The American Prophet
THE IDEA
The American Prophet is a documentary project starring John Alan Schwartz, the producer of the notorious mockumentary Faces of Death, on his quest to find spiritual enlightenment.
THE PROTAGONIST
In 1978 John Alan Schwartz created one of the first mockumentaries and was touted a true visionary and a pioneer of his time. He paved the way for documentaries and the „reality industry“ by creating a new hybrid of entertainment. Faces of Death guides the viewer through explicit scenes, depicting a variety of ways to die. Real footage is intercut with re-created footage, so that the viewer has no idea, which scenes are real and which are not.Faces of Death was produced on a budget of $450.00 and has grossed $60 million, despite the fact that the movie was banned in over 40 countries by the time it was released.
What happens when the man who made the darkest movie in cinema history is chosen to become a „Prophet“ and cameras record his travels to the path of enlightenment? One thing is certain, Faces of Death fans and anyone into religion around the world are certain to watch as the “godfather of reality” goes in quest of spirituality. There is no doubt there will be skepticism, inappropriate questions and who knows how people will respond to a man who gets uncomfortable when he hears the name Jesus and has grave doubts about religion.
THE TRAILER
By attending a 3-day Prophetic Conference in Redding California, John takes his first dip into the unknown. Will this conference and the people he meets on his path lead to enlightenment or will this experience take John further into the dark side? Only time will tell as the king of the macabre goes face to face with divine enlightenment! If a miracle does occur and he becomes a Prophet his journey will continue as he travels around the world getting into all kinds of spiritual dilemmas.
IN SHORT
- idea and concept development
- written interview and outline
- directing
- production
- paper-edit and editing with Final Cut-Pro