Christian films

[Fatolia]

I realize that this is probably technically not the correct forum to post this in, but since I 'know' most of the folks here, I figure I'd find some good responses.

As a film producer, I'm trying out, collecting and throwing around ideas about how to witness the Gospel through entertainment, to be creative and relevant while still showing the truth boldly.

Believe it or not, there is a steadily rising Christian film movement. I was at NRB last week in LA, and there's quite a bit of activity going on. Some of it's humungo...some not so humungo. There are multi-million dollar films in the works. TBN is making "One Night With the King." Christiano's working on another film after Time Changer. The Chronicles of Narnia will be released by New Line this fall. I met the producer of TLN, Jerry Rose, who made Peretti's Hangman's Curse, is wrapping up The Visitation and is now raising the funds for This Present Darkness(I'm excited about talking with him tomorrow). Zondervan also wants in on the Christian indie movement. I'm raising capital for a low budget feature. Act One now has a program to train Hollywood executives, massaging them into places where they'll be able to greenlight movies. A lot's happening...slowly but surely. (Keep us in prayer please!) It was cool to see Mel Gibson at NRB....he made a 'surprise' appearance.

So what kind of ideas do you all think would be cool for a film with a Christian message? I'd like to see some of your creativity. Let this be a brainstorming sketchpad! What kind of inventive stories can we come up with?

I suppose this IS relevant to the single's forum in a way, because often the best films are about relationships (in general). We might be able to cram on some ideas concerning singleness as well.

 

[plum]

(hi there, producer guy)
Well as a film crew woman and one who is clinging to Jesus Christ as his call on my life... I gotta say Christians shouldn't just be making kitchy "Christian" films. I'm not insulting all the names you just dropped, or you by any means. I'm just saying that reaching out to more than just Christians is KEY. With the Christian film industry, much of what's being made is being circulated in Christian circles, not many other places. I'm not saying they shouldn't be made, but Christians shouldn't just find a safe haven and stay there. I'm wondering what we believers could do to impact the larger industry, the "secular" market. It's not out of our reach.
We can make films that lead to Christ and Christlike thoughts and behaviors without preaching. We can communicate messages without making it cheesy...

If Christian filmmakers strive to make GREAT films that will reach many people, who wouldn't want to hire them? Who wouldn't want to work with them? If they are a living Christ in pre-production, on set, in the entire process and treat the process as a way to love the unloved... we'll see a bigger change in the industry besides a lot of new Christian films coming out. We'll see Christians as the reliable workers, the trustworthy and exciting team members... we could make them jealous for what we have that is SO lacking on set! Love, peace, encouragement, honesty, respect, humility...
just my humble $0.02 since I'm in it as well.

btw...i am SO stoked for the Chronicals!

 

[Southern Cross]

Ever hear of Stephen Lawhead's trilogy - Taliesyn, Merlin and Arthur? Or the Silver Hand trilogy? Both of those are fantasy based Christian trilogies that have all the makings of a great, and I mean great, story line. If I had to choose, I'd love to see The Endless Knot, The Paradise War, and The Silver Hand made into movies because they are deeper, with a story that hasn't already been told. It's as appealing as the Narnia series, only it's a far different story line for adults. I also really like Byzantium.

 

[Fatolia]

If Christian filmmakers strive to make GREAT films that will reach many people, who wouldn't want to hire them? Who wouldn't want to work with them? If they are a living Christ in pre-production, on set, in the entire process and treat the process as a way to love the unloved... we'll see a bigger change in the industry besides a lot of new Christian films coming out. We'll see Christians as the reliable workers, the trustworthy and exciting team members... we could make them jealous for what we have that is SO lacking on set! Love, peace, encouragement, honesty, respect, humility...

heh you're starting to sound like Amick Byram and Phil Cooke, both leaders in the "underground" Christian film movement, as I like to call it. The film I'm working on will hopefully reach many people, as I do very little preaching but instead show how Jesus affects a person's life.

As far as fantasy, those are great ideas. Now, if I only had the budget to do so...

 

[Nico]

yeah, i agree w/missju, what is the audience you want to reach (which you just addressed in the above post). without comprimising yourself and your mission/ideals, you have to really consider that audience in your production. i guess even if you're interested in reaching the secular world, are you going for the intellectuals?, average joe?, indie/artist/hipster? those things should effect the aesthetics and delivery.....and i do think that a number of christian films (although i admittedly haven't seen many, at least that i know of) have a tendency towards cheese. fantasy can be cool. i'm sure one could do amazing things w/the chronicles of narnia, as you mentioned, but there's also something to be said for addressing the here and now. although the issues of today are universal and timeless.....i sorta like using fables and fairy tales in a modern context. i don't know if that's a cop out, but i think that fables take real issues and just mystify them a little, but the heart of a fable is the heart of humanity. like for instance, i was thinking about taking the story of rapunzel and "modernizing" it. like rapunzel is this girl who, instead of being trapped in a tower, is trapped in her depression (which is the same thing, but a more "real" concept). i dont' know....i'm digressing. i guess what i was thinking was a few things, perhaps maybe some of jesus' parables. how can you modernize them and make them more accessible, and not in a cheesy way? but something that people can understand and relate to. i may be good, also, if you're interested in reaching a secular audience, to think about what it is that turns-off people from christianity and use that to your advantage, somehow. i also think sincerity and realness are important. like the christian character shouldn't be idealized to the point of cheesiness. "yay, the christian wins!" casue that's not really the case in the life of this world, yes in eternal life.....i dont' know of i'm expressing myself clearly.

anyway. i think it's really great for you to do. i think there is a need and you could really fill it in a way that is artistically amazing, challenging, engaging and interesting.

also, sorry, another tangent, inn thinking about this, my mind wandered to the band pedro the lion. the guy's a christian but he doesn't put out overly "christianized" unaccessible-to-the-secular-world music, but he doesn't hid his christianity either. but he's intersted in addressing real issues through music and doing it well. even though he's a christian, and puts it in his music, he's still respected in the indie community....

 

[the_man]

There are many Bible stories that could/should be brought to the screen.

I don't know why no one has picked up on this, but I think a 4 part series on King David will be one of the best movies.

What does this story not have? Just pointing out the hilites: he runs from saul, is best friends with sauls son, he defeats goliath, he becomes king, he does battles, he sleeps with basheba, he does more battles, his family goes to ruin, he is a writer, he fears GOD. The story is so rich. I would want it to be treated as carefully though as Mel Gibson treated the Passion.

Another great story is of Noah and the ark.

 

[Fatolia]

Nico, you hit on the same things that have been going through my mind for the past four years. How do you represent Christianity without the cheese?

I think I've finally figured it out. Bring the Christians in the film literally down to their knees. Make them the underdog. Make them weak. Then, while the worldly people go about their business and destroy themselves...what's left in the aftermath? Faith. That's black comedy and I think it will work wonders.

 

[Nico]

Nico, you hit on the same things that have been going through my mind for the past four years. How do you represent Christianity without the cheese?

I think I've finally figured it out. Bring the Christians in the film literally down to their knees. Make them the underdog. Make them weak. Then, while the worldly people go about their business and destroy themselves...what's left in the aftermath? Faith. That's black comedy and I think it will work wonders.

exactly. the other thing, which you mentioned, is not to preach , but rather to show . i would also leave the "inspirational" stuff to those who already make it and gets shown in sunday school. what are some of the bad/annoying things about the cheesy christian films? or any film for that matter. bad dialogue, certainly for one. bad score, also. i think also, depending on what you feel is important to your film, it's better to not hit them over the head with it all. subtlety tends to be more impactfull.

 

[Fatolia]

Ha you're right! Bad score is correct bigtime. That's why I felt led to become a professional composer (which I'm breaking into right now outside of making my own films.)

Nico, you seem like you'd be a good person to provide insight into Christian scripts and to give your "cheese-o-meter" rating, especially with your philosophising ways. Believe it or not, I appreciate someone who is very opinionated about my material, as long as they give valid reasons for their opinions. A lot of secular Hollywood execs just don't understand Christian media and aren't good at determining the spiritual impact of a script.

 

[Fatolia]

(hi there, producer guy)
Well as a film crew woman and one who is clinging to Jesus Christ as his call on my life... I gotta say Christians shouldn't just be making kitchy "Christian" films.

So what have you been doing?

 

[JPPT1974]

Let's see Noah & the Ark.
Esther
The eleven disciples aftter Judas Isacroft

 

[Fatolia]

If you're interested in hearing some of my work, tune in to the History Channel on Saturday at 11 PM. A show called "Investigating History: Medici
Assassination." I did the musical score for the show.

To JPPT:

Esther has been made!

Check out the following site: http://www.8x.com/onenight/ to see the trailer.

 

[infantyouthpastor]

Wow. The cenematography of this film looks awesome! That was my biggest peave of any christian film. One of my favorite movies now is Finding Neverland because of the cenematography paired along with a great storyline. The Bible is clearly one of the best stories ever written, and needs to be told in ways that are relevant...I hope to see "One Night with the King".

 

[renaistre]

I can't wait for someone to make a good movie about the Joseph and Egypt story. It's one of my favorites in or out of the Bible. I mean, think about it. A boy is sold into slavery by his brothers, he is put in prison because he sticks to his convictions, he rises to power and saves the world, or a good part of it, from famine. Then his brothers show up and after some suspenseful tests, he shows them mercy because he recognises that God was at work. I don't know... I get chills just thinking about it. Or maybe I'm just cold.

I think it is important to show and not preach. That's one of the reasons I love the LOTR trilogy. They aren't really "Christian" films, but there are so many Christian themes running through the story because of Tolkein's worldview.

 

[soda]

I second what missju said.

and I would love to see an A-christian movie! I think of Ben Hur or Titanic that moved the whole world! Moses', Davids or Joseph's biography are perfect for a blockbuster like that! but I also love fine stories, not "bible based", a little bit like "a walk to remember"...

I also would love to see something like Nemo with a christian background. This movie has so much moral-teaching in it without being stupid, boring, offensive or provocative.

 

[Sketcher]

I'm into CG and animation, and I would definitely like to get involved with Christians movies/TV shows. I'm not big into the cutesy stuff, though I do enjoy the newer Pixar films and of course Shrek/Shrek 2.


As for Bible stories, I recommend Judges to all you screenwriters out there. Gives us an excuse to make an action movie . But that's won't be good enough, we need more Christian stories. I mean STORIES, like Lord of the Rings. This is where we need good writers, alas I am not one.

 

[wildthing]

Don't forget .

 

[Sketcher]

THAT would not be decent. A XXX rated Christian movie, despite the context, would never look good.

 

[wildthing]

Sorry just having a little fun. I just wanted to see if anyone was a wake.

 

[boilerblues]

someone I know made the suggestion, "The Passion of Satan". Do a movie interpretation of CS Lewis' "Screwtape Letters". That would certainly get some people thinking.