Christian Screenwriting

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a screenplay that is a Ben Hur type of film..GregP.S. And I've already heard a thousand times "send it to Gibson" so maybe some different types of advice..thanks in advance!

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1] a screenplay that is a Ben Hur type of film.. Greg P.S. And I've already heard a thousand times ... de la Haye did before getting signed by Joel Gotler (who as far as I know isn't exactly a Bible-thumper).[/nq]
The catch will be, can it be made for a price if it's worth making? The kind you described would make me ask "How is this different from Gladiator?"

-- Skip Press http://www.skippress.com

Men for the most part can mend their ways only after they make mistakes. Only when they are frustrated in mind and in their deliberations can they stand up anew. Only when their intentions become visible on their countenances and audible in their voices can they be understood by others.

-- Mencius, Book VI Kao Tzu, Part II, 15

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a screenplay that is a Ben Hur type of film..

Greg

P.S. And I've already heard a thousand times "send it to Gibson" so maybe some different types of advice..thanks in advance!

My advice would be the same as I would give most beginning screenwriters in respect to looking for agents -- and that is that it is easier, as a rule, to get your material read by producers than by agents, and that is it probably more likely that your will get a producer who specializes in Christian movies interested in reading your work (and there are a lot of them beside Mel Gibson -- who actually doesn't specialize in them) than that you will find an agent who specializes in such material.

Having said that -- the budgets for most Christian movies is quite low -- because, while the aggragate earnings may be high -- the amount than any one such movie is likely to earn is not terribly high. These are not likely to be blockbusters and they are not financed at the level of big hollywood productions.

Thus, the chances of a "Ben-Hur" scale movie being financed by a maker of "Christian" movies is frankly rather low.

Likewise, I must tell you, the chances of a major studio financing any big historical epic, Christian or otherwise, based on a spec screenplay by an unsold writer, are extremely poor.

I mean, look at how many people turned down Mel Gibson -- and Passion, as historical movies go, was quite contained.

If we're talking something on the order of "Ben-Hur" -- that's a hundred to a hundred and fifty million dollar movie.

Christian films are not being financed at that level - unless you want to be a director and your Dad's last name happens to be Moon.

NMS

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[nq:1]Christian films are not being financed at that level - unless you want to be a director and your Dad's last name happens to be Moon.[/nq]
I actually saw the infamous Moon-financed epic film "Inchon" -- with Laurence Olivier playing MacArthur (sp?) -- insanely miscalculated in every possible way. Long-since withdrawn.

--

"If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it." --Elmore Leonard

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[nq:1] a screenplay that is a Ben Hur type of film.. Greg P.S. And I've already heard a thousand times "send it to Gibson" so maybe some different types of advice..thanks in advance![/nq]
Wasn't there a group of wealthy Christian business men who set up a production company that just wanted to do Christian themed movies, stuff where the hero followed the arc of a good Christian hero? Or at least nothing R rated. In the 1980's is where I heard of them. I thought it was ******* Productions? I don't know if they are still around? I heard a production assistant talk about them at UCI I think. She said it was hard finding a script for them that they wanted to do.

I can't find them offhand when I Google it but I think there were people with money out there who want to do Christian type movies for sure ten years ago so maybe there are people today?

I bet somebody else might know...

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1] a screenplay that is a Ben Hur type of film.. Greg P.S. And I've already heard a thousand times "send it to Gibson" so maybe some different types of advice..thanks in advance![/nq]
Wasn't there a group of wealthy Christian business men who set up a production company that just wanted to do Christian themed movies, stuff where the hero followed the arc of a good Christian hero? Or at least nothing R rated. In the 1980's is where I heard of them. I thought it was ******* Productions? I don't know if they are still around? I heard a production assistant talk about them at UCI I think. She said it was hard finding a script for them that they wanted to do.

I can't find them offhand when I Google it but I think there were people with money out there who want to do Christian type movies for sure ten years ago so maybe there are people today?

I bet somebody else might know...

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1] a screenplay that is a Ben Hur type of film.. Greg P.S. And I've already heard a thousand times "send it to Gibson" so maybe some different types of advice..thanks in advance![/nq]
Wasn't there a group of wealthy Christian business men who set up a production company that just wanted to do Christian themed movies, stuff where the hero followed the arc of a good Christian hero? Or at least nothing R rated. In the 1980's is where I heard of them. I thought it was ******* Productions? I don't know if they are still around? I heard a production assistant talk about them at UCI I think. She said it was hard finding a script for them that they wanted to do.

I can't find them offhand when I Google it but I think there were people with money out there who want to do Christian type movies for sure ten years ago so maybe there are people today?

I bet somebody else might know...

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Wasn't there a group of wealthy Christian business men who set up a production company that just wanted to do ... Christian type movies for sure ten years ago so maybe there are people today? I bet somebody else might know...[/nq]
I'm not sure, but I think ******* may be the same outfit that owns or owned the (notoriously right-wing) Daily Oklahoman newspaper in OKC. For a while, and maybe still, I think they owned the Grand Ol' Opry and Opryland U.S.A. in Nashville. I had a cousin who worked for them, the old man was a thousand years old and his son, merely in his 90s or so, ran the outfit day-to-day. Gillions of bucks but crazy as coots.

Joe Myers "The Official State Animal of Oklahoma: A squished cat in the middle of the highway."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Wasn't there a group of wealthy Christian business men who set up a production company that just wanted to do ... them at UCI I think. She said it was hard finding a script for them that they wanted to do.[/nq]
There are a variety of production companies interested in doing material which they can aim squarely at middle America -- which isn't quite the same thing you're asking for.

The problem is that most stuff aimed at the Christian market (like the Left Behind adaptations) is fairly low-budget. But rather than reiterate what others have said on that note, I'd encourage you to look at production companies involved in Christian films -- Left Behind, Tribulation, etc -- or figure out who represents the writers and directors of those those projects.

The basic principle is the same no matter what type of film you're writing: find production companies who've done similar work, and pursue them. If you also want to find an agent, find agents who represent writers who've done work you think bespeaks a similar taste, and approach them.

Good luck.

Usenet · Answer

The Mendocino Corporation funded (partially) The Spitfire Grill. I don't know the particulars, but it was touted heavily when it came out as being funded by the Catholic Church. It didn't have a huge budget like a period piece would, but it received some nice reviews and wasn't totally panned. I liked it okay.

Maybe you could find out a bit more about how it got started and who was involved. Seems like it received a good bit of publicity at the time.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Wasn't there a group of wealthy Christian business men who ... there are people today? I bet somebody else might know...[/nq]
[nq:1] but instead he did My Heroes Have Always Been Cowbosy. I don't recall anything about Christianity coming up in ... mens group started by football coach Bill McCartney of the University of Colorado; he was also associated with Howard Kazanjian.[/nq]
******* Productions has been reconstituted and is now at Warners and they've been very successful. Ed quit just developing and not making, which was the bone of contention between him and Tom. His family sold everything but Opryland I believe.

And yes, the Gaylords **** near run Oklahoma.

-- Skip Press http://www.skippress.com

We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.

-- Benjamin Franklin

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