Home Media Magazine - November 11-17, 2007 - (Page CER14) +producer p r o f i l e >> A dream is born Sherwood Baptist Church, with more than 3,000 members, began filmmaking because of a single question Senior Pastor Michael Catt asked his team on a retreat in Orlando, Fla.: What do you want to be doing in the next five years? Associate Pastor Alex Kendrick said he’d always wanted to make Christian films, but he’d have to leave the church to do it. A church couldn’t make a feature film. Catt replied: “Why not? Bring me a script.” Alex and his brother, Stephen, came back with Flywheel, and Catt and the rest of the pastors prayed about whether this was the right way to go with the ministry. Could their church serve Christ by making movies? “I thought, ‘If God wants us to make it, he’ll provide the resources,’” Catt recalls. And he did. No one ever made a special announcement that the church needed money for a new film, but word got out and $20,000 poured in from donations outside of regular tithing. The filmmakers had their seed money. With a small budget, writer-director-star Alex Kendrick kept the production small, using locations around Albany for his tale of a used-car salesman who defies his former sleazy tactics to make himself a better salesman, father and Christian. More than 500 congregants became caterers, security and film crew, with others trying out for the handful of roles. That $20,000 and “a lot of sweat equity” brought Flywheel and Sherwood Pictures to fruition. Sherwood hoped to show Flywheel in a local theater for the benefit of its congregation, who’d worked so hard on it. Executive Pastor Jim McBride, who appears in the film (and as the coach in Facing the Giants), says they were initially rebuffed. “The manager told us they only ran Hollywood movies,” McBride says. “But he said he’d ask the district manager.” The district manager decided showing the film for a couple of days would make for community good will. But the two Scenes from Flywheel Senior Pastor Michael Catt speaks at a conference. days became a week, and the week became six weeks. Flywheel was the No. 2 box office draw for that month and a half. Because showing Flywheel on the big screen required special equipment, the film was destined for DVD and church showings, which it gleaned nationwide. But first the filmmakers needed approval for a song by Christian rock band Third Day, and went to Provident Music in Nashville for it. After the folks at Provident Films saw it, they shot it straight to their mainstream theatrical partner, Sony, and the rest is history. The film had a limited release across the country, and the standard DVD has been selling ever since. Then Facing the Giants went big, and Sherwood Pictures started work on the third film, Fireproof, for nationwide and mainstream DVD release. Media ministry When churches ask about making feature films as a part of their ministry, Catt counsels them to think it through and pray about how they can best serve the church. McBride says Sherwood Pictures gets unsolicited scripts, but those scripts are turned away. Sherwood has its writing and filmmaking team in-house. The testimonies have poured in with letters, e-mails and phone calls. Five thousand people have prayed to receive Christ in their life at church showings of the films. But the team gives the glory to God. “We always remind ourselves that this is God’s movie,” McBride says. “We believe the entire church’s participation is part of why God is blessing these films. From start to finish, we make these films in prayer. The actors aren’t paid. We just know we can impact somebody’s life. “The Lord has brought us a lot of expertise, and brings more people along every day.” As an example, McBride mentioned how their makeup artist came to them after the filming of Flywheel. A man came to the church to see Alex Kendrick with big, black notebooks full of makeup that he’d done for big Hollywood movies before he found Christ and moved to Georgia. When the man saw Flywheel, he prayed to God: Could you use me for this? God’s answer led him to the church to offer to do the film makeup for free. “We’ve found what God wants us to do,” Catt says. “Our scripts are inspired by the Bible. These are the greatest stories in the world. They’re not cheesy. They’re not second-rate. They’re about people working hard, raising their kids, having family troubles and financial troubles. “Hollywood’s got to quit looking at the Christian community as a sector that doesn’t matter. They’ve got to come to the pastors to reach that audience.” 14 CHRISTIAN ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW / NOVEMBER 2007
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