San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF)

I know, I know, this blog post is WAY over due. Better late than never though right? In case you missed it, you can read my review of the Filmmakers Academy here.

This year the Festival was divided between two locations.

Each feature film along with the special evening events were held at the large Municipal Auditorium.

All the other films were screened between several rooms at the usual Henry B Gonzales Center. (feature films were also shown here)

SPECIAL EVENTS

THURSDAY NIGHT they had a couple special things for opening night!

First, there was a thought provoking lecture by Geoff Botkin analyzing the "family-friendly" film, Finding Nemo.

Secondly, was the screening of the new short (50min) film Divided. This well produced documentary effectively addresses the highly controversial issue of age-segregated Sunday School and Youth Groups. - Movie Website

FRIDAY NIGHT they screened a rough cut version of the highly anticipated feature film Ace Wonder! Needless to say that even incomplete, this film went over very well with the audience! - Movie Website

FILM AWARDS

After an exhilarating three days of scheduling/scribbling in the Festival book, watching films, talking to friends, re-scheduling...more scribbling, watching films, and staying up late..talking even more, the Closing Ceremonies FINALLY came!!

Best of Festival Jubilee Award — with its $101,000 cash prize — went to: Agenda: Grinding America Down, a documentary that traces the alive-and-well socialist agenda, from its roots established by Karl Marx and other radical revolutionaries to the present day, demonstrating how Communist ideals have largely captured America and uprooted the once-great foundation of our nation. Available on DVD.

This documentary is practically a "MUST-SEE" for every American. This is not a movie about wacky people and their cooky conspiracy theories, this uses REAL facts and REAL documents to make a point that is needed, but not often heeded. HIGHLY recommended!

~John-Clay

Best Feature Film Award went to": The Penny, a drama/thriller directed and produced by Nathan Webster of Filmweavers. The 88-minute film follows a series of disconnected strangers whose lives unexpectedly collide in what proves to be more than just a "coincidence." Available on BlueBehemoth and also DVD.

If you like mind bending creative storytelling, this is a movie for you. Course I'm a bit bias because I helped shoot the movie :) - Regardless of that little fact, it should be noted that this film was an instant favorite at the festival (and with my family) for it's high production value, intriguing storyline, and good acting. Highly Recommended!!

~John-Clay

Audience Choice Award went to: The Runner from Ravenshead, a delightful film from Little Crew Studios that features an all-child cast played by the Seege children, ages 3 to 11. Their father, Joel Seege wrote, directed, and produced the film. The Runner from Ravenshead also got the runner-up nod in two other award categories: ‘Best of Festival’ and ‘Best Feature’. Available on DVD.

This was by far one of our favorite films from the festival, and it has quickly become a favorite with friends as well!! We describe it as "Little Rascals / Pilgrim's Progress / Indiana Jones." With a well crafted script full of comedy and drama, brilliant acting, incredibly cute kids, and a majestic musical score...this is one movie you DON'T WANT TO MISS!

~Burnett Family

Best Documentary Award went to: George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Way. The film, narrated by Dr. Voddie Baucham, was directed and produced by Ken Carpenter of Franklin Springs Family Media. This marks Carpenter’s third ‘Best Documentary’ Jubilee Award. Available on DVD.

Best Dramatic Short Award went to: The Mitt, a ten-minute film produced and directed by 19-year-old Sam Siske of Goodlettsville, Tennessee. - Available on BlueBehemoth

Young Filmmaker’s’ Award went to: Small Talents, a humorous fourteen-minute film based on the Parable of the Talents and challenges viewers to decide for themselves how they will dedicate their talents to God. Available on BlueBehemoth.

- You can read the full "Festival Award Press Release" here -

Vision Forum also has a "Festival Winners DVD Set" available for purchase - here.

Digital Juice BLACK FRIDAY!

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HDSLR Shopping? What You Want is a Canon 60D.

Article by: Stu Maschwitz

If you’re shopping for a DSLR right now, for the primary purpose of shooting video (being familiar with all the pros and cons), what you want is the Canon 60D.

I felt compelled to write this because the 60D seems to get left out of the conversation a lot, and it shouldn’t. It’s the best filmmaker’s DSLR out there right now. People still ask my which they should buy, the 5D Mark II or the 7D, and when I recommend the 60D, I sense resistance. How is it possible that a sub-$1,000 camera body shoots video as good as one costing $600 more? 

The 7D is a great camera, and it was the first HDSLR to offer a smattering of useful frame rates and manual control. It also is a Canon, so if you were a 5D Mark II shooter, a 7D was an easy body to fold into your kit. I bought one the day they became available, and encouraged you to do the same — arguing then, as I still believe today, that the APS-C sensor size — while not as luxuriously huge as that of the 5D Mark II — is a perfect size for filmmaking, being a close match to the Super35mm film frame.

The sensors of the 7D and the 60D are the same size, but with the 7D you’re paying for a best-in-class APS-C stills camera, which you may or may not need. It has a more advance autofocus system than the 5D Mark II, a weatherproof metal body, and dual DIGIC 4 chipset for rapid-fire motodrive. If you’re not a serious stills shooter, these features are overkill. They have no affect at all on the camera’s video performance.

Still, the 7D got lodged in the hearts and minds of not only shooters, but their clients. Everyone knows the 7D.

Then along came the Rebel T2i and the 60D. Both have almost the exact same video features as the 7D (with one notable exception, as you’ll read in a moment). The 60D even has a handy feature that the 7D lacks: manual audio level control. But more importantly, the 60D alone has something I routinely wish my 7D had: an articulating LCD screen.

This single feature is enough reason to recommend the 60D. Quite simply, it’s painful and often impossible to shoot video with an HDSLR without an external monitor. While the amazing Zacuto Z-Finder is great for shoulder-mounted work, if you’re like me, you often shoot at something other than eye-level. A flip-out LCD has been on my HDSLR wishlist for a long time, and we finally have it with the 60D. And by the way, you can use the Z Finder with the 60D, as shown here.

I don’t have a 60D (yet) or a Rebel T2i, but everyone I’ve spoken with who has done comparisons says the video from the three cameras is nearly identical. So here’s my recommendation:

If you are just getting started and are on a budget, sure, consider the Rebel T2i. Do not, under any circumstances, buy it with the kit lens. A year ago the only SLR worth shooting video with was $2600. You just got one for $750. Take the extra money and buy some fast lenses. At the very least, get a thrifty fifty.

If you are a serious amateur or aspiring-pro photographer who doesn’t care about full-frame or “real” pro bodies like the 1D Mark IV, and you also want to shoot video, the 7D is a great camera. And it is worth noting that the 7D does have one advantage over the 60D: The 7D outputs an HD signal through its HDMI port while recording, while the 60D, like the 5D Mark II and Rebel T2i, outputs Standard Definition. If your primary shooting mode will be with an external HD monitor such as the SmallHD DP6, the 7D will give you a better signal for frame and focus. 

The 5D Mark II remains an awesome stills camera hampered only by an aging autofocus system, and it shoots lovely 24, 25 and 30p video with better low-light performance than any of Canon’s APS-C offerings, including the 60D. Its full-frame sensor allows beyond-cinematic depth of field control. The 5D lacks 50 and 60p modes though, and costs a lot. It’s entirely possible that your heart and photo soul are screaming at you to own a full-frame DSLR, and if that’s the case, of course the 5D Mark II is great. But it’s no longer the king of the video hill unless achieving the shallowest-possible depth of field is your top priority.

If you are specifically interested in video, and stills are a nice feature but not your raison d’être, get the 60D. You’re basically paying the difference between the Rebel and the 60D for manual audio levels, the flip-out screen, and the (occasionally reported) possibility that the 60D is slightly less prone to overheating than the Rebel. It’s a great camera for a great price, and the articulated screen alone is worth it. Again, just say no to the kit lens.

Proof that the universe loves you: as I began to write this, the Canon 60D went on sale at Amazon for $899. Use coupon code BF8JNEEK at checkout.

If you’re already a Canon shooter, remember that while the 60D shares batteries with the 5D Mark II and the 7D, it uses SDHC cards instead of CF. I’ve put together a 60D Cine page on the ProLost store to help you get your kit going.

Using a DSLR for video a compromise. In addition to the technical limitations we’ve discussed here at length, the time-honored form factor of the SLR just wasn’t made for movies. The 60D takes a big step toward fixing this. To me, this matters a lot. The 5D Mark II shot you blew because you couldn’t see the LCD well enough to focus is worth nothing compared to the 60D shot you wrangled from an angle.
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Christian Filmmakers Holiday Contest

On December 10, 2010 filmmakers around the world will produce a four-minute story on video. 48-hours later they will upload their video to YouTube. Judges will score entries on Story, Cinematography, Sound, Performance and Editing.

For this contest, your $25 entry fee will go into a prize pool. As more filmmakers enter videos, the prize grows! (Prizes from our April contest were $700 and $300.)
 
This time we’re introducing an Amateur Entry category, with a $5 entry fee and the opportunity to get input from the judges.
 
Contest Details - Facebook Event

Navigating History: Egypt

By: Isaac Botkin

This project is not a feature, and not a documentary. It’s kind of an experiment.

In two weeks, a four-man video team is heading to Egypt. We will be there for two weeks. During that time, we will post a 24-minute video episode every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We will stream this video live to subscribers on the web and immediately afterwards stream live audio from the team on the ground for 30-minutes of interactive Q&A.

It’s a pretty brutal production schedule, and to make it work we’ll be relying on the blinding speed of Premiere CS5 on two high-powered laptop editing suites, the superior image quality of the Canon 5D, and the extreme flexibility of the GoPro HD Hero. We’re using a mix of shotgun mics and wireless lavs for audio, LED flashlights for lighting, and an assortment of GPS trackers and satellite pagers, not mention a huge stack of redundant eSATA hard drives that we’ll be backpacking around the desert.

It’ll be quite an adventure, but the project is more than a simple travel show. We’re hoping to cover the history and culture of Egypt in a presuppositional way, and look at the consequences of the ideas that have affected it....(read full article)

Dove Foundation Introduces New Purple and Gold Seals.

Article By: TIM TOWNSEND

To get to the movie section at LifeWay Christian Store in Bridgeton, Mo., customers pass by shelves of books, compact discs and greeting cards.

The rack of Christian DVDs isn't huge, but it's twice as big as it was a year ago and "growing all the time," manager Francine Evans said.

Some of the Christian titles these days, she said, tackle "touchy subjects" such as drugs, domestic violence or abortion.

"These are movies that deal with issues that real people deal with," Evans said. "Sometimes that's what's necessary to reach people for God. But the seals are needed. They're a good idea."

The seals Evans anticipates are part of a new system developed by the Michigan-based Dove Foundation to gauge the Christian values in films that contain sex, violence and drugs.

For 20 years, the Dove Foundation has placed a blue "dove" seal on any DVD it considered family-friendly, from "Star Wars" to "Toy Story 3." Now, says Dove Chief Executive Dick Rolfe, the system has expanded. A new purple "Faith-Based" seal warns of raw images or language in otherwise Christian-themed movies, and a new gold "Faith-Friendly" seal indicates a Christian-themed movie that's safe for a family audience.

The launch of the new seals was part of the International Christian Retailers Show, held June 27-30 in St. Louis.

Book and music purchases represent a significant portion of Christian bookstores' annual $4.6 billion market. As music sales increasingly go digital, retailers are expanding their DVD offerings to recapture those sales, said Curtis Riskey, executive director of the CBA (the former Christian Booksellers Association).

In 2009, Christian retail sales of music declined by 1 percent from 2008, but Christian retail sales of videos increased by 26 percent, according to the Christian Music Trade Association and Nielsen Christian SoundScan.

By contrast, general market stores' sales of all music decreased by more than 10 percent, and video sales decreased by 23 percent. The growth of the Christian DVD market means retailers need guidance for their customers.

"A consumer looks to Christian retail to find family-friendly entertainment," Riskey said.

"The ratings system helps identify for the Christian consumer the kinds of things they can expect in a movie."

To caution parents that some Christian films can also contain un-Christian behavior or situations, the Dove Foundation's new "Faith-Based" seal will carry letters indicating the offending content: "V" for violence, "D" for drugs and alcohol, "S" for sex, etc.

Many movies don't make Dove's original "Family-Approved" cut at all. The group's review of the recent comedy "MacGruber" says: "Unfortunately, despite some good acting and fighting sequences, the violence level, not to mention the strong language and sexual content, clearly prevents us from awarding this film our Dove 'Family-Approved' Seal."

"It's the retailers that really want there to be a rating system to help them serve their customers," said Bobby Downes, a Christian producer, whose latest movie, "Like Dandelion Dust," with Mira Sorvino, will be in theaters this fall.

"If a pastor walks into a Christian bookstore and wants a movie he can show to his entire church, the current rating system doesn't help him make that determination."

The Dove Foundation's new gold "Faith-Friendly" seal will alert consumers that a movie is not only family-friendly but that it contains a Christian message. DVDs of movies such as "The Blind Side" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" will receive the foundation's gold seal on their packaging.

While the foundation's purple "Faith-Based" seal will register as a caution for parents, those in the film industry say they're not worried it will have a chilling effect on Christian writers and directors concerned about DVD sales.

Dave Austin, vice president of sales and marketing for the Bridgestone Group, which distributes Christian films, said the "Faith-Based" seal is actually "a positive step for filmmakers."

"As a distributor, if we look at a film that's not approved by Dove at all, we might ask for it to be edited slightly to get that Dove approval," he said.

Christian filmmaking has flourished since Trinity Broadcasting Network's 1999 ode to apocalyptic cheesiness, "The Omega Code." In 2004, the $371 million made by Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" opened Hollywood's eyes to the financial potential in Christian movies.

The success of Christian films inspired a new generation of Christian auteurs who have since introduced variety into the Christian film market. Fans of Christian movies can now choose between squeaky-clean evangelistic efforts such as Sherwood Films' "Fireproof," about a firefighter's marriage, and "Facing the Giants," about a football coach's trust in God, and grittier fare such as this year's "To Save a Life," about teen depression, suicide and bullying, and "Preacher's Kid," about domestic violence.

The latter two films "have some rather graphic scenes in them of inappropriate sexual behavior, drug and alcohol use and violence," Rolfe said in an interview. "However, they also have very powerful stories of redemption through Christian faith."

Austin said the new rating system was "a positive step for the consumer." He and Downes were part of a team of industry experts that helped Dove come up with the system.

"With some parents, when there's not gratuitous violence or sex, they're still comfortable with their 13-year-old seeing some rough subject matter," he said. "Others aren't. If every family had identical tolerances, then a system like this wouldn't be necessary, but there's a wide range out there."

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San Antonio Independent Christian Film Academy (SAICFA)

Wow, what an incredibly encouraging week! I've attended every SAICFA-Festival event since 2005 and I've enjoyed it every time! Just a quick note here for those unfamiliar with all this...you can register for the Academy and Festival seperately if you wish to attend only one event but they have always been held during the same week so it just kinda makes sense to go to both. (Academy is held the first half of the week, and the Festival is held the last half)

Highlights for me at this years Academy were the lectures by Kirk Cameron "Acting" - Steven Kendrick "Directing Actors" and "Behind the Scenes of Courageous" - Geoff Botkin "Story Structure" - Isaac Botkin "Christopher Nolan vs. Steven Speilberg" -  Doug Phillips "Radioactive" where he critiques Food, Inc., Avatar, The Cove, 2012, the Al Gore documentary, and more.

"[the Academy] included messages on Epistemology for Filmmakers, comparison of the acting styles of Marlon Brando with Jimmy Stewart, an amazing Christ-exalting dialogue with Kirk Cameron that ranks as one of the most inspirational messages in the history of any Vision Forum event, discussions on managing sets, unions, and a rousing, hilarious and very practical session on screen tests and acting."

-Doug Phillips

KIRK CAMERON

STEVEN KENDRICK

"Stephen took us on a first look at his latest film “Courageous,” but the substance was a no-holds bar homage to absolute duty of the Christian filmmaker to make hard choices that honor Christ, and the blessings which come from it...The maturity and excellence of the story-line, production values, acting and structure of “Courageous” was so significant, that those of us who had the privilege to be present knew we were watching the birth of something that promises to make headline news as it blazes across the nation blessing millions and changing lives for Christ."

-Doug Phillips

At the 2010 Christian Filmmaker's Academy, Stephen Kendrick (the Producer of "Flywheel", "Facing the Giants", and "Fireproof") presented a keynote message entitled " 'Courageous'-The Vision, The Story, The Lessons." Here's a snippet.

We also got to see several rough clips from their upcoming film Courageous. Let me tell ya...it's going to be REALLY good!! - Movie Website

GEOFF BOTKIN

"Geoff Botkin Wows Us With a Brilliant Discussion on Structure, Story Arc and Beats of a Well-Drafted Script."

DOUG PHILLIPS

"[Avatar] is definitely anti-coporate...it's a very personal film in the sense that when I was a kid...in high school it was the start of the environmental movement, and I made a film in high school about pollution...In the years since, trying to get documentaries funded about the environment - you can't raise any money to do that. Nobody wants to buy that stuff. So I thought if i make a big, spectacular ation science fiction film, I can embed these themes in a movie that people are going to see for other reasons. It's absolutely subversive."

-James Cameron interview on "The View", Feb. 17, 2010

"...the effectiveness of Hollywood pantheists and environmentalists to subvert culture through media, and, second, the absence of a thoughtful response in film from the Christian community because we have abandoned the dominion mandate, and failed to mount an army to take the field." Watch the clips.

I found this bag sitting on a table, and in light of the "Radioactive" lecture...I took a picture of it ;) Now don't get me wrong, I do believe it is important to take of this wonderful world God has given us, but I also believe that there is balance. Taking care of the earth shouldn't be more important than people.

OTHER LECTURES

Isaac Botkin gave a very interesting lecture comparing two very successful directors!

"The Art of Scoring Films," with Oscar-winning composer Bruce Broughton.

A lecture by the young men behind the new EffectsForge company.

David Cook talks about his new film Seven Days In Utopia starring Robert Duvall. Movie Website

- stay tuned for a review of this year's festival!

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Lots of pictures and video used from "Doug's Blog"

iPads in Filmmaking

The Times also recently ran a profile of the iPad's growing popularity in Hollywood, noting that it's "the must-carry accessory on sound stages this season, visible behind the scenes of television and film shoots and in business meetings."

For example, Bob Orci, one of the writers working on the sequel to last year's blockbuster "Star Trek," kicked off a recent meeting with his co-writer and three producers by whipping out his iPad to show off movie stills, potential scene locations, and a photo of a prospective actress that he had edited on the tablet to sport a Vulcan ear.

“When you’re carrying a little TV around, you bring the power of imagery to places that you don’t normally have it,” Orci said.

The report also notes that Apple products have turned up about 2,438 times on television programs through this September, amounting to a wealth of free advertising for the Cupertino-based company, including recent iPad stints on “Modern Family,” “Fast Money," and “Fox & Friends.

At the same time, the Apple tablet is being put to work backstage, where actors and actresses using specially designed apps, like Rehearsal, are using it to help them learn their lines ahead of each shoot.
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