Last Christmas, Angel Studios released KING OF KINGS; this year, they’ll follow with the film DAVID. The animated film and accompanying five-part television series expand the 2023 animated series YOUNG DAVID. Its release during the Christmas holiday makes it a fitting choice for families seeking inspiring and faith-filled entertainment.
DAVID brings to life the timeless story of a young man who trusted God against all odds. The movie tells the biblical story of David — warrior, poet, shepherd and eventual king. One of the most fascinating figures in history, David’s journey tests the limits of loyalty, love and courage. Driven by purpose while being pursued by power David’s battle is not just for a crown, but for the soul of a kingdom.
“I remember when I got the audition for DAVID the first thought I had was, ‘I want to see this movie.’ A movie like Prince of Egypt meets Tangled? Sign me up!” says Brandon Engman, who voices Young David. “Along with the audition sides they sent a sketch of Young David. That alone got me excited. I knew this movie was going to be something special, and I also thought, ‘Hey! He kind of looks like me…’”
Animating David
Animation crosses race, cultural, age and gender barriers better than any other medium. It was the hope of the director/producer to reach a wide audience, so animation was the perfect platform. Brandon Engman adds, “I had just started auditioning for voice over acting, so it was all fairly new to me. The thought of actually getting this job was a long shot, but I was just glad this story, a story that I always resonated with, was finally getting told as it should: in a big animated movie musical!” Though the story of David deserves to be told in this avenue, there are some biblical themes and elements of David’s story that are too mature for younger audiences. “Therefore, early on we realized that 100% accuracy to the telling of events would not be possible and so we strove instead for the word ‘authenticity’. I wanted to be authentic to the times of David, to make sure that we saw the world through his perspective and used language that was appropriate for his understanding of God and the world. His behaviors and language needed to align with the Torah, not modern Christianity,” Lynton Levengood, the Production Designer and Head of Research explains.
Essential to being authentic, is being rooted in the Bible. The Biblical text would be the lens through which everything else would be interpreted. “When I found out I booked the part of Young David it was surreal. I couldn’t believe it. This was one of my first ever voice over auditions and now I was going to play one of my heroes? But that over-the-moon feeling quickly turned to anxiety: ‘How am I going to do David justice? How am I going to play this character that so many people look up to?’ I instantly got to work trying to fully understand who David was, and where did I start? The Bible.”
The team connected with historical, scriptural, spiritual and cultural experts to gain deeper knowledge of David’s story. During research trips to the real locations mentioned in the Bible, the crew gained first-hand experience of the landscape in which David lived. “From gazing upon the rolling hills and shepherding fields around Bethlehem, to walking through the valley of Elah where the battle between David and Goliath took place, we could fully immerse ourselves into David’s world,” states Levengood. Their guide was always careful to line up what was backed by archaeological discoveries versus what were religious traditions. Levengood mentions, “Museums can show us recreations of architecture and prized artifacts, but these are often restrained academic interpretations. The David movie provided the opportunity to take all the information available and present it in a new light. In place of artifacts neatly lined up on shelves in sterile halls and studio lighting, we could connect history with the human condition.”
Brandon Engman continues, “Over the next couple weeks I read every part in the Bible where David showed up. I thought it would spark my creativity, but turns out the Bible can be pretty dense… haha. After that exercise wasn’t very fruitful, I then simplified my process. I simply asked myself, ‘Okay… how did David defeat Goliath?’ The answer that came to my head was, ‘David was true to himself and he didn’t fight alone. He had God by his side.’ That, then, became my motto during this project.”
Although Brandon Engman’s character is the namesake of the film, David is not the main character. Engman and the rest of the team had the incredible challenge of personifying God throughout the film. “The main goal and the most difficult part of our job on this movie was a very specific task, and that was dealing with the main character of all, who’s not visible, not drawn, but has to be present at any time through the thoughts and the lives of the others. That character is God, who leads our hero’s life from the very beginning and needs to be there, in David’s soul, from the start to the end of the story. That was really something very special to make,” explains Borja Montoro, Character Designer. Throughout the film, you find God in nature – such as a butterfly, the wind or the sky. The intention of the filmmakers was to focus audiences on the presence of God.
David Movie Team
Although the story of David occurred thousands of years ago, just like all Biblical stories, it still resonates today. “The Bible is rich in parables that guide us through life. As the Master story teller weaves together the tapestry of life, weaving in our stories, the tapestry is rich with colour and beauty.” states Jacqui Cunningham, Executive Producer. David’s story is incredibly relatable, and it has impacted the lives of people young and old. “I have always looked up to David. Growing up I was the smallest kid on the sports field, but knowing the story of David and how he took down Goliath always gave me the strength to know that I, too, can slay giants.”
The Goliath of this film wasn’t the character himself, it was presenting the monumental character of David. Brandon Engman expresses, “I tried to bring myself to the role because David was always unapologetically himself, and I also kept reminding myself that it wasn’t just me bringing Young David to life. God was helping me. But not only was God helping me, everyone working on this project was too. From the director, writers, animators, the casting director, my singing coach, music producers, etc., we were all bringing Young David to life. I think knowing that and constantly reminding myself of that really helped me be free in my work. It helped me not feel the weight and massive responsibility it is to bring Young David to life. Whenever I had a fear of doubt, I always reminded myself that I had an amazing team behind me and that I had everything I needed within me.” Phil Wickham, who voices adult David similarly says, “What a blast and a challenge it was to not only voice the character of David, but sing in his voice as well. It wasn’t an easy task to put aside myself as a singer and an artist, and take on this character I was bringing to life. Thankfully, the incredible team I had coaching me along the way made it an incredible experience.”
Teamwork was an essential part of the development of this feature film. Not only did the team rally around the characters, they rallied around each other. In an industry full of ego and self-focused ambition, the making of David required collaboration. “The art process was uncommonly collaborative in that artworks would be passed back and forth through multiple artists to achieve a look that reflected a sum greater than the individual parts. A radical ‘No Ego’ approach allowed artists to contribute their greatest strengths which served as a real foundation of pursuing excellence, that I believe led to a final product that is truly special and has its own unique voice,” explains Levengood. The entire team felt pushed in new and challenging ways, helping them grow in skill as well as spiritually.
“Playing Young David has been an honor of a lifetime. I have so many incredible memories, but like everything, it wasn’t always easy. There were definitely some moments where it felt like I was going up against Goliath, but just like David, I overcame those obstacles,” Brandon Engman concludes. “I am so thankful for this incredible project and the journey it has given me. I feel so blessed to get to be part of it, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.”
