Christians in Cinema BLOG

This week, oil prices continue to surge, jumping at least $7 since the beginning of the week. The U.S. economy is already feeling the effects of the housing market slump and its related credit squeeze. Some analysts predict the price per gallon will reach $5 easily before the middle of summer. The cost of oil has risen 25% since the beginning of the year and 400% since 2001. (BBC Business News)

You’ve probably already seen a corresponding increase in the price of food at the grocery stores, heating costs this past winter, and other transportation. So how does that affect the film industry?

Here is opportunity for the producer of high-quality, lower-budget independent films.

As the cost of travel in all forms increases (jet fuel prices increase when crude oil cost rises, and the cost of fuel accounts for 20 - 25% of airlines’ operating costs), we will make different choices for our leisure activities. Do you want to take your boat out on the lake, or would you rather put fuel in your car the next month? Do you want to see the grandkids? Maybe you should consider moving closer to them or purchasing a car like Fred Flintstone’s.

After doing a complicated series of equations,

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The Fireproof blog has some great BTS (behind-the-scenes) information and pictures posted. You can even catch a look at one of the early poster designs. It may not be the finished product, but gives you an idea of the design concept.

One entry I particularly enjoyed was the April 18th video showing part of the recording session for the score. Sherwood Baptist’s music pastor Mark Willard is overseeing the music for this film, as he did for Flywheel and Facing the Giants.

Speaking of music, attendees at the recent Gospel Music Association’s Music Week were treated to an “impromptu” screening of the film’s rough cut, as part of several events sponsored by Sherwood Baptist that week. A key part of the success of Facing the Giants was rallying grassroots support for the movie. What better place to start than at the Christian music industry’s big annual showcase?

While other films have benefitted from creating controversy, Sherwood Baptist has benefitted from telling a good story and getting people involved because they like what’s happening. What a concept! It’s a refreshing approach.

Will Fireproof have the box office and DVD success of Facing the Giants? Can the team get people to rally around their story of marriage in mortal danger? Is Sherwood Baptist building a library of films that improve with each release? Time will tell, but it’s a great lesson to study.

Joseph Simpkins, of Living Water Films, sent this link to a radio interview he recently did with Life Radio, 90.5, in Wilmington. They’re filming with the Red One Camera, and have drawn a lot of attention for using this cutting-edge digital camera.

The film? “Fatal Flaw”

The story? An ordinary guy living way beyond his means who racks up a huge gambling debt and faces an interrogation. Is there any way out?

They’re filming May 12th - 17th or 24th, and need extras. If you’re interested, contact heather@dv3productions.com or Joseph at info@livingwaterfilms.com.

Once finished, the film will have study guides provided for group discussion or sermon usage.

1. Networking - This Saturday, any filmmaker (currently working, retired, aiming to be a filmmaker, interested in films) interested in rubbing shoulders and exchanging ideas/phone numbers with other professional filmmakers (especially those working within Hollywood) should attend the annual Biola Media Conference. It’s an almost-captive audience. And when else will you have the opportunity to walk the streets of CSI: New York? Maybe many times when your TV career takes off, but until then, this is a great chance to be on the CBS studio lot!
2. Filmmakers like Todd Komarnicki (Elf, Perfect Stranger), Phil Vischer (Veggie Tales), Lisa Swain (Big Fish, America’s Sweethearts, Anger Management), and Wil Bigham (winner of FOX television’s “On the Lot”).
3. Special guests David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, and comedienne extraordinaire Anita Renfroe. The wild success of her videos on YouTube is a lesson in utilizing social media well, and led to her regular stint on ABC’s Good Morning America.
4. Workshops in Content, Production, Platforms, and Presentation are all geared toward the “Digital Age.”
5. Meet me. I’ll be there at a space for ChristianCinema.com, somewhere along the CSI: New York main street. Much as I like conversing with you in the blog, I’d like it even better in person. For anyone who stops by to chat, I’ll give you a month’s free membership to our DVD rental site.

How do you get your film in front of as many eyes as possible? There are many options available in traditional media:

• Billboards can be effective to get a brief picture in front of people
• Newspaper ads - for those that actually read printed media
• Magazines? Not so much - they’re so full of ads now that you might get lost in the sea of ads
• Television - almost everyone watches television, but what channel do you choose? For a long time, there were 3 major networks, then Fox became the 4th contender. Now, there are hundreds of channels available, each one catering to a different audience

The goal is engagement

Then came the internet. You definitely want a website for your film. You can post pictures, trailers, capture visitor’s information so you can reach out to them personally and thus really engage people. But how do you get traffic there?

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Director Dan Millican has posted the first trailer for his new movie The Imposter on YouTube. He was able to bring in 3 musical power hitters for lead roles: Kevin Max (formerly of dcTalk), Kerry Livgren (Kansas, AD, songwriter of “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind”), and Jeff Deyo (former lead for SONICFLOOd).

Interviews with each one of the leads will be posted here and at the ChristianCinema.com news section.

Word from Dan is that he’s finished the 4th edit, is going for the 5th, and will lock the picture this week. Sound is next, with hopes to have the whole thing completed by the second week of June. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

Warning: There are one or two small spoilers here, but it’s a documentary. No big plot surprises to give away!

I got Expelled late Friday night at my local theater. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many others who were expelled at the 10:00 PM showing I attended. How about you?

According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed $3,153,000 this weekend on 1,052 screens. The per-screen average was $2,997, ranking the film #9 out of all films this weekend. Of films debuting this weekend, it ranked 4th in total income and per-screen average.

My sister (a bio-agriculture researcher at Texas A&M University) saw the film this weekend with some of her friends, including 2 that are teachers. She said the theater was full, with a large number of students. We’re having an interesting conversation about it because Texas A&M (in College Station, Texas) has a fairly conservative student body with pretty liberal professors. With that kind of combination, this could be like igniting a powder keg.

She has spent her entire career in academia, and recognized the validity of the statements made by those daring to teach Intelligent Design. And as a scientist, she picked up on the trend that those upholding Darwinian teaching have made great leaps in their “guesswork.”

As I pondered the film this weekend, I was struck again by how incredulous it is to me that a tenured and well-respected scientist finds it easy to believe that life started from activity taking place around a crystal (he can’t say where the crystal came from). That is more believable than the existence of God? Maybe it’s just the word: God. What if the name was Elouisa? or Fred? Would that be easier to swallow?

If you saw “Expelled”, what did you think of it? What were the audience reactions around you? Do you know anyone stuck situations similar to those the scientists interviewed were in?

Is it a well-thought-out campaign or a runaway train?

As a follow-up to Part II, here’s proof that the folks at Premise Media and Motive Entertainment are excellent students of Public Relations. This quote from Christianity Today’s newsletter mentions the amazing amount of free publicity they have received due to the controversy surrounding Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

“After weeks of controversy—including booting one of its subjects out of a screening, and now a lawsuit from the producers claiming that opponents are trying to suppress their free speech—Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed arrives in about 1,000 U.S. theaters today. All the stories added up to a boatload of free publicity that the filmmakers never could have afforded. It’s likely showing at a theater near you, so you might want to get out and see what all the hubbub is about—and see if it lives up to all the fuss.”

I participated in a couple of the conference call interviews done to publicize the film (which included Ben Stein and the film’s producers), and while they did talk about the film itself, there was a lot of airtime given to the controversy. The second call I was in on PZ Myers (a Darwinian scientist and atheist who feels he was misrepresented in the film and is part of the counter-campaign) managed to break through into the conversation itself.

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Hollywood Connect is a ministry of Christians working in Hollywood that offers seminars, panel discussions, and one-on-one mentoring for Christians coming to work in Hollywood. They believe in “raising the bar for industry Christians to compete heavily in the secular Hollywood market and to influence our culture.” I had the privilege of speaking with Nancy Stafford (The Wager), a member of Hollywood Connect. Nancy is passionate about encouraging Christians to be part of the entertainment industry and work within Hollywood.

On the other hand, there are those passionate about wanting to wipe Hollywood’s influence off the globe. In a recent article for Crosswalk.com, Doug Phillips, founder of the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, stated that his “…vision over the long haul is to build a replacement industry…” [for Hollywood]. He points to promotion of a Biblical worldview and selecting Godly actors for key roles as critical components to films accepted for the film festival. He anticipates interest in “truly authentic Christian worldview moviemaking to increase in the next decade,” and he also foresees filmmakers rising out of the homeschool movement. (Though maybe not from California, since legislators are trying to force homeschoolers back into the public classrooms)

In his book “Roaring Lambs,” Bob Briner describes this subculture as the “Christian Ghetto.” He challenges people to tear down the walls around their ghetto so they can see the world and the world can see them.

Where are you? In or out? Maybe you’ve been both in the ghetto and outside the ghetto - what do you think?

Director - The Ultimate Gift, One Night with the King

Michael has a Hollywood career that spans more than 2 decades. His screen credits include writer, cameraman, director of photography, special effects cinematography, producer, and director on both television and feature film projects.

The only reason Michael agreed to this interview is because I assured him that every reader of this newsletter would purchase a copy of The Ultimate Gift on DVD (which is available this week). If you haven’t already ordered one, please do so immediately!

I met him in person at the ICVM catalyst conference in Atlanta, Georgia, where he presented a workshop on the Director’s role in a film from concept to marketing. As a very generous favor to a friend, Rick Garside, one of the event organizers, he made the round-trip to and from his home in less than 24 hours to participate in the conference.

Film school can’t guide you in the important areas like creativity, motivation and passion. Those come from within.

Michael likes to say that he has an “arranged” marriage. He met his future wife Susan in high school shortly after joining a little Baptist church in Wisconsin. She and her family had just moved over from England a few months earlier. Her mother was very hospitable, and even though they were the foreigners, Michael became a family member in no time. After high school they went their separate ways. Then, about 15 years later, Michael got a letter from Susan’s mother suggesting that since they had always been good friends, they should reconnect.

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Joseph Q Simpkins, who shared pictures from his new Red One camera, as well as special effects, sent me a link to a “sermon bump” filmed by Evan Vetter, the media guy at his church. It’s called “Pursuit,” and is really well done.

There’s a guy at my local church who is very gifted in capturing personal testimonies on video. That gift has been offered to our local Rescue Mission several times to create very poignant videos, and it has touched the hearts of everyone who saw his videos.

Some filmmakers will be on the big screen reaching millions of viewers, but so many more will be reaching the communities and churches right where they live. When you find someone with gifts like this, what are you doing to encourage them? How are you helping them find a place to use and develop their gifts?

Sunday evening those who attended the “American Idol Gives Back” taping were surprised that the final song was Darlene Zschech’s “Shout to the Lord.” For the second year, American Idol used its status as one of the most-watched television shows to raise funds for children’s charities around the world.

Various celebrities from sports, television and music were highlighted in videos made in areas of extreme poverty or need. We heard how their lives were affected by seeing others whose lives are a daily struggle to survive.

God’s name was exalted. Let’s be thankful.

There have been multiple posts about this event here, here, and here. Rather than start from the beginning of the song, which is “My Jesus, my Savior, Lord there is none like you. All of my days I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love,” they began from the second part of that verse: “My comfort, my shelter, etc…”

Why omit the first part? Is it offensive to say “Jesus” on live television? I guess it’s OK to say “Lord,” because that’s the name of the song. If you say “Lord,” you can mean anyone without naming them.

Regardless, God’s name was exalted on what might well be the most-watched show of this season. We don’t know the producers’ motives (according to Paul, we can’t even know our own), so let’s not second-guess. Let’s just be thankful.

A while back I wrote about expanding your network, professionally and personally. Sometimes it happens by design (you attend an event like the Biola Media Conference), and sometimes it’s coincidence.

Yesterday the uncle of the two brothers who started our company dropped by. He was visiting his sister and she wanted to show him her sons’ company. Turns out the uncle is Tony Sommers, a visual effects artist, who worked for Industrial Light and Magic (George Lucas’ company) for many years. He’s a credited artist and contributor on many of the biggest effects films - ever.

Remember Pearl Harbor? He created the planes. That’s cool. His career in the industry spans model-making to digital imagery to “hand stand-in” (for “Hulk”).

You never know who’s going to walk into your office, so be prepared. Maybe your co-worker’s second cousin’s father-in-law’s best friend was a set designer on your favorite movie.

Have any famous or close-to-famous or credited contributors to major films in your network?

Joseph Q Simpkins, of Living Water Films, is playing with his new Red Camera like a kid with a new box of crayons. And, like that exuberant kid, he’s getting outside the lines.

Check out this visual effects sequence done with Timothy Sullivan (script doctor from The List). Joe tells me the shot was done outside with no lighting with the sun hitting the green screen. That’s just about the worst thing you can do.

It’s amazing what can be done with great equipment, time to play, and fertile imaginations.

Disclaimer: No butterflies were harmed in the making of this video.

I just learned of new resource for artists in all art forms. It’s called The Grove Center for the Arts & Media. Located in beautiful San Clemente, CA, midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, this non-profit ministry seeks to help artists transform our culture.

Currently utilizing other retreat facilities, the organization owns a 12-acre avocado grove in north San Diego that will be the future site of a national retreat center for the arts and media. But they’re not waiting to build to take action. They offer several tools right now.

You can attend 1-day leadership retreats, become a member of the Grove Membership program, or form a local chapter of the Creative Edge Artist Network. Online tools are provided and monthly conference calls offer support as you develop an arts’ ministry in your church or hometown.

Though they are seeking ministry partners to help support their cause, the Grove Center also offers several downloadable short films and media. A portion of the proceeds will go to artist grants and scholarships through the Grove Foundation. I found I identify with “Easter, Then What?” and enjoy the humor of “Elevator Music.”

Check out this resource. The Grove has something to offer both artists and those who support them.

Joseph Q. Simpkins just sent pictures shot last weekend with the new Red One Camera. For equipment buffs, check out the company’s blog about the camera and where it’s being used.

The ease of use of a digital camera vs the more traditional film camera is something that could be really attractive to filmmakers. I heard about a film that had to re-do some footage because the film was damaged when the canisters were put through X-ray machines at an airport. That won’t happen with digital images. There are other issues, but that alone is enough to make serious consideration of this new camera very tempting.

Some of the directors known to be using Red cameras for all or part of their films:  Steven Soderbergh (Guerrilla, The Argentine, The Informant), Dean Devlin (Leverage), Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings), Stephen Sommers (GI Joe).

Another plus? The camera doesn’t carry the hefty price tag of a film camera. Those can go as high as $50,000 +. The lower price point makes the camera accessible to independent filmmakers, whose budgets don’t run as high as the directors mentioned above.

TwinCities.com and the New York Times published recent articles about a screening of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

The screening, held in the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, coincided with a convention of atheists. Both Dr. Richard Dawkins and Dr. PZ Myers, who were interviewed for the film, are devout atheists who were in town for the convention. When they learned the film was to be screened that week, they followed the website instructions to sign up for the screening.

Smart marketing move or PR nightmare?

The timing could be a great PR move - engage the enemy on his own territory by scheduling the screening the week of an atheists’ convention. That could be a brilliant move. Play that up and stir people up to attend in support of standing against evolutionists. Create some controversy and get an audience.

However it may have backfired. Both Dr. Dawkins and Dr. Myers registered on the film’s website and stood in line for the screening. Dr. Myers was pulled out of the line by a security guard and not allowed to see the film.

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ABC and Anita Renfroe just reached an agreement for the comedian (one of my personal favorites) to do regular contributions to the morning show in 2008. Anita first came to the attention of the show because of her “Mom’s Overture” on YouTube. Crown Video released her video to YouTube, along with several of their other comedians, in a smart marketing move.

They generated so much interest Renfroe came to the attention of one of the largest news morning shows. No small task.

Her recent videos (Total Momsense and the soon-to-be-released It’s Probably Just My Thyroid) follow several others that Renfroe has released in the last few years.

Here’s a great example of a huge break coming out of creating from an internet buzz. Congratulations to Anita and the guys at Crown Video!

Producer Dan Olds sent pictures of his kids in action on the set of his new movie “Song Man.” (Check out the ShoutLife page here.)

Daughter Hannah plays Sunny and son Josiah is Butch. They play a couple homeless of kids who befriend David, the main character.

David is an out-of-work young musician. He’s Jewish and struggling with life, love and faith, unaware that people all around the world are following his music and spiritual journey. Among his followers are a couple of contract killers who are trying to prevent him from claiming his rightful inheritance.

Dan’s wife Lori also had a significant role in the film as David’s (the main character) mom. You can see the whole family at left with director and editor Trevor.

Kudos to Dan for involving part of his family in the process. He hopes to have a first screener tomorrow. Much of the film was shot in Sacramento, CA, so if you’re from the area, you’re going to want to keep an eye out for this film and maybe catch some of your favorite spots around there.

Writer/Director/Producer Thomas Purifoy, Jr., (Modern Parables) recently employed what may be the youngest crew member in filmmaking history. Seen in her father’s arms, little Emily looks at home with the production equipment.

Because of his time in the Navy, Thomas is quite at home in the water, but says Emily is still a little young to go to sea.
But she’s not too young to talk over scene directions with her dad or give him ideas on camera placement.

It is fun to see filmmakers include their kids in the action (I heard recently that producer Bobby Downes’ son Brennen was a stand-in for Maxwell Perry Cotton on the set of Like Dandelion Dust).

What better way for the next generation of Christian filmmakers to learn their trade than at the feet (or in the arms) of the men who are breaking new ground?

Have pictures of your kids on the set with you? Send them to me with news about your film and we’ll talk about it here.