I recently had the privilege to write this article over at Truth on Cinema. I’m the type of guy that notices things like this, especially in Christian movies, and wanted to write about it. Here is an excerpt:
More than likely by now, you have watched a movie that was predominately Christian. Whether or not it was obvious from the title or trailer, the movie had a strong emphasis on sharing the Gospel. That is great news! What an awesome way to utilize the gifts God has given us to glorify Him through making a movie. However, chances are…it might have succumbed to what we would call “low quality” or worse, “corny.”
When it comes to all things low quality aka corny whether that be bad cinematography or the script itself, I’ve literally been involved in something like that myself. Being in the entertainment industry for a short while actually led me to appreciate more & more the quality behind films…not just what you see from the outside looking in. Whether that be the camera shots used in scenes, the background going on at the same time, or just the overall acting quality while actors read their scripts, there is much more to making a movie besides “Lights, Camera, Action.”
So then if there are Christian movies out there sharing the Gospel and hopefully getting the message across to the audience, then why does the quality matter? There are 3 reasons I think quality is very important when it comes to making a Christian movie:
- Quality Matters To God
- Competition Is Brutal
- The Message Is Worthy Of Our Best
You can read the rest of the article here: Why Quality Matters In Faith-Based Movies
I think that faith-based films have a hard life. They are essentially preaching to the choir because no one outside the church wants to watch them – and, typically, the production value is so poor that they can’t survive without the church funding them. The only way to get Christian artists (in any medium) to make better art, is to stop buying poor quality product from them. As long as there is a revenue stream, then there’s no initiative to raise the quality. FURTHER – many of the people (not all, but many) involved in “Christian entertainment” are those who… Read more »
Ryan, I’ve known you a long time and have heard all of your opinions and thoughts and theories…but this one is by far, if not THE BEST, one of the best thoughts you’ve put forward about media and culture. “And I’m a guy who consumes, reviews, and supports Christian media – and I believe there’s a place for that – but at some point we have to say “stop giving the comfortable masses a nice day at the spa.” Don’t make quality Christian media. Make quality media. And use that platform to speak to real people.” That’s me brother, that’s… Read more »
I’m genuinely honored by your feedback. Glad to get things right for once.
Thanks to both you guys for this, great comments!