Additionally, the filmmakers I talk with have a common response to your questions. Just get out there and do it! There are some great books on filmmaking that can help you think through your process - how much will it cost? How big will it be? What kind of locations/equipment, etc., do you need?

But the best thing? Just go for it! If you don’t have experience in filmmaking, find someone making a film & go help them. Do whatever you can to be around other filmmakers. Then take what you learn & jump into practice. There is no substitution for that.

There is also a Yahoo forum group for Christian filmmakers that you can join & find ALL KINDS of help - it’s incredible how much discussion is going on: http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/ChristianFilmmaker/

But again - do the “Nike” thing and go for it! Do your best with what you have right now - don’t try to make a huge blockbuster, but make the best film you can with the resources you have.

Let us know how it goes!

I was really impressed with Facing the Giants and have been reading about there ‘formula’ with making the project. I understand each project is unique in it’s goals and ideals, but is there a general consensus on how to get going?

Both of those movies gave me the push I needed to create the film we are shooting in the next few weeks called STANDING FIRM (http://www.standingfirmmovie.com). Besides a few donations all of it is personally funded, so it made things difficult but we’ll be ok.

I think Sherwood has THE model to follow for Christian filmmakers, whether you like their films or not. They got it right, plain and simple. We are following their model as closely as we can. Success isn’t guaranteed as previously stated, but if you keep plugging away every day working towards what you feel God has called you to do, praying to him in times of trouble and for questions, he’ll bring you through…very simple concept. Not saying I know in what way he will but thats not for me to know. We’re going to make the best film we can, and leave the fruit in the Lord’s hands where it always is.

I can think of no greater success for the film than to get a letter telling me someone made a decision for Christ. Financial return is something that is needed if we wish to continue making films, but its all icing on the cake in my opinion.

Business wise, I just hope to make a 2nd film thats my hope. I can’t fund a feature film twice, so it definitely is a risk but if I was 100% sure everything was going to be just peachy I wouldn’t need much faith than would I? Biggest thing I’ve learned is to let go of whatever I think should be done and ask God what should be done.

We’ll see where He brings us.

This is not a call for Christians to blindly spend their money either. It’s just that it appears some Christians who are financially able — might not consider this as a relevant place to put forth their investment. They might see a Christian in their congregation doing this and not realize that they can greatly support their God-given expression. Also there is a temptation for an investor to want to control the project and that’s another issue to deal with.

There’s not room in this forum either to discuss the legal issues and the aspect of bringing business into a place of worship either. This is a touchy issue that has not yet been resolved There is definitely a balance that only the Spirit of God can lead us to.

I also agree also that the filmmaker should indeed be prepared and have their fields ready. We do our best and God does the rest

Such great thoughts about the challenges in filmmaking, and the distinction about audiences and investors vs. volunteers.

I think a very common thread for the filmmakers I’ve talked with is they have each found their own distinctive path through prayer, discernment, and counsel.

Tom - great suggestion for people watching to think about becoming investors - but a word of caution. Only do that if God confirms it, and with no expectations.

And I think as filmmakers we have to have a good business plan and be honest with our investors - it could take a while to get the funds back from a film. Not every one is a blockbuster out of the starting gate. Some take time to build, but do your homework ahead of time and show your investors that you have a plan.

There’s a line from Facing the Giants that says “Prepare for rain.” That’s a Biblical principle - prepare for God’s blessing. Do your work to make the fields ready - do your part.

Even as Christians in film we can get caught up with our calling and lose sight of Him who called us. For us as believers in filmmaking, sometimes God strips away the “formula” from us and stretches us and purges us to complete reliance on him. What is supposed to work all of a sudden doesn’t work — we then must trust him. This is just the way it goes. On the other hand we must still research and learn what does work on the business side of things. That’s wise stewardship.

I think this is also a lot about perseverance. If we know this is God’s will for our lives are we going to give up when adversity and storms come? Or maybe the adversity has come to make us stronger. Look is it really too difficult for God to provide 100 thousand dollars to make a film? Was it too hard for George Mueler to pray and God brought food to the table at his orphanage or provide the money for what he was called for? Is it too hard for God to provide a million dollars for a movie?

But I don’t know how this formula can work for all Christians who run a film company - especially one that is for profit. This becomes a gray area. Because when a filmmaker approaches a church - they might look at the filmmaker (even though he or she is a Christian) as a business rather than a ministry. And what if that Christian is another denomination or another church. Volunteering is a little harder to find unless their own church supports the project. When it is a church project — the whole congregation when united can do so much because they are working together in support of their church and for the LORD (and that goes for anything) but I’ve seen at times that churches are supportive, but only to a certain extent…

What if a filmmaker desires to pay their crew and do things right but doesn’t have the funds. Volunteers, since they are not getting paid are not always be reliable. Thus the filmmaker gets extremely discouraged.

For Facing the Giants they were able to raise one hundred thousand dollars, which isn’t a lot of money for filmmaking according to Hollywood’s standard, but on the other hand it is a substantial amount of money still yet for an independent DIY (Do it yourself) Guerilla filmmaker. It can provide for his or her family for two years as well as provide for some additional professionals.

I know a Christian filmmaker who had been looking for investors on a film they were developing and they had a screening of a film they finished and a lot of folks from that filmmaker’s church came in support to watch the film, but I don’t know if folks from that church were actually willing to financially support the next project by becoming investors. This is the area that creates a divide between business and ministry.

Tom Swift

PS If you are a Christian, reading this post - and you go to church with or know a filmmaker who is Christian and you know he or she is called to it — this is something you can pray about whether you should invest in that filmmaker’s project — because YOU might be the very person who can help that project to succeed.