Act One prepares Christians for film industry
"The times they are a-changin'" is a song title synonymous with the 1960s, but its sentiment provides an equally true observation of those in the community of faith who wrestle with how they should interact with contemporary culture, particularly modern media.
Consider the change that's taken place over the last few generations with respect to Christians' views on movies. A few generations ago, during a brief military stint, my grandfather was asked by his commanding officer why he wouldn't accompany his fellow soldiers on an R & R excursion to the cinema. "Because I'm a Christian" was his simple response. It wasn't uttered in contempt or disdain, but as a simply held conviction that was not up for negotiation.
There are still Christians who would advocate avoiding movie theatres and their particular brand of entertainment, but to be frank, their numbers are few. Today, movie watching is as mainstream among Christians as any other of society's demographic groups.
Of course the irony, thick as the proverbial brick, is that my grandfather and his generation of believers shunned movie-going when the product on screen was laughably innocent by today's relaxed standards. While they were avoiding Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers tripping the light fantastic, today's Christ-followers are debating whether or not the latest installment in the gratuitously violent Saw franchise has at least some redeeming features.
For the record, I'm glad my generation's faith doesn't automatically disqualify movie watching. I do, however, have some sympathy for the souls out there who see the modern movie industry as an assault on many traditionally held Christian values. Standards governing acceptable limits of coarse language, violence and portrayals of sexuality, etc., seem to have been on a sliding scale for some time now. As a result, some Christians see Hollywood, the symbolic wellspring of the film industry, as one of those dark powers against which spiritual warfare need be waged. Others, not as pronounced in their views, still see Hollywood as being beyond redemption.
Barabara Nicolosi would firmly, but politely, disagree. Nicolosi is the founding director of Act One, a Hollywood-based non-profit organization that has, as its mandate, a vision to train and nurture Christian screenwriters, producers and executives so they can positively influence the film and television industry from within. I was impressed with Nicolosi's breadth of knowledge and vision when I heard her speak recently at a conference. She has co-written a major project set for release next year—Mary, Mother of Christ—and has acted as a consultant for such projects as Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.
As a screenwriter, Nicolosi believes there are important stories to be told, and not just biblical ones, that reflect the values of the Christian faith—stories replete with forgiveness, grace and redemption. She maintains that most audiences will want to see them if—and it's a big "if"—they are well crafted and have high production value.She contends that a Christian message is not a substitute for clichéd dialogue, stale plot lines or shoddy cinematography. She holds, as a core value, that art and beauty reflect the wonder of God, and that Christians need to be in the business of making serious art.
As someone who has attended an Act One screenwriting workshop, I can attest firsthand that the bar is set high. Act One faculty and graduates have been involved in numerous projects including The Blind Side and Sherlock Holmes. Winnipeg's Robert Kirbyson, as another case in point, is an Act One alumnus and his feature film debut, Snowmen, was one of only two family-oriented films to be screened at the recent Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.
Act One advocates that people of faith should be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves as they strive to work in Hollywood. To borrow from some of Jesus' other metaphors, they also have the opportunity to become the leaven in the dough, the salt that preserves and the city on a hill—especially, and appropriately, in a city whose hills are marked by a massive Hollywood sign.
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