Home Media Magazine - September 16-22, 2007 - (Page CER13)

product + The Very First Noel THE TRUE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT Two ‘Barney’ veterans put the focus on the Christian aspect of their holiday kidvid titles BY DAN BENNETT The Very First Noel is created by Carrie and on Green and Dennis DeShazer Yerrow Cheney, the latter a production designremember with fondness those 30- er on the animated feature Curious George. minute holiday television specials “This is the kind of high-quality title that from a generation ago. has the chance to be one of those evergreen It is with those evergreen TV titles on DVD,” Green says. “Its specials in mind that Green and story and structure make it feel DeShazer have produced The classic.” Very First Noel. The 23-minute, Green and DeShazer know 3-D animated Christmas title something about classic childchronicles the journey of the hood icons. DeShazer is the cothree wise men in a program increator of the popular television tended to inspire. The title, mixBoz character Barney, and Green is ing humor, hope and faith, is one of the people credited with narrated by Andy Griffith. The Very First helping brand and publicize Barney into a Noel (DVD $9.99) streets Oct. 6 from Ge- purple international superstar. The two men nius Products and Provident-Integrity Dis- founded Exclaim Entertainment Inc. in 2003 tribution (for Christian stores). to produce quality family entertainment with “This title will resonate both with children a faith-based perspective. A year later they and baby boomers who remember this style moved the company under the wings of Dalof Christmas entertainment,” Green says. las-based Reel FX Creative Studios. “Andy Griffith has that voice that adds a cerTheir first title for the Christian market tain warmth. It’s unique in that it has was Boz, The Green Bear. Following the reChristmas carols, but with a twist, because lease of The Very First Noel, on Oct. 20 Exthey have a Hawaiian sound.” claim Entertainment will debut A J WowieBOZowie Christmas (DVD $14.99). The film expands on other Boz titles and tells the story of the likable bear celebrating the spiritual meaning of Christmas with his neighborhood friends. “The episodes before were three 13- to 15minute episodes,” DeShazer says. “This is a bigger, single 45-minute story. It was the kind of story that called for expansion.” Already in the Boz line are videos and CDs, with an expansion into books, games and other products on the way. “We’re very excited about the way consumers, ministry professionals and retailers have responded to Boz,” DeShazer says. On the Exclaim Entertainment Web site, a resource page offers a ministry kit enabling ministers to use Boz as a way to share messages about God. “Green and DeShazer, along with Exclaim Entertainment, are committed to developing exceptional programming inspired by God’s love for us all,” the Web site states. Green says that no one else was merging faith-based inspiration and education in this manner. “We were looking around at what to do next, and we found that that there was a need for strong, faith-based entertainment for the preschool age,” Green says. “We liked the idea of exploring how the notions of faith and prayer factored into a child’s daily life in the form of entertainment.” BOZ ON TOUR Boz posed with Nathan Vickroy, director of brand management, Reel FX, and his two daughters at Family Christian Stores in Frisco, Texas during his “Hello Boz” tour this summer. The tour started in Dallas the week of June 3 and ended in Oklahoma City the week of Aug. 5. SEPTEMBER 2007 / CHRISTIAN ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW 13

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Contents News Commentary TV DVD Reviews Pipeline Research Top 20 DVD Sellers Top 20 Rentals and Top 10 Charts Just Announced Christian Entertainment Review

Home Media Magazine - September 16-22, 2007

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