Episode 194 - Testimony Series: Being a Light on Set - with Don Warren

This episode is part of our December Testimony Series. Don Warren shares his extensive experience in the film industry and his journey as a Christian. He recounts stories of times when his faith influenced those around him in the industry, including a moment of impact that led a director to embrace Christ. Don emphasizes the importance of being a light in the industry, and the subtle yet powerful ways one can inspire others towards faith.

Bio:

Don Warren is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He is a Mississippian and owner of Don Warren Film & Video. He has over 45years experience in the film and video business. He has extensive experience as a cinematographer and editor and has worked as Director of Photography on such projects as The Space Shuttle: An American Adventure, which won a gold medal in the 1985 New York Film and TV Festival and Prom Night in Mississippi, a Sundance Film Festival nominee in 2009.

Don has produced national tv spots for Sanderson Farms and been involved in worldwide television distribution. He is a Southeastern Emmy Award winner for the Documentary film ‘Randy Bell: Radio Journalist’.

His work on other documentary, sports, news, commercial, and reality based projects such as Bring It, Extreme Makeover; Home Edition, Trading Spaces, Cajun Pawn Stars, and NFL Network Super Bowl Week has allowed him to use the latest cameras and technology in the industry. Warren has traveled the world working on various documentary projects in Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Guam, Hawaii, Brazil, Sweden, England, Canada, and Nicaragua.

Don currently produces, directs, and shoots video projects for various Clients.

IMDb Don Warren

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Jaclyn's Book - In the Beginning, Middle and End: A Screenwriter’s Observations of LIfe, Character, and God: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9R7XS9V

The Faith & Family Filmmakers podcast helps filmmakers who share a Christian worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. Releasing new episodes every week, we interview experts from varying fields of filmmaking; from screenwriters, actors, directors, and producers, to film scorers,  talent agents, and distributors. 

It is produced and hosted by Geoffrey Whitt and Jaclyn Whitt , and is brought to you by the Faith & Family Filmmakers Association

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My name's Don Warren.

I am a 1978 graduate from the University of Southern Mississippi Film School.

I majored in film production with a minor in photojournalism and marketing.

I've been in the film industry ever since that time, 1978.

For a long time.

I became Christian at nine years old when I understood that I was a sinner bound for hell.

I knew that I needed a savior and that Jesus was the only way to heaven.

Contrary to what many people said,

I had a lot of great mentors who led me to Christ, so I worked a lot of movies, documentaries, commercials, and reality shows.

As a Christ follower, I found it to be challenging at many, many times, uh, but the Lord's been faithful to me.

I will see, say that just after Hurricane Katrina, I worked on a reality show and, um, the director of that show cursed the camera crew incessantly because he said he got a better performance out of us when he cursed us.

And I said, right.

Well, one day we were standing in line for lunch when a tall black guy, uh, from the grip crew who was standing behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and engaged me in conversation.

And his first words to me were, Hey, uh, me and the guys were talking at dinner last night and we decided that you must be a preacher.

I laughed and I said, well, no, I'm not a preacher, but I am a Christ follower.

I'm a Christian.

I said, why would you think I'm a preacher?

And he said, we were discussing how everybody on the crew uses foul language, especially the director.

But we all agreed that we hadn't heard you say one cuss word yet.

And I said, well.

I'm gonna claim to be a, Christian, a Christ follower, I better be living it out.

And that includes using clean words.

He said, well, we noticed and we respect that.

So I went on to share a little bit about my faith with him.

You see, one thing I found is we don't have to beat people over the head with a Bible to show them, uh, Jesus and the love of Christ.

We just have to be light in this dark world and we plant the seeds and Jesus finishes the work for us.

I have a director friend who's a Christian that says it's our job to create a thirst in others for Christ.

And I agree with that.

One more story.

I was working on a set, getting ready for a film shoot.

It was late and I noticed the director across the way.

Um, it was just me and him on the set.

I asked him if I could have a few minutes to talk with him when we wrapped for the day, and he graciously agreed.

So we found a table and sat down to talk, and I told him that I needed to share something with him that had been on my mind, and he was open to it.

So I told him that I was a Christian.

And he already knew that and, uh, I told him, I have a relationship with Jesus and I want to tell you about my relationship with Jesus and share a little bit about my faith with you, if you don't mind.

And he said he would love to hear what I had to say.

So I told him about my faith journey and that I read the Bible every day and that the Lord has miraculously saved me.

And I directed him to the book of Romans, and I used the scriptures plotted out in the Romans road.

It's a simple way to share about, uh, man's sin and the need for a savior.

Well, he listened intently and was interested in what I had to say, and at the end of it I asked if he wanted to be saved, and he said that he wasn't quite ready to make that commitment, but he was very thankful.

So we finished the film shoot and I had many other opportunities to work with him, but two years passed and one morning, it was a Monday, I got a call from him at 10 o'clock or so, and it was him, he said, uh.

Don, I just had to call you and tell you something.

Are you sitting down?

And I said, well, yeah, what's up?

He said, I had the craziest thing happen to me this past weekend.

My girlfriend called me on Saturday and asked if I would go to church with her, and I told her that I would.

And even though I was a bit uncomfortable with it, I went to church with her.

And during the middle of the sermon, the Holy Spirit came over me and overwhelmed me, and the things you had said to me two years ago had never left my mind.

I was so electrified that everything disappeared, and I found myself at the end of the sermon, almost sprinting to the front to take the pastor's hand and telling him that I wanted to accept Jesus as my savior.

You see, we never know how long it'll take for somebody to receive that message.

So it's our job to plant Jesus takes care of the rest.

Thank you for listening.