Sunday, June 11, 2017

Perfect Swing the Movie - "One Sheet"

Genre: Family/Faith/Sports-Golf

Logline: After recently losing her swing, a young greenskeeper must defend her family’s home course against clear-cutting land developers and discover the power hidden within her swing in a high stakes game of golf.



When Sage’s father stepped to the tee he always prayed for the presence of God to fall upon him.  He described the experience like gentle fire flowing from his head all the way down to his feet.  When he swung God’s Fire blazed around him, impacting him and everyone around him.

After his sudden death, Sage buries all her hopes and dreams including her father’s last gift to her, a custom made driver.  But when giants of industry boastfully invade her family’s course and make plans of their own, she drives them away by hitting golf balls at their heads. To avoid a lawsuit, a winner-take-all exhibition match is set up between young Sage Green and a PGA Masters Champion, who is unaware that his victory will rob the Green family of their home.  


When there seems like no possible way for Sage to win, a familiar guide helps her remember that this course was designed especially for her and teaches her that you can’t win an inheritance, you receive one just by being a daughter.  As Sage Green receives her perfect swing from Jesus, she is filled with red laser, electric power and watches heaven open, changing her and everyone around her, forever!

Producer: Chad Gundersen
817-247-7116

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Homecoming - Louisiana in Review

Our Urban Adventure is coming to a close.  We've been living in our downtown Shreveport, LA apartment for almost two years pursuing our dream to make Movies with Life.  Doors have closed for our funding and our location at the Shreveport Country Club.  So we feel released to finally return home to Portland, OR after 14 years away.  It's always been our dream to establish our company, Highwater Entertainment in our hometown and now is the time.
Our time in Shreveport was not wasted even though our original goal was to make Perfect Swing.  April and I served as volunteer youth pastors at the Shreveport Community Church Plant, Highland Community Church.  The Lord grew our Friday night outreach from 3 kids to 50 this year!  April and I both were involved in several discipleship groups where we've been encouraged and have been able to encourage others from students to adults.  I've seen April step into her own with a voice to minister boldly to others.  She spoke at a Women's Conference, taught Sunday School, preached at our youth outreach Ballin', ministered weekly at a teenage rehab center and is preparing to write her first book.  We've had the privilege to minister to the Homeless Community in downtown.  I watched Adalie my 14 year old daughter make her own card presenting the gospel and bravely walked the streets until the Holy Spirit revealed to her who to give it to.   Zoie age 10 preached twice at church and Kylia led worship and was baptized at Shreveport Community Church.  It's amazing to see the growth in all of my girls.  They arrived as girls and are leaving as mighty women of God!
We've also treasured the time with April's sister's family the Erickson's.  Before our time in Shreveport we were lucky to see them annually.  We've all become very close during this season in Louisiana.  
Denise has been our biggest success story!  When we met her she was homeless and living in a shelter.  April was serving at the shelter and became her mentor.  Denise has become a part of our family and we have watched the Lord deliver her and set her free!  She is now a licensed minister of the gospel and a Luis Palau Member Evangelist.  She is married and living in a house and has a full time job ministering at a teenage rehab center.  Go God!
I've been able to crew on three major productions on this road trip.  New Life and Hillary's America now on DVD and National Bible Bee Gameshow playing now on Facebook Live.  Check them out!
We would have never accomplished so much without the grace of God and your prayers, love, and support.  Thank you for our miracle apartment, our cell phones, consistently sending money every other week and the unexpected windfall after windfall that has kept us going.  You know who you are.  Thank you!
We hit the road June 23rd to begin a new chapter on this road to production.  This is not the end of Perfect Swing it's just the beginning of our third Act.  How will our story resolve?  Only God knows and He's a great story teller!  If you would like to help us with moving expenses you can send money to my paypal or any other way that's convenient for you just reach out!  The Best is Yet to Come! 





Wednesday, March 29, 2017

First Festival Awards - Perfect Swing Screenplay

We won our first awards for Perfect Swing on March 25, 2017 at the Christian Film Festival, Best Screenplay and Best Writer.  Thanks for your support!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Perfect Swing Nominated for Best Script

After our recent delay in our funding I dusted myself off and tried to remind myself daily of God's promises for Perfect Swing.  I've shared recent promises from Shreveport but here's another from Bethel in August 2014, "Perfect Swing will be successful in business and in ministry!"  In an effort to attract new opportunities for Perfect Swing I entered the script in a couple Christian Film Festivals and Perfect Swing was selected by both and nominated for Best Script at the International Christian Film Festival in Orlando, FL May 4-6th as well as the Christian Film Festival in Newport News, VA March 25th.
I don't know if this will open new doors for Perfect Swing even if I win, but every time I think it's over for this project, and time to move on, God breathes new life into the project.  Thank you for all the encouragement I have received after our last setback.  God continues to provide for our family and gives us encouragement each day to hold onto His promises.  Thank you for your prayers!  I will let you know how the script fares at the first festival, March 25th.

Thursday, January 12, 2017

The Walk Away


I am discovering it seems to be a right of passage for the independent filmmaker for their investor to walk away suddenly at the last moment before closing.  I've seen it happen to my friends.  And now I am apart of the club.  

Here's how I am processing this disappointment.  First off, forgive.  My wife and I forgive and bless our now ex-investors daily.  Everyday I feel lighter and more peace.  They didn't intentionally hurt us. It's going to take an investor with a passion for Jesus, Christian Filmmaking and our Family to help us create, Perfect Swing Movie.  Secondly, I am strengthening myself in the Lord by reminding myself of His promises for Perfect Swing.  My wife and I were trying to remember specific promises that we knew had to be from God and not our own fantasies.  We've heard plenty of encouraging words ourselves and from friends and family who love us and want to see us succeed and we need and receive those encouragements but in a time like this we needed to remember the promises that came supernaturally through perfect strangers.  We remembered two.  The first one we received in August 2015 from the manager of the golf club in Shreveport while visiting family on our way to Dallas.  He heard from the Lord a couple days before we even met and before he let me introduce myself he told me that God said, "A golf movie will be shot here and Bubba Watson is coming."  Right now I still hold the gate key to the now closed country club and have free reign to film on the entire location without any members, staff or events to schedule around.  It's a perfect studio backlot for our movie and it's available now, for a limited time.  Because of that promise we decided not to look any further for golf courses in Dallas and decided to make the movie in Shreveport.  Our second promise we remembered from perfect strangers and now dear friends is when our investment was delayed last October 2015 and we didn't know where we should live after just receiving our golf course location.  We met them for the first time at church in the morning and by that evening they offered us a fully-furnished 1800 sq ft Loft Apartment in Downtown Shreveport right next to them.  They were trying to lease it but after meeting us they said that, "Jesus wanted us to have this place for as long as we need it."  They are the most amazing generous people I have ever met and our children play so well together.  Those two promises are why we are in Shreveport.  We didn't stay here because of a promise from our investor.  We stayed here and I have planned out every detail of the movie on this specific location because God spoke and said, "Film here."  Live here."  God hasn't changed His mind even though our investor did.

It's a daily battle for me to hold onto these promises.  December was full of disappointment.  I am reminded how disappointed Peter must have been after his Lord died on the cross after expecting Jesus to reign as King and overthrow the Romans.  Peter couldn't grasp the marvel of what Jesus had planned for him and the whole world.  But I can understand why Peter went fishing.  He didn't know what else to do after such a shock.  He caught nothing that night.  This week that's how I feel as I reach out to every person I know asking for help to keep this project alive.  I am waiting for Jesus to walk along the shore and say, “Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.”  Bill Johnson from Bethel Redding says, "Love and faith are the greatest absolutes in the Bible. No one can live without them. When we do not get an immediate breakthrough, it is because a delayed answer has a higher purpose. When you receive a word of promise and the answer delays, it is only because your answer is gaining interest so that your promise will have a greater, lasting impact."  Don't cry for us.  God's plan for the Himes family is greater then we can even imagine.  He loved on us by giving us a puppy for Christmas and a $10k gift so we can continue on.  Keep praying.  It's Act 3. Resurrection power time when the hero overcomes all!


Monday, September 12, 2016

It's Flood Season - The Close


When I wrote "Road May Flood" in my last blog I didn't expect it to actually be the worst flood in Louisiana in 500 years!  I was also referring to a spiritual flood of God's glory and power.  However the physical flood happened in Louisiana, where I am currently living and prepping to film Perfect Swing, while we were in 21 days of prayer with our church family at Shreveport Community Church, as we were battling for breakthrough it rained hard!

The storm matched my struggle to hold on to my God given promises that Perfect Swing will be made.  On day 21 we heard the news to expect our financing before the end of the year!  During this final season of "The Close" a lot can still go wrong, actually a year ago we were in this closing boat and it sank, but this feels different.  I believe the battle has already been won!  It's a done deal.  Perfect Swing will be made and will empower artists and impact audiences all over the world by the power of the Holy Spirit!  So count down the days with us and look for our "Fully Funded" announcement!  If you want to partner with us in prayer subscribe to our prayer team emails.  Now watch Zoie and I escape the flood waters on our location for Perfect Swing!