The Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.
- Francis Schaeffer
You Connection has a powerful message and a unique style, often using high theatrics and whimsical creativity to communicate the richness of the Gospel.
The YouVerse is a set of creative guidelines that we use in order to connect our large repertoire of theatre plays, scripts, films, characters, settings, and styles, so that YC has a trademark look and feel, an artistic style that is exclusive to You Connection, from recurring plot elements to visuals to even the naming of characters. Many of these elements have simply emerged over time, beginning as unintentional.
The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered. - Psalms 111:2-4
EXPLORE THE YOUVERSE:
All You Connection stories are set in one of three fictional settings:
Real Earth
Mirror Earth
Pseudo-Earth
Real Earth features stories and characters that exist in ordinary, everyday life; although characters might be exaggerated or satirical in nature, these are essentially realistic tales happening either in modern life or during a real period of history.
Mirror Earth is a fantasy world of allegories and symbolism, mirroring the realities of our physical and spiritual world; these stories are completely fanciful, illogical, nonsensical, or surreal, but symbolize the real truth of the Gospel and the true nature of our modern culture.
Pseudo-Earth is a whimsical or over-the-top version of our everyday world, showing what our society looks like from an extreme, crazy, or whimsical perspective.
strange or funny character names
the feisty, strong-willed, courageous girl
the noble, gentle-natured but brave-hearted boy
bad girl duos
whimsical or outrageous characters
villains who personify aspects of evil or negative worldly norms
Victorian/Steampunk elements
mixed or jumbled time periods
pantomime imagery (harlequins, commedia dell'arte, theatre setting, etc.)
surreal or abstract environments that are whimsical and non sequitur in nature
godly heroes having to stand in an unbelieving world
overcoming and conquering
going from captivity to freedom
open-ended endings (true to real life and the real nature of the spiritual world, evil is defeated but not always destroyed, heroes sometimes have moral victories rather than physical ones, etc.)
characters are very frequently stuck (in dramatic ways, like being stuck in dark, hostile, or threatening environments and fighting for freedom; or in funny ways- getting stuck in packages, or entangled in other messes); a captivity-and-freedom reference, going from stuck to unstuck, or desiring to be set free
multi-leveled stories (principles, concepts, and cultural references that will be understood by a variety of ages from youth to adult)
musicals often include a modern version of a classic hymn
the red-covered Bible (appears in nearly all YC stage and screen productions)
the cross
kneeling (in prayer, in humility, or while discovering God)
streamlined/minimalist productions (with focus on character and content rather than sets, size, or budget)
use of didactic art- using arts to instruct, inform, and enlighten audiences
pulls from European-style cinema and theatre (artistically non-traditional, emotionally driven, lyrical pacing, etc.)
heavy use of classical arts (pantomime, old theatre, classic film, literature) and classic genres
MEDIA:
elements of experimental film/non-traditional filmmaking
jangly, loose editing & non sequitur pacing
simplistic camera work (master shots, one-shots, handheld)
THEATRE:
experimental theatre combined with musical theatre
immersive shows with characters and sets mingling with the audience
Jesus Christ is, essentially, the answer, solution, or plot resolution in every story
All scripts adhere to a "theatrical apologetics" format- presenting, explaining, and defending the Gospel, while also presenting the secular viewpoint and exploiting why such viewpoints are contrary to faith in Christ
The spiritual battle depicted in Ephesians 6:10-20 is often a recurring theme
Difficult or challenging topics (such as "why does a loving God allow bad things to happen", ungodly cultural norms, or other frequently challenging theological themes) often appear in YC plots or subplots
Bible passages or biblical principles are often brought to life in symbolized form (such as 1 Corinthians 1: 18, "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing" being symbolized as an insane asylum where followers of Christ are literally institutionalized, in Escape from the Grand Guignol)
Scripture is frequently quoted in dialogue and in song lyrics
All scripts adhere to the Bible as the accurate, unchanging Word of God