Filmmaking: Mixing Pros with Amateurs

The six-minute short film Family Law, produced by Royal Entertainment in association with Powers Productions, saw a mixed cast and crew of professionals, semi-pros and amateurs.  While everyone gave their best, I saw a unique difference between the experienced and the non-experienced.

Knowing in advance that I would be directing a mixed crew, I called a meeting at the beginning of the shoot to share how I work, and explain on-set etiquette. I also talked with several members of the cast and crew in advance to get a feel for their backgrounds and abilities. During those discussions, I asked key questions of each person, according to their production role.

When the inevitable problems arose on set, the professional would immediately notify his or her department head and the issue would be addressed in time for the problem to be overcome. Some of the amateurs, who wanted to make sure they did everything perfectly in hopes of being on the next production, kept quiet about their mistakes. This silence resulted in costly postproduction nightmares.

CJ Powers works with Francine Locke and Dan Bredesen on Family Law

I noticed that when asked a difficult question, most newbies told me they were familiar with what I was looking to achieve and confirmed that they could do it. The pros shared that they might be able to accomplish what I was looking for and then asked me a series of questions to clarify their understanding of my vision. Once on set, I realized that the professionals gave me exactly what I asked for and it became very clear that the amateurs hadn’t understood my goals, let alone … Continue Reading

Movie Review — When Love Walks In

When Love Walks In

Film Review

“When Love Walks In”
Available on DVD from paladinpictures.com
Reviewed by Doug Phillips

I attended the World Premiere of this wonderful Indie film, and met the Williamson brothers, at the Bare Bones International Film Festival in Muskogee, OK, in April 2005.

The film won four awards at that festival: Best Actress (Terri Moore), Best Clean Flick, Best Soundtrack (it features clips of 19 songs by Indie musicians, including several from Virginia artist Terri Allard) and Best Marketing (in addition to several other means of getting their message out, the Williamsons had a low-wattage radio transmitter in their vehicle).

Since then, the film has picked up awards from other festivals, and was granted the Dove Seal of Approval.

The Williamson brothers’ company, Paladin Pictures, is dedicated to producing quality, positive films.  They deal mostly in doctrinal and documentary material.  To my knowledge, this is their only foray into dramatic narrative film.

The plot is a variation on a common romantic-genre theme.  The lead couple is attracted to each other, but something keeps them apart until … Continue Reading

Movie Release Timing Is Everything

Supply and demand is not considered by our industry

In the not too distant past, George Barna of the Barna Research Group released survey results stating that Christian families desired to consume 2.5 Christian videos a month.  This announcement revealed a market big enough for 30 new Christian film releases each year, placing the demand much higher than the industry could produce.

Last month I was made aware of four Christian films releasing.  Since the market can only afford to consume 2.5 videos in a month, the films were forced into competition for market share – each film making far less money than anticipated.

The odd thing is that there will only be about 12-14 Christian films this year and had the filmmakers communicated about release dates and shifted accordingly, each filmmaker would have generated approximately twice their actual revenue.

While a little competition is healthy to force higher quality stories, there is no need for it.  The market is big enough for everyone to be profitable, if the Christian industry plans things out well.

In fact, with an organization like HOSFU connecting filmmakers together through Christ, they might naturally fall into managing industry calendars.

What would happen if HOSFU posted release dates of all Christian films?

If I were releasing a drama, I would release the same month as a comedy.  If I were releasing a shoot’em up action film, I’d do it in a month when a sobering drama was being released.  As for my experimental film, I’d release it in a month where … Continue Reading

Principal photography begins on Soul Surfer – Bethany Hamilton’s Story

Bethany Hamilton's story will be told in SOUL SURFER

Sony Pictures Entertainment Company and Affirm Films have announced the start of filming on “Soul Surfer” – Bethany Hamilton’s story of loss, courage, and faith in God.

The A-list cast includes Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, Carrie Underwood, and AnnaSophia Robb.

Transporting a real-life tale of adventure, tragedy, courage, and a story as impressive as Hawaii’s most famous waves, principal photography began this week on the North Shores of Oahu and Kauai, on Soul Surfer.  The inspirational film is based on the autobiography of 19-year-old champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who, for over six years, has defied all odds to compete and win professional championships after losing her arm in a shark attack at age thirteen.

Soul Surfer stars Golden Globe nominee Dennis Quaid (as Bethany’s father Tom), Academy Award winner Helen Hunt (as Bethany’s mother Cheri), Young Artist Award winner AnnaSophia Robb (as Bethany Hamilton) and four-time Grammy winner and platinum-selling music artist Carrie Underwood (as Church Youth Leader Sarah Hill) in her film debut.  The cast also includes Lorraine Nicholson (as Alana Blanchard) and Kevin Sorbo (as Holt Blanchard).

Newly launched Mandalay Vision and Brookwell McNamara Entertainment and Life’s A Beach Entertainment present Soul Surfer, a Sean McNamara Film, distributed by Affirm Films, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, financed by Enticing Entertainment and Island Film Group.  Sean McNamara will direct from a screenplay by McNamara, Deborah Schwartz, Douglas Schwartz and Michael Berk based on the best-selling novel Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton.  Contributors to the screenplay include Ron Bass, Jen Smolka and Kara Holden.  The film is produced by Douglas Schwartz, David Brookwell, Sean McNamara and Roy Dutcher Hofstetter and executive produced by David Zelon, David Tice and Dominic Ianno.

Chronicling the rise of a promising young athlete, a debilitating tragedy and one of the greatest sports comebacks ever, Soul Surfer is a poignant story about the heart and soul of a champion.  Hawaiian native Bethany Hamilton entered her first major surfing competition at age eight, going on to win contests such as the 1999 Haleiwa Menehune Championships and competing in the National Scholastic Surfing Association circuit.  By thirteen she was well-respected in the surfing world, but her dream of becoming a pro surfer was interrupted, on October 31, 2003, when she was attacked by a 14-foot … Continue Reading

Christian Filmmaker Forced To Make Gay And Lesbian Films

If the above headline were true, would it outrage you for having lost your freedom of speech?

We all remember the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) membership controversy with numerous lawsuits attempting to force BSA to put avowed homosexuals into leadership roles against their Scout Oath, Law and Values. While the state and federal courts have continued to uphold their rights, BSA continues to spend large sums of money to defend themselves in court.

Not only has the country’s largest private youth organization continued to be pulled into battle, but eHarmony was added to the mix. Constant lawsuits forced the dating giant to succumb to pressure and create the site “Compatible Partners” for the gay and lesbian community. Once the foothold was in place, eHarmony found itself in more legal battles until their settlement last week causing them to merge subscribers of their gay and lesbian site with their Jewish, black, Christian, and senior sites. … Continue Reading