The festival is over. The week is done. I stood in the hallway of the San Antonio Convention center and said goodbye to many of the strong Christian leaders I had the honor of spending a bit of time with. Like Stephen Kendrick, producer of Facing the Giants, John Moore, newly awarded winner of the largest grand prize for film in US history (Huemoore productions also holds claim to this years Audience Choice Award), the Von Trapp children, great-grandchildren of the Captain and Maria Von Trapp, and many, many more.

Over the past week I’ve seen history made. I stood and watched Christians leap to the front of the film festival race, I saw resolute followers of Christ decide to use film for the glory of God, and to use it with competence. I’ve seen bewildered press from all over the nation ask themselves, “Who are these Christians, and what are they doing?” But most importantly, though it’s in the unclear future, I believe I saw the beginning of a Christian film industry that will someday influence the world for good as much as Hollywood has done for ill.

I stood alongside 500 young filmmakers who sacrificed their time and money to sit through three days of film training. From theology to technology they dissected what it means to be a Christian filmmaker. They recognized that the message is the priority, but the quality will influence how far their film goes, and how many people it reaches.

One step at a time is what these pioneer Christian filmmakers are doing. No, the films aren’t perfect. Yes, sometimes there are some very cheesy acting or scripting, but, as my father says, you can’t make your fifth movie first, and I know they can and will continue to rise up.

The whole event was incredible. A huge blessing, and a huge learning experience. Lord willing, I may be submitting a film into the competition one day but either way, I know I want to go back next year.

To Christ Alone be the Glory,
Isaac F. Harris

John Moore, 19 — a true rebelutionary — accepts the $101,000 Best of Festival grand prize at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival tonight. His feature-length film The Widow’s Might beat out well-known titles like Fireproof and Ben Stein’s Expelled.

Results released five minutes ago:

Best Trailer Award: Changing Lives

Young Filmmakers Award: A Journey of Hope

Best Treatment: Sand Town

Best Creation Film Award: Noah’s Ark

Best Biblical Family Film Award: Binding Faith

Best Film Short Award: Prodigal Trilogy

Best Original Film Score Award: The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry

Audience Choice Award: The Widow’s Might

Best Documentary Award: The Terry Schiavo Story

Best Feature Film Award: Fireproof

Best of Festival Award: The Widow’s Might

That’s a wrap of the festival everyone. God Bless,

Isaac Harris

Sound of a Dirt Road
Director: Graham Alexander
Producer: Danny Alexander, Erin Alexander

This might very well be the most impressive finalist in the festival because it was made on a $900.00 budget. It was shot with with a low end prosumer video camera, but they used what they had and made a powerful movie about love, marriage, and faithfulness.

Pendragon
Director: Chad Burns
Producer: Burns Family

Another film that blew me away. The Pendragon team had an $80,000.00 budget. That may sound like a lot to you, but this is an epic war film that would usually cost millions upon millions to create. Incredible graphics (creating entire cities) and convincing sword fights highlighted Pendragon.

The Widow’s Might
Director: John Moore
Producer: John Moore

John Moore could be considered crazy by some because he decided to write, direct, produce, act, and sing in his own movie. Yes, that’s right, it’s a musical. Something that no one else has ever attempted. From cinematography to acting, everything was quite excellent. And because of that, it won my vote for Audience Choice Award (please note that I believe Fireproof is the best film in the festival, but since they have such a good chance to win the grand prize, I feel like my audience choice award should go to someone else).

Well, it’s incredible to have an entire day of simply watching movies. I don’t think I’ve done anything like this before. But before I talk about the films, let me share with you an incredible opportunity I got just an hour or so ago. I was honored to be able to listen to the Von Trapp children, great-grandchildren of Captain and Marian Von Trapp, sing prior to the main evening session. I must say, it was some of the most amazing acapella singing I have ever heard. They certainly carry the grand tradition of music through the generations. If you ever get the opportunity, please do not miss hearing this family.

Let me share with you my two favorite films (besides Expelled and Fireproof):

Click Clack Jack
Director: Ryan Bodie
Producer: Ryan Bodie, Keith Thomas, Jerry Chambless, Stacy Kesten, Brian Ging

I had heard from an unnamed source, beforehand, that Click Clack Jack was weak in several areas and a disappointing film overall considering their budget. I saw quite the opposite. It was a clever, period piece that kept the audience laughing the whole way through. Strong Christian morals, good acting, and a powerful gospel message only make it that much stronger. Probably an 8 in my festival rating list.

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
Director: Rich Christiano
Producer: Rich Christiano, Chad Gunderson

I must say, the biggest improvement in festival films from last year is the cinematography. And The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry was excellent visually. Plus, with excellent child(ren) actors, it made it a very impressive film. I had sat down to watch while waiting for the film I intended to watch started. 45 minutes later, I realized I had overstayed by 30 minutes, so I felt like it was worthwhile to watch the entire film.

The Other Son
Director: Phillip Leclerc
Producer: Chris Leclerc

I have to give props to my pals Chris and Phillip: They presented a new and interesting view into the life of the older brother in a reinvention of the parable of the Prodigal son into modern day. It was short, impactful, and thought-provoking. And a quick note to Chris: Pushing, pushing, pushing (winks) (That, if you didn’t guess, is an inside joke) But really, it was a great film, and I’ll be interested in seeing how far it goes in the festival.

Tonight, we got to hear from Doug Phillips, Geoffrey Botkin, Stephen Kendrick, Kirk Cameron and countless other filmmakers. Most of it were things that we had been presented with at the academy, and things I have already written about.

Thanks so much to all of you for reading, and hope you enjoy it all,

Stephen Kendrick (foreground) and John Moore

Stephen Kendrick testing out a homemade jib

Interviewing aspiring filmmakers

Me. There’s not much else to say.

Today, I had the honor to have dinner with Stephen Kendrick, and was able to glean some incredible advice from him about filmmaking that he gave me permission to share with you. I hope you learn as much as I did.

He told me, all throughout your film, you should pray for “God ideas”. Pray for God to inspire you with the ideas he wants you to use.

He also told me that throughout their own film production, they would pray constantly for ideas for great scenes. Even when they didn’t have their whole film concept mapped out, they would receive ideas for scenes from God. These scenes are the most powerful scenes in their films. Scenes that people enjoy watching even out of context.

When writing your story, ask yourself continuously, “What will people be thinking when they leave the theater, what will they leave the theater with?” Make sure you have a story worth telling. If you don’t anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.

He said to make a good film, you should keep your audience curious. Don’t show them everything at once, or else they won’t be engaged. Humans are incredibly curious. So if you harness their curiosity, you’ll get a audience that is interested in the film all the way through.

Then, directly tying off the previous suggestion, he said you don’t always need to tell the audience everything that happens. Film is visual, so explain thing visually. For instance, in Fireproof, you discover that a doctor is married because he pulls out his wedding ring from his desk drawer. They didn’t need to have someone say it verbally for the audience to understand that.

Mr. Kendrick then explained that you always have to decide how explicitly you share the gospel in your movie. Jesus could be very straightforward when he spoke (Sermon on the Mount), but he also would use parables to convey his messages. Often times, his parables were his most effective messages.

Finally, he explained the “anatomy of buzz” and how you get it for your film. Buzz happens when expectations are exceeded. Far too many films sell themselves by telling everyone that they are a level ten film, and then people are disappointed. Mr. Kendrick suggests that if you advertise your film as lower, and then allow people to be pleasantly surprised. “Under promise, over deliver,” he told me (DISCLAIMER: This does NOT mean you set low expectations on yourself in the making of the film, merely that you keep others expectations of the film going in, lower).

Not too long afterward, they presented one of the Finalists videos, Expelled.

Expelled is everything I hoped it would be, and more. It challenge the norm and portrays evolution as it is. They force leading evolutionists and brilliant atheists to admit what they really believe, and allows the audience to see the errors in their reasoning. I would consider ‘Expelled’ the hands-down winner if there was not another powerful, thought-provoking film that’s in the running: “Fireproof” The next couple of days should be fun.

Well, the Christian Filmmakers Academy is done, and is making way for the event that has press from all over the world watching it. The San Antionio Independent Christian Film Festival.

The Academy was closed to the press, and it was much less formal than the Festival will be. Mr. Phillips explained, in closing of the Academy last night, that today we will be joined by media from all over the nation who want to know, ‘Who are these Christian filmmakers? What are they doing? Why are they doing this?’ Mr. Phillips told the students that, “You must conduct yourself like brother’s of Christ to the secular media.”

This is going to be quite the interesting few days.

So, I want to quickly overview several of the films that I have either already watched, or have spoken directly to either the director or producer about their film.

Fireproof
Director: Alex Kendrick
Producer: Stephen Kendrick

Lt. Caleb Holt lives by the old fighter’s adage: Never leave your partner behind. Inside burning buildings, it’s his natural instinct. In the cooling embers of his marriage, it’s another story. After 7 years of marriage, Caleb and Catherine Holt have drifted so far apart that they are ready to move on without each other. Yet as they prepare to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb’s dad asks his son to try an experiment: The Love Dare. While hoping The Love Dare has nothing to do with his parents’ newfound faith, Caleb commits to the challenge. But can he attempt to love his wife while avoiding God’s love for him? Will he be able to demonstrate love over and over again to a person that’s no longer receptive to his love? Or is this just another marriage destined to go up in smoke?

Expelled
Director: Nathan Frankowski
Producer: Logan Craft, Walt Ruloff, John Sullivan

Ben Stein, in the new film EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed, has a heroic and, at times, shocking journey confronting the world’s top scientists, educators and philosophers, regarding the persecution of the many by an elite few.

He travels the world on his quest, and learns an awe-inspiring truth… that bewilders him, then angers him… and then spurs him to action!

Ben realizes that he has been “Expelled,” and that educators and scientists are being ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired — for the “crime” of merely believing that there might be evidence of “design” in nature, and that perhaps life is not just the result of accidental, random chance. To which Ben Says: “Enough!” And then gets busy. NOBODY messes with Ben.

The Widow’s Might
Director/Producer: John Moore

From the creators of Bubble Trouble, and Heartstrings, comes an all new feature length comedy adventure! John Moore and Cameron Cavillo are buddies; aspiring filmmakers with the dream of winning the prestigious American Viewfinder film festival. When an acquaintance of Cameron’s, an elderly Widow, faces losing her home to the outrageous property taxes in her area, the Moore family takes action, along with their friends, the Morton family. Through political smears, on set mishaps, and a wild western ride, these families band together in a classic black hat/white hat tale of heroism!

The Other Son
Director: Phillip Leclerc
Producer: Phillip and Chris Leclerc

Perhaps the greatest biblical parable of all time is that of the Prodigal Son. This gripping story has all the components of a suspense-filled novel. Mystery, drama, and forgiveness give this parable the elements of a great film. Its powerful message and rich attention to detail have been quoted by some of the world’s greatest writers including Shakespeare and Dickens. However, within the prodigal son’s redemptive message is another equally captivating, sinister, and compelling story. The film, The Other Son brings to life this powerful message, making this historic parable more powerful than ever.

Keep an eye on Fireproof and Expelled: I think the grand prize will be going to one of those two. But Widow’s Might may possibly sneak in and steal it.

Let the film festival begin!

How to Make or Break Your Film: What Every Filmmaker needs to know about Film Music
Geoffrey and Benjamin Botkin

Mr. Botkin started out by listing a couple mistakes that beginning composers make. You should never:

1. Never think that the you know better than everyone else (especially the director)
approaching a film he hasn’t seen with predisposed opinions of what the music should sound like.

2. Thinking that you could do so much better if you were “discovered”

With those thoughts, Geoffrey Botkin handed the mic over to his son, Benjamin.

Benjamin is a truly remarkable young man. If any of you have read the book “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell, you know about the estimate that says for a person to truly be a master of a subject, they must spend at least 10,000 hours studying it.

Benjamin Botkin has spent over a 13,000 hours studying film music composing, and probably even more on the study of music itself, at the age of seventeen.

Now on to his session.

Ironically, he began by stating that he doesn’t consider himself a master of this subject. That “Not even the Hollywood greats have even scratched the surface of what film music can do.”

He proceeded to give an analogy of the importance of film music: script is King, music is Queen. The Queen can either strengthen and help the King rule his kingdom, or tear it down. Music controls a lot of how people will feel during the film. The music tells the viewer exactly what to feel. One of the worst things you can do is to have the character arc and the music arc contradicting each other. Because when there are two story lines in conflict, the viwer will always follow the emotional line (the music).

Music, used properly should strengthen the story, and improve (or change) the acting. He gave the four C’s of music scoring:

C: Continuity (creates musical themes for visual items [people, places, times])
C: Context (where the music fits. It should play second fiddle to the script and the sound effects)
C: Contrast (placement of silence and music)
C: Content (musical elements tied together)

“Sometimes it’s not good to be original. Sometimes you just need to use what fits right.” He said. Far too many young composers have this urge to be original, to stand out, but that can sometimes be more damaging than helpful. You should have a reason for everything you do musically, and you must plan your film music. He, in closing, said, “ If you don’t (plan your music), you will be a slave to your art, instead of being the master.

Well, that’s a wrap of the Academy. The festival itself will start tomorrow at 12:00pm.

(Photo Credit Nathaniel Bluedorn)

An aspiring young filmmaker

Doug Phillips, founder of Vision Forum

RED One Training Session

Hands on RED One Training

Stephen Kendrick, Producer of Facing the Giants and Fireproof

Logan Craft, Producer of Expelled

Panel Discussion with the Finalists in Feature Length films

Plenty of note-taking for everyone.

Geoffrey Botkin and his son, Benjamin

(Photo Credit Nathaniel Bluedorn [bloomingthorn.com])

All Things RED
Jon Erwin

This is a mostly technical session. So I won’t be able to go as in depth on what they say as some of the other sessions. Isaac Botkin reminded us at the beginning that though it was a technical session, it’s related to technique and theology. “Technical is servant to Technique, and Technique is servant to Theology.” he said.

Jon was homeschooled from first grade on in Alabama. when he was 12 he interned at a cable station. He started falling in love with film. When he was fifteen, the cameraman who interned for, got sick before a football game and he took his place on the TV camera.

Is Film better, or is RED? RED can’t be said to be better than film. They’re both tools, but to compare them is like comparing two different size paintbrushes.

He then proceeded to overview the camera and it’s features, and then played a short clip shot on RED. Incredible image quality.

Then he asked the question, why go digital? It’s cheap for one, and you can take footage you just shot and edit it immediately. But there are disadvantages as well: things like frame rate and the size of the sensors can be problems.

“Ultimately, the RED is the way to get a Cinema picture at a Digital price.” He said.

The Story of Fireproof
Stephen Kendrick

Mr. Kendrick is maybe the most successful Christian filmmaker to attend this festival ever. He told the young filmmakers to take things one step at a time. “You must kill the Lion and the Bear before you take on Goliath.” He said.

You must seek God’s Blessing by:

Dying to yourself
Dedicating your projects to the Lord
Becoming poor in spirit
Walking in integrity
Staying unified
Tuning in to the voice of God

He shared incredible stories of influence. Wives were calling them and telling them that their husbands have decided to start attending church after watching Facing the Giants and Fireproof. A Muslim airlines featured Facing the Giants on their inflight entertainment.

Alex was jogging one day and felt impressed by God to make a movie about marriage and relationships. And after he shared his idea with Stephen, he said, “God’s calling us to make that movie, and God’s calling us to write that book (the Love Dare).”

Remember to listen to God’s voice:
1. Sense what brings the peace of Christ
2. Soak your situation in God’s Word
3. Receive Christ’like counsel
4. Honor the reputation of Christ
5. Submit to authority
6. Seek God in diligent prayer
7. Search for open doors
8. Use wisdom

Excellent is always changing, it’s always excelling. We must remember to continue to excell.

“Knock on doors. Don’t try to knock them down. If you knock on the door, and it doesn’t open, say “Thank you God” and move on.”

Make sure your films don’t become idols. It’s all for the glory of God.

“The message of your movie is more important than your movie.”

When God’s favor is on your project God will bless it, but make sure to give God credit.

In closing he told the young filmmakers, “You are a part of something big because you have the Lord. I pray that God uses you to change the world.”

Behind the Scenes of Expelled
Logan Craft

Mr. Craft shared about much of the opposition they have experienced with the release of ‘Expelled’ which challenges the cultural evolutionary norm. Several organizations and people have filed law suits against them for mere technicalities because they want to censor the film. Mr. Craft left us with four things to think about:

1. Culture should be changed in other ways than merely the church.
2. Make sure you know the challenges of making a distributing a film.
3. We need more filmmakers who expose lies in the culture.
4. Be open to all that God wants you to do.

That’s all for now, God Bless!