Tag Archives: story

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

July 6, 2015

Posted under

Filmmaking

Comments

2 Comments

Abandon the Faith-Based Label

The Passion of the ChristThe Hollywood Reporter printed a guest column by Mark Joseph. The title was “’Faith-Based’ Is Not a Film Genre” and the column opened with a quote from the author. “I’ve come to the conclusion that the label is both untrue and unhelpful, and should be abandoned.”

Joseph is a marketing expert that has worked on the development and/or marketing of 40 films including, The Passion of the Christ, The Chronicles of Narnia, and, I Am David. His article opposes his success stories being lumped together with the myriad of bad Christian movies that, based on its significant volume, created the Faith-Based label.

I understand his concern, since in Hollywood the term “Faith-Based films” is synonymous with “bad Christian movies.” When a producer approaches a distributor and presents a Faith-Based movie for consideration, the distributor immediately tells him not to expect any revenue from the limited release. The shoddy contract supports the statement.

However, Joseph’s article fails to mention that marketing must label product in order to properly promote it. This is why most Oscar winning films are genre specific, which is easier to market. It’s not possible to market a film that is “sort of this and kinda like that, with a twist and biblical message.”

The real problem isn’t that the large number of Faith-Based films forced Hollywood to group the movies into a single label that preempts the audience with its consistently bad storytelling and lack of artistic prowess. The real problem is that those making Faith-Based films actually think what they’re making is high quality and they see no reason to improve their craft.

I’ve had several opportunities for funding that required us to add a handful of elements to satisfy the religious investor, which would destroy the storyline and artistic expression of the film. Having a history of making artistic story rich shows for most of the major networks, my integrity didn’t allow me to accept the terms and I  suffered the consequences of not being funded. Several fund worthy friends had similar experiences and we’ve all scratched our heads wondering why bad films are funded and great ones are not. This made me wonder if investors don’t truly understand how great story in film impacts society.

Some producers tried to re-label their Faith-Based films for a general release, but because the investor funded elements were present, the story was destroyed and the film received the unwanted label – Forcing the film’s failure in the marketplace. Not only did the films fail as predicted, but it also positioned the producers as liars.

Today, the only way to avoid the Faith-Based label, which alerts the audience that a film is bad, is to make a universal story picture for the general public. As for the biblical message, it can be lightly salted into the theme, where based on the art form, would have the greatest impact. This will also push the film to the largest number of people in each market, placing the message before millions worldwide.

Now, I understand that there is one other way to change the Faith-Based label to something meaningful that draws a new audience, but it requires those who participate in Christian films to judge and categorize each film’s actual level of quality. Bad films have to be called bad and compared to the good films, which must be called good. And, for those few great films, they too must be called great. Then, and only then, will marketers be able to clearly articulate the differences between Faith-Based films, recreating the meaning of the label.

Since most Christians don’t want to suggest that a film carrying a message from God is bad, this will probably never happen. Instead, the funds will eventually dry up and Faith-Based films will disappear until the next generation can find a way to make the films self-sustaining. I’d wager a guess that within the next ten years a new breed of filmmakers would step into the limelight and change the definition of Faith-Based films forever.

Copyright © 2015 by CJ Powers
Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 15, 2015

Posted under

Filmmaking

Comments

Leave a comment

Finding Your Style

Social media requires branding to successfully promote a product (film) or person (director). The packaging of the brand comes from the artist’s style, which he or she might not understand. Style is the essence of who the person is professionally as displayed over the long haul of a career (or season, in the case of those who rebrand or reinvent themselves).

Last Friday, I bumped into two young people who were talking about their future from a sterile vantage point. The black man talked about rising above his blue-collar job to management and the white woman shared how she positioned herself with her B.S. and Masters degree to become a social worker.

It was as if two stereotypes sat in front of me, so I asked a few questions and was amazed at the answers. There was one specific truth that I learned in those shared minutes that continued to echo in my head every day since: Artists can find their style by participating in three part impromptu sharing sessions.

SHARE WORKS IN PROGRESS

The man revealed his real interest wasn’t in management, but in music. While he wasn’t classically trained, he was confident that his music rose from his soul and could touch the heart of others. I asked him to sing a sample and we were all amazed at the tone and quality of his voice.

My eyes saw an hourly wageworker trying to make ends meet, while my ears heard a professional singer waiting for his magical break. More importantly, it became very clear that he had a new style that hadn’t yet been exploited within the entertainment industry and it was worth the listen.

He didn’t realize that he had a style, but it was clear to all those who gathered around as his voice attracted passers by. Can you picture the tone of a Sinatra mixed with the passion of a JLo? His style broke all stereotypes and was refreshing.

CREATE OFF THE CUFF MATERIAL

I asked the man if he could create something on the fly. He asked me to give him an example. Not being a singer, I asked if I could share a story. He shared his love for stories and asked me to proceed. After getting from him who the main character was and where the story took place, I started the story.

It was more fun watching the growing audience’s expressions than it was making up a story on the fly. The man was so amazed that he participated with emotional responses, as the main character experienced various conflicts. The audience also started to gasp and cheer appropriately.

I’ll never forget the disappointment on the man’s face when my story was cut off due to the circumstance at hand. He wanted more and I learned a lot about myself in those few minutes, as I got a glimpse of the style in which I shared the adventure.

DISCUSS EVIDENT STYLES

The audience and the woman witnessed two men with two distinct styles emerge in a short conversation. While time didn’t allow for it, each person was capable of sharing and discussing the styles that were evident in the presentations. That type of feedback helps an artist to focus on whatever rises from their heart for a future performance.

Discussing the styles also helps the artist let go of preconceived misconceptions, which I’ve personally struggled with. But I’ve learned that it’s not the style that makes the artist, but the artist that gives rise to a style. In other words, I firmly believe that depending on where we are in life, our style will shift and sway to reveal our heart whenever we create or perform.

My experience last week proved that artists can find their style by participating in impromptu sharing sessions that are broken into the following three parts: Share works in progress; Create off the cuff material; and, Discuss evident styles. The acknowledgement of what comes from the experience drives the artists to find his or her personal style.

Copyright © 2015 CJ Powers
Standard

Posted by

Posted on

June 12, 2015

Posted under

Filmmaking

Comments

1 Comment

Story, Structure and Style

© ktsdesign - Fotolia.comMentoring in the moment is an important function of giving back. Not only does it give me an opportunity to help new upcoming filmmakers move up a level in the business, but it also gives me a fresh perspective on what unforeseen industry changes might be slowly approaching.

In a recent conversation with a young female director, I was asked, “What are the three most important things that a director brings to a script?” After answering, I realized that there are indeed three specific things a director brings to a script that determines the success of a film.

STORY

The director brings the story to life by attaching his vision to it. He is responsible for finding the holes in the story and making it whole. He also has the power to determine how it is to be told and position it so the audience can easily understand and embrace it. If the story fails, it’s the director’s fault.

One first time director argued the point with me by suggesting he was not at fault, but his bad writer was to blame. I asked him if he was sure and he confidently defended his position. Once I could see that he put his entire defense into the bad writer, I asked why he chose to make the film when he knew the writing was so bad. His argument proved him to be either a bad director or a foolish one for shooting an unworthy story.

STRUCTURE

The director determines the beats of the film and the visuals that will best depict the story. He is responsible for the development of the characters and the emotional highs and lows of the picture. He even holds the responsibility to inspire his team to perform admirably within the confines of the budget.

An experienced director with 35 plus features under his belt told me that he left the structure of the film to the writers and director of photography, while he focused solely on the actors. I asked him how the film was translated from the page to the screen without his artistic touch. He suddenly realized that he had given up his artistic choices to chance happenings – When the written word happened to match well with the visual depiction.

STYLE

All directors have an artistic style that evolves into something that few can replicate. When a person watches a Woody Allen movie, everyone knows it’s his, even if his name was left out of the credits. Just sharing director names at a party immediately invokes the look, feel and overall style of his work within the person’s mind. Consider Hitchcock, Spielberg, and Nolan. It’s hard to say those three names without seeing their style show up in your mind’s eye.

I recently chatted with an up coming director who was struggling with his first short film. Every time someone helped him improve his story, he lost interest in it and started over. I realized that something about the suggestions must have spun the style of his show within his mind to become something he was no longer passionate about. This was disconcerting since directors always spin the suggestions into their own version that matches their stylistic vision.

Directors put their fingerprint on everything they do. It shows up in the perspective from which the story is told to the structure of its emotional beats to the overall look and feel that is presented. The director owns the success of a film and has the three key tools that place his fingerprint onto his work.

Copyright © 2015 by CJ Powers