Tonight at 8pm

You should turn on NBC and watch "The Jensen Project." Our buddy Steven wrote the original script for the movie, and he wrote and sang a song that is in the movie. I'm really excited for him - this is his first time doing something like this. Randy Jackson from American Idol picked all the songs, so he was probably more excited about his song getting selected than even about the movie. Hopefully the movie is good - he didn't get to write the final screenplay since he's not yet in the writer's union. No matter what, I'm super excited.

Steven's blog is linked on my site, as is Dora's wedding blog Viva Bella events. His music is at stevemanuel.net. (Steven led Kate's dedication, in case you're trying to place him...he's also our pastor.) Here's what the Cincinnati paper wrote -

P&G movie storyteller's big chance
By John Kiesewetter • jkiesewetter@enquirer.com
July 15, 2010

When Steve Manuel of Oakley saw the helicopter with "The Jensen Project" logo, he realized that he finally made it as a movie writer.

"We made this thing up on the phone, and now hundreds of people were making our vision become a reality," says Manuel, 37, a singer-songwriter-screenwriter, about his February visit to the Montreal set for the TV movie.

Manuel and pal Jeff Davenport of Denver created the story for "The Jensen Project," which debuts Friday night on NBC and is the second family-friendly NBC movie produced by Procter & Gamble and Walmart.

LeVar Burton, Kellie Martin and Patricia Richardson star in the film about a rogue genius stealing cutting-edge research developed by the super-secret Jensen Project.

It turns into a "Spy Kids" story when two teen-agers (Alyssa Diaz and Justin Kelly) try to rescue the boy's parents.

Manuel and Davenport pitched about three dozen ideas to Brian Wells of Cincinnati's Front Porch Entertainment, which is producing the films with P&G. He's an executive producer on the film.

"P&G makes movies much the way it makes soap, finding out what people want and need. Then they put the ideas into testing and see how people react. The Jensen idea got traction, so we expanded on it," he says.

The part-time music leader at Crossroads church also wrote "Anything Is Possible" for the TV soundtrack album produced by "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson. They met while recording the movie trailer music last month in Los Angeles.

Manuel was awestruck walking into a Hollywood recording studio filled with session musicians who had played with Paul McCartney, Sting, Michael Jackson and Madonna. Then Randy Jackson asked him to join back-up vocalists on a track, after working with Manuel's song.

"After plugging away for 20 years as a singer-songwriter, to be able to write, sing and perform for Randy Jackson was pretty satisfying," he says.

Manuel has been helping friend Sam Hills prepare to open the High Five hair salon Aug. 19 in O'Bryonville. Manuel's wife, Dora, plans weddings and events through her Viva Bella Events company in Kenwood. They have a 9-month-old daughter.

Manuel says he and Davenport want to write more for Front Porch and the P&G-Walmart family friendly campaign. The companies plan to make at least two more films, says Jeannie Tharrington, P&G publicist.

P&G launched the movie series in April based on research showing that only 23 percent of U.S. viewers are satisfied with family-oriented programming.

To Manuel, it's as simple as the "You Are What You Eat" message on his T-shirt.

"We want to tell stories that inspire, teach life lessons, and model integrity that impacts all who watch them," he says. "When you have good stories of hope and caring, then that's what people will aspire to do."