of my galaxy.

SPEAKER_06 14:48

It was mainly his friends' wettos, but not like my own. We're just gonna keep going. We were yeah, we're just gonna keep going. We weren't really marketing or anything, it was just like his friends and stuff and that were asking us to do it. And then obviously with you guys too, people see a wedding video and then are like, yeah, I want that done with my wedding as well.

SPEAKER_04 15:12

So I mean that makes sense because bat back then it wasn't as like highlight films specifically weren't really like that much of a thing back then.

SPEAKER_06 15:24

And so yeah, we didn't have any anything that we were like looking at, like, oh, let's be like this company or that company. We were just kind of like flying off of the seat of our pants, like, how do we make this into a narrative and make it look pretty and like all that stuff?

SPEAKER_04 15:38

So you were like, yeah, you were like part of that first wave that now it's everywhere. Yeah, that's crazy.

SPEAKER_06 15:47

Yeah, just us two and our cameras and our and our monopods, yeah, which you love to make fun of. But in our defense, using monopod, our cameras didn't have stabilization back then. No, they had like some lens stabilization, but that's it.

SPEAKER_04 16:00

And it's not so much it's not so much making fun of you, it's there was that's some making fun. Okay. In my defense, I go back and forth between like you and Josh Berman, who back in the day like ran everywhere. Actually, oh he was, yeah. Actually, yeah, and so it's just it's it's funny to see filmmakers in different stages of their careers because I mean you you you have made a successful career out of uh and I've I've told a lot of guys this who are like starting up, right? I'm like, don't start on a gimbal. Like that's what I did, and everything had to be a gimbal shot and all that stuff. And if I could go back, right, I would I would do more sticks, you know, tripods, right?

SPEAKER_06 16:56

Um, I would introduce monopod and definitely handheld back because you're setting the precedence for like this is what the rest of my exact shoots are gonna look like.

SPEAKER_04 17:03

And I had to learn more of like doing proper composition and stuff later on because I'm like I can't rely always on the movement and stuff, yeah. Anyways, it's it's not it's not all making fun. There's wisdom there.

SPEAKER_03 17:19

Why are my feelings there? There's so much wisdom there, yeah. It's just experience, like it really is, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:26

And we didn't we didn't have, I mean, when we started, there was no gimbals. There was we had uh uh like steady cams and stuff. We had a steady cam. Bryce had the vest and stuff. Okay, it would take us 10 minutes to put this huge vest on him, yeah, and stuff, and we're like, oh man, but we we did have a slide rail that we would use a lot, okay. Yeah, and so that yeah counted as a moving shot and stuff.

SPEAKER_04 17:46

Yeah, no, I I totally get it. And I am I I'm envious actually because I I have zero confidence when it comes to monopods. Like I either have to be on the gimbal or or handheld or just you know, throw it on sticks or whatever. Right. But yeah, monopod, I'm just not super experienced in that.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

So I love the monopod. She lives my preference.

SPEAKER_04 18:08

She lives by the monopod as well.

SPEAKER_06 18:10

So she's if you're running around at weddings and stuff. Not Josh Berman running around, but just running around at weddings.

SPEAKER_04 18:17

He's gonna chime in and defend himself because he doesn't run anymore.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

He he's been told he cannot.

SPEAKER_04 18:22

It's actually in their like rules or whatever as often. In their contract. You're not allowed to run anymore. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

But they're great. It it's very helpful, I feel like, to have them mono. I don't trust myself very much with this, just handheld.

SPEAKER_06 18:38

So yeah, yeah. And that's you know, obviously, with and and holding a camera up, you know, handheld. First of all, putting up sticks and taking down sticks is that's a lot per shot. So it just made sense to use the monopods.

SPEAKER_04 18:53

No, it's a very practical tool and it and it does the job really well.

SPEAKER_06 18:56

I have some good pictures of me and Bryce that I think you took, Michaela, of just us with our both our monopods and stuff. Yeah, shooting weddings.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Good times.

SPEAKER_06 19:06

That was good times.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Yeah. Uh just for anybody who might not know when you say putting down sticks or putting up sticks or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 19:15

That's a tripod.

SPEAKER_01 19:16

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 19:16

Yeah. I think I said that, but yeah. I think just in case.

SPEAKER_06 19:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:22

Um you have a knock at the door just saying oh. Oh.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

No, they can go away.

SPEAKER_06 19:28

Alright, hold on. You gotta keep going. Is it a solicitor?

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Probably. We have a no soliciting sign on our door, but that doesn't keep us.

SPEAKER_06 19:35

Everyone listen for Sean to scream in the background at the end of the house at the front door.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

That's so funny. Um I remember when you officially started Red Forest um being so excited because you had already been shooting weddings. We'd already been, I think, doing a few weddings together.

SPEAKER_06 19:54

Right. But I I think you were a big reason that Red Forest, like, I was like, Oh, we need to have our own thing because we were contracting to you to do your wedding videos and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

Everyone was asking, like, do you do videos? And I was like, No, but I have friends. My buddy does, and you should really hire them. And so then I it wasn't long after that. I mean, it was pretty much pretty close to around the same time we like officially started, but yeah.

SPEAKER_06 20:23

Uh and so we copied the red off of your name? We actually didn't want we didn't that was the first uh when you're searching for like a company name, because I was like, White mountain film sounds great, and then I'm like, well, that's maybe a little too white for us. And then we were like, well, Porch Light, and we were just going through all these, like, but all the URLs were taken. And so we were just using like, here's a color, here's something, and then and then we found out the red forest is like the forest, like around where um I forget where that was, where the uh the nuclear reactor like melted down. Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Yeah, um I did not know this.

SPEAKER_06 21:00

Yeah, uh I didn't know it either when I didn't know this is how you got your name, but I love it. It was something I found out afterwards. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So um, yeah, I mean, it was turned out fine.

SPEAKER_05 21:16

It's a good name.

SPEAKER_04 21:18

Uh I'm I'm back. I told them to scram. Okay, another roof person.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:24

We get we get multiple of those like every week that come across and they see our roof because we rent this house, and so we've sent many photos to the property owners and everything.

SPEAKER_06 21:37

Is it not a good roof? I never looked at it.

SPEAKER_04 21:38

Yeah, it's got moss and stuff like that. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

So it's time, it needs some love, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 21:43

But anyways, um, I lost my place. So here you are at the uh the we're back with the roofing podcast. So yeah, we we were doing uh uh just to move it, uh we were me and Bryce were. Doing wedding videos for you guys, kind of deal. Um, before you guys took on uh doing videos yourselves and stuff. So we kind of just started there, and that's kind of how I met Josh. I can't I can't exactly remember where I met him. I know. Well, because he was doing stuff through like Summit View. R oh that's what it was. Okay. Yes. Yeah. He was working like behind the scenes at Summit View, and I needed some like a second for some for some wedding videos. So we were shooting together a bit and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 22:32

Did you guys talk about our brainstorming meeting for the beginnings and red letter days? Do you remember that? Because you were there. Yeah, and that was in the living room? Yep. That was in the living room of your folks' uh house that was by Evergreen High School. Totally remember it.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

You do?

SPEAKER_06 22:52

Yeah, totally remember that. Because I think Jamie was there too. Right? Because we all had like something that we were good at, and we were trying to like put that all together. Like, how does this fit into I think I was I was just supposed to like officiate weddings because it was supposed to be like the full service, like one stop shop one stop shop. I was supposed to be like a DJ or live music guy.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 23:13

Right.

SPEAKER_04 23:14

Yeah. That's awesome. Because I had zero other skills.

SPEAKER_06 23:16

Let me ask you this about about your you did you do the music on the podcast? This podcast?

SPEAKER_04 23:20

I didn't make it.

SPEAKER_06 23:21

No, I I found it. Okay. Okay. You guys should make you talk about your your musicalness. No, not really. You should. No. Both of these guys are incredible musicians and singers. And I don't know why you're not making your own jingle at the beginning. Because that would be that'd be a cool challenge, though, for you guys.

SPEAKER_04 23:44

It would be a cool challenge, and maybe I'll accept your challenge. Accept that challenge.

SPEAKER_06 23:49

I would love to see uh Sean and Michaela jingle at the beginning. That would be incredible.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 23:56

It probably turned into like a show tune kind of a jingle, which would be kind of funny.

SPEAKER_03 24:00

Even better.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

I could snap my fingers to it. I don't know. I don't play any instrument, but vocal harmony. I'll do a harmony.

SPEAKER_06 24:08

Vocal harmonies? Just do like a five-minute long, just like five minutes. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 24:15

Five minutes.

SPEAKER_06 24:16

First course, first course, bridge.

SPEAKER_03 24:23

Bridge.

SPEAKER_04 24:24

Bridge.

SPEAKER_03 24:25

Bridge. Bridge. Bridge. Bridge. Instrumental.

SPEAKER_02 24:29

Bridge. Yeah. And then bring it down a little.

SPEAKER_04 24:34

You're sweet. So since you referenced it, I I didn't I didn't know how much we wanted to get into it, but part of our like where we were where our friendship was really forged was doing ministry together. We did we did a lot of ministry together. True did. We started uh in the college ministry at uh Living Hope, which was called um Ecclesia. And that's like we we were together every week, like doing that, and just like we kind of had our own building at the time that they just let us use. Yeah, it was orchards, campus.

SPEAKER_06 25:10

That's it, it's funny, like in in that, like I like I'm still friends with people from Ecclesia to this, like they're still some of my best friends. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 25:19

And I we've talked about this with I don't know if it's because part of it is um which I brought up is like living hope and and the things that went on there. It's almost like uh it's almost like when you come back from being at war or something like that, like there's such a bond. Oh yeah. Um yeah, like a trauma bond in the trenches together, kind of a thing. Right, yeah, right. Not that it was all traumatic, no, not a lot of fun. Not at all, not at all. But I think going through that kind of stuff just naturally, but some but then moving into the the college ministry and then like moving on from that and just like uh Bible study and then just our own kind of outreach, you know, to young adults in the Vancouver area anthem and everything, that created some really just rock solid right.

SPEAKER_06 26:18

And a lot of the a lot of the people like that were there at the beginning at Ecclesia, because we started that in what 2006. And they they were there the whole time, all the way through Anthem and stuff like that. So it was a lot of cool, a lot of a lot of friends, and a lot of musicians, which was cool because we had different bands and different like I think that was that was uh definitely a uh core part of our culture was was our worship culture and everything.

SPEAKER_04 26:47

And there was a lot of breakthrough during that time, um, and a lot of growth in people, and it was just a really cool place for for young adults to come and just connect with each other and everything.

SPEAKER_06 26:58

And that was also like part of the creativity side of because we weren't we we kind of like made our own rules and stuff, we weren't overseen kind of the whole the whole time we were in ministry. Yep, yep. And um, we're like, well, what are we doing this week? Yeah, you know, and then we started doing food before at Anthem and stuff. Like, oh, we're gonna do hot dogs, yeah, and we're gonna grill all in the grill and stuff.

SPEAKER_04 27:19

I mean, the the opportunity that we had to even do it at the compass church building downtown Vancouver, what a great spot that was for us because I remember too they let us use it. Cause because before that, after Ecclesia, remember we would we just did our Bible study in pop culture down the road?

SPEAKER_05 27:36

Right.

SPEAKER_04 27:36

Um, and that's what it started as. It was just us getting together, diving into the Bible, praying for each other, stuff like that. And then we quickly realized we're missing our worship kind of identity because that was such a huge part of Ecclesia and everything. So we started doing worship in that little place.

SPEAKER_06 27:53

In that little place, we'd have like uh Dustin came. We'd just have a bunch of different worship leaders and stuff, like, but it it was not set up for like a right worship environment. And we we had bigger plans and stuff, you know. Um, I remember talking to Amanda about it, and me and Amanda and Andy Huville went to visit Compass Church on a weekend, and we talked to the pastor at the time, Tim, and he was like, Yeah, uh, if you want to use our buildings, you can use it uh on on Sunday nights or whatever. And we're like, Okay. And then it was just like immediately we're like, okay, I guess we're doing this.

SPEAKER_04 28:35

Yeah, it was just it was such a great spot because out in front on the steps and everything, what a cool spot to just hang out. Yeah, and it was very attractive to young adults, like just seeing guys, you know, uh all of us hanging out in front of the building and everything. Yeah, you'd attract some people coming up and asking, What the heck is this? You know, what's going on? So I I do remember that. But yeah, doing worship together there, um, you know, Michaela and I you guys are awesome. We'd we've led worship together for forever. Forever. Since 2004. Right. So yeah, just to be able to continue to do that with our friends and and build that and create that. And yeah, that was just such a a precious, precious time.

SPEAKER_06 29:21

It was a yeah, it was a great time. And it was so like, yeah. It's not like we I don't want to say it wasn't a lot of effort, but it really wasn't. It was just like people liked we liked hanging out together anyway. Yeah, yeah. And it was just doing what we knew how to do anyway. Yep. And it just kind of became this like easy, just kind of free-flowing, like, all right, we're gonna do this every weekend. And if people show up, they show up if they don't, and it ended up being a pretty pretty good ministry, you know, pretty popular and stuff.

SPEAKER_04 29:50

And I think that's that's why it was so successful, if I can use that term or whatever. Um, was because we were we were gathering in in that place together, doing what we knew how to do, but also it led to just relationships beyond it's what the church is supposed to be, right? It's like it really is. We're supposed to be living life together and being there for each other in low moments and high moments alike. Right. Um, and that really led itself to allow us to be there for for each other in those in those times and and support each other.

SPEAKER_06 30:25

What's crazy too is like living downtown now, um, a lot of the people that I'm friends with, um I've met through, you know, in some form or another, like some church or something like that. I used to do, you know, I used to speak at Summit View a lot for their youth group. Right. Now a lot of those kids are are, you know, yeah, because that was a pretty decent sized youth group. A lot of the kids live downtown, living hope, same thing. Yeah. And stuff. So and now I'm friends with them, which is it's a crazy, crazy thing. That's pretty cool. And um, yeah, so all the connections, like they they still, even if people like walk away or you know aren't really involved in church and stuff anymore, all the connections are still like still there. Yeah, and it's still great to like still have that. Yes, yeah. I love it. So there's some great stuff that came out of that.

SPEAKER_04 31:13

Um, anyway, though I I wanted to bring that up because you mentioned music, and that's that's our background in music, is is at church and everything. These guys are awesome, but you're awesome. You're awesome.

SPEAKER_06 31:25

No, I'm not that awesome.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

You are awesome, dude.

SPEAKER_06 31:28

I I I could not like um sleep last night because I was like, oh man, and what am I gonna say on this podcast? And like I was, you know, when you have those short sleeps, when you like you just have like these quick, I would I had a dream that I was trying to sleep and dreaming like in the same like it was the most boring, like, but like, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Like deception or something.

SPEAKER_06 31:50

Like what isn't it weird to you guys? I was just thinking about isn't it weird that like when when we dream, we just like accept like, oh yeah, this is this is real.

SPEAKER_02 31:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 32:00

Yeah, in the moment. Yeah, and then later on you're like, oh, it wasn't real. But in the moment, you're like, this is real.

SPEAKER_03 32:06

Like, I guess I'm flying this plane right now.

SPEAKER_06 32:09

This is this is what I'm doing. Like nothing in our brain says, no, that's not real. You're like, yeah, there's a horse in the downstairs of the plane, but it's fine. Exactly. A real dream I had.

SPEAKER_04 32:20

In the rare instance, I don't know if this has ever happened to you, probably, but you do realize you're in a dream when you those are the best. And then you have control and you're like, please don't like it, please don't like it.

SPEAKER_03 32:30

All powerful. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 32:33

I can fly anywhere right now. Yeah, you're like, why can't I run? And then you're like, wait, this is a dream. And then you're like, I can run as fast as I want, or I can fly, or whatever. There's one of our tangents. Yeah, there it is.

SPEAKER_00 32:47

Squirrel.

SPEAKER_04 32:50

You want to take us in a new direction? Oh. Well, I I it looked like you were ready to take us in a new direction.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

That has left my brain. I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 32:59

Uh well, I did I did want to go back to uh because I wanted to ask you since you've been doing uh video right weddings for such a long time, like kind of observing how it's changed over the years and then where it's at now, and like you know, just just speaking to like like what are your thoughts on on how it's changed over the years, where it's come from and what it is now, and stuff like that. And and then maybe uh let us know like what you're what you're up to nowadays.

SPEAKER_06 33:32

Sure. Yeah. Um I I think that's a great question. Uh I think when we began, it's like we talked about there was really no like precedence to like what a wedding video should be or looks like and stuff. Yeah. Now like you can you can find exactly like the style and like what you want and stuff. So like working with you know, the couple about like you know, it was like selling, it was blue water, it was selling, you know, like we don't know what you guys are doing, but yeah, just just do it kind of deal. Sure. And then we'd give them this this product that was like, oh man, that was incredible. Yeah, like it was reliving the the wedding day and stuff. Nowadays, like since it's you know advanced so much, now like I said, people know exactly what they want, people know exactly what they're looking for and stuff like that, and they can shop around to different you know businesses and places and stuff. We've always been a more narrative kind of I I think it's just because it's how I think is like in narrative, so like telling the story of the day and things like that, I think is is kind of my style, I would say. But we have pared down a lot. I don't really do too many weddings anymore.

SPEAKER_03 34:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 34:43

Um, not because I don't I don't want well a little bit like I just wanted my weekends back a little bit. Yeah, no, that's that's valid. Yeah, and um, you know, and they're long days, but and it's a it's a lot of work. I always have fun doing them, you know. I always have fun, but it's like the also the after, yeah. Um, you know, editing and stuff like that. I know a lot of people outsource that that part of it, but you know, so but yeah, um nowadays I'm I do a lot of marketing videos, a lot of that kind of kind of idea. So I'll have a company approach me and say, hey, we want to do this, we want, you know, social presence, we want, you know, to to kind of do a video showing what we do and where we are. And then I'll I'll also work with agencies and stuff on their like, you know, they're releasing products or they're they're wanting to highlight products and stuff like that. So I'll do video based on that stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:37

I mean you you kind of do you kind of do stuff across the board too now. Like you uh don't you do website design, web design and stuff like that too?

SPEAKER_06 35:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um 2020 was kind of like it that's kind of when I started taking on the web design thing just out of necessity. Sure.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

Yeah, we were all shut down.

SPEAKER_06 35:57

Yeah, to make it, and then um now I do, yeah, now it's a lot of a lot of what I do is, you know, it's like half, half, half. Okay. Half video, half web web stuff and things like that. I don't necessarily love sitting in front of a computer for a long period of time, but I love like the process and like the ideas to seeing stuff come to fruition. It's the same thing with video. Sure, sure, you know. Um but yeah, besides for that, yeah, it's that's that's kind of what I've been focused on and and doing and stuff like that. I love taking on projects um like that.

SPEAKER_04 36:31

So yeah. I mean it's it's been cool to see you progress and change and kind of develop and and and do the things that you're passionate about over the years and everything. And I've said it before, but you were you were one of my original inspirations to even get into video in the first place. Like me with my monopod. Dude, so I'm gonna I'm gonna put you on the spot.

SPEAKER_05 36:59

5D Mark II.

SPEAKER_04 37:01

Going back in time, there was a there was a season of our lives where we were pretty down and out financially. And I don't know if you remember where I'm going with this. But I ended up having to sell like going back to the musical stuff. I ended up having to sell a lot, if not all of my my equipment, my music equipment, to to pay bills and stuff like that and to keep up. And you guys rallied, and that was that's part of that. That's why I'll always advocate for a church community or some sort of community where you are living life together and and with each other and everything. Um but you guys rallied um and put together this kind of movement, I guess, where people contributed and raised money for for me to be able to. And it wasn't about the equipment, it wasn't about the gear. It was you guys believed in me and believed that I was doing what I was called to do, uh, as far as leading worship at church and and bringing people into the presence of the Lord and stuff like that through musical worship and stuff. And you did that through a video campaign. Like you took Nathan Arnold. It was his idea originally, too. Right. I remember that. Yeah. Um, but you guys built that, and then you had this whole like hidden thread where it was just like this whole secret thing. Sneaky love. I think you called it sneaky love, and I I legit, I had zero idea. And do you remember how you guys revealed that? I remember it was at the fort. Yep, yep, that's right.

SPEAKER_06 38:47

Um, near the gazebo kind of deal.

SPEAKER_04 38:49

Yeah, we were at the playground first, right? Um, and I just remember a great day like hanging out at the park, and I was none the wiser. Yeah. At all. So the sneakiness worked. It did. It did work. Yeah, obviously you knew. I knew, yes. Um, and props to you for keeping that for deceiving. I mean when it comes for lying to me. When it comes to gifts and especially secret gifts, it's definitely not your strength, sweetheart. I'm sorry. Wow. She's like, if she's got a gift, she's like, I can't keep it in anymore. Do you want it early? And so, yeah, no, it was it was it was quite the feat. Yeah, yeah. I remember uh walking, you you were, I can't remember what you what you guys did to prompt me, but you're like, What's uh what's that over there? What is that thing over there? Go check that out. Yeah, and it was just a huge group of of friends and family that was down by the gazebo and everything. And so you got that all on video, and yeah, dude. So that is the power of of storytelling and narrative and video. That's the stuff I fell in love with. Telling the stories, the testimonies, like sharing people's lives, um so not just so that they can share it, but so that other people can be impacted by it and life and their other lives can be changed. Like it's it's it's a really hard position to if you're if you're a truly humble person, you don't like the attention to like share about yourself and stuff like that. But what I will continue to advocate for and continue to encourage people in is that there's somebody out there who is waiting to hear your story. And that's gonna be the key for life change with them. Right now they think they're alone until they hear your story, until they hear your words, until they hear how the Lord worked through you or whatever it may be, that could be that that catapult for them to be able to launch into the next season of their life and everything.

SPEAKER_06 40:59

And so it's kind of the the I think it was Rob Bell used to talk about like the you know, the Me Too kind of thing where it's like not that Me Too movement or whatever like that, but like the yeah, I'm going through the same thing you are, and like knowing there's that camaraderie and stuff, and knowing that someone else is feeling what you're feeling and stuff, and telling your your story is part of, you know, how else are people gonna know, you know that they're not alone in this.

SPEAKER_04 41:26

Exactly. And what a crazy time we live in because now more than ever are people just kind of out there in the open. But I don't think people are truly vulnerable anymore because it's such a scary thing to be out there and you just get attacked or whatever from all angles for sharing anything vulnerable or whatever about your thoughts or you know, anything like that. But there are always kind of the silent majority, you know, that feel like they're alone in in in one way or another. And to to hear somebody and to see somebody step forward first, you know, or or something like that is like it's just it's powerful. It really is. Yeah, it's underrated very much.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

I would say there's two sides to the coin too, because it's not only are you feeling it like you're not alone when you're in those same circumstances, it's seeing the goodness in humanity like gives people hope too. So even if it's just like sharing a lovely moment, you know, like it's something that's really brought joy to people, that's that uplifts everyone.

SPEAKER_06 42:32

Yeah, absolutely. Yep, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:34

That's another beautiful part of sharing, you know, like highs and lows, right? So there's something that is great about all of it.

SPEAKER_06 42:41

Yeah, right. It does it does spread that way.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

Yeah, so it's very infectious.

SPEAKER_04 42:46

So it was stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 42:50

Infectious.

SPEAKER_06 42:51

Infected me. I wish there was a better word for it. I'm sure there is.

SPEAKER_00 42:58

Probably. What's that? Contagious?

SPEAKER_06 43:01

It's my infection. Contagious is actually better, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:04

Oh, that's my infection. It's my infection. Why do you smile so much? Oh, it's my infection.

SPEAKER_04 43:11

But no, that's the stuff that you like, you had vision for, and like you, you really, you know, that was a huge part of my desire to get into video and everything, is that I got a little taste of that when I started doing that. Because going back to when I started at Vancouver Church, it was out of necessity because our video guy had left and everything, and we had a little background in video, and so I said, We can help a little bit in the interim. And then that first testimony that I was a part of, you were I was hooked, man. I was hooked. And and then from there it was all about diving in, you know, uh head first into all the technical stuff and all the gear and everything like that. But the heart of it always will be for me is the people like. Meeting new people and getting to tell stories and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_06 44:03

And so absolutely that's why and working with friends is so is so nice too. Creative. And that's the thing. Like I've been surrounded by so many creative people for so long. Um it just helps me to be you know creative and stuff. Even the people I work with now is just like it's crazy. These people like they're so good at what they do and it's so like inspiring. It makes me want to be a better filmmaker and storyteller and things like that.

SPEAKER_04 44:28

Yeah, I exactly. Exactly. My sentiments. It's the hanging out with people who are better at things than you are, you know, to kind of inspire you to and it's I want to encourage people again. Like sometimes that can be hard when you look out there and there's all these examples and you're like, man, they're so good. I want to speak against the voice inside of people that's like, oh, they're so good. Why do I even bother? Like that shouldn't be our mentality. Yeah. The mentality should be like that's that's something that I want to strive for to achieve, or be just be inspired or just be happy for that person, too, you know, like beyond just like the selfish side of things, because we don't have always have to see something and then you know reflect it back to ourselves. Like we can we can genuinely just see somebody who's really good at something and be like, dude, that's amazing. Yeah. Like that appreciate it. Yeah, yeah. It's as simple as that. Yeah, you know. Um but of course, it's a in our industry, it's really easy to see something and then you know, automatically look back at yourself and be like, Oh, I'm not that good.

SPEAKER_06 45:37

Yeah, covet it. Yeah. Like, oh man, I'm not as good. Yeah, it's frustrating when you see someone that's like really good at something that just started. You know, I've been doing this for so long. And then and then Phil Housey picks up a camera and he's just like immediately good at whatever. Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_04 45:52

He keeps good at everything, you just keeps sending me stuff and he's like, you know, I'm still working on stuff or whatever, but this is what I got, and he sends it to me. And I I don't know if you know this, but I just sold him a bunch of cameras and everything. Yeah, I think you did mention that. Um, and he sends me something I'm like, dude, this looks amazing. Yeah, yeah. What the heck? Yeah, it's frustrating. It is frustrating. He's just a really talented guy.

SPEAKER_06 46:16

He's been with us since the since the beginning too.

SPEAKER_04 46:19

Yep, yeah, Nathan Arnold and Phil. Um, because they were in a band together, right? And so, yeah, he was a he was a huge part of the music at Ecclesia. But yeah, I mean, oh man, there's that's a whole other podcast. That's a whole nother three of us.

SPEAKER_06 46:34

Yeah. Oh my gosh. Do you remember we used to do the original the anthem podcast where it was just a bunch of us in the back room? Yes, and we would just talk nonsense, but it was like a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_04 46:43

Yep, that's right. That's so funny, and then our original dude nights that we used to do.

SPEAKER_06 46:47

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 46:48

She remembers those too, because I would always be gone every Thursday. Thursday. Yeah, every Thursday.

SPEAKER_06 46:53

Go Starbucks and then watch a watch a B movie.

SPEAKER_04 46:55

Yeah. B horror movie. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

Sometimes I miss those days. Oh my gosh. Me too.

SPEAKER_01 47:01

Good times. You guys have to do like dude afternoon or something. I don't want to stay up till like dude breakfast or something like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 47:12

Oh, yeah, it would have to be at Phil's house because I I don't, yeah. He's got like 18 kids now. Um by the way, congrats, Phil.

SPEAKER_04 47:21

Yeah, congratulations, Phil and Haley. Haley and Gilly. Yep. They got number five. Really doing it. The first boy. Really? The first the first boy.

SPEAKER_06 47:29

They are really doing it, I guess. Um the first boy. The first boy. So happy for that. Yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_03 47:37

They're great. His videos crack me up too.

SPEAKER_04 47:41

I saw he posted something yesterday where he's like, is anybody out there able to teach me guitar? And then Haley always reshares his post or whatever. And her little text was, He's he's making this. I'm sitting on the couch and he's making this pretending that I I'm not here. Like you just picture him like with his phone, and she's just sitting there like watching it.

SPEAKER_02 48:05

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 48:08

They're so great. I love going to their house. I love those girls. Man, like it's it's so fun to go over there, and then they're all just super excited and pumped and everything, and they want to show you everything all the time.

SPEAKER_06 48:22

And all hanging off a fill and stuff.

SPEAKER_04 48:24

Oh gosh, it's so cute. It's the best.

SPEAKER_01 48:27

I mean, their oldest is how old now?

SPEAKER_04 48:29

Uh she's five. Five, yeah. Five. I was gonna say twenty-five.

SPEAKER_01 48:33

Four four girls, five, four, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 48:36

Four girls, yeah. Five and under. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:39

Yes, you guys props to you guys and a boy. No, yeah. Yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_05 48:44

Insane. Yeah, insane. Yeah, props to the Hazsies. Yep, yeah. So this has been the Hazie podcast. It's totally more podcast.

SPEAKER_01 48:52

Well, it sounds to me like like Phil has like secretly been seeping all the creativity and inspiration from you guys over the years, then he just like decided to pick up video and whooping.

SPEAKER_04 49:04

He has launched his venture uh this this year, or maybe end of last year, I think, is when he officially launched it. But yeah, he is which is awesome. He's crushing it, and um, yeah, he I just uh sold him that new kit, and he's just yeah, he's unstoppable, man. He's a guy that's good at everything. Yep. I don't know how he has the energy for all the stuff that he does.

SPEAKER_01 49:31

Supernatural.

SPEAKER_04 49:33

Yeah, I mean, because he he still works for HB full time. Truly is on the podcast. Full full time at the church, yeah. Yep. Now five kids with home with them quite a bit. And then Haley, too. She's full-time, like just managing everything for Amaros and creating all the designing all the spaces.

SPEAKER_06 49:57

Oh my gosh, she's so talented at the moment.

SPEAKER_04 49:59

Oh man, every time I walk into one of those restaurants, I'm just blown away. Yeah, like I'm not. I I know she's obviously talented, but I'm just I'm so proud of them, you know. It's like it's it's really great. Yes, this is the Hazie podcast.

SPEAKER_03 50:13

Tune in next week for more Hazie information, more Hazie trivia.

SPEAKER_01 50:18

Now we need to have them on the podcast.

SPEAKER_03 50:20

Yeah, we should that'd be great. We should, that would be fun. Have the whole fam. Yeah, the girls being on the podcast. Just do a crowd mic, yeah. That would be really cool. That would be amazing. That would be fun.

SPEAKER_04 50:32

Oh man. Well, we could keep talking. I don't want to keep you too much longer, but I just really appreciate bro. Like we we have just it's been a it's been a joy to not only be friends with you, but be able to just do so many things together.

SPEAKER_06 50:46

Well, the feelings mutual, you guys have been such a huge, huge part of my life, and uh you guys are so uh creative and talented, and seeing what you guys are putting out now, even like is just incredible. The photos and the videos and the you guys are still amazing musicians very much appreciate it. It's I've always been great friends. So appreciate you you asking me to be on this yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 51:12

Well, I hope we can um maybe get your beautiful wife on here someday. Um I can try to convince her at the very least. Just do dinner. We'll just do dinner together. Oh, that'd be awesome. And then uh just just be able to catch up.

SPEAKER_01 51:25

I like to eat.

SPEAKER_04 51:26

I know, me too.

SPEAKER_01 51:28

Same.

SPEAKER_06 51:30

Love eating. This is the eating podcast. We'd like to thank you guys for stopping in. All right, here comes the trivia.

SPEAKER_04 51:39

We love you guys so much. Thank you for chiming in. Thank you for tuning in. Um, Johnny Driver. Thank you, Johnny.

SPEAKER_06 51:45

I'll get these guys on working on the intro and outro too.

SPEAKER_01 51:48

Perfect. Bye. Bye.