The War Room - Theaters Aug. 28

Watch the teaser trailer for the new movie from the Kendrick Brothers (Fireproof & Courageous), WAR ROOM, which will be in theaters August 28.

warroomthemovie.com

Movie Monday - COURAGEOUS

"Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they're quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.

When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God ... and to their children?"

Movie Rating: PG-13 for Some Violence and Drug Content
Content Review: Click Here
Movie Trailer: Click Here
Movie Website: Click Here

To see more films visit:
Movie Resources > Family Favorite Feature Films

Disclaimer: Please note that some of the films listed may be too intense or contain other content that would not be appropriate for younger ages. I am also aware that everyone has unique standards and guidlines for their own families. Please take the time to examine these films and I hope the "Content Review" links will be helpful. Lastly, in case anyone is wondering, no the movies are not listed in any particular order.

Courageous DVD & BLURAY

Special Features

• The Making Of Courageous
• Commentary By The Kendrick Brothers
• Deleted Scenes
• Outrageous: Outtakes & Bloopers
• Courageous In 60 Seconds
• Heart Of Courageous
• The Story Of My Father

Order Your Copy Now!

The Editing & Post Production of “Courageous”

Here are a couple of articles that I found to be very insightful and that I highly recommend especially for filmmakers! I really enjoyed the info about the post production process from editing to film prints! Both articles are very in depth and instead of re-posting them here in their entirety I have instead included links for you to check out. To get you started, here is a short excerpt:

Articles By: Steve Hullfish

"This article and the follow up will discuss the entire workflow of getting the R3D files from the camera, archiving them, transcoding them, organizing the files, making editing decisions with the director, and eventually, delivering the edit and raw files to PostWorks in NY and following the entire on-line post-production workflow getting the RED files and a Final Cut Pro 7 sequence up on the big screen in over 1,200 theaters nationwide.

Sherwood Pictures’ last theatrical release was the number one independent movie of 2008, “Fireproof,” which beat out “Slumdog Millionaire” for the honor. That film focused on a firefighter struggling with his heroic image at the firehouse compared to the image his wife had of him at home. At its heart, it was a movie about saving a marriage. For “Courageous”, the heroes are cops who are courageous on the streets, but need to show that honor begins at home, as they struggle with their roles as fathers when their beat is done.

My role started after principal photography had been completed. Director Alex Kendrick had planned on editing the feature himself, along with the help of on-set editor, Bill Ebel, who was also an editor on “Fireproof.” However, the previous Sherwood Pictures releases had been edited from approximately 40 hours of footage each, but when the final day of shooting on “Courageous” was done,  there were over 130 hours of raw footage coming from multiple RED cameras. (The production took place in the spring and summer of 2010, so it was shot Red One, pre-MX.) Getting through 130 hours of footage to deliver a first cut in just a couple months would be impossible for one or two people. Just watching 130 hours of footage would take a month..."

PART 1 - PART 2

Praying, Then Producing a Hit

Article from the New York Times. Click Here to read the full article.

Many directors think of their work as a kind of religion, but few actually refer to their production company as “a moviemaking ministry” — unless of course they are the people behind Sherwood Pictures. The Georgia-based Sherwood Baptist Church has released four films, and its latest, “Courageous,” has shown once again that it has a way with Christian audiences.

“Fireproof,” Sherwood’s 2008 film about marriage, which starred the “Growing Pains” alumnus Kirk Cameron, grossed more than $33.4 million, and “Courageous,” its latest film, is poised to be even bigger — it opened at No. 5 at the box office last weekend. The film tells the story of four law enforcement officers and the challenges of fatherhood. “With God’s help, they struggle to be able to find a way to serve and protect those that are most dear to them,” a press release says. It also incorporates higher production values than any of Sherwood’s previous projects and, for the first time, a cast of professional actors.

We talked to the director and associate pastor Alex Kendrick about “Courageous,” his ministry’s growth and movies. Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Q. Why did you want to make “Courageous”?

A. Well it’s important to keep in mind we’re not Hollywood, we’re not trying to be Hollywood. We’re first a ministry. So before each movie that we do, we commit time to pray and say, “God, what movie do you want us to do next?” So we felt like me, my brother, that fatherhood was where our heart was turning. Given that, we started researching fatherhood, the national fatherhood initiative, Washington organizations, just pulling stats, and we noted that part of a dad’s job is to protect and serve his family and law enforcement is known for protecting and serving, so we put it in the context of a law enforcement story.

Q. Were you excited by the success of your previous films?

....Click Here to read the full article.

Highly recommended for filmmakers!

Courageous in Theaters September 30th!

Head over to the website and check out the first 2min of the movie...exciting scene to whet your appetite!

www.CourageousTheMovie.com

Courageous Trailer and Poster!

Watch the trailer HERE!

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"

Courageous - Behind the Scenes

I came across a few videos that finally show some in-depth footage and info about the making of Courageous!

1) The Process Trailer - click here
Ever wonder how they shoot all those shots of people in a moving vehicle? This is a great video that explains the work that goes into filming a car!

2) The Heart of Courageous - click here
This is a fantastic look into the heart of the story and the team behind the movie. Lots of fun footage and interviews!

3) USA Today News Report

www.courageousthemovie.com

On the Set of Courageous

As in the first two films from Sherwood Pictures, Alex Kendrick is both directing and playing the lead role in the new film Courageous. He co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Stephen, and this time takes on the role of a husband and father of two children. It's a role that is familiar to Kendrick, as he and his wife have six children themselves.

Alex plays Adam Mitchell, a sheriff's deputy who is part of a tight-knit group of men who put their lives on the line every day together. But at home, it's a different story. As dads, they're all missing the mark.

When a tragedy hits home, they are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God and to their children?

Additional Cast
Kevin Downes (The Moment After, Six, To the Wall) plays Alex's partner Shane Fuller, whose family life is falling apart. He's divorced but trying to maintain a relationship with his son.

Fans of Fireproof will recognize Ken Bevel, who plays Nathan Hayes in Courageous. Ken is a member of Sherwood Baptist who became famous across the country for his role as Michael Simmons in Fireproof, best friend and colleague of Caleb Holt.

Joining Kevin and Ken is Ben Davies, a student at the University of Georgia whose season-ending injury freed him up to audition for the role of David Thomson in Courageous. A native of Nashville, Ben's previous acting roles have been in music videos, commercials, print ads and training videos.

Rounding out the five main characters is Robert Amaya as Javier Martinez. He is married and works in a factory to support his wife and children. Javier is asked to make a critical decision that will affect his future in the factory, and it's only through diligent prayer with his wife that he makes a decision that is God-honoring and honoring to his family and his company.

Through these five men's lives, we'll see how their choices affect their families, and whether or not they can rise to the challenge of becoming the fathers God intends them to be.

©2010 ChristianCinema.com

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