How This TV Producer Is on a Mission to Help Kids Discover God
By Billy Hallowell, Contributing Writer
TV producer Cliff McDowell is on a mission to inspire kids to learn how to pray, form a relationship with God and cope with common childhood struggles.
McDowell is the creator of SEA KIDS, a new animated show for children as young as preschool that he believes will have a profound and positive impact.
The 26-part series — which is exclusively streaming on PureFlix.com and is based on books by author Lee Ann Mancini — deals with topics like bullying, shyness and bragging, while keenly focusing on kids’ relationship with Jesus.
WATCH: See the Trailer for “Sea Kids” on PureFlix.com
“This show is really going to hit the minds of little children,” he recently told “The Pure Flix Podcast.” “It teaches young kids how to pray [and] how to talk to Jesus, but it also focuses on some struggles that kids go through.”
Listen to McDowell reveal his incredible journey to faith and animation — and his path to creating “Sea Kids”:
SEA KIDS (watch the trailer here) is comprised of all underwater characters, with the bright and uplifting undersea colors and storylines guiding kids to think deeper about the world around them.
McDowell, who is from Toronto, Canada, also revealed his own journey toward faith and filmmaking, noting that he truly started questioning the world around him when he decided to attend acting school in the United States.
READ ALSO: 13 Kids Movies You’ll Love Watching Again and Again
At some point, he also decided to start exploring spirituality, and picked up a copy of the Bible.
“I had a bucket list, and one thing I had on there was read the Bible cover to cover,” he said, noting that he wasn’t a believer at the time. “I bought a Bible, and I started reading it every day.”
All of this was happening while McDowell was meeting celebrities in Hollywood and seeing the inner workings of Tinseltown unfold before his eyes. One day, though, his casual bucket list goal of reading the Bible turned into something much deeper and more profound.
“One day I was sitting on the beach in Santa Monica, California, and the sun was setting, and the ocean looked like golden tinfoil …. It was the most amazing thing,” he said. “Talk about God’s revelation! As that’s happening these three wild dolphins go right by me, and I’m like, ‘this is so incredible.”
READ ALSO: Devotions for Kids: The 8 Best Children’s Devotionals About Jesus
McDowell realized in that moment that God had created all of this beauty, and he accepted Christ. As time passed, the filmmaker prayed he’d find a way into Christian entertainment — and he did.
After founding P23 Entertainment, McDowell created shows like Chuck Swindoll’s “Paws & Tales,” “Adventures in Booga Booga Land,” “Bibleman” and numerous other projects. “Sea Kids” is his latest endeavor.
—
Editor’s Note: Listen to his story on “The Pure Flix Podcast” and be sure to stream the series today!
This article was originally published on Pure Flix Insider. Visit Pure Flix for access to thousands of faith and family-friendly movies and TV shows. You can get a free, one-month trial here.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +3