Tag: movie

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Screenwriting

The Importance of Production Teams

We all have them, big dreams of writing a blockbuster screenplay and selling it for big bucks and one day seeing our names roll across the screen in the credits. As I’ve stated before, most writers fail to realize that writing a screenplay is just one small step in the process of making a movie, in our minds we have oversimplified the process into a quick three-step procedure:

  • Write a screenplay.
  • Make a big sale.
  • Film the movie.

Filmmaking is nowhere near that easy and you aren’t the only player in the process. Getting a sale isn’t even the hardest step of the process. Even after a script is sold it doesn’t guarantee the movie getting made, unless it is written on assignment.

If you’re breaking into the business with an original screenplay (a.k.a. spec script) studios may never acquire the funding to get the movie into production. If it does make it to the first phase, a production team will need to be hired and put together to get things started.

Production Teams!

In a movie production, each person has a specific job to do and works closely together with members of their team: writers, editors, actors, set crew. The movie set crew plays a large part in making movies. They are the hands and feet of moviemaking. The complexity of a movie can be seen in the size of its production team. For this article, I want to share the numbers of some of the bigger crews in filmmaking.

1. Iron Man #3 – 3,310 crew members.

2. Avatar – 2,984 crew members.

3. Marvel’s The Avengers – 2,718 crew members.

4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – 2,709 crew members.

5. Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – 2,622 Crew Members.1

Each team plays a small part in bringing your story to life. Moviemaking is an art that requires a specific creative process.

The Process!

Just like writers have a unique writing process, studios have a filming process to produce the best possible return on their investment in your script. Hollywood has developed a tried-and-true process for the art of moviemaking:

Development- This is where the project is birthed. It is the creation, writing, organizing, and planning stage of a project. In development, a preliminary budget is made, the key cast are attached, key creatives are chosen, main locations scouted and multiple script drafts may be written. It’s all the groundwork to show what the project will be and how much it will cost to make. It starts the moment a Producer thinks of a project or a Writer starts penning words on a page.

Preproduction– Pre-production (or ‘pre’ as it’s called) is where scripts are amended, budgets are adjusted, actors are cast, locations scouted, the crew employed, shooting schedules amended, sets designed and built, costumes made and fitted, and everything to do with the shoot is planned and tested. The pre-production stage can last many months from the initial greenlighting of a project to when cameras actually roll. As this date draws closer, the crew grows with many people being employed about two to eight weeks before the shoot starts.

Filming (Production)- The production stage is where the rubber hits the road. The Writer, Director, Producer, and countless other creative minds finally see their ideas captured on film, one day at a time. Production is usually the shortest of the five phases, even though it is paramount to the film and where most of the budget is allotted. Production is the busiest time, with the crew swelling to hundreds and the days becoming longer in order to be as efficient as possible with all the gear and locations on hire.

Postproduction– This is where the footage is edited, the sound is mixed, visual effects are added, a soundtrack is composed, titles are created, and the project is completed and prepared for distribution. Although the shooting crew has done a lot of hard work, now the post-production crew face arduous hours of work ahead of them to piece together the scenes and craft a stunning story.

Distribution– Without a stringent and robust distribution strategy, the other four stages of production are fruitless, at least from a business perspective. Distribution is the final stage in a project for producers looking to make a return-on-investment. This can be from cinema distribution, selling to a TV network or streaming service, or releasing direct to DVD.2

As this post shows, filmmaking is much more than just writing a screenplay, as you can see each specific phase requires a different part of the production team.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  https://stephenfollows.com/how-many-people-work-on-a-hollywood-film/

2  https://indiefilmhustle.com/5-stages-indie-film-production/

Categories
Guest post archive

HOW THE LAMBS ROAR-By Martin Johnson. Interview with Brian Bird

 

As an English major in the 90s, I was excited to learn my craft and be creative. However, I was clueless about what to create. Then one day, I bought a book that changed how I viewed my passion for writing.

The late Bob Briner’s classic The Roaring Lambs challenged Christians to use their talents to create positive and redemptive art across the spectrum of entertainment: sports, music, art, television, and film. Briner called Hollywood a “Mission field!”[i]

Recently, I sat down with 30 year Hollywood veteran Brian Bird (The Case for Christ, When Calls The Heart) to talk about how the lambs (the church) can roar in this mission field.

Martin Johnson: I know you are a fan of the Roaring Lambs, how has the film industry changed since it came out in the 90s?

Brian Bird: Oh yes, love the book! Prior to the book, For much of the 20th century, I think Christians working in the arts were few and far between, with the exception of music.  There were a handful of believers working in the film industry, but a lot of that activity was specifically on church films, small-time evangelistic church films. But there was not a real attempt to break into the mainstream audience with Christian films; for the most part, evangelicals were M.I.A.

Martin Johnson: You used an interesting word there, evangelicals. As a filmmaker, what does it mean to be an evangelical filmmaker?

Brian Bird:  There are filmmakers who are Christians who make sermons on film. There are Christian filmmakers who don’t make specifically evangelistic films, and there are filmmakers who are evangelicals who don’t make Christian films. You can even be a non-believer and make a terrific evangelical film. It’s all about telling great stories.

Martin Johnson: Briner expressed how the church needs writers.  What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the day?

Brian Bird:   My personal mission is to tell stories that stir up cravings in people’s souls, make them want to know God—to be effective as I can be at communicating my Christian worldview through good story-telling, to tell stories that don’t beat people over the head, but, stir up soul cravings.  To me those are the best kind of faith films. Sometimes evangelistic films can be neither good evangelism nor good filmmaking; because their intent from the beginning is propaganda. There are good uses for propaganda. Propaganda in the most generous sense of the world can be put to good use as evangelism. The Jesus films have been effective at that.  A good example of that is The Jesus Film—very effective.  Those kinds of films are good and effective, but that is not what I’ve been called to do. I’ve been called to just tell great, true, redemptive stories that are not there just to entertain, but to provoke hearts to greater self-reflection and get people talking about the water cooler.  In my view, the story of Jesus and his work on the cross needs to be shared between two flesh and blood people having a conversation. Not by a picture on a wall.

Martin Johnson: What is the main roadblock keeping Christian film from being successful at the box office?

Brian Bird:   Ourselves. . .the church! If evangelicals are going to make a difference in the giant media conversation going on across the world, we, have to pursue excellence in our crafts of communicating. The church must support the gifts of creative evangelicals when it does the message and the art can soar! During the Renaissance, the church supported all the great artists of that time and people like Michelangelo were able to strive for excellence because of that support. Art in humans is always a reflection of the creativity behind the creation of the universe. The Renaissance artists were trying to bring heaven to earth with their creations, as CS Lewis said… all art from men is an attempt to copy heaven. We are made in the image of our creator; it is in our DNA to create. This was evident in the Renaissance, the Reformation; the church stopped supporting the arts.  The theology of the church began to view all art as worldly and considered it sinful. But that is so counterintuitive to the truth in the Bible. The view of art became worldly, it was considered sinful. God was the first writer … in the beginning was the Word (John 1:1–4). The Bible is full of references to the beauty and art in creation, and yet for several hundred years the church left art behind in favor of the “good enough principal.” We need to get back to pursuing excellence in Hollywood and that to me is the biggest obstacle facing us, the good enough principle. That’s where art has been relegated in the church and it has to stop—this attitude that art doesn’t have to be excellent, all it has to be is useful. We need to strive for excellence, not for our own glory—but for the glory of our creator, God. We can trust Him with our talents.

 

Brian Bird on the set of, “When Calls the Heart”

 

 

Martin Johnson: I’m glad you mentioned trusting God, Briner says that the lambs can trust their Shepherd.

Brian Bird: Throughout history, all art has been passed down from one generation to the next through a process called “Copy the Master.” In an art class, for example, the Master, or the teacher, is at the front of the room painting or sculpting, and the students are at their canvass.  They copy the Master but bring themselves to the canvass in order to learn our art. Well, we are all in the class with the author of the universe—that’s quite a source to copy from. And we can trust our Master with every creative bone in our bodies.

Martin Johnson: Briner says art is a full-time ministry. What do you think?

Brian Bird:   He was absolutely right; it is how we answer our God-given calling. Every person who finds Jesus needs to strive to become a minister out of the skills and talents God has gifted them with, both inside and outside the church.

Martin Johnson: Briner points out that part of our ministry is being the salt of the earth. Thus, for Christians to be roaring lambs in Hollywood we can’t just be just entertaining, we need to be ministers of the gospel.

Brian Bird We should be telling great stories, but they have to stir up soul cravings in people. We need to tell stories that help people realize there is more to life than what this world offers. Great stories have great messages. If they’re not entertaining though, they are not good stories. We have to do both. We have to tell stories that transfix our audiences; you have to keep your audience entertained so they can organically receive the meta-narrative or message, that is at the heart of your story.

Martin Johnson: In closing, what do you see the church doing to become the roaring lambs Briner described in his book?

Brian Bird: I think that is starting to happen. I think there’s a new renaissance beginning. I am witnessing it around me, in younger people that I mentor in filmmaking. I have this film coming out September 14th I executive produced called The Heart of Man and I shepherded a group of incredibly young talented filmmakers. I am so proud of them and proud of what we are making. I think it’s about all of us who are in this business encouraging one another to push for excellence, not to settle for just good enough, to practice the 10,000 -hour rule and to be bold. Some people who are born with a spark of genius need to put in their 10,000 hours in order to get really good at what they do. That’s how genius become experts.  All of us are born with that spark because we are made in the image of the author of all things. But if we sit on our hands and don’t put in the time to become experts, we will never be the roaring lambs Bob Briner was hoping for.

[i] Briner, P (1993).  The Roaring Lambs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan

Brian Bird “When Calls the Heart Devotion” with Michelle Cox

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/When-God-Calls-Heart-Devotions/dp/1424556066

 

Martin is a forty-three-year-old award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book after three years of researching, editing and remembering.

While majoring in English, he walked away from the Christian faith to experience the grandeur and luster of college life. While dating, he delved into different spiritual beliefs—from Hinduism to Catholicism and Judaism.Martin’s journey took him on a journey for answers.

In March of 1997, Martin received his answer. Albeit, not the answer he wanted. Nearly dying in a severe car accident, he survived with a  (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side.

After enduring eleven months of humiliating rehabilitation and therapy, Martin found himself at the foot of the cross with a choice to make. It was then Martin realized to truly live, he had to die. Not physically but in every other area of his life. There could be no compromise.

Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries Martin shares his testimony. Martin explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives.

Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at https://spiritualperspectivesofdasingleguy.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mtjohnson51. He is also a contributing writer at Faith & Fitness Magazine and the Christian Film Database.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Screenwriting

From Script to Stage/Screen Part 4

From Script to Stage/Screen Part 4

We have explored four of the major responsibilities placed upon any director in the production of any stage or any production for the screen. The first three were: research, the script, reality level and the last is small but very important.

Moments

Moments are just that, moments that are placed within view of the audience that convey certain thoughts, doctrine, or emotion. When watching Blade Runner 2049 you can see the hundreds of placements of ads: Coke, Seiko, PanAm, Peugeot and many, many others. These are visual “Easter Eggs” for the audience to notice. Almost every sequel has some sort of moment that connects the film before it. We see Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates and later in the movie Blended. The two movies have nothing to do with each other, in fact each plays two completely different characters, but in one memorable scene at a convenient store we see Ten Second Tom make a quick appearance. Tom comes up to the counter and says, “Hi, I’m Tom.” Twice. At the end of the scene he comes back up to the same cashier and says, “Hi, I’m Tom.” For those who never saw 50 First Dates, this scene means nothing. But, to those who did see it, it is a moment of remembrance, a strong nod to another movie that Sandler and Barrymore both starred in. In Guardians of the Galaxy, the Collector has Howard the Duck, Cosmo the Dog, and even a Chitauri from the first Avengers movie in his collection.

Moments are often hidden but very satisfying when found. Disney is famous for putting in hidden messages or special appearances in their movies. High School Musical 2 has a quick appearance by Miley Cyrus. One of Disney’s newest movies, Moana, has a ton of these “Easter Eggs.” Flounder from The Little Mermaid shows up, Maui turns into Sven from Frozen, Wreck it Ralph shows up in the credits, Baymax from Big Hero Six makes an appearance in the boat filled with angry coconuts as well. These moments are great at beginning conversations, creating buzz, connecting films and shows, and continuing excitement for a franchise. But moments are not just hidden messages or advertisements. Moments are the things that enhance your particular universe, that propel your plot, that give the subtext behind things that are happening.

An example would be a movie with a character needing redemption built into the main plot. As the leads are in a coffee shop, we see a shot of the outside and a church steeple majestically rising in the background. Though subtle, this gives a sense that there might be some religious or even anti-religious themes in the production as that character begins to realize that they need redemption. Stage plays are a little more difficult because your options for set pieces are a little more limited. But moments are still extremely possible. Moments can be created from the action of the cast and not just well-placed items.

In the case of Jesus’ crucifixion, Golgotha was at a place where there was a lot of foot traffic. Instead of a static crucifixion scene, have groups walking past showing different levels of interest. Have one man and young son come by and the father forces the boy to stop and watch the crucifixion. While another, say mother and daughter walk by and the mother shields her daughter’s eyes from the spectacle. This creates movement and these moments can add to the depth of plot instead of being a distraction.

Moments cannot save a movie from a poor plot or bad acting, but it can enhance every aspect of any production. When adding moments make sure they are deliberate. Every set piece, prop, actions of cast members, angles of filming, everything has a reason. People watch all the Marvel movies and wait in anticipation for the moment Stan Lee shows up. You can see everyone in the audience reacting, pointing to the screen as he makes his one or two cameos in every movie. It is a moment that is now expected and a moment that people get to take home and discuss, tweet, and share.

Putting anything from screen to stage or screen is an awesome and great responsibility. If you have taken on this role then it is up to you to do the research, decide how the dialogue is viewed by others, create either a world based on reality or implied reality, and finally create moments that will reach out and make a memory in the hearts of those viewing.

Dr. Jim Tippins is currently President of On the Edge Productions, Inc., a resource for Christian scripts and minister aids. An award winning author, Dr. Tippins is proud to share the stories that God has laid on his heart. He has produced, written, and directed scripts, musicals, reviews, and plays all over the country. He has performed with the Kentucky Opera, Overture Opera Company, Theater of the Republic, Swamp Fox Players, Community Choral Society, Florence Symphony and Long Bay Symphony. To see resources and more information, please visit,

www.ontheedgeproductions.org. Or join his blog at drjimtippins.com

Categories
Screenwriting

From Script to Stage-Jim Tippins

From Script to Stage/Screen

INTERIOR. ICE CREAM PARLOR – DAYTIME

Myrtle Beach in the Summer

The directions in the script are simple: A man and woman in their early 20’s sitting across from each other sipping on two milkshakes. The dialogue begins after those directions. Wow, there is not much detail in this example. The director is often given a great amount of latitude in creating what is reflected on stage or screen.

For every director, church dramatist, worship leader, community theater and Broadway director, there are four questions and four basic responsibilities for any director to address. Before an author’s words are formed into something that is visual, powerful and relevant you must answer these four basic questions:

  1. Who?
  2. Why?
  3. Where?
  4. When?

These first four questions are generally answered in the first few pages of the script. Who? A couple? Brother, sister? Friends? The script then starts filling out these characters and the story they inhabit. Why are they there? Needed an out of the way place? A busy place? Ultimately, the script will reveal that as well. Where? Well it’s in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the summer. That nails it down. When? Is it the past, present, or future? We look to the script as well.

Costumes, props, set pieces, staging, lighting, everything is in need of a firm grasp of these four questions. The script is inspired by the author, but interpreted by the director and the who’s, why’s, when’s, and when’s are just the basic answers to these questions.

To go to the next level in preparation for putting script to stage or screen, the director is faced with four major responsibilities. From the simple reader’s theater to the largest play or musical, a director must prepare for rehearsals through Research, Script, Reality, and Moments. This first column will explore how research can impact everything put on stage or screen.

Research

Research goes beyond the written script. A script is not meant to be an encyclopedia or almanac of everything. It is up to the director to do a little research. The scene above is set in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in the summer. What is the average temperature there during the summer? If it’s near the beach, are there people in bathing suits coming in? Is the lighting going to very bright or muted? For this one scene we have to answer a hundred questions. Sometimes actors cannot get an understanding of their character unless they get some sort of motivation from the director. And the director cannot get all of the answers of these questions from the script. That is where research is vital to any production. Since research takes place at the very beginning of any production here are some tips to help in your research.

  1. The Internet is an incredible source of information. If you use the internet as your main source of research make sure you confirm and reconfirm all the information. There are as many opinions as there are noses….everyone has one. There is a reason most schools do not take Wikipedia as an official source. Wikipedia was created and van be edited by anyone with access to the internet. Try to find those that are authorities in the areas in which you need help. And don’t just take their word for it. Check with other authorities as well. A good researcher always checks their facts.
  2. Don’t take for granted information commonly overlooked. A good biblical example is where Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas comes up with a gang of Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus. The scripture says that there is a captain and officers involved but were they Romans or were they from the temple? Research shows that the temple had soldiers officially and a sort of hired mercenary as approved by the Romans. The Romans may have been involved, but what a feeling of empowerment if you were to make that decision based on true knowledge and not just tradition.
  3. Have your research needs on your mind outside the production time. One of our creative arts teams was using stuffed characters for the Mark Lowry song, Cartoons. When we went into Universal Studios theme park in Orlando, we walked into the Warner Brother’s store and we were all very happy when we found about half of the stuffed characters that we needed in one place. Always be on the lookout for things that will help your production.
  4. Find and utilize people who are experts. In another biblical production we wanted to create a realistic High Priest costume. The breastplate contained 12 gems representing the tribes of Israel. On top of those gems is written in gold, the names of each of the tribes. We were walking around the local mall and saw a goldsmith who would make and personalize your jewelry. After a few minutes we found out he was of the Jewish faith. It just happened that I had a copy of the Hebrew names in my pocket. He took one look at it and said he would be honored to attempt such a task. Two weeks later, we had twelve gold names as required for the High Priest.

Research keeps you safe from scrutiny and complaints. People are smart and glaring inconsistencies will distract people from receiving the message that God might have for them. Whether it is a biblical or secular production, we must strive to be as authentic as possible. Do your research.

Dr. Jim Tippins is currently President of On the Edge Productions, Inc., a resource for Christian scripts and minister aids. An award winning author, Dr. Tippins is proud to share the stories that God has laid on his heart. He has produced, written, and directed scripts, musicals, reviews, and plays all over the country. He has performed with the Kentucky Opera, Overture Opera Company, Theater of the Republic, Swamp Fox Players, Community Choral Society, Florence Symphony and Long Bay Symphony. To see resources and more information, please visit,

www.ontheedgeproductions.org. Or join his blog at drjimtippins.com

Categories
Tour

Blog Tour-Joshua J. Masters

Joshua J. Masters is a pastor, author (American Psalms), Christian speaker and artist. He currently serves as an Associate Care Pastor in South Carolina. As a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Josh is also comfortable working both in front of and behind the camera. Joshua lives with his wife, Gina and their dog, Franklin.

Welcome Joshua, please tell us about your most Recent Book:

My most recent book is American Psalms: Prayer for the Christian Patriot. I was really moved by the scriptures reminding us to pray for our leaders and that God has a purpose in every leader he places in authority—even when we don’t agree with them. The result was a book of worship-based prayers for our nation with teaching components to help the reader learn how to pray for the country without political bias. There are 52 weekly prayers, additional psalms for special days of prayer like holidays, and worksheets to help the reader focus their prayers. Through writing American Psalms, God changed the way I look at prayer, our country and our leaders.

Why do you write what you do?

Writing is one of the ways I connect with God. Eric Liddell, the Olympian depicted in Chariots of Fire, once said, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” I’ve never been much of an athlete—actually, I wince if someone throws something toward me, but I’ve always identified with that quote because it’s how I feel when I write. God changes me, and often explains things to me as I write. So when asked, “Why do you write what you write?” It’s usually because God is trying to tell me something. That’s why I primarily write Christian non-fiction, but even my occasional adventures into fiction are about something God is trying to teach me.

What are you currently working on?

I’m actually working on a book focused on the life of our dog, Franklin. He was rescued from a puppy mill and faced a great deal of adversity before coming to us. The trauma he faced as a puppy left him with a lot of struggles to overcome. In the book, the events of Franklin’s life serve as lessons about our own faith. Each chapter ends with a Bible reading and questions for spiritual growth that you can gnaw on with the rest of your pack. Franklin recently started his own Twitter account and gives frequent updates on the book: @FranklinThePup. I also have an ongoing blog at www.joshuajmasters.com

How does your work differ from other work in its genre?

My prayer is for my writing to be relatable and challenging at the same time. The simple story of a rescue pup need not be limited to simple themes. I want my writing to be enjoyable, even fun but still lead the reader into a deeper relationship with Christ. My goal is to share what some consider difficult Biblical truths in a way that is encouraging. I want to build a relationship with the reader that makes it safe to explore the parts of their faith where God wants them to grow.

How does your writing process work?

I have a tendency to write things that can be broken down into sections—works within the greater work. In American Psalms, each prayer can stand alone, but they’re woven together to intentionally create a larger theme. The same is true with Franklin’s book. Each chapter is a unique lesson of faith, but the story is continuous and connected.

Because of that, I tend to work on each section as an individual work. I’m always thinking of the larger story, but I focus on what each individual piece is teaching. As for the process itself, it starts in my head. I will go round and round with a section in my head long before I put anything on paper. I usually get 2-3 key sentences that I jot down (often the last sentence) and build the piece around that.

Once I’ve written a section, I will leave it alone for a few days and go back to it with fresh eyes. That’s usually where I more specifically tailor the piece to work with the other sections of the book. To be honest, I’m always a little surprised how God orchestrates it all to fit together.

Contact:

Email:                    josh@joshuajmasters.com

Website:              www.joshuajmasters.com

Twitter:                @joshuajmasters, @TheBatPastor, and @FranklinThePup