Glorious Films presents Christmas ‘story in song’

Targeted for the Christmas season, Glorious Films releases The Promise, a dramatic retelling of the birth of Jesus using optical motion CGI (computer-generated imagery) animation accompanied by a Broadway-style soundtrack. 

The 44-minute production is a labor of love by Glorious Films founders Todd Shaffer, writer and director, and Ronald Mezey, producer. The film industry veterans started the company in 2010 to provide “creating quality entertainment from a strong biblical worldview that spreads a passion for the message of Jesus Christ.”

During pre-production, the film company team went through the Gospels and studied the birth of Christ in detail. They focused attention on four poetic passages in Luke that provided the basis for the musical. 

“The birth narrative of Jesus as told in Luke is full of musical poetry, describing the human and angelic excitement to the Messiah’s arrival,” said Shaffer. “By telling this story in song—as Luke did—we were able to put a big spotlight on these deep passages, which really capture the gospel message of why Jesus came to Earth. With its beautiful composition, sophisticated animation style and compelling story, we believe families can sit down and enjoy this film together, watching the Christmas story unfold as never seen before.”

The film’s optical animation style blends animation techniques with performances by ballet dancers and stage actors. Composed by James Gelfand and Louise Tremblay, the film’s soundtrack features the Montreal Boys’ Choir. Songs include “Mary and Joseph,” “Nothing Is Impossible,” “I Will Magnify” and “Simeon’s Blessing.” 

Lon Vining, outreach director for the film, believes the mixture of music and animation will help viewers remember key points from the story. 

“Every year individuals read or hear the Christmas narrative, but few pick up on the heart of the story,” he said. “That is where The Promise comes in. We placed great emphasis during the film’s development on blending together animation and music to help provide a connection between the viewers and the story’s historic characters. We feel audiences will get a new perspective for what each person was experiencing.”

Capital Christian Distribution will partner with Glorious Films to release the fall project to Christian retail this month. Greg Bays, executive vice president at the distributor, said he is “thrilled” to join the company in the release of The Promise and called the film “a first-of-its-kind animated musical in the Christian market.” 

To order, call Capital Christian Distribution at 800-877-4443 or go to www.capitolchristiandistribution.com.

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