The number one problem of modern Christian filmmaking is a theological crisis that not only affects the story content of the film, but the production values as well. Seasoned filmmakers and aspiring artists alike will benefit greatly from building a tight, orthodox, theological grid for filmmaking.
The Christian filmmaker should not be making movies as a personal hobby, but to change the world by completely replacing a corrupt industry. Quality filmmaking is an exacting craft. Why do so many Christian films fail in so many of the same ways? Learn from these mistakes so they never undermine your work.
Lighting and grading gives every film its signature look, and communicates the emotional message of every scene. It also demonstrates the production quality of the project. What makes soap operas look different from prime-time television dramas? Why do made-for-TV movies generally look inferior to Hollywood blockbusters? Learn how the best cinematographers get the best results and you can take advantage of their planning and experience.
The widespread adoption of digital cinema cameras and digital color correction have added new tools to the cinematographer’s bag, and powerful new abilities for expression and manipulation. Learn how these techniques work, how they are becoming more accessible to independent filmmakers, and how to emulate top-dollar post equipment using low-dollar plugins that will work with your existing production pipeline.
Science Fiction is a genre that has largely been driven by humanism and evolutionism, but it need not stay that way. The CFA argues that this may be one of the most important genres for Christians in the 21st century. This symposium focuses on the theology of science fiction — lessons in worldview, sound design, production and more from the great science fiction films of the past — and it casts a vision for how Christians can successfully take dominion over this genre for the future.
The positioning and lighting of elements within the frame can have a profound impact on how a viewer relates to your film. This workshop will dig into how to arrange your environment and yourself to strengthen your film’s message.
Panavision Training and Demonstration of 35mm Cameras: James Finn of Panavision will lecture on cinematography and the future of high-definition technologies. Finn will bring the famous Panavision camera with lenses so that students can learn about proper setup and handling of industry-standard 35mm film equipment. This presentation is a must for serious students of filmmaking.
Compelling drama is full of conflict. But Christian filmmakers are not too sure how graphic and intense that conflict should be on screen, or if they have a scriptural duty to make their films kinder and gentler all around. They also struggle from their own inexperience in the area of directing stunts as basic as swordfights and gunfights. At this year’s CFA, filmmakers will receive hands-on training on how to properly execute stunts from the award winning stunt performer and director Jimmy Broyden. Other faculty members will provide students with important worldview training — helping them to learn how to best create God-honoring, tough-minded stories and performances that show that Christians can take on evil with forceful justice and leave evil incapacitated.
The purpose behind the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival’s vision for such a significant cash prize award is to demonstrate to the Christian community and the world that Christians are willing to invest in the future. This lecture gives you an inside look into the intellectual priorities, production values and vision which SAICFF judges want to see in the films that win Jubilee awards, and the Grand Prize winner which will take home $101,000.
Is your story strong enough to justify the immense investment of time and money it will require to make it a great work of art? This lecture will help you discern when your story is ready for filming by helping you with the necessary skills of premise, treatment, structure, storyboarding, production design, research and other development issues used by successful writers, producers, and directors.
This lecture will outline a series of simple and quick tasks that will improve a film’s ideological, artistic, and technical quality. Learn how to get better story structure, acting, editing, and sound design through the use of simple ten-minute exercises. These tools will serve you for a lifetime.
In this call to maturity and professionalism, Geoffrey Botkin will reveal why and how he believes the unique judgment and discernment of the Christian filmmaker will change cinema forever.
Understanding new technology is crucial when producing independent movies—and one of the newest and most acclaimed technologies for the movie industry is RED, a 4K digital Cinema camera system. Cinematographer and director Jon Erwin, a RED owner and veteran of over 20 RED productions, gives us a hands on workshop explaining all things RED. Topics include: Shooting 4K with the RED Camera, On Set Workflow, Post Production Workflow, Buyers Guide and setting up your next film on RED.
Last year, Stephen Kendrick blessed the Christian Filmmakers Academy students with his report of the work of God through his Film, Facing the Giants (which grossed more than $30 million in box office and DVD sales!). This year, Stephen will take students behind the scenes of Sherwood Pictures’ latest film, Fireproof, which far surpassed industry expectations by bringing in more then 32M in box-office sales to date.
Advent Film Group founder George Escobar shares the top lessons he learned from his recent film production, Come What May, which was filmed on location at Patrick Henry College, and involved a large number of home educators.
The Concept, the Casting, the Marketing and Legal Battles of the Most Controversial Film of 2008. It was the film that took on the Marxist academic establishment, but ended up battling a court case with Yoko Ono. Executive Producer Logan Craft shares the most important lessons and strategies of this success story in independent filmmaking.
Learn from the real-world experiences of the 2009 feature finalists for the SAICFF. Learn the most common mistakes and most encouraging victories. Gain a wealth of practical insights on creative ways to cast, finance, and market independent Christian films. Get the behind-the-scenes stories for Expelled, Fireproof, Pendragon, Sword of his Father, Pilgrim’s Progress: Journey to Heaven, The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry,The Sound of a Dirt Road, Throw a Few Things on the Ground, and The Widow’s Might.
Script is king, music is queen. This lecture is a structured look into mastering the use of this critical element of film that can either raise your film to greatness or weaken your message. Included in this talk will be a detailed outline of the fundamentals of film scoring, and how any filmmaker can harness the emotional and communicative power of music to strengthen his film instead of crippling it.
Doug Phillips and Geoffrey Botkin offer a graduation message of encouragement for the 2009 CFA class and cast a ten-year vision for the future of independent Christian filmmaking.
Veteran actor Dean Jones will offer a private address to the students of the Christian Filmmakers Academy. Drawing from a lifetime of experience in Hollywood, spanning a career of more than fifty years and dozens of film projects including more than a decade as an A-list Disney star, Dean will share some of the most important lessons God has taught him since his conversion to Christ, and will encourage and exhort the filmmakers on the importance of serving Christ in their work outside of Hollywood.*Note this lecture will be delivered during the 2009 SAICFF
Workshop topics subject to change.
