Cinematic arts students work on the set of a family film and meet actor Kevin Sorbo

About 65 Liberty University cinematic arts students spent three weeks filming in central Virginia this spring, including on campus, for the film Miracle on the Precipice, based on true events and inspired by John Bunyan's novel, The Pilgrims Progress.

The film, written and directed by Nathan Todd Sims for FusionFlix Entertainment, follows a struggling family in a mountainous wilderness as they attempt to reconnect and rebuild their once joyful family.

Liberty Cinematic Arts Professor Stuart Lachlan Bennett (pga) is one of the film's producers.

During the camping trip, the family is divided due to a series of events and the father finds himself in a difficult situation where he finds himself on the edge of a precipice with a broken leg, Bennett said. (The story is about) the trials that the family goes through, and that's where the Christian faith aspect comes in. The lessons learned through this process are part of this family's story of redemption.

Actor Kevin Sorbo, who has appeared in many religious films, is part of the cast. He has visited Liberty and spoken to cinematic arts students before, most recently as a member of a filmmaking panel at last fall's CEO Summit. Sorbo said he enjoys meeting more students and working alongside them on this project.

The university I went to didn't have a film department; I think every university should have one, Sorbo said during the campus shoot in April. There is so much talent on both sides of the camera. I think what's happening here at Liberty is great. I am so impressed with the students, they are so polite and kind.

I love the message of hope and redemption in this film, he said of the project. I think these are some of the things that are most missing in our world today. People are looking for answers, they are (afraid)…and they are looking for hope.

Bennet said Sorbo's involvement in the film is added excitement for the students, as he brings his professionalism and industry knowledge to filming.

Having actors like Kevin Sorbo is just fantastic, Bennett said. It's an encouragement to students to be able to work with someone with his type of experience. We find these kinds of actors to be so wonderful, so easy to work with, and so encouraging to the students.

The filming schedule was divided into two phases, with students taking on a different team role in each phase so they could gain multiple perspectives on how a film set operates. Faith Stevens spent the first half of the process in the production office, helping to organize supplies and transportation for the cast and crew, then spent the second phase as a makeup assistant. Between the two roles, she said she experienced the stress and success of creating a feature film.

It's been a real roller coaster of different locations, problem solving, time management, but in the end it's so much fun because you get to work with so many people and create art, said Stevens. We are creating a truly inspiring project that points people towards God.

It taught me what the industry can be like while I'm still a student, instead of just going out into the world and maybe falling on my face at first, added Walter Williams IV, who worked as camera production assistant and helped provide emergency equipment to other crew members. This gives me the opportunity to collaborate not only with classmates but also with industry professionals.

As a behind-the-scenes member of the project team, documenting and interviewing students as they worked on set, Ben Black attested to how deeply he and his peers were immersed in the professional filmmaking process.

This is what a real job in the industry would be like, Black said. Being able to gain hands-on experience for our career, which allows us to feel more prepared and have an edge, is truly valuable. We gain practical experience that we can show to future employers. It's been difficult, but it's also been a lot of fun.

A theatrical release of Miracle on the Precipice is planned for early 2025.

The Department of Cinematic Arts participated in 12 projects, including feature films, short films, TV pilots and a television series. Three of their feature films and the television series have been broadcast nationally.

The two-year immersion cohort for the BFA in Film Production and Creative Development and the BS in Film Production and Content Development allows students to focus solely on filmmaking. In addition to creating their own short film and business plan, students earn at least one IMDb credit on a professional film project.