Private Project

Homeless

We used our classically-influenced New Age music to make a heart-rendering appeal to help those who are homeless.

On any given night in the United States a half a million people are homeless. Homelessness degrades everyone. We need a massive national commitment—public and private—to ensure affordable housing for all. Helping homeless people makes both heart and wallet sense. Helping less fortunate people become productive citizens helps reduce the financial burden of costly social services.

There are many amazing people working to end homelessness. Elvis Summers is one of them. We captured some of Elvis’ grounded, insightful thinking in our film, Homeless.

  • JONATHAN SPROUT
    Director
    Grammy Nomination, 18-time Film Freeway Winner
  • RODNEY WHITTENBERG
    Director
    co-producer of Caregivers, Emmy Award winner, 18-time Film Freeway Winner
  • JONATHAN SPROUT
    Writer
  • ELVIS SUMMERS
    Writer
  • JONATHAN SPROUT
    Producer
  • RODNEY WHITTENBERG
    Producer
  • Double Rainbow Studio
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Music Video
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 31 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 8, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    4,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Vancouver Independent Film Festival
    Vancouver
    Canada
    Finalist
  • Global Shorts
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 25, 2021
    Award Winner Best Documentary Short
  • Impact Doc Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    October 25, 2021
    Award Winner
Director Biography - JONATHAN SPROUT, RODNEY WHITTENBERG

Since his first professional appearance in 1972, Jonathan Sprout has recorded 12 albums, performed more than 6,500 concerts (including 5,500 children’s concerts), and taught more than 800 songwriting workshops throughout the United States. His songs have appeared on several internationally released compilation albums.

Jonathan’s seventh release, American Heroes, won critical acclaim for its groundbreaking contribution to the field of educational children’s music in 1996. Three American Heroes sequels followed in 2000, 2009, and 2014. The series has earned a remarkable 26 national awards, including a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Children’s Album, several NAPPA Awards, several Parents’ Choice awards, two Film Advisory Board of Excellence awards, a Family Choice Award™, Dr. Toy One of the 10 Best Audio/Video/CD/DVDs, Academics' Choice Award, KIDS FIRST! Award, Tillywig Brainchild Award, Dove Foundation Seal, Mom's Choice Awards® Gold, Creative Child Magazine Award, Santa’s Choice Award, National Parenting Center Award, and a Global Music Award Bronze Medal.

Inspired by the heroes he has been writing, performing and recording about for more than 20 years, Jonathan founded Force For Good in 2016. Force For Good provides uplifting compositions and character-driven messages to unify, inspire, and energize people to engage in responsible civic duties. Force For Good’s song videos compassionately and intelligently address important issues like sensible gun control, immigration reform, solar and wind energy, hunger and homelessness, celebrating and protecting the environment, and many others.

RODNEY WHITTENBERG
Rodney Whittenberg is an Emmy Award winning composer and Emmy-nominated filmmaker for Outstanding Documentary. From a young age he’s had four passions: music/sound, film/television, technology, and education. Rodney’s deep sense of faith has called him on a lifelong quest to integrate these passions into his art. In his late 20s he directed the non-profit Banner Project, an educational anti-drug program that emphasized nonviolence, and witnessed the power of music and arts to heal and transform communities.

In the early 1990s, Rodney created Melodyvision, a production and consulting company, to serve as a platform for his original audio and visual creations and a vehicle to help others achieve their artistic visions. In 2016, he produced We Stood Up, an audio CD of original songs, poetry and interviews with civil rights leaders. In 2018, he co-produced Caregivers, a film about the people who help the helpers that was nominated for an Outstanding Documentary Emmy.

From his numerous projects as a children’s music producer and composer to his award winning Voices of Ages, a feature documentary about the first intergenerational choir, Rodney makes art to heal, empower, and transform.

The music videos he co-created with Jonathan from the Force For Good Passions CD received 18 film festival awards in 2020

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Director Statement

“Seven out of ten Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless.”—Pras Michel

As the founder of Force For Good, my intention is to create music and films that bring attention to important issues and the people and organizations who are doing something about them. We hope our music video will inspire others to reach out and help homeless people and the people and organizations who help them. -- Jonathan