2018 Chengdu June 25-29 and Shenzhen July 2-6, China (22 students total).
Just before we departed to China, we read that China had announced that one of its biggest tasks in the coming years is to enhance “Chinese-style Christianity” by reinterpreting and retranslating the Bible.
The announcement came in a document, titled “Principles for Promoting the Chinese Christianity in China for the Next Five Years (2018-2022),” which was launched in Nanjing on March 28. We wondered if this would impact the workshop and indeed one of our workshops was moved because of tightening security that has effected the China participants. Our host has found a new location in one of the larger cities. Could result in a smaller class there. Note, none of our images are of the workshop participants.
From the Newsletter: Today, we are talking about the problem of suicide in Chinese society. Yesterday on the social media platform WeChat there was a viral video of a youn.9 woman who was driven to suicide by her teacher’s bullying. As she stood hi•gh on the bridge ready to jump off she had a cell phone in her hand and called her friend who did not respond. The crowd below were filming – a fireman sneaks up and narrowly missed stopping her as she plunged to her death. Later we see an interview with the weeping fireman wishing he could have caught her.
2018 July 16-20 Chiang Mai, Thailand – Hosted by Project Video (45 students).
A combination of Americans, British, Thai, Burmese and an Australian. Thai’s love nick- names. Our translator’s is OFF. We had a nickname of WHITE, WARD, NOI and so many more. Documentary Images / Student Videos.
2019 Mumbai, India June 24-28 (25 students) Link for Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during workshops in Mumbai and Varanasi
This workshop was sponsored by Galilean International. Liz and David Peters were co-teachers and a great help. Liz is the daughter of Dr C.D. Jebasingh.
2019 Varanasi, India July 1-5 (15 students) Link for Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during workshops in Mumbai and Varanasi
From the Newsletter: Our next workshop is in what India calls its holiest city-Varanasi — the heart of Hinduism. Hindus believe a ritual baptism and/or death in the city will bring “salvation”, thus making it a major center for pilgrimage. We have been asked to teach Christians how to use their smartphones to produce stories that could have an eternal impact on the 4 million in Varanasi who have no hope without Jesus. We will be working with national missions on the ground and expect participants from 10 local churches to take the training.
One student wrote: It helps me a lot in ministry to complete testimonials on video and learned to communicate to other people's without any hesitation, so that I could involve myself confidently In ministry to build the heavenly kingdom. and another wrote: The skills I learnt have been very useful and I often teach them to others also.
2019 Chandigarh, India (onsite mentor based training) Firefly Trailer
Our goal was to co-produce a children’s film called Firefly. Although it was mostly filmed, key scenes were left out due to illness. While there we interviewed a many involved in a house church movement and at that time there were over 17,000 house churches in North India with 876,000 baptized believers!
2019 Khon Kaen, Thailand July 15-19th Link for Student Video Projects // Images captured by Dan during Workshop
During our 2018 Chiangmai workshop we met Somwang, a YWAM Thai man with a great interest in media. We had 24 students. It was an ideal location as they provided a condo for us and a car.
Family News: On the way home from workshops we stopped in California to attend Dan's 50th High School Reunion and met with some of Chris' relatives.
2019 Alexandria, Egypt September 24-October 4th. Dan accepted an invitation to attend a Vision casting workshop for the International Communication Training Institute (ICTI) that he had been related to since 1996.
The goal was “To build the future direction plans you are invited to participate in setting the agenda to build a vision for the future in 2020 and beyond. The event will include opportunities to dream of how the future might look for training in Christian media as well as time to learn from one another.“
It was a great time of fellowship with other media trainers and at that meeting he met trainers interested in us coming to conduct Mobile Filmmaking Training: These individuals and resulting workshops include: Ashraf Samir – Egypt 2021, 2022 and soon to be 2023. Tenkir Teni – Ethiopia 2021, Habari Maalum College – Tanzania 2021.
2020 COVID – Overseas onsite workshops suspended in India and Pakistan due to COVID restrictions. Online Moodle filmmaking training established (MobileTeach.site) A series of COVID Chronicles Videos were made. Support was sent to India for masks and sanitizer for poor slum dwellers: food for 35 Christian families who were day workers who could not travel and work due to quarantine; funds for two female goats for milk; funds for food and blankets for internally displaced people in Burma; and food for 50 families in Lahore, Pakistan.
With things opening up we made plans to return to the field in June/July 2021. Our travel would take us to five COVID Red countries and the testing cost an unplanned $1100.
2021 Alexandria, Egypt June 1-14th (18 students) Link for Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during Workshop.
This was a fun workshop with a combination of mid-career Christian media workers and two teenagers. Some great projects.
A student wrote:
Your workshop helped me a lot... Like the story and its writing.. Ideas about photography... and work experience in this field. It was very important in the way of working and making films. Thank you for your effort. Cairo, Egypt.
2021 Lahore, Pakistan June 15-19th (22 students) Link for Student Projects// Images captured by Dan during Workshop
A student wrote:
The workshop helped me understand the potential of social media outreach and how it can be an effective and safe way to reach people in our country.
2021 Arusha, Tanzania June 21- July 2nd (20 students) Link for Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during Workshop
A Student Wrote:
Three things I learned in the Handclasp Inc. workshop: 1. How to use my phone to tell different stories 2. How to capture better photos and edit them through the phone. 3. Video shooting and editing through mobile phone. Currently, I use my phone to capture and tell different impactful stories as well as train other people on how they can use their phones. I have started my own Multimedia Agency which helps entrepreneurs and Businesses with multimedia services. Gabriel Arusha, TZ
2021 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 12-16th (20 students) Link for Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during Workshop
A Student Wrote:
What I learned in the workshop as it relates to my work was: Shooting angles, White balance, Exposure, Editing and syncing Videos with sound. I would like to thank you and your beloved wife, Professor Christine Henrich, for the Training you gave me, stay blessed, and if there is anything you would like to talk and share with me, it will be the great honor for me, Thank you professor. Israel G Addis Ababa, ET
2021 July – Sabina’s Encounter in Swahili was released on DVD in Tanzania and to mobile cinema van networks in Tanzania, Kenya and Ghana. It was also re-released in the English and French versions
2022 – A decision was made to shift our corporate headquarters to Florida from California and HANDCLASP INC was formed in early 2022 as a 501©3 non-profit.
2022 Lahore, Pakistan May 30-June 9 (22 students) Link to Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during Workshop.
2022 Mbour, Senegal June 13-24 (20 students) Link to Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during Workshop
A student wrote:
The 3 things I learned: Find the target people, choose a video theme (forgiveness, peace....) to reach them and stay in touch with them to teach the Gospel via social media. Create stories which will touch them. Barnabas C., Mbour, Senegal
2022 Alexandria, Egypt July 1-14th – Two five-day workshops (40 students total) Link to Student Projects // Images captured by Dan during Workshop
Student Responses:
I learned to pay attention to lighting and sound to produce a good video. I learned the basics of the picture, whether it is wide, narrow, above the shoulder, etc., I learned to write scripts in a more professional way. We are currently working on writing a script for a short fiction film about the problem of a poor worker who is rejected by a woman’s family to marry him because of contempt Society for his profession, the duration of the film is 15 minutes to be filmed by phone. Ahmed Cairo Egypt -------- This was my first experience in mobile cinema. It was really a very useful experience 1-How to use a new application in photography and montage on mobile 2- Learn to work in a team 3- The important benefit is working with Professor Henrich in the production and post-production phases. Mina G., Alexandria, Egypt ------- I've learned the types of shots, how to adjust the lighting, the types of tools used in photography, such as reflectors, and microphones, as well as the types of video lights, how to shoot and edit films on my own phone, and finally team work. Now I'm working on developing my skills in filmmaking, and I joined a workshop on cinematic filmmaking, that was presented by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. I'm looking forward to producing amazing short films using the phone. I really benefited from this workshop. I'm grateful for the effort you put into it. Sorry for the delay, Sarah M I’ve learned how to adjust lightning inside and outside with simple tools as reflectors, small lighting unit, how to make storyboard before shooting. Now, I’ve been doing smartphone training for youth and media college students. And I’m working on developing my skills and direct my first film. Finally thank you for your effort and your constant help. Hoda S. Egypt
