During lockdown, curate Julia Quinn was keen to find a way of continuing to connect with people, so began recording short films of bible stories using Playmobil. She has now a number of different stories on her YouTube channel which are available for anyone to use.
Julia said: “I started by putting together a series of still images for use in our online family service and then produced a narrated film for our Crib service and Christingle. I really enjoyed doing it and had a bit more time due to the lockdown, so went on to produce the whole story of Easter in short films, finishing with Ascension Day and Pentecost! I have always loved doing things that are visual and I think these films appeal to both children and adults.”
Julia creates each scene on her conservatory floor, using Playmobil she still had from her childhood (she has also recently added a few pieces). She uses backdrops from royalty-free image sites and takes the photos on her mobile phone. Once the photos of each scene have been taken Julia goes up to her computer to write and record the narration before combining the two.
“I had used many of my Playmobil figures before at Café Church. Most are unchanged, but I have had to make some felt costumes as Playmobil doesn’t have a huge number of characters suitable for bible stories! It’s important to me to use a range of skin tones and plenty of women and children in each scene to ensure it is as relatable as possible,” said Julia.
The films have continued to be used post-lockdown. Julia has used them in schools and she’s had feedback from people around the country who have used them in different ways. When she has time, Julia hopes to produce some films based on Old Testament stories.
“It’s great to be able to find a different way of telling the familiar stories and shows that you can tell these stories with whatever you have to hand.” Said Julia. “I’m very happy for the photos and the films to be used by anyone and am always keen to hear how it’s gone!”
Julia’s YouTube channel can be found here and the separate photos can be downloaded from this site. Please do credit Julia as creator when using the material.
