M. Callahan (UTS’04) finishes 7-Year Project
DP-Outreach.com has just finished a 7-year project to turn an educational Powerpoint presentation series into high quality video. The project began in 2009, reaching completion on the last day of 2015 when video #110 “The Second Coming of Christ” was put online. Each video explores a specific, limited topic, and the videos do not have to be seen in any particular order.
Michael says, “The content of these videos is full, in-depth and covers way more than an introductory lecture. But because the material is focused and specific, I am sure the viewer will feel satisfied and fully ‘fed.’” Since 2009 videos have accumulated over 500,000 views, according to Michael Callahan (UTS ’04) of DP-Outreach.com.
Michael thanks UTS and especially past UTS president, Dr. Tyler Hendricks, who recognized his skills with PowerPoint. Dr. Hendricks asked him to teach PowerPoint classes while a student at UTS. Michael taught both the software skills and the design as well as some of the ‘tips’ on how to use PowerPoint presentations and keep audiences awake and attentive.
Upon completion of his M.Div. degree from UTS in June 2004, Michael worked with Rev. Phillip Schanker at the Education Department of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Headquarters (FFWPU-HQ) in Washington D.C .
When his work at FFWPU-HQ ended in 2009, Michael was not satisfied with the “Illustrated Divine Principle PowerPoint presentations” he had been working on for several years.
He turned to video and creating DP-Outreach.com. The videos were a joy for him to create. His motto was “It will be done when it will be done.” He thought the endeavor would initially take only a few months but it ended up being seven years! He was constantly amazed every day how extended the work had become. It was not like an artist who looked at a block of marble and knew exactly how to chisel his preconceived image into reality. Instead, Michael used intuition and feeling to create something that felt right, and it went through several stages of revision. Along the way, his standard of “what is acceptable” increased and he had to remove old images and replace them with new ones. For example, he worked initially with images of paintings. Later, he made his own images of Jesus and John the Baptist.
On the DP-Outreach website, there is a link that compares the strengths and weaknesses of both the DP-Outreach videos and the DP-Outreach PowerPoint presentations. Michael says that both versions allow for greater reflection and absorption of distinct sentences in the Exposition of the Divine Principle and the Bible.
Check out: http://www.dp-outreach.com/ Currently, there is a winter sale on DP-Outreach Powerpoint products (50% off) that will last until the beginning of spring.
About Michael Callahan:
Michael was blessed in marriage with his wife Masako in 1982 in Seoul, South Korea. They have two daughters Oaksoon and Aika.
In December of 2013, Michael Callahan (UTS ’84), kicked off a UTS Alumni seminar entitled “Planning our Returning Resurrection”. The event, held at UTS’ Extension Center in NYC (4 West 43rd St.).
Michael’s presentation demonstrated his considerable graphics/technical skills, as well as educational experience and was cast live from Indianapolis, where he lives, using UTS’s Adobe Connect technology.
He currently works at Amazon in Whitestown, Indiana. He hopes to market his first screenplay this year and write two more before the end of 2016.