SHE SAID "YES!"

It was 2 years ago that my family gathered around the bedside of the woman who had moved across land and sea to bring us a life in the U.S. From the beaches of Casablanca, Morocco to Peshastin, Washington and the apple capitol of the world - her life was one of war, separation, and despair. But it was also a story of courage, belief, and love.

Watching Etoile Hazan (Starr Bitterman) our grandmother’s story unfold has been the inspiration behind much of the art that I create, and a very large portion of the reason Circle3Productions even came into existence.

You can see more of her actual story in a blog/tribute video we made for her.

So when my sister, Holly Starr, approached me about creating this project together, and said she knew of “No one better in the whole world to shoot it…” I normally would have shook my head and disagreed… but in all honesty, this project felt like one of those which I had waited my whole life to put together.

Here’s the premise…

“ONE FOR YOU. ONE FOR A WIDOW.”

— Holly Starr

In the time after my grandfather’s passing, the years often felt like decades as we watched my grandmother struggle under the weight of grief as heavy as losing a life partner. I remember the moment she asked us to take her to the cemetery to lay on my grandfather’s grave and cry. I remember how she would stare out the car window for hours before whispering how good my grandfather was to her. I remember how until the day she passed, his coats still hung on her coat rack.

For a time there, grief in my family wasn’t a feeling… it wasn’t a teardrop…

Grief was my grandmother.

It was her waking up at every hour of the night crying. It was her fear of staying in a house alone. It was her signing every birthday card with her and his names.

And most of the time I felt stuck. Helpless to being able to extend more than an arm to hold, or a prayer to uplift for her as she pounded on death’s doors.

I remember when my sister made her first yes necklace for my grandmother. I was in Los Angeles and my mom called down and showed me a replica version my sister had also given her.

It was about standing with our grandmother. Saying yes to God, to his process, to His will, despite how much it hurt.

It was trusting.

It was believing that grandma still had bright days ahead.

And you know, Grandma began to believe that. I began to believe that.

I also do not remember a time that she took that necklace off. Even in her final breath, its clasps were still around her neck.

And that would have been it. And we would have been satisfied. And life would have gone on. And grandma’s legacy still would have been a story to tell.

But then Holly saw something beyond our situation, beyond any of our own personal grief.

She saw you.

She saw your grandmother. Great aunt. Elderly citizen at church. That neighbor down the road.

And so she decided that this ministry could not stop with Etoile Hazan, it merely could only begin there.

That is The Yes Necklace.

And that is the story we will be telling for years to come. I hope you enjoy.

You can order your own necklace, or get more information at www.theyesnecklace.com

Blessings,

Luke Grigg

“BUY ONE. GIVE ONE.”

— HOLLY STARR

THIS ONE'S FOR THE GIRLS...

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“Orphaned by HIV/AIDS, these children of Mwingi, Kenya were forsaken, refused homes and turned away. A local group of women, however, stood their ground, opened their hearts, and held out their hands. Watch as a community once segregated by such stigma learns to redefine what it means to be family.”

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An open letter to the women of Migwani, Kenya,

To all the women that so graciously let me walk in to their their town, their work, their homes, their lives, with a camera and a mighty sweaty forehead…

This film is for you.

I used to dream about days like these when I was a kid. Days when I would get the opportunity to help people from places like Migwani tell their stories on platforms where they might not otherwise find themselves.

People who are living a life, fighting fights, and passing through battles that I will never fully know or have to experience.

A life where one’s language has never been heard on a big screen before. Where one has to fight to find food… even on a good day. Where one battles to make it through the heat… to find water in places that many would not dare to drink from.

— Yes, this film is for you. —

I listened over the weeks and months the stories you have told me. I witnessed tears in your eyes, and you witnessed tears in mine.

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Eunice,

You called me your African son… but when you said it… and then you said it again… and again… I heard it. I felt it.

I won’t ever forget the moment you invited me into the shack where your daughter was cutting hair, to offer me that wonderful soup you had prepared. I don’t know what was in it. And you laughed when I said I liked it… you told me that, or cornmeal, is what you eat every day. And you were proud of that.

I felt proud of you as you stood, beaming, over your grandchildren.

You were content - even though you have to wake up a 4 am every morning to go fetch water 3 miles away.

You told me how much this borehole was going to change your livelihood. And I stood there as tears came to my eyes.

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Mutei,

My time with you and John, the grandson you adopted, transformed my thinking about rural Kenya altogether.

For starters, your family was the first farmers I have had the opportunity to shake hands with in Kenya. And that is something special, considering my farm town roots.

But you and John and your family don’t just do the hard work of farming.

When we took John for his medical check-up, my heart sank. Hearing how difficult food has been to cultivate because of the drought, how a couple mangoes a day have made up your diet for the past few months really put things into perspective for me.

John may have been the skinniest child I have ever hugged… and yet he may also be one of the children with the biggest smiles I have ever seen.

And your love for him has made that so. You are a warrior. And you remind me again, yes, true happiness doesn’t come from having money, and neither does true strength.

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Ngonza,

Before I left your humble home you grabbed my hand, and then told me you were so ashamed you didn’t have something more to give the “kind, white American boy,” who came to help your community. You looked away… almost embarrassed, that at your 100+ years of age, you couldn’t prepare a meal for me.

But I hope that you knew that I left your home that day with more than you could have possibly imagined.

You gave me perspective.

You gave me your heart.

You gave me a blessing.

(And don’t forget about the delicious mango you had your great granddaughter fetch me as I left your home ;-)

There are not a lot of souls who have lived as long as you in this world… and even fewer in your own community. Standing in your home, hearing you still dream about one day riding an airplane, joke about becoming a super star in Hollywood because of this film, and even try to set me up with one of your great grandchildren…

It brought me back to the lessons my own grandmother taught me in her final days… that you get to choose joy, choose happiness, and choose your perspective in this world.

Whether you can’t even afford tomorrow’s mangoes… or you are buying Lamborghini’s in Beverly hills… in the end…

YES. Some people face a great deal more adversity in their life.

YES. Some people will know very little adversity throughout their days.

But your adversity does not define you. And neither does your wealth. Who you are, and the way you react to those circumstances does.

Ngonza, you are a beacon of light, in a world that could use a lot more of your perspective, your hope. It was an honor to sit and hear the stories of such an inspiring soul. It is those stories, that courage, and that strength that I take with me from your home. Arguably more valuable than anything else you could have given me.

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So, this one’s for the girls… for Ngonza, for Mutei, for Eunice, Naomi, Irene, Jane, Janet, Muvana, Loise, Nah, Annah, Nzambi, Muthili, Makaa, Muli, Mwende, Nzyuko, Kanlinga, Kasiva, Kalunda, Mutei, and so many more.

For the brave women who would not be defined by their situations. Who would not let society tell them how they should react. Who stood up, and rightly so were the change they wished to see in their community. Their world.

We can learn a lot from them. We can grow from their stories.

This film is for them, yet may it’s message be for us.

Blessings,

Luke

MOJA SUCUT - MY CONDOLENCES

It was 3 a.m. in the morning. I hadn’t slept the entire last two days… and yet for some reason I had more energy in my bones than I would have had on any other day. 

Tell me 1 month ago that I would be in the middle of Eastern Europe, surrounded by a classroom filled with Croatian-speaking high schoolers, and I would have never believed you. And yet, through a friend of a friend, a last minute door swung open to work alongside Outside the Lens and the Mediterranean Film Festival to bring a film workshop to the kids of Hercegovina. 

26 hours traveling to Croatia. 2 hours drive from Croatia to Hercegovina. The moment I showed up after my journey - literally didn’t even have the time to put my bags in my room - I was thrown on the first panel of the week to judge pitches that the students were giving to see what film we were going to develop over the following 8 days. 

Yes, that’s right. In 8 days we had to take a film from concept, to being premiered on the main stage at the Mediterranean film festival. Needless to say, it was a whirlwind.

After pitches, the first day was spent writing, location scouting, prepping actors and project files… and most importantly for me, interviewing and selecting 2 teen editors who would help bring this project to a reality. 

Although many of the kids were passionate about learning to edit, almost none of them had experience editing or using the software we would be cutting the film on. Needless to say, my role over the first two days was training these 2 kids - Colin and Patrick - everything they would need to know about an editing workflow. They learned software such as…

1. Plural Eyes

2. Premiere Pro

3. After Effects

4. Prelude

5. Photoshop

And man was I blown away at the speed with which these kids learned. Below you can see a couple test videos from our practice with these mediums. We tried to utilize our offload/export time by learning some clever techniques that we could use in the real film such a masking, transitions, and even some special effects. 

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As the footage started pouring in… the scope of our work was really taking shape… and in all honestly, was a mound that seemed like we would never reach the summit of. Editing a film in general is hard in 2 weeks. Typically one would have about that much time for a rough cut of a 12 minute film. 

Then add on to that the fact that I would be directing kids on how to edit a film in a language that I didn’t even speak. It would require a new level of attention to story and detail on my part… It really pushed me to not only trust the kids in their process, but to force myself to engage in every conversation so I could make sure I knew what was going on in the story. 

Patrick, our Hercegovinian native took it upon himself to just smash through all of our dialogue scenes, while Colin took over more of the montage sequences and finding other assets for us: music, SFX, graphics…. etc. 

It was such a blessing to see these two really begin to take the edit into their own hands over the next few days. Even late into the night, they were both dedicated to creating something bigger than themselves, with the help of about 20 other students who were equally as sleep deprived trying to get this story out. 

I definitely have never allowed myself to get as tired as I was in some of those late night sessions. What can I say, having multiple all-nighters in a row is not natural for the human body… However, when I was in the thick of it… I hardly noticed because I truly felt like I was in my element, fulfilling a part of me that has always been a passion of mine - helping kids to find, use, and raise their voice. You can imagine how special this week was for me. I’ve never wanted to be an educator… but I do strive to help people find empowerment through art… and I think in a lot of ways, we were able to open that doorway a bit for these kids this week. 

You know, when I was younger, growing up in a farm town, opportunities for artistic expression were rare, if they even existed. I remember participating in things like the Missoula’s children’s theatre, or watching motivational speakers stop in our town for an assembly or two... and I always wondered what it would have been like to grow up in the big city from where these people often came - I wondered what it would be like to be able to learn the art forms that they displayed for us so brilliantly.

But I have never been one to ask for a pity-party... I don't believe you should define yourself by your situation. Define yourself by your opportunity. 

That is why I think giving the opportunity, leaving a door open for kids to see into a world... to experience a reality... To find the next step in furthering their education on a topic - on art... That is worth it. That is empowering. That is why this week was such a blessing for me to be a part of. 

In our final days, we were able to pull together the entire film by some incredible feat.We screened the film in front of thousands at the Mediterranean Film Festival; and in the end we left Bosnia with quite a few more friends. With quite a few more filmmakers. 

Listening to the kids talk about their own growth throughout the week on my last day reminded me that I need to continue fighting for these times.

Times when aid trumps ego.

When process trumps outcome. 

I'm looking forward to showing you the film. It should be out soon.
 

Blessings,

Luke Grigg

OUR FIRST VIDEO FOR A FESTIVAL MAINSTAGE!

Have you ever been bullied? 

It's been a long process of healing through the wounds of my childhood and the words that were spoken over, or rather yelled at me. 

I cannot begin to imagine what bullying has turned into with the addition of social media in children's lives today. 

That is why it was such a privilege to be able to come alongside DIGNITY REVOLUTION these past few weeks and create something that would help kids and parents to see past those voices, and to form a game plan of how they can protect their own. 

These are the projects I love to work on. They hit so close to home, and more so, they allow me to open my world up to another family, another child... to share my story, and see how they have walked those very same paths in theirs. 

That moment came when I met Liam and his Father. Immediately when I approached these two non-actors if they would consider joining this movement and being on camera, Liam's father Sean's face beamed with excitement as he jumped to say, "absolutely." I have never heard someone who has never met me grab on to my vision so passionately, so fast... and to think it was all through FaceTime! 

Nevertheless, I spent my 4th of July shooting these two in their home, with Liam's Mom emotionally standing by, to provide ideas, hugs, and even some amazing Filipino food. It didn't take but 5 minutes to realize that both Liam and his father were a natural on camera... and the rest is history. The day became less about the actual filmmaking, and more about teaching Liam how a camera works, talking to his dad about how bullying has affected their own family, and collectively just getting more and more excited to get this project out the door, and on to the screens of those who need to see it. 

The project premiered at Lifest in Wisconsin this past month, and it was a hugely emotional moment for me. I was able to fly out to Wisconsin to do a little more filming for Lifest, and knowing that this short piece was going to be on the big screen on main stage, in front of the thousands, made it all worth the quick turn-around. 

And by quick I mean THIS THING HAD TO BE CONCEIVED, SHOT, AND EDITED ALL IN 3 DAYS! Definitely the quickest turnaround I have had with a non-profit up to this point, but the subject matter made it that much easier to push through in those late nights! 

It is voices like this, like Dignity Revolution that need to be held on a platform. And we can be a part of that. By emphasizing the good they are doing. By choosing to stand with them. And by even using our own voices, and sharing our own stories. There is hope for the future, my friends... there is hope, indeed. 

More to come, as I have 2 other videos I am editing for this incredible non-profit!

Blessings,

Luke 

#ASKGARYVEE

A book I really think you should read. If you are interested in social media marketing, learning more about becoming an entrepreneur, or just plain leadership. 

This book has already redefined so many ways that I think about social media, which is awesome considering I run all of the social media for the women's basketball team at UCLA.
 

The future is looking bright. Not because of this book, and not because I am going to the NAB show this coming week, but because I am feeling the urge and passion to really branch out and go for it with this company. 

Not sure what that means, or what that will look like; but, the other day I met with Russ Pillar, the President of the LA Marathon, millionaire, and just all around super successful LA resident, and he told me that the greatest thing I have going for me, besides the hard work that I do... is passion.

I was taken back by that when he told me. I had never thought that my passion would be looked at as something of value in the business world. I guess I have always thought that direction was more important that passion.

But the older I am getting (23 btw), I am realizing that long term direction is actually the last thing that I need. If I look long term, I get overwhelmed. 

I need to look at the here and now, to put my head down, to get in the trenches, and to run with it. 

It is really exciting. I am so encouraged by these thoughts and would only hope that some of you would jump on board with me and we can get this creative process going! 

Either way, I'm pushing forward from here on out. For tonight, that means writing these blogs. For tomorrow, hopefully the same, as well as finishing this website. 

One step at a time. 

I want to help better the lives of those who surround me through the artwork that I create. I want to help better the lives of those who surround me through the artwork that I create. I want to help better the lives of those who surround me through the artwork that I create. 

I would say that is plenty of direction for the moment. 

Blessings,

Luke Grigg

LITTLE BY LITTLE (POCO A POCO)

When I was an exchange student in Lima, Peru, I constantly found myself frustrated by the fact that my Spanish language skills were never where I wanted them to be. In the same breath, my host mom would look across me at the table and say, "Lucas, poco a poco." (Luke, little by little).

That simple little phrase took me through the daily battle, to whereas one day I looked up and could understand and be understood perfectly. 

That lesson has carried me through the last few years. Through moving to Israel, then to UCLA, and now in to freelance filmmaking. 

I have been a freelancer for almost a year now, and it has been hard to see if any growth was happening at all. That was, until this past week, when we released our trailer for our newest film, "Our Children - Twana Twitu." 

A year ago, I released a trailer for a similar film in Kenya (A Drop of Life), with the same non-profit, and was ecstatic to look down and see that 8 people had shared it and over 1,000 people had viewed the trailer on Facebook. It was one of my first ventures into the non-profit realm, and getting that many people to view something that I hoped was going to bring on so much good in this world, pushed me to really fight for those jobs that would bring similar value to a viewers life.

And fight I did. I turned down so many opportunities this year in order to keep creating content that I thought would motivate and inspire people to go out and heal some of this world's biggest wounds. 

But when you are carving a new path in the middle of a jungle of media, it can easily feel like you are going at it alone. You begin to wonder if the decisions you are making, the growth you are discovering, is actually being seen, or even going to be useful elsewhere. 

I never doubted the fact that what I was doing for a good cause, but I did begin to doubt if it was going to be sustainable - if enough people would be interested in my work, enough to share and help me be able to create more similar content.

"Little by little, Luke."

THEN THIS YEAR HAPPENED. 

I'm writing this post because of how supported I felt by you all this last week on launch. Views do not equate to anything, (and neither does social media in general in my book...) but I have to acknowledge that it does at least give me a point of reference in some ways. 

This year the trailer has already been viewed over 14,000 times in one week, including 40 people who shared it. At the same time, instead of us being a platform of only 200 people, like last year, we are now breaching 1,200! 

I am so excited to continue using this platform as a space where people like the women in this trailer can use their voice. I hope that by listening to their voice, it will in turn inspire your own... and that as a community connected by the content here, we can go back out into the world and be masters in our service and our aid to those in need, little by little. 

I hope you enjoy "Our Children - Twana Twitu." The full film is coming July 8th! You can buy tickets on www.ourchildren2018.eventbrite.com! 

Blessings,

Luke Grigg

OUR CHILDREN - TWANA TWITU // FILM POSTER

I am excited to release the poster to this years' collaboration with the With My Own Two Hands Foundation. This is a film that has become so near and dear to my heart, and I cannot wait to show it to you all! Mark your calendars for July 8th, because I can already feel this one is going to be a film you won't want to miss. 

I spent about 2 weeks in a town called Mwingi in Northeastern Kenya, capturing a story of bravery unlike any other I had seen before. Check back in later today as we release the trailer, and first glimpse into who these children are, and why they are so special to this story! 

#lovelife