A FAMILY OF FAITH-DRIVEN FILMMAKERS
If a people doesn’t exist in the media of a culture, they don’t exist.
…to tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders he has done.
…he commanded our fathers to teach their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so they should set their hope in God… (Psalm 78:4-7)
WE ARE THE MINISTRY OF MOTION PICTURES.
A SHAFFER FAMILY MEDIA PRODUCTION COMPANY.
We are a media ministry that exists to make Christ known in motion pictures.
The Ministry of Motion Pictures is a family company aimed at producing high-quality media, short films, and feature length productions to engage the culture and the church with the character of God and the work of Jesus Christ.
MEET THE SHAFFERS
With 30 years of animation production under his belt, having worked for major studios such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Netflix, Todd Shaffer has marshaled his young family of five creatives together to produce films with a faith-driven purpose.
IN DEVELOPMENT
SPARROW FALLS
Faith Drama Feature Film
After a series of tragic events rocks a small urban church, a young pastor must shepherd his flock out of the dark valley and into the hand of their Savior while he wrestles with God.
IN DEVELOPMENT
TORN
Documentary on Surviving Child Loss
One familys story of child loss sends them on a journey across the country to share stories of hope and healing in the midst of bereavement.
IN DEVELOPMENT
O’ BURY ME NOW
Faith Western
Three bandit brothers must transport the body of their slain brother 2000 miles from Montana to Massachusetts while pursued by the Law, a curse, and two itinerant Baptist preachers.
IN DEVELOPMENT
RESTLESS TIMES
Faith Animated Series for 6-11 year olds
A God-fearing Sheriff struggles to keep his small “gateway-to-the-West” town from losing its faith at the crossroads of eastern industrialization and the Westward expansion of the early 19th century.
IN PRODUCTION
PRODIGAL THE MUSICAL
Animated Feature Film
An animated musical retelling of Jesus’ most beloved parable featuring top-line Broadway voices.
RELEASED
THE PROMISE: BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH
Animated 44 minute film
The nativity story told as an animated musical, carefully based on the biblical texts. One of the few nativity movies that includes the Hebrew poetry from the Gospel of Luke.
WHAT WE’RE ABOUT
The Shaffer children grew up in a home where filmmaking, animation, art, writing, theater, acting, photography, and children’s book illustration were commonplace. They never talked about Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or Tom Brady, they were more interested in creatives such as Norman Rockwell, J. J. Abrams, and Glenn Keane.
In 2020 their world came to a halt when Tristan, the third child, preceded them into heaven at age 18. His death gave this precious family a profound gravity about life, death, and the only hope found in the Gospel. God gave a gift in the midst of tragedy that drives them to make films that make Christ known. Their work is not a career choice, nor a calling–it’s a compulsion.
TODD SHAFFER
When his grandfather gave him an 8mm movie camera at the tender age of 10, Todd’s career in film and animation began. During his years in film school at Montana State University, Todd made a number of animated films that caught the attention of a small commercial animation studio in Hollywood called Playhouse Pictures, where he would spend the next 9 years working in every phase of production, from character animation, operating camera, supervising live-action shoots, and directing. Playhouse produced the first television commercial to utilize digital ink & paint. His directorial debut was a commercial for Autobytel which aired during Superbowl XXXI.
Since then, Todd has animated, supervised and/or directed over 100 animated projects including commericals, TV series, game cinematics, theme park attractions, and feature films. He has worked in traditional hand drawn animation, 3D computer animation, stop motion, motion capture, and live-action.
He supervised animation on Space Jam 2, Green Eggs and Ham season 1, Animaniacs, The Bob’s Burgers Movie, Central Park season 1, Looney Tunes shorts for HBO Max, and directed the animation on Disney’s Disenchanted. Todd most recently supervised the animation for the forthcoming Warner Bros. feature, The Day the Earth Blew Up.
Todd never wanted to make faith-based films. He saw them as a career killer. However, God forced him onto that path after a feature film he was directing lost it’s funding and he had no other options. He wrote and directed the 3D animated musical The Promise: Birth of the Messiah, released in 2013, and God used that experience to change his heart. A second animated musical, Prodigal the Musical, is 80% complete and is looking for completion funding.
MELISSA SHAFFER
Melissa has always been on stage, bubbly, excited, and full of energy. She studied theater at California State University, and she was cast as the lead actress in a play called Moon Daisies. She acted and modeled until she met Todd at church, and gave up her career to raise a family.
As a homeschooling mom, Melissa continued to use her creative passions to teach acting and direct plays with their local homeschool group. She also found a new love with photography where where her masterful ability to capture kid life brought her clients requesting her to do portrait photography.
Her acting abilities gave her a way to help Todd on a number of his productions as an acting coach for motion capture artists.