As host of Catholic Spotlight (not to be confused with CE Spotlight), it was my privilege to talk with producer/director Greg Willits about his new video That Catholic Show. Greg and his wife, Jennifer, have developed a new way of creating a catechetical video that will inform and entertain at the same time.Chris Cash: What is it that makes That Catholic Show so different from other catechetical videos?
Greg Willits: I think the biggest difference between That Catholic Show and other catechetical videos is that we outright used other secular productions as models for what we wanted to do, rather than following the traditional talk-show method of programming usually produced for catechesis. We watched a lot of Food Network and HGTV where they talk about mushrooms or paint colors for 30 minutes and somehow make even the most laborious topics fun and interesting. The Catholic faith is fun. It is interesting. We figured that there’s no reason we couldn’t use a fast pace, different angles, unique wardrobes and locations, and create a program that presents Catholicism like you’ve never seen before. I think the National Catholic Register described it best when it called That Catholic Show “Humorous…yet reverent.” That is exactly what we wanted, and I think that’s what we’ve accomplished. Considering the enormous amount of worldwide support for this project, we’re very grateful that the Holy Spirit led us in this direction.
Chris Cash: How did you come up with the idea of That Catholic Show?
Greg Willits: At first That Catholic Show was going to be a weekly online video that provided a recap of recent Catholic news. But after filming a few minutes of test footage, we were bothered that all we were doing was another talking head program. There was nothing unique or exciting about it, and certainly nothing that couldn’t be accomplished simply using audio. So my wife, Jennifer, and I really started challenging ourselves to identify the types of media that appealed to us and to study the mechanics of what made these programs appealing to us. The idea really started to form when we forced ourselves to step away from our offices, step away from home, and just go out to eat and start brainstorming without any other distractions. Over dinner we came up with ideas like shooting scenes from inside of a microwave oven or having Jennifer dress up like a cavewoman, doing things we’d never seen in a Catholic video. In a moment of bleary eyed inspiration while taking a shower, I came up with the name “That Catholic Show,” and shortly after that, we were cranking out scripts and putting Jennifer in front of the camera. And with every shot we filmed, we constantly asked ourselves, “Is this unique? Is this different?” If the answer was no, we’d figure out a way to push the envelope and make something truly unique.
Chris Cash: What has been the biggest challenge in creating the show?
Greg Willits: The biggest challenge in creating the show is actually the aspect I thought would be the easiest part — writing the scripts. I have a ton of background in writing and even worked as a reporter for a time where I had to crank out thousands and thousands of words a week. I figured the scripts would be an afterthought. But once I realized the importance of what we were trying to explain, I realized that authentically and faithfully presenting the teachings of the Catholic Church trumped everything. I became obsessed with making sure that every Catholic topic we tackle is handled in complete obedience to the Catholic Church. After all, if we accidentally present something erroneous, even the smallest part, we are doing a disservice to the Church. So that’s why in any given episode of That Catholic Show you’ll hear as many references to the Catechism as you will to Scripture. And then once we write a script, we always ask multiple priests to review it before we shoot a single frame of footage.
Chris Cash: What topics were covered in Season 1?
Greg Willits: In Season One we covered a gamut of topics and really tried to make each episode a surprise until we released it online via our website at SQPN.com, through our podcast feed, or on video services like YouTube. Our first episode was about why Catholics sit, stand, and kneel all the time. We followed that up with an episode about the uses and symbols of candles and light, a show about why people shouldn’t be afraid of their Catechism, the priesthood, charity and mercy, statues and icons, water in the Catholic Church, and Confession. The Confession episode was by far one of the most popular episodes of the first season, but we have some great topics coming up in Season Two, including the episode we recently premiered at the Catholic New Media Celebration about using New Media in the New Evangelization.
Chris Cash: So far, what has been the most fun scene for you to shoot?
Greg Willits: I have scenes that were fun to shoot, and different ones that were fun to edit. The most fun scene for me to shoot was the scene in our episode about Charity and Mercy (Episode 4 of the first season) where Jennifer dressed up as a superhero. The most fun scene to edit was the teaser for Night of the Living Catechism. We wanted to create a cheesy-feeling 1950’s horror movie feel to show how some people have a fear of our Big Green Catechism. I learned a ton about video editing while doing that scene and just overall still laugh when I watch that simply because I know it’s the last thing people would expect from a Catholic video.
[You can find more of this interview with Greg Willits at CatholicSpotlight.com. That Catholic Show is available at The Catholic Company (http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-gifts/4003730/That-Catholic-Show-DVD-Season-1/).]
