Today we’re switching gears. I want to talk about something I’m passionate about, which is God’s calling for artists both in skill and in wisdom. If this is a new subject for you, hang tight. I’ll bring it back around to filmmaking.
In Exodus 31:1-11 in the Bible, God gives detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle, the dwelling place for His presence among the Israelites. This was a real creative undertaking with specific requirements, materials, measurements, and symbolism, all meant to be carried out through physical form.
To carry this out, God does not simply hand the plans to leaders or priests. He calls specific craftsmen by name and equips them with both skill and wisdom to execute the work.
When I first came across the story of Bezalel in Exodus, it stopped me in my tracks. Because it was so specific. Bezalel is called out directly by God to help build the Tabernacle. And God does not say, “Find someone who can get this done quickly,” or “Use whatever tools are available.” He says that Bezalel is filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill in all kinds of craftsmanship.
That combination matters. Skill was only PART of the requirement. God wanted a human being who could think, feel, discern, and make decisions. Someone who could weigh proportion, symbolism, beauty, restraint, and purpose. Someone who understood that what they were building was not just functional, but meaningful. Someone who would bring glory to God in the process.
This is the first time in Scripture where someone is described as being filled with the Spirit of God, and that detail matters. It is an artist.
Craftsmanship Needs Wisdom, Not Just Talent
The Tabernacle was not improvised. Every material mattered. Gold, bronze, linen, wood. Every measurement mattered. Every symbol carried weight. Bezalel and Oholiab were not only talented craftsmen, they were entrusted with interpretation. They had to understand what something meant, not just how to assemble it.
Wisdom is not the same thing as experience, although it helps. The Bible describes wisdom as the ability to apply God's truth and knowledge to life, starting with reverence for God and leading to sound judgment, restraint, and obedience in action. Wisdom is knowing what something is for and making decisions that honor that purpose.
That is exactly how this applies to storyboarding and filmmaking.
Anyone can draw a storyboard frame. Anyone can add camera movement, lighting, and detail. The work that actually shapes a film happens in the decisions. What gets emphasized. What gets removed. Where the audience’s attention is guided and where it is not. Restraint is not a lack of ideas. It is evidence of judgment.
As a storyboard artist, this is the work I am hired to do. Not to generate options endlessly, but to help a director commit to choices that hold up. To protect the film from noise, excess, and indecision before it becomes expensive. Bezalel was trusted with sacred space because he could make those calls.
For filmmakers today, the challenge is the same. Tools are everywhere. Visuals are easy to generate. Iteration has no natural stopping point. But wisdom does not come from having more versions. It comes from knowing when a decision is right and standing by it.
That is why craftsmanship still matters. Not as nostalgia, but as disciplined, thoughtful judgment applied to real creative problems.
You do not have to be building a temple for your work to matter, though. For directors who see their work as a calling, not just a career, Bezalel’s story is a reminder that how something is made matters just as much as what is made. The people you involve shape the outcome. The wisdom they bring shapes the honesty of the final work.
Hiring craftsmen who are wise does not mean hiring people who agree with you on everything. It means hiring people who understand story, human behavior, symbolism, and restraint. People who can challenge you when something feels off and explain why. People who know when to simplify a moment instead of decorating it.
For readers who do not consider themselves Bible-believers, the principle still holds. Great art has always come from human judgment. From lived experience. From intuition that cannot be reduced to prompts or presets. You do not need to share Bezalel’s faith to recognize the value of wisdom guiding skill.
Near the end of this conversation, it would be hard not to mention AI. Tools are changing fast. They can generate images, styles, even entire sequences. But tools do not possess wisdom. They do not understand meaning, context, or consequence. They do not know why one choice carries emotional weight and another feels hollow.
Bezalel was not chosen because he could produce the most output. He was chosen because he could be trusted.
That trust is still what separates work that lasts from work that fades.
If you are a director working through a story, a pitch, or a film that matters to you, do not try to carry it alone. Bring in craftsmen who understand the human side of storytelling and make every choice with judgment. That is wisdom in action.
If you want someone to talk through your project with, I would love to have that conversation. There is no obligation. Just a chance to get the idea out of your head and into something clear.
You can reach out to me to set up an initial call and tell me about what you are working on.
📩 Reach out: paul@paultemplestudios.com
🎨 Explore more: www.paultemplestudios.com
Want more blog posts on this topic?
1. Drawing Faith to the Screen: Storyboards and Concept Art for Christian Filmmaking
2. The Value of a Story Partner in Visual Storytelling