1.
|
VIDEO |
AUDIO |
2.
|
Drone LA street with cars TT Jacki driving 20210220 LA CA 02@ 01:57:32:22 |
SFX: city ambience VO:
At the start of the pandemic I reported for Dateline
on the devastating impact covid 19 was having on the homeless population – here where I live in Los Angeles |
3.
|
IN CAR PTC |
20210220 LA CA 02@
00:13:21:13 PTC: Over the past year,
the impact of COVID has only gotten worse…..for
everyone. We’ve lost 22 million jobs and the
unemployment rate here peaked at 21%. |
4.
|
FILE: LIB 140420 RTV HEALTH CORONAVIRUS USA HART ISLAND @ 2:26 FILE: LIB 270820 RTV GLOBAL RACE USA WISCONSIN SHOOTING UGC@0:23 FILE: LIB 230620 RTV
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE USA @ 00:02:05:08 |
VO: In Los Angeles alone,
20,000 people have died from COVID-19, with over half a million deaths
nationwide... on top of that it’s
been a year marred by violence…. division …..and
lies. Upsot: police! Fuck you. VO: With little faith
left in the institutions designed to protect them, many Americans are seeking
answers from the spiritual world Araceli (32:17): This year has really brought me closer to God Bryan (00:27:09): I think people are afraid. 28:41 And so some people choose to find a solution in religion as a way to
alleviate those fears and anxieties VO: I want to find out what’s
behind this religious recovery and whether solace can be found in the
supernatural. Marci (00:49:24): I feel like a lot of clients are seeing things or hearing things
that are not in the normal. 33:58 CHAD: for years
having a paranormal experience was nothing you really shared |
5.
|
TITLE: The Fight for
America's Soul By Jacki Huntington, Will
Reid and Adam Rosenberg |
TITLE SHOT |
6.
|
LA FOOD BANK |
REEL: 20210219 LA CA 01 |
7.
|
Woman directing cars Cars being loaded |
La 1 @ 00:55:05:18 Upsot: Number 4 |
8.
|
Cars lining up -
00:53:14:23 |
VO: Its 8am in LA. For
many people, this line up has replaced the weekly trip to the grocery store |
9.
|
VOX POP – CHRIS |
[01:43:29] Chris: times
are hard, things have been crazy with the whole COVID thing, it's risen up
pretty badly |
10.
|
WS Jacki and Michael |
VO: Before the pandemic LA Foodbank fed 300,000 people monthly CEO
Michael flood said that number has increased to 900,000 |
11.
|
MICHAEL FLOOD |
MICHAEL FLOOD 3:20 What the pandemic has done, It's just put a
lot of people out of work.
So that's just put this pressure on the budgets for
families and individuals to meet all their basic needs. So
we're seeing a lot of people come through these types of distributions who
are new to need. They've never sought food
assistance in their entire life |
12.
|
|
VO: People like 45 year old single mum, Araceli,
have had to rely on handouts from
NGO’s |
13.
|
Araceli in car |
Upsot: Woman: How many in your house? Araceli: Two. Araceli (03:02): I am a mom to an eight year old. Who's had
a 25 year career and politics And ever since COVID
it's been a year that I haven't worked and so I find myself using the LA
regional food bank to be able to put food on the table for me and my little
family. |
14.
|
Araceli in car getting food Araceli in car getting food IV |
Araceli (22:50 I got the food bank for food and then my cell phone and I'm
deferring the utilities because it's not enough Araceli (27:49): I am like completely defeated, feeling helpless. I, for the first time
in my life with no money, no hope insight. But when my friends and I got
together and we started to pray for each other, you know, they had
people who started COVID uncles, cousins, friends, all that then is when
I started to regain that faith and strength again. |
15.
|
General America vision |
VO: Araceli’s faith is remarkable,
but it’s not unique. According to a recent
report by PEW, almost one third of Americans say their faith has
grown stronger during the pandemic. They say its African
Americans leading this return to religion Sfx + journey
music |
16.
|
BLACK CHURCH |
03 Lafayette LA |
17.
|
|
So
with well over half of Americas black community living in Americas southern
states, I’m heading to Louisiana…. a state with a long history of hardship… and religious
devotion. |
18.
|
Alex on stage |
01:02:07 UPSOT: Every time a
believer steps on the scene there has to be an acknowledgement that we serve
a living God and we believe in him because what he
loves us. (GOOD ENERGETIC RANT) |
19.
|
Church |
Streaming today to their 1000 or so followers… the Destiny of Faith church in
Lafayette, is on the frontline of this religious revival. |
20.
|
ALEX giving a sermon
cont. |
02:28:00 When the pandemic came we definitely saw a
lot of people choose to go deeper. 02:29:00 We saw more commitment increased by those who are already
on the path. |
21.
|
Alex giving Sermon on
stage |
UPSOT - There's so much going on that has
put pressure on relationships. Not just any relationship, but on godly
relationships |
22.
|
Alexander: (01:56:29) Upsot: Alex preaching Alexander: (01:57:23) |
|
23.
|
|
Upsot: Bryan But not all religious
Americans are returning to traditional institutions |
24.
|
THE EXORCIST |
3 mins |
25.
|
Detail in temple to open
scene 05.3 Cartersville GA Pt 3 Bryan giving Sermon yelling
at camera |
00:57:50:09 I would go
into a church and see a plaque with who donated what… big phreaking deal! 00:58:14:06 That’s what’s wrong with it, that the kind of mentality
that’s driven people away, it’s all about money now! |
26.
|
Bryan is former |
This is the one of a kind Saint Nicholean
Church in Georgia. It’s run by Bishop Bryan. Upsot: His church is an offshoot
Catholicism, minus the rigid rules It’s a new age take on
spirituality and its gaining popularity. |
27.
|
Master IV |
Bryan (00:25:15): We went from, I'd say maybe 50 to a hundred
people that were interested in our live stream. To hundreds. And even now I'd
say that our viewership is in the thousands Upsot: We
simulcast it. Bryan (00:27:09): I think people are afraid. 28:41 And so some people choose to find a solution in religion as a way to
alleviate those fears and anxieties that the world presents because there is
something other worldly about it and there's a lot of peace and confidence
that comes from a faith in a God that is taking care of you. You don't necessarily get that from a therapist. Bryan (01:10:1 Before I was a, a priest. I was I, I worked in clinical psychology,
you know, I mean, my degree is actually in
psychology, not in religion. |
28.
|
05.1 Cartersville GA Pt 1 |
VO: besides alleviating anxieties, as a priest and a psychologist he’s actually much better known for a
controversial ritual that he performs. |
29.
|
|
59:56 There is a subset of behaviour that seems to be spiritually
motivated behaviour that does not seem to respond to medication, does not
respond to traditional psychotherapy and things that normally would work for
re you know, for, for conditions that are well known and well established, don’t work for this subset of people. |
30.
|
I have downloaded the
clip its in Third party Courtesy of Ghost Adventures – TLC/Discovery[WR2] |
VO: Bryan performs exorcisms – a spiritual and religious practice
that involves evicting demons from a person who is said to be possessed Upsot:
June was big month VO: During COVID he says demand for exorcisms has skyrocketed… he
now has a backlog of 500 cases. |
31.
|
Jacki and Bryan looking
at emails |
Jacki: what are these
people saying? [00:09:58] Bish Bryan: I have a daughter who has multiple
personalities she's been in several mental facilities in the past few weeks
she keeps saying abnormal things and she says
and she said she sees dead people, she switches between being really
sweet and really aggressive. We believe there is an evil spirit in her we are
not sure what else to do 00:11:08] the daughter is the one with the problem but
the family member is the one contacting us that's a very good sign because
typically speaking…. they would be running from me and not want to have
anything to do with me and not be calling churches [00:11:39] The
major concern though is of course is mental health
facilities put that's not uncommon [00:11:55] Bish Bryan: Demonically possessed people can sort of
behave that looks like a dissociative identity disorder or schizophrenia. Jacki (00:50:20): How much of a percentage of these people would you say are
experiencing actual possession and how many are, are just experiencing a
mental illness? Bryan [00:19:58] The ratios are pretty much the same its Day 5.1 02:15:48:07 Jacki: A lot of people
think of Exorcism as a fictional thing.. how do you
respond to that. Cartersville 5.2@ Bryan (00:48:07): So for
science to come say, it's just all your head. It's
ridiculous. Of course it's all in your head, but how
has anything else, not all in your head. Cartersville 5.2@ Bryan (48:15) It's
just as real and it affects them as, as much as anything external would and
you can interact externally, you can interact with them. And that's what we do. |
32.
|
Bryan getting his
religious things together for an exorcism. |
VO: Bryan says he’s not surprised by the
influx of people seeking his services, thanks to a tumultuous 2020 |
33.
|
From master IV – cover with Bryan getting thing ready |
05.1 Cartersville GA Pt 1 @ Bryan (00:31:10): I do think America is spiritually ill, I think most of the world is
spiritually ill in various degrees. Bryan (00:32:32): We have neglected the
spiritual reality of our nature for so long. And we have been taught largely
by the secularization of our society to marginalize it. It's
not really necessary, or it's a nuisance. |
34.
|
|
Tonight Bryan is visiting a
client who says they are possessed and Sister Mary Joan is coming along to
administer the appropriate treatment |
35.
|
Actuality - EXT Jacki packing car with
Sister Mary Jane |
MJ (01:55:03): I call this my go bag. My gear bag. I used
to be in law enforcement that I repurpose for this. Jacki (01:54:36): There's
this sword in there? MJ (01:54:37): it's a
dagger. Mostly used for ceremonial dagger, but it is a blessed templar dagger.. MJ: (01:57:07) |
36.
|
Sun setting
+ day to night |
VO: In 2018 The Vatican released a statement
saying the number of exorcisms carried out globally was rising… They stopped short of
giving figures But Bryan believes
there’s thousands of exorcisms performed in the US each year… Upsot: arriving at Bevs house |
37.
|
Exorcism |
|
38.
|
Walking into Bevs house in dark |
Upsot @ 02:08:27:09 Sister MJ: Hi, nice to
meet you sweetheart. We’re not using the clients
real name – to protect her identity – we’ll call her cathy |
39.
|
|
Vo: Before they initiate
any exorcism rituals, Bryan wants to hear Cathys story
and assess her mental health |
40.
|
Bryan + Bev in living room |
[02:16:32] Bryan: So you had a dream about an angel that called himself and
angel but didn't give a name I'm not the sort of the catalyst Bev: That's where
everything started. |
41.
|
|
Cathy claims a demon has
been talking to her for years… but since the pandemic, it’s
become unbearable. |
42.
|
Bryan + Bev in living room |
[02:42:19]
Bryan: Can you hear this audibly like the way you’re
hearing my voice now? Bev: Yes 02:38:27] Bev: Yes but it talks to me 24/7 Bryan: you're hearing voices right now? Bev: just the one
voice Bryan: It's always the same voice? Bev: yes |
43.
|
Quick cuts of questions. Add shot of Bevs husband |
Bryan: Do you feel like you’re being watched all the time? Bev: Yes [02:31:56] Bryan: Have you ever levitated Bev: no 02:39:18] Bryan: Any
spontaneous fires Bev: No Bryan: Any changes to you hair colour that wasn’t intended? Husband: No [02:37:07]
Bryan: Any foul odors like the smell of
sulphur, Excrement rotting flesh. Bev: no [02:43:41] Bryan:
How about physical attacks, like punching biting hair pulling and sexual
assaults Bev: I don't know
how to put this, but he's told me he has already had relations with me |
44.
|
|
VO: Bryan doesn’t think Cathy is possessed – so rather than full
exorcism, Bryan’s decided to give Beverly some pastoral care |
45.
|
Bev gets blessed |
Upsot @ 00:45:07:01 Bryan: In the name of the
father the son and the holy spirit, peace be on this home and all who dwell
with in. |
46.
|
Bryan doing godly things
to Bev |
Bryan: (01:08:19) |
47.
|
Shots of Bev and husband |
05.3 Cartersville GA Pt 3 Bryan: 01:08:06 |
48.
|
Bev on couch |
01:22:42:21 05.3 Cartersville Bish Bryan: I do think
something within your physiology is leading you to have this disturbance 01:37:07:04 Bryan: It could be so
many factors, but I do think it is important for you to go to psychologist
and Christian counsellor, maybe not a psychiatrist 01:43:05:01 Bryan: Let’s
try that, exorcism not appropriate, not needed. |
49.
|
PSYCHOLOGIST 04 Carrollton GA |
2 mins |
50.
|
Jacki driving shots |
VO: I want to understand
how the events of 2020 are affecting Americas psyche
|
51.
|
Drone shot of University
of West Georgia |
VO: I’m
at the University of West Georgia with Dr Christine Simmonds – Moore. She’s an expert in the psychology
behind spirituality
and paranormal experiences. Upsot: meet and greet She says the pandemic has
significantly increased anxiety within the population |
52.
|
Shots of “general
Americans” on a street. |
ALT GRABS 04 Carrollton GA@ 05:35 We're
living with dying on a daily basis, actually living with loss, living with
these big questions about existence. And, you know, when is this going to
end? This whole sense of a lot lack of control, I
think in people's lives and is impacting them a lot 04 Carrollton GA@ 21:00 You know, no surprises really that you're going to see increases in
anxiety and depression and then all the effects on sleep . Jacki (34:20): Yeah. Is there any therapeutic value to religion and spirituality? Christine (34:28): Absolutely. It provides a sense of control for people. 13:14 Christine : Also
I think in times of stress, there's evidence that people do become more
magical in their thinking. So they, they do tend to
sort of see connections that may or may not be there. Christine 28:23 So paranormal, spiritual,
religious, conspiracies, all of those things are
magical ways of thinking and experiencing the world. And again, if people are
having more experiences that they're trying to sort
of make sense of them with different frameworks that are available to them. |
53.
|
02 Lafa @ 00:08:22:05 |
But America already had a
predisposition for magical thinking |
54.
|
GFX: Plate:
2
Lafayette @
00:11:39:06 0 Text: 45% of Americans believe in ghosts and demons… |
A pre-COVID poll showed
that 45% of Americans believe in a spirit world of
ghosts and demons… |
55.
|
CHAD AND STEVEN |
|
56.
|
Lafayette LA Pt 1 Jacki walking to front
door |
VO: I’m
back in Louisiana to MEET a couple, who at the height of the COVID-19
Pandemic reported what Dr Christine would call, magical thinking. 00:00:03]
Jacki: Hi i'm jacki, Chad: how are you Jacki: I'm
good how are you [00:00:11]
Steven: come on in it's cold |
57.
|
EXT house |
VO: Chad a Steven
recently bought this 1840’s house. Shortly after moving in, things got weird. |
58.
|
Walking into house |
00:01:57] Steven: so people had been coming by do the house knocking on the
door asking "hey is this house haunted" of course we didn't feel anything [00:02:05] Jacki:
They just knock on your door [00:02:09]
Steven: they were just random people |
59.
|
Walking into lounge room. |
VO: Their first of
several experiences was these antique clocks that hadn’t
worked in decades, suddenly coming back to life. |
60.
|
Talking in lounge room
looking at clocks |
00:09:40:00 Chad: definitely
not a coincidence, more than just two clocks going off in the same
room 00:05:16:18 Chad: I’ve
always been one for a ghost story, but I’ve never experienced anything
myself, and truly I knew something had just happened, there was a presence in
this house that I’d never felt before Steven: It was undeniable. |
61.
|
Lafayette LA Pt 1 Detail around the house? |
Steven (00:41:32): I feel like especially in this St Mary parish area, you've, you've heard more and more and more stories of the
paranormal. …. it's
more prevalent than it was, I'd say a year ago. 43:04 CHAD: I also think, you
know, with, with this pandemic, we've got a lot of deaths involved and a lot of, a lot of uncertainty that I think kind of stirs up
emotions personally that I believe can maybe be connected with the other
side. |
62.
|
Ext house Standing around table Steven illustrating how
the candle flew out of the holder |
00:15:45:03 Steven: There was another
time, much later that this candle literally pops up and down, there’s no way even if I hit the table that it could pop
out. 00:19:26:18 Steven: So as all of this
was coming in, we thought we should get some professional help with this
because we aren’t ghost experts so we contacted
Louisiana Spirits, it was pretty reputable. **Breath** |
63.
|
GHOST HUNTER MARCI |
2.5 mins |
64.
|
Jacki Driving |
VO: I’m
on my way to meet the team behind Louisiana spirits as they prepare for an
investigation at Chad and Stevens place tonight. |
65.
|
01.2 Lafayette LA Pt 2 |
[00:00:06] Jacki: Hey
Marci! [00:00:09]
Marci: nice to meet you! This is chance. Come on in! |
66.
|
|
Marci is school teacher by day, ghost
hunter by night. She says demand for their paranormal investigations has never been
higher. |
67.
|
|
Marci (00:48:50): We've
definitely seen an uptick for, for my group personally. Marci (00:49:24): because people are home more so they're
more aware of their surroundings. And I feel like a lot of clients are seeing
things or hearing things that are not in the normal. |
68.
|
Jacki and Marci sitting
on couch Shots of equipment |
VO: Marci and her team
rely on a mix of store bought and home-made equipment to investigate
paranormal claims. Upsot: CHANCE: It works on
electromagnetic fields and if anything comes near it, it goes off It’s not purely scientific –
but by collecting and collating data, Marci attempts to be as credible as she
can. |
69.
|
Jacki and crew leaving Marcis place |
00:36:34:03 Marci: I say we pack up
and head out |
70.
|
GHOST HUNTING |
3 mins |
71.
|
Sunset shot House shot fade 02 Lafayette LA Marci Master IV Marci and crew getting to
Trowbridge house and setting up |
MARCI // thought track 34:52: As a paranormal investigator, we need the data. So if we go into an investigation and we have a piece of
equipment going off, we're having a personal experience at the same time, we
capture a photo at the same time or an EVP at the same time, we can put all
of that together, kind of like a puzzle and create the scenario, the
situation that may have happened right then. |
72.
|
Crew getting equipment ready 02:03:43] (marci blows out candle) |
[01:26:52] Marci: I definitely want a camera in the two rooms on the third
floor. Marci talking into radio [01:40:38] Marci: UPSOT
ok camera 4, 3, 5, 8 and 1 are on now they look
good. |
73.
|
Moody dark shots |
VO: First up Marci tries
to capture what’s called EVP, electronic voice
phenomena. 02:17:39:19 Marci: its ok
to come and talk to us VO: It’s
the act of recording extremely low volume audio in hope that a spirit responds
to a question. 02:15:49:03 Marci: is
there a child up here? 02:18:51:11Marci: do you
like chad and steven? Do you like what they’ve done
to the house? |
74.
|
02:43:36:20 Jacki dancing for camera |
VO: So far
no response on audio – so next they try camera that can supposedly detects
spirits. |
75.
|
01.2 Lafayette LA Pt 2 Chance in kitchen with home made camera |
02:43:21:06 Chance: you
can see its mapping her. 02:43:28:03 Chance: See
how it moves on her and that’s what were going to
be looking for 02:45:30:08 Jacki: do you
think any of this proves there’s an afterlife? [02:40:40] Chance: we've had instances with this machine
SLS where they actually moved out of the way when we tell them all raise
their arms you can see them raising whatever that's kind of hard to debunk
when there's a question responding, so I would say yes. Upsot: Chance walking up stairs [02:51:27]
Chance: Anybody up here can you show yourself,
this machine will let us know your here it won't hurt you ***crickets**** |
76.
|
Marci wraps up the night EXT house – fade down |
AFTER 5 HOURS THEY’VE
FOUND NO CLEAR EVIDENCE OF SPRITUAL ACTIVITY [02:55:19] Marci: ok
guys I think we've done enough investigating tonight
I think we have enough evidence I think we should go and see everything down
and rap. MUSIC FADE DOWN |
77.
|
MORNING EXT offices |
VO: But,
the next day Marci tells us to get over to their offices …. 01:03:39] Marci: that's a piece of evidence right there They’ve found something
in their audio recordings 01:06:24] Marci: that's definitely a female voice saying who are you
talking to... That's a great catch. It's
great because chance asked the question then the equipment went off then we
have what sounds like to me a response “who are you talking to”.. definitely isolate that one
and keep it! |
78.
|
|
VO: Homeowners Chad and Steven
told chance about Chloe – a former deceased servant they believed could be
haunting their home.. |
79.
|
Jacki listens to Audio
recording |
01:16:17] Chance: Is
Chloe up here [01:16:18] Jackie reacts Upsot: Is Chloe up here Chloe: yes [01:16:38]
Jacki: what? [01:21:04]
Jacki: it's hard for me to trust that that there's like our real
evidence-based foundation to understanding what's in these recordings [01:21:14] Marci: right [01:21:18]
Jacki: but I also don't know what would prove to me that it's real [01:21:20]
Marci: the proof is for instance we only have a male presence in a room
and there’s a female response, then how would
you explain that? [01:38:34]
Jacki: what does this mean to you? [01:38:34] Chance: I
was always interested in eth unknown and this is
bringing some of the unknown into my realm like Chole telling me yes that
open my eyes that opened my eyes, I was listening back to that and thinking
maybe there is something unknown, not maybe, but she did she answer me there
is something there. [02:05:52] MARCI: I
think it comes down to people's beliefs I think that when you finally have
something happened to you I definitely think it
changes your mind about things (end scene grab) |
80.
|
AD BREAK |
|
81.
|
MICHAEL SHERMER - SKEPTIC |
3 mins |
82.
|
Drone shot LA @ 00:45:14:13 01:47:56:06 Sun through
trees/gravestone |
VO: I’m back in LA,
I’ve arranged to meet with a guy who takes a more sceptical approach to Gods
and ghosts. UPSOT: Michael listening
to audio Michael Shermer is a
science historian and founder of the sceptics
society… |
83.
|
Michael Shermer in Office
listening to audio on laptop |
03:40:56:09 Jacki: Tell me what you
think about the work that paranormal investigators do? Michael Shermer: (11:46) |
84.
|
|
VO: But when it comes to making sense of the world around us–answering
big, existential questions – even science isn't
there yet. |
85.
|
20210219 LA CA 01 @
03:07:13:01 Jacki walking with
Michael Shermer in cemetery |
LA 01 @ 02:55:01 Michael: I'd say we've come a long ways in 500 years
of science since the scientific revolution, but there's still a lot we don't know 03:07:39 Michael: We use these words like paranormal, supernatural as kind of
linguistic placeholders. Here's this mystery I'm
going to call it that, but that's not an explanation we still want exactly.
How does it work? VO: Believing in the supernatural
requires a leap of faith – and an increasing number of Americans are taking
that leap thanks to the fallout of 2020. Michael Shermer (03:38): But it's understandable that you know, with
so many people dying above the base rate of, you know, how many people die
normally from old age and flus and other diseases cancer in particular, you
know, that the number is quite high above that. And that's
what I think is pushing people, particularly in families that have been hit
by COVID where they become at least temporarily more religious, more
spiritual looking for some kind of stability. |
86.
|
Araceli |
|
87.
|
REEL: 20210220 LA CA 02 Araceli and son praying
at home |
UPSOT - Jacki: (06:26) Araceli is back home
after visiting the food bank and she’s grateful for the handouts that are
helping her and her son Gabriel get back on their
feet UPSOT: Saying prayer Not only has Araceli been
out of work, but she got COVID-19 and was seriously ill. At her lowest point she
thought she wouldn’t be around to raise her son. AT HOME Jacki (00:34:10): And who's this. Okay.
Wow. That's very good. Now why did mom survive
Covid? Son: Because you believed in GOD ? very good. Araceli: He surprises me every time with the
faith I think it cause he has it do deep. Araceli getting food out
of boxes Upsot: You know where’s the rice goes, in the cabinet on the bottom. Blessed, yet broke… it’s
the little wins, that are keeping Araceli going 00:31:46:11 ( funny moment) Araceli: A whole gallon
of milk! There’s rarely any milk, we were so excited
about this, there’s rarely any milk so this is really really
wonderful! |
88.
|
Walking out side pitting up balloons kids birthday party Araceli talking with friend Walking of with Gabriel / flowers in hair sequences. |
Upsot : 00:40:47:03 Putting up balloons and
one gets accidently let go VO:
And despite the setbacks today, she’s determined to give Gabriel a birthday party to remember
Upsots
of birthday party Araceli (32:17): this year has really brought me closer to God, it's
bought me to pray more, not pretty alone for the first time. I think I find
praying with my friends, even though they're
different denominations you know, from Buddhism Muslim, Christian, you know,
we're all together in this. Araceli (31:10) What's
kept me healthy in the way that I've been able to have a better attitude and
just be more positive has been just my faith. 33:16 I feel positive and I feel like, okay, I, I
have hope now I
have hope. |