Last month Sharon McKannon was on set for the filming of The Chosen series, and hearing her discuss the experience, you can’t help but feel the excitement and joy that she had being a part of the show! Sharon has had a vision for Bible fair where participants can experience the culture, clothing, scenery, food, and stories of the Bible, so when she was introduced to the streaming series, The Chosen, she was hooked! The series is a dramatization of the life of Jesus and his disciples as it portrays events in the Gospels. As you watch the show, you can see the culture of Jesus’ time through the visuals the show provides.
We sat down with Sharon to learn more about her experience on set and her excitement to share that experience at All Saints’ Church.
How did you get connected with the production to be an extra in the upcoming third season of The Chosen?
I follow the production updates for the series, and when they announced that they were going to have fans join for the filming of the scene where Jesus feeds the 5,000 I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. You had to donate to be invited an extra, and I originally planned to go with Sandi Clark, but she was unavailable the weekend they scheduled it for. I was hesitant about going by myself at first, but the filming was full of believers who were so friendly and welcoming. On the morning the buses took us to the set to film, we were greeted by Dallas Jenkins- the creator and director of the series! Everyone who was there was so excited and full of joy-it was contagious!
What was that experience like being on set?
It was so hot! But even with the heat, everything was so well organized and coordinated by the production team. They provided our meals for the day, and buses to the filming location. There was live music happening while we were waiting for the filming to begin that made it feel like a concert. There was even a gift shop! We all made and brought our own costumes. Once it was time to film we were all seated in the field. I wasn’t sure where most of the filming would be, but I ended up in a great spot-right where one of the disciples was passing out a basket of bread. Jonathan Roumie, the actor who played Jesus, walked right by where I was sitting! Since the scene was Jesus feeding the 5,000 one side had disciples handing out baskets of bread and the other side had baskets of fish. I was thankful I wasn’t on the side with the fish because they were real fish heads! Getting to experience the production was interesting because we saw all the cues and signals when it was time to film. It was a long day, but I met some great people, and was so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this series. There was a lot on the set that I took note of to create at All Saints’ for the Road to Resurrection! It was so inspiring being with that many believers to recreate an event in the Bible!
Tell us about your Bible study on The Chosen series at All Saints’ Church?
Yes, that started in January with Season One and the corresponding Bible Study that went along with the series. It was great to watch the series with a small group and discuss the passages it portrayed. The Bible Study was good, but definitely suited for newer Christians. Sandie Sierra led the Season Two study in the the spring.
Are you planning to resume in the fall?
Yes, they’ve created DVD’s of the series that include commentary and extras- specifically they have commentary from a priest, rabbi, and an evangelical minister to discuss the episodes and go deeper. I would love to go through that for Seasons One and Two in the fall in preparation for Season Three to come out in November. There is so much in each episode!
If you haven’t seen The Chosen, you can check it out here. Stay tuned for more information about the study resuming in the fall! Take a look at some of the great photos Sharon took below!
