WHY a production about the Parables?

In exploring the realm of visual catechesis, it became evident that there is a significant cultural shift between the era of Jesus and the present day. Jesus employed familiar, everyday examples to convey profound spiritual truths, yet even then, His audience often struggled to comprehend. To aid their understanding, He would elucidate the meanings privately to His disciples. With context, the parables became clearer, allowing His teachings to be more readily grasped.

Given the drastic evolution of daily life since Jesus' time, we recognized the need to elucidate not only the deeper spiritual meanings of the parables but also the cultural context of daily life in ancient Israel. To address this, we propose creating a series on the Parables that utilizes contemporary, everyday examples. This approach aims to make the teachings more accessible, especially to children, by providing a visual bridge that connects modern life to the original Gospel parables, thereby clarifying both the cultural and spiritual contexts.

Elucidate:
To make [something] clear.

WHAT SETS THIS PROJECT APPART?

There have been many productions made about the stories of the Bible, and even of the parables specifically. What sets our project apart is that each episode is parted into three segments.

These segments are:

Gospel Parable
Modern Parable
Mini Homily

Though these segments we aim to show the Gospel parables in a memorable way. Through the modern parable we seek to show Jesus' original teaching by means of everyday examples that today's youth can easily grasp and relate to emotionally. The mini-homily is meant to connect both by explaining how these teachings are essential for us to put into practice and what they mean for us in a practical way.

Why a series?

This project is in fact part of a much larger vision:

We aim to animate all 156 Sunday Gospels of the three liturgical years used in the Catholic Mass. In this way we can create a visual study of the Gospels to prepare children and the family for mass.

To achieve this vision, it was necessary that we would part the overall project into smaller series to make it realistic. 3NITY sought to organize it in such a way that each series that is part of this vision could be a stand alone series. One Upon a Parable, is therefore, the first part of this vision.

WHAT is the current stage of production?

Screenshot 2024-09-12 at 3.09_edited.png

Screenshot 2024-09-12 at 3.07_edited.png

The 3NITEAM is currently working on the Pitch 2D Animatic Video for the pilot episode. It is a 10 minute video that portrays the Parable of The Good Samaritan, which is the story we chose as the first episode to introduce the series. The Goal is to develop it in 3D. It includes the Gospel Parable and the Modern Parable that mirrors it.

Another exciting development is our production of the Illustrated books, which include the Gospel Parable, Modern Parable that mirrors it and a didactical study guide with additional information to deepen one's insight and knowledge about each parable.

Screenshot 2024-09-12 at 3.11_edited.png

WHY 3D?

Because 3D assets are reusable and recyclable, we decided to pull up our sleeves and get to work in our 3D development. While the initial investment will be much larger at the beginning, it will enable us to do numerous future projects on biblical stories, which is part of our long term plan as a studio.

Below is a series of images that show part of the process we take in developing our 3D models, from concept art to the begining stages of modelling.

Screenshot 2024-09-12 at 3.10_edited.png

If you're a Christian 3D modeller or animator, we want to speak with you! Just send us a message using the form in our contact page. Let us work together to glorifu God with the talent He gave us!

OUR AIM WITH THIS PROJECT

We all have a favourite TV show or movie we know by heart, or know someone who does. It's remarkable to watch young children recite every superhero's name, backstory, and intricate plot details from their favorite comic series. Yet, if you ask them to name characters from Gideon's story in the Book of Judges or recount the Good Samaritan's tale, most would be baffled. This highlights the undeniable power of visual media in shaping how children learn.

At the same time, Catholic parishes often offer children's liturgy during mass, and many churches hold Sunday School classes. Devout parents also prepare their children for these lessons as part of their Christian upbringing. Now imagine combining this with the power of visual media to evangelize children.

At 3NITY, our goal is to make children as enthusiastic about Biblical stories as they are about their favourite shows—if not more. We aim to have them know these stories and characters as well as they know their superheroes.

Through additional resources like books and guides, we hope to deepen their understanding, helping them see how these stories can positively shape their lives—not just by teaching good values but by guiding them to recognize God, as the Creator and Author of all that is good, and build a personal relationship with Him.

This is the heart of our mission. Jesus’ parables revealed vital truths about the Kingdom of God. We want children not only to know these lessons but to understand their transformative power when put into practice in their own lives, teaching them how to become citizens of God's Kingdom.

Why make Modern Parables in addition to the gospel ones?

The parables of Jesus are some of the most enduring, profound, and thought-provoking stories ever told. For centuries, they’ve offered lessons on faith, humility, compassion, and God’s Kingdom. However, despite their timeless relevance, many modern audiences struggle to fully grasp their depth or apply them to contemporary life. Our studio is excited to tackle this challenge by creating a visual study of the Parables of Jesus, weaving in modern examples that mirror the essence of His teachings to form a deep emotional connection with today’s viewers.

It’s crucial to us that while we modernize the contexts and visuals, we remain faithful to the original intent and message of Jesus. The heart of each parable—whether it’s the call to love your neighbor, to be ready for God’s Kingdom, or to use your gifts wisely—will always stay intact. By offering both the ancient version of the parable and a modern interpretation, we aim to help viewers understand how the teachings of Jesus transcend time and culture.

We aim to ensure that people who engage with these modern parables feel personally connected to the teachings of Christ, whether they are encountering them for the first time or reexamining them through a new lens. The parables were originally designed to make people think, reflect, and change their hearts and lives. By drawing emotional connections with modern examples, our goal is to help today’s audiences see themselves in the stories, feel the impact of the message, and walk away transformed, just as Jesus intended.

Stay tuned as we bring these timeless stories to life through modern parables, and rediscover the transformative power of Jesus' teachings in a way that speaks directly to our world today.