It would be easy to believe that the motivation for making movies is about the glitz and glamour of rubbing Hollywood elbows and making fortunes. That may be true for some but for Ty Manns, the desire was born of a dream, of telling stories that his head, heart, and faith told him was the “right thing to do,” and from years of hard work.
Like his father before him, his wife, Mia, and now his two sons, Delone and Matthew, Manns chose a career in the military. Even while serving 24 years in the Army, his dream of making movies never died.
“During every minute of free time I had, I read books and studied about writing and directing movies,” Manns explained.
His last duty station was at Ft. Benning, Georgia in 2003. He and his family liked the area enough to put down roots.
“I’m a firm believer that the military shaped the type of man, father, and husband that I am today. Those lessons I learned are still being applied as a film writer, producer, and director…from managing people to managing resources for creating successful productions.”
His family’s military legacy also helped inspire Manns’ latest movie, My Brother’s Keeper, the story of a war veteran who returns home and faces another battle, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The inspiration came, in part, from his father.
“After my dad returned from Vietnam, my family knew something was wrong. Back then we called it ‘shell shock’ now we know it was PTSD. It took years for me to write that story because it was hard to revisit those experiences.”
Manns believes the movie’s focus is just as relevant today because of the COVID pandemic and families who are struggling with isolation, fear, depression, and PTSD. He feels that facing those tough issues head-on offers real help and hope, especially through strong faith.
“I am a Christian. For a long time, no one was writing and making films for the Christian community but just like any other genre, there are stories to be told. Telling good Christian stories is important to the movie industry and it’s important to me to make movies the whole family can watch together from grandma to the kids.”
A strong faith surely comes into play for Ty Manns in a tough industry that leaves behind many filmmakers. More than 14,000 movies are made each year. Around 750 make it to the big screen. Even big-budget films have struggled in the past year with the pandemic shuttering theaters across the country. But Manns Mackie studio, a partnership between Manns and Bishop Charles Mackie, is coming out of the darkness onto the light of the silver screen, despite several delays for My Brothers Keeper. The release date is March 19.
It doesn’t hurt that he is based in Georgia which has become a mecca for movie and TV production. Tax incentives have helped keep Georgia on the radar of studios. The opportunities for making any type of movie because of the scenery and recent ramp-up across the state for professionally trained crews have helped put the Peach State on the Hollywood map.
Manns says that it is also a different landscape now because of technology and the ability to stream anywhere in the world through services like Amazon, Netflix, and Apple TV. That discussion brought to mind comments his Dad made after becoming a pastor.
He told me, “Son, I want you to follow your dreams. You will reach more people through your movies than I ever will in the church because I have walls that encase me. Your movies won’t have walls or borders. I realize now what he meant by that.”
My Brother’s Keeper is not his first faith-based film. His previous work includes The 5th Quarter, A Question of Faith, and Redeemed. What’s next for the writer, director, producer, and President/CEO of Manns Mackie Studios?
“We are working on the next step of growing
our company by partnering with other producers and screenwriters. In early April, they will start working on their next movie project. But one thing that is floating around in Manns mind is giving back by teaching others and there is a reason for that line of thought.
“I met a man on a flight to LA in 1999 that turned out to be Divine intervention. We had a conversation about my dreams as a writer and filmmaker. He asked me if I would have time while there to come by his house and he would help me. I did. Turns out this gentleman, Rick Bieber, was the President of HBO Pictures.”
Manns says that’s why he wants to give back because “I remember where I got mine.”
He would love to be in a classroom setting someday teaching the next generation about movie-making, a chance to be a mentor for someone up-and-coming. He is presently working with a college intern about writing, directing, and producing. In what must have been an Academy Award-worthy moment for a man who wants to teach, the “student” recently paid the “teacher” a compliment when he said, “I’ve learned more from you in five weeks than I learned in my college classes in four years.”
According to Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
Just think of Ty Manns as a man who loves his family, his country, and wants to give us a film ministry without walls or borders, now and for generations to come.
To learn more about how your church, school, or organization can view My Brother’s Keeper visit https://mbkfilm.com/. To learn more about Ty Manns and Manns Mackie Studios visit https://www.mannsmackiestudios.com/.
(All photos courtesy of Ty Manns and Manns Mackie Studios)
