Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Ken Anderson Films building on Winona Avenue in Warsaw houses much more than the former filmmaker's library of Christian films.
In 1991 InterComm, a nonprofit company, was organized to distribute Anderson's films and produce new works.
In January, Servant Group LLC was created. The corporation includes Servant Records and Servant Studios.
"We can compete with any studio in Indiana," said Intercomm and Servant Group CEO Doug Haines. "Since Ken Anderson was such a success in movies, why couldn't we do the same in recordings?"
The studio features a Pro Tools HD3 Accel, which allows 128 simultaneous audio and 256 MIDI tracks. Kosciusko County singers Tiffany Polston of Warsaw and Michele Payton of Syracuse are the first two artists on the Servant Records label.
Haines, who also is an executive producer, producer and songwriter, joined Lane and Ken and Jill Anderson 18 months ago. A 1973 graduate of Warsaw Community High School, he lived in Chicago, returning to Warsaw to be near his widowed father.
"Michele writes her own songs," Haines said. "She records them here. The instrument tracks are laid in Nashville by some of the best studio musicians in the country.
"No matter how I think the music will sound, they enhance it," Haines said.
Payton's CD "On My Mind" is complete and being distributed. Polston's "Tiffany's CD" was postponed when a songwriter pulled two songs at the last minute.
Servant Records is negotiating with eight other recording artists, Haines said. Once 10 artists are signed and their CDs are complete, plans are to promote the works through Ingram Distribution. Based in Nashville, Ingram is the largest distributor of Christian media in the country. The albums also will receive nationwide exposure through the Bryan Farrish promotion agency, which offers guaranteed radio air time and venue bookings.
The studio is available for recording sessions from 9 a.m. to midnight.
"The only stipulation is the recordings have to have a positive message. They can be Christian in nature or sad country songs. No profanity, no racism or negativity," Haines said.
The staff of four full-time and four part-time people also offers Web site development and media transfers (film or tape to digital video discs or compact disc). Grace College and Seminary, artist Robert Hudson and Montieth Tire all have new looks on the Internet developed by the Servant Group.
"There's a little asterisk in the corner of pull-down menus. Clicking on it takes the user to another page. Little things like that appeal to the avant garde Web surfer," Haines said.
Down the hallway, Ken D. Anderson dubs native languages on the soundtrack of his father's films. Ken O. Anderson produced more than 80 films in various countries. The elder Anderson taught at the Haggi Institute for 17 years, filming in such places as Singapore and Maui. The scripts were in English.
"There's a huge demand for the films in other countries because they don't have [evangelical] films in their own language," Anderson said. The Anderson films of the 1960s and 1970s have found new life.
"I'm a quasi-junior," Anderson said of the name he shares with his father, who is now 86. "Dad was Kenneth O. I'm Ken D. and have a son, who attends Grace College, who is the real junior.
Last week Anderson dubbed the "Mark of the Red Hand," filmed in Bangalor, India, in Tamil, a Sri Lankan language. The movie also will be available in Sinhala, another native tongue in Sri Lanka.
InterComm produces Christian films, videos and filmstrips for use by missionaries and mission organizations. They are in the process of producing PowerPoint and Flash as well as streaming video and audio in world languages.
Nationals are trained to use audiovisuals more effectively with InterComm equipping them with film, video and filmstrips to present the gospel to their people.
