Filmmaker

Joey Pasbrig (Mankato, Minnesota USA)

About the presenter

Joey graduated from Bethany Lutharan College in 2024.

 

[ We invited Bethany graduates in Communication and Media Arts to report what they were up to, and respond to some questions about how they have used what they learned at Bethany and since. Please feel free to greet, ask questions, and comment. ]


When did you graduate from Bethany, what was your major, and in what, if anything, did you specialize while in school?

I graduated from Bethany in the spring of 2024. I finished with a media arts major and a studio art minor. My focus has always been filmmaking, specifically film directing. I love it, it’s my passion, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else with my talents.

What are you doing now with media/technology?

Currently I work with nonprofits, churches, artists, and more as a freelance filmmaker. I create advertising packages for people, focusing on the story and documentation of the work they do. Additionally, I’m in the final stages of editing a documentary about an athlete from Minnesota State University. My web location is Pasbrig Productions.

Do you have any goals or aspirations beyond what you are doing now?

I’ve wrestled with the concept of the future and “what I want to be when I grow up.” My priorities have always lied outside of occupation. I want to be a creator, I want to be a learner, and I want to be around good Christian influences. It’s hard to translate goals like that into an occupational desire. With that said, I’ve always drifted toward the idea of being an educator. I would love to educate students on the different aspects of filmmaking, and I think in the future I will strive for a master’s degree to make that goal happen.

Have you found any opportunities to use your skills and experience for Gospel outreach?

In my work I’ve done multiple projects with Christian organizations, and spreading the message of God’s word comes naturally in those circumstances. Additionally, in my free time I make feature films, and my co-writer and I have made the decision to apply Christian allegorical themes and concepts to the work we create in that realm.

 


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Discussion

Philip 2024-10-23 1:44:51pm
In storytelling we often have good vs evil, good guy vs bad guy. From a Christian perspective, how do you approach the "bad guy" and how do you portray the "bad" without glorifying it? And perhaps along a different line, should bad guys have a redemption arc?
Joey Pasbrig 2024-11-03 6:05:09pm
Hi, Philip! Thanks for your question! I approach with some personal viewpoints. Why are people bad? Why are people good? Well it comes down to us realizing that nobody is truly "good" without God. When writing in an allegorical sense, at least for my latest project, bad is represented by those who are actively rejecting belief in a Savior. Good is represented by those accepting it. Does this mean that every person who doesn't believe in God is a cynical horrible beast? Well no, not at all. It's simply representational. To answer your second question, bad guys absolutely can have a redemption arc! Based on my representations, a "bad guy" can become a "good guy" through whatever represents someone coming to faith through the Holy Spirit.
Charis Carmichael Braun (BLC) 2024-10-26 9:11:28am
Hi Joey,
I can sympathize with your aspirations to "be a learner" and "be around good Christian influences," and "be a creator." While teaching Art History, I've romanced the idea of going back to school for a PhD in Art History - just for the sake of being able to put myself in an environment supportive of that deep human aspiration to "know more." So I hope and pray that YOU will be able to find opportunity to keep learning and growing. :D As you're on that journey, I'm glad that you'll still be weaving into your work Christian allegory. I personally delight in beautiful things that are nuanced and complex that don't have to be a direct "illustration of a Bible Story." (I mean, LOTR, right???) ;)
Joey Pasbrig 2024-11-03 6:06:53pm
Hi, Charis! Thank you for your comment! LOTR comes to mind for sure, along with any C.S. Lewis allegories, and a lot of Terrence Malick. I hope I do get the opportunity to teach in the future, I love the idea of a learning environment.
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