Great post by Robert Starling (via Gideon Burton) on Mormon Renaissance yesterday, called High Expectations for Mormon Filmmakers. This part was particularly inspiring:

In a “behind the scenes” portion Dr. Woodbury was recorded saying something that has guided my creative life. He had gathered his cast and crew who were bone-tired from endless rehearsals and he was exhorting them to dig down into whatever reserves they had and give their very best. He said, “My brothers and sisters, we are in the very last of the Last Days. The time is too short to waste our talents in producing “small” plays and giving “small” efforts (and producing “small” movies?). Everything we do must be something that has eternal significance if it is to have any real value.”

And the Capra story has just crawled into a secure place in my heart. Sure, I don’t think that creating fluff is necessarily a sin (though at the same time I can see how it might be), but “the talents you have, Mr. Capra, are not your own. God gave you those talents; they are His gifts to you, to use for His purpose.” Beautiful.