Faith-Based Filmmaking: The Sherwood Pictures Crusade

Time.com ^ | Aug. 25, 2011 | Tim Newcomb

[daniel1212]

Albany, Ga., population 76,000, is a three-hour drive south of Atlanta and not the first place in the world you'd expect to find a movie star. But visit the well-kept grounds of Sherwood Baptist Church here on a Sunday, as the congregation's 3,000 members gather to sing and pray, and you're likely to spot a few. There's Tracy Goode, who played coach Brady Owens in the 2006 high-school football epic Facing the Giants; there's Harris Malcom, who played the father of Kirk Cameron's firefighter character in the 2008 drama Fireproof. And if he's not in New York editing a movie, you're almost guaranteed to spot Alex Kendrick, the 40-year-old director and frequent lead actor in the films of Sherwood Pictures...

The Sherwood story began gathering steam in 2003, four years after Alex Kendrick landed at the fast-growing Baptist ministry to handle its media outreach projects. He pitched an idea to pastor Michael Catt: a low-budget film to spread the church's message. Alex and Stephen had written a simple script about a dishonest car salesman (played by Alex) who turns his life around after re-committing himself to God. With $20,000 raised from church members, Alex bought a digital camera, a boom mike and some lights from Home Depot; the cast and crew, made up of 60 church volunteers, filmed in the evenings on donated sets and built dolly tracks out of PVC piping. The film, Flywheel, was completed in a few months. ("Whereas we've improved the production quality in our recent movies," Alex drawls in the DVD introduction to this debut, "we hope you will also be blessed by Flywheel.")

[afraidfortherepublic]

I want to see Courageous. It looks like a good film.

More that that, I want my kids to see Courageous. They are the ones in the trenches now with my grandchildren.

[WorldviewDad]

I also have seen all of the Sherwood films...and have them all on DVD as well. As well as “Bella”.

I would rank the Sherwood films as:

1ST “Facing the Giants”
2ND “Flywheel”
3RD “Fire Proof”

I have liked them all and watch them a few times each year...I originally came upon the first film “Flywheel” by accident and liked it so much that when I heard that they were doing another movie I started to promote it in my area...it is neat to see what a group of Christians can accomplish when they work together.

I too am looking forward to the movie "Courageous".

[daniel1212]

Thanks.

[daniel1212]

See post #2 also then.

[daniel1212]

Mine says you need to install the plugin. Do i dare.

[jocon307]

“Fireproof... was made for a relatively ambitious $500,000; its $33 million box-office take beat that of Milk, Sean Penn’s Oscar-winning biopic, and the George Clooney comedy Leatherheads.”

Wow, I’m impressed. Not so much about Leatherheads, but about the Harvey Milk picture. I probably never would see that movie, but I have to say that from the ads it looked like Penn gave a great performance in it. (Oh please, don’t flame me!)

Sort of on topic - does anybody remember the little tv dramas that were produced by the Mormon Church, they were probably 1/2 an hour long, maybe even 15 minutes?

Some of them were great. Hubby always talks about one he saw with John Astin in it, he always says its one of the best things he ever saw, and he pretty much watches EVERYTHING.

I don’t know why they stopped making those, I can’t really remember any in particular myself, but there were as good as anything, much better than many things, on TV.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Yes. I installed it, but I can’t seem to go farther than that. I became impatient and quit. If I get an email asking for my credit card, I’ll ask to unsubscribe. But, my antivirus examined the plug in and approved it, so it’s OK.

It’s like the tool my husband ordered from a TV ad a couple of weeks ago. 2 for the price of 1. But, when they get you on the phone they keep asking you to buy more and more extras (wuit additional shipping charges on each). After answering NO to about a dozen offers, my husband just hung up. Several weeks later, we received not one, not two, but FOUR tools in the mail and were charged about double the origninal price. It’s too much trouble to argue with them. so we’ve just given the extras to our sons and to a friend. Geeeeesh!

[afraidfortherepublic]

I remember those. They used to run early on Sunday morning. I enjoyed them.

[WorldviewDad]

Thanks...I have seen “Faith Like Potatoes” and have it on DVD as well...another good movie.

A few other movies that the family likes to watch would be...

“Mysterious Ways”
“Saving Sarah Cain”
“The Ultimate Gift”

I have just picked up the movie “The Grace Card” but have not seen it yet...the previews looked interesting...I hope to view it sometime this week. I have watched some of the special features and it has the opening scene of “Courageous”...it looks like it will be a good movie.

[metmom]

Alex and Stephen had written a simple script about a dishonest car salesman (played by Alex) who turns his life around after re-committing himself to God.

I wonder if they actually heard about this guy or they thought they were making the plot line up.

A Used Car Dealer's Take on Jesus Christ

Steve Timmons

http://www.amazon.com/Used-Dealers-Take-Jesus-Christ/dp/1615664629

[presently no screen name]

Thanks, Daniel.

Ever see any of Kelly’s Filmworks?

http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/newsdesk_info.php?newsdesk_id=267#

[daniel1212]

I am sure Joseph Smith would have used the tech if he had it. He had quite the imagination.

[daniel1212]

I may try to look em up. But the danger when big secular media giants get involved is that they want to dictate the content, and neutralize any gospel and real salt.

[daniel1212]

No, thanks. Anyone seen the old Jesus movement era “Thief in the night?” Not pre trib myself, but it had a fairly good understanding of the politics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Thief_in_the_Night_%28film%29

Good documentary on the Jesus movement is http://www.calvarychapel.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=27

Or http://vimeo.com/6728377 Moves my heart. Please do it again Lord.

[daniel1212]

I did see the Perfect Stranger Movie, but thought the portrayal of Lord was overall too “reductionist.” Don’t ask me to explain!

[WorldviewDad]

So true...

[daniel1212]

We need a Christian Hulu

[WorldviewDad]

Yes I have seen the “Thief in the Night” film as well as the other three films in the series.

There was another four movie set that was done along the same lines more recently from Cloud Ten Pictures...the movies are “Apocalypse”, “Revelation”, “Tribulation”, and “Judgment”. Of the four I liked “Judgment” better then the rest...I think it is because I prefer courtroom type movies...

[FourPeas]

Facing the Giants is also my favorite of the Sherwood films. We've easily watched it a dozen times and haven't tired of it. I'd not heard of Courageous, but now I need to find a theater nearby that's showing it.

[WorldviewDad]

I would agree with your assessment...