HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS - News & Updates

Last month in class we produced our 6th episode of ABOVE THE LINE. Our special guest was George Schlatter of LAUGH-IN fame.

The guys did a great job and really seemed to enjoy their day of production.

 

They created the set and set all the lights, ran the cameras and monitored the sound.

 

Good job to our students, much thanks to our volunteer instructors and to all of the Sheriff's personnel!!    Looking forward to semester #10.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS

Hollywood Impact Studios celebrated it's 3rd year anniversary at Pitchess Detention Center, this June. Thank you to all of our volunteer staff, our supporters and most of all God for this amazing ministry. We're looking forward to the future!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

To all of our Hollywood Impact Studios Dad's, we'd like to wish you all a very Happy Father's Day from Gary and Cyndi and the entire Hollywood Impact Studios family.

ALUMNI - News

Our Alumni Group, held at Grace Baptist Church is still struggling to find a full time instructor and admittedly some of our attendance has dropped off a bit, but for those who continue to faithfully attend, we are seeing some real positive results.   Families are getting stronger, men are supporting one another and strong healthy relationships are being created.

A couple of weeks ago, after our initial class, we all gathered around to signed and addressed cards and letters to send to the our HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS grads that are serving time "in State".

 

We also gave out a very much overdue, "Best Writers Award" to Gerald Grant, who won that award back in our semester #3 class in 2010 for best original short screenplay.   Congrats Gerald!

For those of you interested in attending or coming back to join us at our Sheriff's Department/HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS Alumni meeting, it's held every Tuesday night at 7PM at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, room C-215.  Hope to see you there.

THOUGHTS FROM OUR STUDENTS & ALUMNI

A few weeks ago, I challenged our students to come up with some of their thoughts for the blog. Below is one from Aaron who is currently incarcerated in South Facility, Pitchess Detention Center, Los Angeles County Jail.

"All the way to my childhood, I was a very troubled person.   In my family, there was a tremendous amount of fighting.  My brother and I got into some pretty bad fistfights when we were teenagers.  The neighbors would call the police because we would be out in the front yard beating each other up.  When there was any kind of tension or problems my way of solving it was anger, and that was all I knew.  I had some martial arts training; I was in Golden Gloves in high school. I knew how to fight and I got in many fights.  As I got older I found that my behavior as a child carried over into my adult life.  It only got worse when I enlisted in the U.S. Army.  I was always fighting in bars and regrettable, I hurt a lot of people, but most of all I harmed myself.  It landed me in jail.  I managed to alienate everyone who loved me in a very short time.  I felt alone most of my life and very much lost.

When I reflect on what has been a rough go in life, Gary and Cyndi Hall [HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS] reminded me that things in life would break apart and come together many times.  I remember  a video shown by Cyndi that was about the amazing transformation of butterflies and all the astounding things God did when he created them.   When I found Christ, my psyche was like being in the chrysalis.  I am finding that transforming into a new creation does not just happen once, but continually throughout life.   Galatians 6:2 tells us to bear each other's burdens.   Gary shared with me that it is in the the difficulties of life that we find the chief work of love; essentially he said to comfort each other, again and again.   In that, I learned my trials of life have made me more humble, more contrite and more open to the guidance that I rejected before.   The fire I go through becomes my purifying agent.   What was chaotic at the time, ultimately had a healing effect, and sometimeS, when I am really fortunately, I look up in the sky and see a rainbow.  Then I remember that it could not have happened without the rain."

Thank you Aaron.  

HOLLYWOOD IMPACT STUDIOS - News & Updates

This semester we're continuing to teach, editing, acting, careers of the television business, typing, Bible Studies and computer skills.   We're now at the point where we begin teaching camera and lighting.    Our special guest instructor, Ryan Sheridan, will we be teaching these disciplines again this semester.  They guys really like his instruction.  He makes it so interesting and engaging.   Thank you Ryan!

ALUMNI NEWS

"The Alumni" is a meeting held every Tuesday night at 7PM with those men who've been released from jail or prison and their family members that support them. Two weeks ago, one of our very first students from our semester #1 droppped by to visit. It was a real struggle for him for the first year he was out, but finally he was able to get a part time job in his given trade, butcher, at a grocery store. He has now been out three years, been promoted to manager of the meat market, has gotten married, is plugged in to his neighborhood church. Life is good. Congratuations!