Check out Contract: Redemption at https://www.facebook.com/ContractRedemption
Be sure to Comment, Subscribe, “Thumbs-Up,” and “Re-post.” (since “Like” and “Share” are not masculine words)
For more visit our website:
www.churchwithoutballs.com
Follow us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Church-Without-Balls/313264842031869
All the content, context, subject matter, and research contained in this video is copyrighted by TEAMinistries Inc. (unless otherwise noted) and cannot be re-published without proper citation and expressed written permission.
All visuals and audio contained in this video is copyrighted by Wildfire Media (except for some licensed graphics, footage, and/or audio, or unless otherwise noted) and cannot be re-published without proper citation and expressed written permission.
Blogging, other forms of social networking and “sharing” are encouraged as long as links are provided.
I think the intrinsic problem is any movie made with the explicit purpose of preaching, witnessing, evangelizing… any word you want to use, is bound to fail. People very quickly pick up the idea that a movie, song, art piece or anything like it is trying to force or imply a prerogative to them. I am a screenwriter and filmmaker, and I recognize in almost all Christian media ( I am a Christian) a purpose. It is not art, nor is it entertainment, it is a almost wholly utilitarian product set for a pre-determined goal – to preach either to Christians or to people pf other world-views. This undermines everything about the movie. Lets take a highly successful movie with a clear message, Avatar. Why was it successful? Well you could say it had a gargantuan budget, true that helped, but it was because the purpose of the movie was not environmental. it was technology, spectral and above all… entertainment. No one invests 250 million dollars to make a movie about environmental issues, they invest that much money because a quality filmmaker wants to make a highly entertaining movie.
That's why Left behind sucks (the new and the old) because it was made to preach about the end times, Fireproof sucks because it was made to teach Christians that God makes marriages last. They are all purpose built, not entertaining. The bad acting, directing, writing and production quality are all representative of that, if your movie is utilitarian, then the most important thing is to make sure the message is communicated accurately and not that the story be entertaining and compelling, not that the acting be real, not that the directing is unique or dynamic, not that the production is high quality because in the end, all that matters is the message and as long as that is communicated that's all that matters.
There is also an unhealthy lack of real criticism by people around the film because Christians don't want to seem mean and by criticizing a christian movie you are also criticizing the christian filmmaker and the christian message. I have seen all of these things first hand when I started out trying to work with christian productions, it was terrible and lead to bland, flavorless work that was watered down.
Christian movies are not only only ones to suffer from this. The powerful and wealthy Church of Scientology has made two high budget terrible movies with good writers and actors and they still failed horribly (After Earth and Battlefield Earth)
If you are a Christian who wants to make movies, do yourself and God a huge favor, do not make movies because of some perceived obligation to convince people of your perceived truth. Do not make "christian" movies because that's what you "must" do because all art one does most be for and about God or Jesus or any other aspect of religion. Make movies because YOU LOVE IT, because you want to make them. Write movies you yourself feel excited for, that you are compelled and challenged by. Don't limit yourself by making purposes and goals that you have to work everything else around. Also make movies that are ambiguous, that make people think, not spell everything out to them.
Who you are and what you believe will come out in the final product regardless of anything else.
This is awesome man. I want to work with you on some of this stuff.
Christians don't know the basics of filmmaking it seems.
I'm atheist. And this guy is right on the spot.
kudos for nailing down the elements of why christian movies turn out to be terrible. hope your move goes well and help pave the way of good christian movies. and also, kudos for for taking inspirations from hitman.
Yeah, make a good movie. That is it. Make a good movie, weave in good symbolism and don't preach. And you know you end up with something very watchable.
I am a church drop-out. I will go a Xtian movie if you pay me see it
I agree, even overtly Christian film from classic Hollywood were entertaining. DeMille understood this, and although he is remembered for his Biblical films, he actually made films in many genres. A fact that many Christian film makers seem to resist.
It's the same concept that you shouldn't have to be Japanese to draw manga and create anime from it.
Ben Hur is another good one.
Your must entertain me. You must insist on making a superior entertaining product first & foremost. Be clever & not stick Jesus in there in a ham-fisted manner. Audiences are too sophisticated to fall for lazy Hallmark channel shtick.
Sergeant York is another good old (1941) film with christian elements. It's actually one of my favorite war movies.