Billy Angel started filming the first few episodes of The StoryTeller in 2019.
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It was a momentous discovery that Billy's physically expressive way of 'telling-the-story' could be well captured by a hand-held (video) camera. Joshua Stoneburner, from Stoneburner Video took to this work, like a fish takes too water. The empty studio, including dark back-drops, provides the right 'environment' for this kind-of timeless telling. Billy tells the story in the present tense; it feels like it is happening in this moment; almost like watching a full-scale movie. Billy's telling includes the minute detail of the main character's thinking and their dialogue etc. as well as the large scale events such as the Hebrew army fighting the enemy army.
Billy explains:
"After filming the stories of Gideon, Naomi & Ruth, Hanna and her young Samuel, and then the older Samuel, all these stories done with actors on location etc. I was keen to explore telling the same stories 'directly-to-camera'. Would that even be possible? Over the years I've made several attempts to do such a thing, but it never quite worked yet, the way I went about it.
But after working with Joshua Stoneburner on another project, I began to see the way forward: the telling should be done in a so-called black-box video-studio, and the camera-work should be done hand-held by a person who is comfortable with plenty of movement, and capable of such an acrobatic approach.
The thing is, for the telling to gain depth & momentum, the filming should be done in (super-) long 'takes'. Together, Joshua & I learned to do this; we film an entire episode in one take. This kind-of 45-55 minute take is rarely done in video production; it requires huge stamina from both the teller and the camera-man. When filming we may have a couple of 'false starts' and then, all of a sudden, we're away, and just KEEP GOING! The results have blessed many people." (See comments from viewers).
Now that the approach and the style of this new 'genre' has been clearly established, Billy plans to do the next several seasons of The StoryTeller on the New Testament: the gospel and the book of acts. Meanwhile Billy is approaching some Hollywood producers with the idea of making a full-scale TV drama series based on the stories of the first season of The StoryTeller. This major production will be called: The People of the BOOK.
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In the nearby future Billy plans to get back to covering more Old Testament stories in The StoryTeller; this work can also be used for further seasons of 'The People of the BOOK'.
The StoryTeller can be seen on RedeemTV.com (ask for Billy Angel's Storyteller).
Comments from viewers:
“Billy Angel is such an amazing storyteller. Check this out and you’ll definitely want to share.”
“What an amazing performance, Billy! We were totally enraptured by the story, and we were impressed by the fact that you know the story inside out...”
“Breathtaking...”
“Truly authentic; I very much enjoyed watching this.”
“Billy Angel digs deep into the Biblical story like no one else.”
“They story comes right through the teller. This powerful story-to-camera deserves to become a tradition, a story-per-day-feature”
“With minimal means Billy Angel achieved maximal effect.”
“The black and white style is a great choice.”
“I could listen to you all day. What a gift you have. Awesome”
“This is Billy Angel. He’s a fantastic storyteller. He takes you on a journey through the Bible and you can literally visualize what he’s saying. Check out his gift and follow him.”
“I love everything about this. Just extraordinary. You make it look easy.”
“Billy Angel is an excellent storyteller with a great voice!”
“This is great stuff, Billy. You tell the story in a way that not only entertains but conveys the history, the meaning, the relevance. In the Facebook/ Netflix age, it’s so inspiring to see you bring such life to the storyteller’s art form.”
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"Totally authentic! Nowhere on the internet, or anywhere else, have I found such powerful storytelling. Totally unique!"
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"It's like Billy (the storyteller) was there, inside the situation, telling the story from his own experience, right from the heart."
"Beautiful and deep!"
"Billy's telling makes you feel as if the story is happening again, in and through the telling. I'm being touched, moved, surprised, and I'm being taken on a journey!"
"The storytelling revealed to me something of God's unconditional love! I had never 'read' the story like this!"
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"Billy, thank you for this wonderful, mesmerizing gift.
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Your storytelling technique is so Spirit-filled, as you introduce the characters in these remarkable stories, in light of what I have found to be complicated post-Exodus history. And then you enter seamlessly into the story.
Your integration of the dance-like quality of your gestures and movement with your portrayals of figures in the story creates a powerful dramatic effect. Love, Bob"
"We need more men like you these days ! Keep up the good work!"
"What I love about your way of doing this is how you are both faithful to the precise words of Scripture and also able to bring in background from other parts of Scripture and what we know of their culture. You set the stage in a way that brings the story to life!
The way you jump into the first person of various characters brings their emotions and personalities to life. I love what you're able to do with minimalist visuals--like the rug/blanket and the shoe.
I was particularly touched by your line about Naomi "believing God for something good" after all the tragedy that struck her family. We're now into our 6th week of stay at home and do everything online, and "believing God for something good" in the midst of COVID-19 really struck me as exactly what I need too. Amazing how God works, even though you recorded these lines before there was a pandemic."
"Well done! Very engaging and a fresh way to tell the story. Love the connection between Samuel & Samson, too.... not a Bible pair that I've heard compared before."
"Thank you so much for the gift of the story of Samson and Samuel.
This story inspires a sense of trust and hope in me as I reaffirm my relationship to God each day.
No matter how desperate our situation, we are never alone and we are always divinely loved. Your passion, energy and faith are quite palpable and inspirational."