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| Candlelight Pictures |
| Christian Production Company |
| Candlelight Pictures, a very busy Christian production company, currently has several projects in various stages of development. There are approximately twenty five planned projects, and fifteen more projects that are being considered. Because of this, the company is currently not accepting unsolicited manuscripts. However, if a screenply writer has the financing for a finished screenplay, or has the ability to obtain the funding for the film project, the production company may consider co-production of the project with the writer. However, the screenplay would still have to pass Candlelight's strict screenplay evaluation, before the production company would attach its self to the project. Candlelight Pictures is dedicated to bringing Hollywood Quality to The Christian film industry. The company's filmmaking stratagy is to attaining this goal lies in the "story test". In the past, Christian films have had a reputation for being "HOKEY." This was quite often due to low budgets, bad acting, directing, and poor writing. The label "Christian film" would often raise eyebrows from those who did not want to sit through another one. Fortunatly, The Christian film industry is "playing catch up." There are Christian production companies that are now making higher quality films on shoestring budgets. Candlelight Pictures has entered the Christian film market with the same type of money saving tactics, and with no less than big budget Hollywood film quality standards. Candlelight Pictures has a "story test" for each film project that is considered. The company grades the quality of the story with Hollywood standards of marketability. The question is asked, "If you took the Christianity out of the film-what would be left?" The reason this is important for an Evangelical film, is that quite often, the secular audience, is not interested in the "Christian" part of the film to begin with. It is the secular story value that will keep the non-Christian interested while the Christianity is being presented. In other words, the "Good Book" must be presented within a good story. Candlelight Pictures likes to use secular stories that are influenced by the Christian characters and the decisions that those characters make. The outcome is often different than non Christians would predict, thus making the lesson more impacting. The Holy Bible is a book filled with secular true stories of love, war, adultry, disaster, famine, seduction, redemption, etc. that teach Christian principals for living, and most importantly-salvation. If Christianity was removed from the bible, it would still be the longest running best seller in history, not because of its undeniable historical truths, but because of its story value. The bible is possibly the most interesting historical document ever written. It is much more than a book of facts. Because of the relevant stories it contains, it teaches us about ourselves today, as much as it teaches us about what happened then. Facts are facts, and facts are good, but people are interested in stories that are about people. And stories that contain timeless truths that teach life's lessons are the most valuable, and longest lasting. Candlelight Pictures produces fictional stories that are set in modern times or futuristic settings-but the same lesson of salvation, and the same Christian principals are taught. There is always much care and consideration in how a secular story is presented so that the message of salvation is not lost in a movie that is too worldly. However, to properly market a film to today's youth, its story must be one that would intrest that age group. The Shadow Of Sin movie series will be marketed to the non-Christian movie goers by containing the levels of suspence, action, drama, and emotional content found in today's secular blockbusters. |
| Of the many components of filmmaking, the script, or screenplay is the most important part. The screenplay is so important because it either contains the story that will cause the film to become a blockbuster, or to bomb out at the box office. There is little an actor, director, or producer can do to dress up a poorly writen screenplay. That is why so much time has been devoted to that subject so far. Candlelight Pictures will bring Hollywood quality to Christian films, and will bring these Christian films to theaters and television in a global market by producing only the best of the scripts available. Ofcourse there are many other important parts of a film that cannot be omitted if it is to succeed in the very competitive theatrical market. The correct casting of known celebrities that appeal to the target market, enough marketing money spent in the right places, an excellent sound and lighting crew, a production budget large enough to pay for talent, a good director who understands the screenplay's unwriten meaning, and a cinematographer, who is a perfectionist-all of these parts are needed. All of these parts work as a whole. Arkansas, "The Hollywood of the south," contains all of the above mentioned components necessary to put hit movies into the global market. Candlelight Pictures will import Hollywood talent in key movie roles to help market the films, but will also work with unknown talented Christian actors/actresses and Arkansas talent developing a diversified alternative talent pool. Candlelight Pictures plans to work with the Arkansas state film commission and the Arkansas Department of Economic Development to enrich the Arkansas ecconomy and to help in the developement of an Arkansas based Motion Picture Studio that all Arkansas filmmakers can use. Candlelight Pictures plans to remain "in the heart of the bible belt" and is proud to be located in the state that consistantly gives more total money than any other state to the Gideons for the publishing and distribution of new bibles. Candlelight Pictures intends to reach the world for Jesus Christ with movies (the most powerful tool of evangelism to day bar none). To obtain this goal, the Christian movies must get global distribution and large sums of marketing money. That will happen automatically in the Hollywood distribution procees if the film grosses enough money at the theater's box office. To do that it must contain the needed quality ingredients. The movie, OMEGA CODE, proved to Hollywood that the Christian market exists and is viable. Christian films are now accepted, and because the films from Candlelight Pictures are marketed to the young non-Christian crowd as well as the Christian market, there is an incredible potential for success. A buisness opportunity now exists for Christian buisnessmen to take advantage of that has not existed before. It is now possible to gain massive profits by investing in quality Christian films. The Christian market, hungry for anything worth watching, will storm the theaters in mass to see a film that will not offend thier beliefs. The marketing of the Candlelight Pictures' films captivate the secular youth as well. Arkansas is " the natural state," and Arkansas is the natural location for a quality oriented Christian production company. |
| "When someone lights a candle, it is not put it under a bed or a bushel, it is placed on a candlestick for all to see." - Jesus Christ |
