Contact: Jana Ford
Muntsinger
McClure
Muntsinger Public Relations
615.376.9442
Max
Lucado’s Best-selling Christmas Story Comes to Life
Jacob’s Gift
Video is Companion to Best-selling Children’s Picture Book
“The
one who builds the best project will be asked to help build the new synagogue,”
Rabbi Simeon announces to the students in his woodworking shop. Young Jacob struggles to create just the
perfect project to win the contest, but in the end realizes there is a more
important prize—the gift of selfless giving.
This fresh twist on the classic Christmas story comes to life in the new
live-action video Jacob’s Gift (Tommy Nelson, 30 minutes, $14.99,
September 2000).
Written
by master storyteller Max Lucado, Jacob’s Gift originally
appeared as a full-color children’s picture book, which has sold more than
155,000 units since it release in October 1999. The Jacob’s Gift video expands upon and amplifies
the original story in a 30-minute live action tale. The video opens with Jacob wanting to win the woodworking
contest. Known for his skill even at a
young age, Jacob creates an innovative project for the Rabbi. But the teasing of his fellow students, and
his father’s overflowing inn pulls Jacob away from his woodworking with
distractions and duties. In the end, Jacob sacrifices winning the contest to do
a kindness for a family with a newborn baby, and he learns an important lesson
about giving.
Jacob’s
Gift will be featured this Christmas on PAX-TV on Saturday,
December 9, 2000, from 7:30 pm to 8 pm Eastern Time. PAX, the national family entertainment network, currently
reaches 81% U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television,
cable and satellite distribution system.
Produced
by Tommy Nelson, John Schmidt Productions and Mainstreet Entertainment, Jacob’s
Gift features two original songs, including one sung by Blake Ewing of
TV’s “Full House.” “The quality of this
video is stunning,” says David Anderson, Vice President, Entertainment and
Licensing, Tommy Nelson. “We used some
of the best talent available both in front of and behind the cameras.”
The video
associate producer, Dave Ross, knew upon the first reading of Jacob’s
Gift it was destined to be a live action film. “Max Lucado can paint such a clear picture
with words,” said Ross. “His story
practically came to life by itself.
When Tommy Nelson approached us with the project, we jumped at the
chance to produce this high-quality video.”
-more-
Jacob’s Gift, page two
With
more than 15 million books in print, Max Lucado is the top author in the
Christian/Inspirational market. His
adult and children’s books have been regulars on the CBA and Publishers
Weekly Religion Bestseller lists.
In 1999, another of his children’s books,
The Crippled Lamb, was
produced as a 30-minute family video, and was aired on national
television. The video appeared
on Billboard Magazine’s Top Music Videos for six weeks in 1999, hitting
#1 on December 11, 1999. Lucado is the
pastor of Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas.
Tommy
Nelson will be placing multiple
full-page print advertisements in key women’s and family publications for Jacob’s Gift as well as a national publicity campaign to
print, radio, TV and Internet outlets. Tommy
Nelson, the children’s division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. (NYSE:TNI), is the first
religious publisher
ever to break into Publishers Weekly’s Top 15 Children's Publishers
List. The company was ranked 14th for 1998 after growth of more than 30% each
year since 1996. Tommy Nelson is
known as the most inspirational name in children’s publishing, seeking to
enrich and inspire the minds, souls and hearts of children everywhere.
# # #
September 2000
RELEASE
DATE: September 2000
ISBN: 0-8499-7529-8
LENGTH: 30 minutes
FORMAT: VHS
CATEGORY: Family
Video
PRICE: $14.99
PUBLICITY: National
publicity campaign launches Summer 2000
Contact Jana
Muntsinger at McClure Muntsinger Public Relations 615.370.0043 for publicity
information.