Martial Arts Movie Junkie

The Forge Gives Strength to Those in Pain

Martial arts fights can be used to convey a number of different messages. Many simply shrug it off as a simple form of entertainment, but there are some special exceptions to the case. Videos can be created that strike a blow to a person’s heart, lingering in their thoughts for days to come. The Forge is such a video.

Eric Lim is an up-and-coming filmmaker with a lot of passion. He’s made creative shorts in the past, and has proven his talent time and again. However, his life was shaken when his sister took her own life back in 2011. People cope with loss in a number of different ways, and Lim struggled to find meaning of it all. Eric’s sister left her savings behind for him to use, and he tried to come up with a method that would use the money in a proper manner.

He eventually turned to friend Stephen Reedy, who interviewed Eric and his family to get a better grasp of the emotional struggle each member faced. He watched home videos, paying attention to the funeral eulogy video as well. It was then that Reedy recalled an idea that he had but on the back burner. Coming from a metal art background, he had always wanted merge fighting with Blacksmithing.  This became the concept for the Forge, a project that gave Eric Lim a way of expressing himself while extending a hand out to those who are in a personal hell themselves.

The funding helped start the idea, but several miracles made this video something even more special. The Forge took a year to make, and the list of helping hands is impressive. Talented people like Dennis Ruel and Vadislav Rimburg used their martial arts filming expertise to create a believable fight sequence. Director/writer Stephen Reedy was able to take Eric’s message to the next level, creating a visual style and story that fit Eric’s message perfectly and filming it accurately with his knowledge of fight choreography.

Grammy-nominated composer Austin Wintory, singer Malukah, and renown cellist Tina Guo created the soundtrack for the Forge. Visual effects were created by Chris Saul and Lincoln Smith, while the monster’s look was created by Alex Pardee. All of these people worked on this project for free because they believed in Lim’s message. The video was also hosted by the Youtube Channel SoulPancake, which was created by Rainn Wilson (frequently known as Dwight from the Office) at no charge because they were moved as well.

Give the video a look and see what moved so many people:

The Forge – For Anybody Hurting

The Forge set out to convey a message to those that are in pain, and it hits very emotional notes in the process. If you would like to make an impact as well, you can download the soundtrack to the Forge for any price you see fit.  You can also learn more about the Forge by visiting the official website.

Lastly, check out the BTS video to see how much really went into the creation of this passion project.

Forging the Forge

The Forge is a video that will have a different meaning to everyone who watches it. Those that are in a dark place may see a glimmer of hope while those that have lost someone might feel the pressure lessen slightly. Regardless of what it means to you, the Forge is a stunning work that needs to be seen by everyone.