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DAVID ALTROGGE & MICHAEL HARTNETT (photo by Peter Bang)
As a younger friend reminds me, members of the 20 and 30-something generation these days are greatly influenced by the visual arts—movies, music videos, graphic arts, cartoons, and still new approaches via the Internet. My guests for Discourse #5 are certainly in tune with this phenomenon.
David Altrogge and Michael Hartnett are the leading principals of an innovative video production and graphic design company called Vinegar Hill Picture Works, with offices in Pittsburgh and Gaithersburg, Md. They specialize in short videos for commercial and church clients but also conceive and produce their own films with a redemptive Christian message.
What’s striking about this duo is that they really seem to live out that redemptive message they wish to convey in their various works. For there is a third musketeer, one Ian Murphy, who collaborated in earlier films with Altrogge. Murphy was in a near fatal car accident in 2006 but has been progressing in a long recovery, one inspired by his faith in Jesus.
Altrogge and now Hartnett draw inspiration from Murphy’s faith and hope for the day when he can rejoin them in their creative efforts for the Kingdom. It is clear from talking with them that this is not just a polite thing to say but real love for their friend. Despite all that Ian may be going through physically, he is a rich man to have such devoted Christian friends.
For now, Altrogge is Vinegar Hill’s chief storyteller, a role he seems born for, and Hartnett is his perfect complement, being both a sounding board for Altrogge’s scripts and directing the visual and other technical aspects of each production, large and small. Together, their combined assets pack a powerful punch, as you can tell from their existing body of work on their website and in this interview I had with them when they visited BreakPoint’s studio in Lansdowne, Va.
“Discourse,” an occasional podcast on BreakPoint, applies a Christian worldview lens to a broad range of issues related to contemporary culture. Stephen Reed, a Centurion in the class of 2008, is a former talk radio host and serves as grants and foundations specialist for PFM. If you see any cultural issues out there you would like to see us address in a future podcast, e-mail Stephen at: stephen_reed@pfm.org.
Articles on the BreakPoint website are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Chuck Colson or Prison Fellowship. Outside links are for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply endorsement of their content.
