Faith-based Media in the Real World

I had the honor of being one of the breakout session speakers this past week at the Rocky Mountain AVXpo in Denver, Colorado. The AVXpo is a mini NAB show for this nine-state region out here in the Mountain west with lots of vendors showing off the new equipment and gear, along with a host of session topics from AI in media to creating content, delivery for new media methods to Adobe classes at all levels of proficiency… and everything in between!

My topic was on Faith-based Media in the Marketplace. I’m always curious who might show up for this talk since obviously, it has a definitive potential audience, i.e., people interested in understanding how best to present faith-based media, whether covert or overt, in a culture that outwardly may not seem overly friendly to anything with that subject matter these days. The AVXpo does get a lot of tech people from the church community as those teams are always trying to see new gear that can make their worship service seem more hip and cool. (My two cents: it’s less about the “show” than it is the authenticity… but I digress.)

?“Number one: Put God first. Put God first in everything you do. Everything that you think you see in me. Everything that I’ve accomplished, everything that you think I have – and I have a few things. Everything that I have is by the grace of God.” - Denzel Washington, actor

?My presentation is a bit of a history course taking you through how the church has over the years had lots of opportunities to be intimately involved with Hollywood at the core level of content creation, and yet, has over and over again relinquished that ability and then wondered why things seem so dark and evil, whining and complaining about the trashy content coming out of Hollywood.

"The first thing I do when I start my day is, I get down on my hands and knees and give thanks to God. Whenever I go outside of my house, the first thing I do is stop at the church." ?- Mark Wahlberg, actor

?Ironically, most of the major revivals throughout history that have impacted people coming to faith have been a result of art coming out of the church. From the original Christian paintings back in 70-300 AD in Megiddo, to the Renaissance Period (1300-1700 AD) with paintings like daVinci’s The Last Supper, Michealangelo’s work at the Sistine Chapel, and the invention of the Gutenberg press which allowed for the Bible to be printed and distributed to lay people – all of these have helped the resurgence of people becoming aware of the role that faith plays in their lives in various times in history.

?From a movie standpoint, it started back in 1891 when Thomas Edison invented the Kinescope and offered the patent to the church. They said “No thanks,” as they didn’t think anything would come of such a silly invention. Peep-hole viewers popped up everywhere allowing people penny views of mini-movies in a box. By 1905, those turned into Nickelodeons that turned up all over the USA, basically the beginning of movie theaters where you could go watch various films for a nickel.

?“Did you know you can’t say Jesus in a sitcom? They told me that and I was like…If you don’t want my God here, then you don’t want me here either.” - Tyler Perry, entrepreneur, actor, producer, director

?In 1912, most of the major movie production industry moved from the east coast to California to be as far away as possible to avoid Edison’s patent enforcement. 1923 brought about the “Hollywoodland” sign promoting a new housing development. Eventually weather and time would cause deterioration and to make a long story short, it ended up being the famous Hollywood sign you see today marking the primary location of the movie-making industry.

The Golden Age of Hollywood came about in the 1930’s with many movies being unashamedly straight-up stories of faith and biblical topics. Ben Hur, The Robe, The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Ten Commandments were just a few of the many movies incorporating morals and faith into major theatrical releases and fully supported by audiences at that time. Stars of that era included names like Gregory Peck, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando,?Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Betty Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, James Stewart, John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas, Sidney Poitier, and Sophia Loren, just to name a few.

?“At the end of the day we’re all looking for someone to comfort us, somebody to be there for us at all times. Jesus has always been there. He’ll never leave you, never forsake you.” – Russell Wilson, NFL Quarterback

There was another thing keeping things in the “G” rating back then as well, namely, the Hays Production Code.

?The relationship between religious groups and Hollywood, especially during the era of the Hays Code (1930-1968), represents a significant chapter in the history of American film. The Catholic Church, alongside other religious organizations, played a crucial role in shaping the moral standards of movies during this time. Here's a breakdown of that history:

??1. The Catholic Legion of Decency and Hollywood's Moral Standards

The Catholic Legion of Decency, founded in 1933 by American Catholic bishops, was a significant religious group that sought to influence Hollywood and the content of films to align with moral and ethical standards rooted in Catholic doctrine. Its goal was to combat what it saw as immoral or inappropriate material being presented in films, which were believed to negatively influence public morality.

- Purpose: The Legion aimed to control the content of films by encouraging Catholics to boycott movies deemed morally objectionable and by rating films based on their alignment with Catholic teachings.

- Rating System: The group developed a rating system, classifying films from "A" (morally unobjectionable) to "C" (condemned), influencing whether Catholic audiences should attend these movies.

- Power of the Church: The Legion of Decency had immense influence, given that a large portion of the U.S. population was Catholic. The Church’s support or condemnation could make or break a movie, leading studios to comply with its recommendations. Hollywood studios, aware of the economic consequences of losing religious audiences, often self-censored to avoid trouble.

"Film is an illusion. Fame is ephemeral. Faith [and] family is what endure."?- Emilio Estevez, actor

?2. The Hays Code (1930-1968)

In the early 1930s, public concern over the moral content of films, combined with the pressures of groups like the Legion of Decency, led to the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code, commonly known as the Hays Code. Named after Will H. Hays, the president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), the Code outlined specific moral guidelines that filmmakers were required to follow.

?- The Code's Moral Guidelines:

? - No depiction of profanity or blasphemy.

? - Criminal actions could not be presented in a way that glorified crime.

? - Sexual relationships outside of marriage, including adultery and seduction, were not to be depicted.

? - Homosexuality, drug addiction, and interracial relationships were either banned or heavily sanitized.

? - Violence, nudity, and suggestive content were restricted.

?? These restrictions aligned with the religious and moral standards promoted by groups like the Catholic Legion of Decency. Basically, when a screenplay was written, Hollywood producers would pass it to the Hays Code people, and they would re-write and cross out things to make it morally appropriate for audiences. There was this “hand-shake” between the church and Hollywood: Saturday night was for movies, Sunday morning was for church. This seemed to work well… until it didn’t.

?- The Industry’s Self-Censorship: The Hays Code was, in essence, a form of self-regulation by the studios, intended to avoid government censorship. By adhering to the Code, Hollywood ensured that films were suitable for wide public consumption without causing public outrage.

??3. The Decline of the Hays Code and Religious Influence (Late 1960s-1970s)

The 1950s and 1960s saw the rise of countercultural movements, changing societal values, and increasing pressure from filmmakers and audiences for more creative freedom. The combined forces of social change, economic pressures, and legal challenges led to the eventual breakdown of the Hays Code and religious influence over Hollywood.

"I think you'd be foolish not to believe in God." - Tom Hanks, actor

- Post-War Shifts: After World War II, public attitudes toward entertainment began to change. There was an increasing demand for films that dealt with real-world issues, including topics that were previously taboo, such as race relations, drug use, sexuality, and moral ambiguity.

- Television's Influence: With the rise of television in the 1950s, Hollywood had to compete with this new medium, which often presented more sanitized and family-friendly content. To distinguish itself, the film industry began pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable under the Hays Code.

- Court Decisions: Several legal cases challenged the enforcement of the Code. For instance, the Supreme Court’s 1952 decision in Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson (also known as the "Miracle Decision") ruled that films were a form of free speech protected by the First Amendment. This ruling eroded the legal foundations that had supported the Hays Code’s censorship practices.

- Changing Audience: By the 1960s, younger, more liberal audiences were less interested in films that adhered strictly to conservative religious morals. This new audience wanted films that reflected the complexities and moral ambiguities of modern life.

?There was one other main thing that happened that eliminated the Hays Code from existence… the lack of funding. The Catholic League of Decency went out of business because they didn’t have the $35,000 annual budget they needed to stay open.

?“I’m not the King. Jesus Christ is the King. I’m just an entertainer.”?- Elvis Presley, entertainer, musician

??4. The Transition to the MPAA Rating System (1968-Present)

In response to these changes, the Hays Code was officially abandoned in 1968. It was replaced by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) film rating system, which provided ratings based on the content’s appropriateness for various audiences, rather than enforcing strict moral guidelines. No more outside agency to watch over the studios – now it was one person from each of the seven major studios on a board making decisions about the rating of movies and what would be “acceptable” for going onto the big screen. Basically, the fox watching the hen house. Without any oversight from outside the studios, we went from The Sound of Music being the 1966 Academy Award winner to 1972 Oscar winner Clockwork Orange.

?- New Rating System: The MPAA created ratings like G (General Audiences), PG (Parental Guidance), R (Restricted), and X (Adults Only), allowing filmmakers greater freedom to explore controversial and mature themes without being censored.

- End of Religious Dominance: This new rating system marked the end of direct religious influence on Hollywood content. Rather than being guided by religious morality, film content was now determined by commercial considerations and filmmakers' artistic desires, reflecting more liberal and diverse values in American society.

?"It's amazing because people come up to me and say, 'Chuck, you're the luckiest guy in the world to be a world karate champion and a movie and TV star.' When they say this to me, I kind of smile because luck had nothing to do with it; God had everything to do with it." - Chuck Norris, actor, karate champion

?5. Hollywood Today: A More Secular and Commercial Landscape

In the decades since the Hays Code, Hollywood has become more secular, focusing more on global markets, diverse narratives, and artistic freedom. Religious groups, while still active in critiquing certain content, no longer hold the sway they once did. Controversial content, once strictly forbidden, is now common in films. Themes of violence, sexuality, and social issues are often explored in much greater depth.

?- Religious Criticism: While groups like the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the American Family Association still criticize certain films for immorality, they have far less influence than in the past.

- Moral Diversity: Hollywood today embraces diverse worldviews, reflecting the pluralism of modern society. Filmmakers are free to explore various themes, often pushing the boundaries of traditional moral and social values.

"Being an atheist must be like living in a closed cell with no window." - Anthony Hopkins, actor

The Catholic Legion of Decency and similar religious organizations once had tremendous power over Hollywood, using boycotts and moral pressure to enforce standards of decency and morality in films. This influence, combined with the Hays Code, kept movies in line with conservative values for several decades. However, from the late 1960s onwards, social change, legal challenges, and shifting cultural norms led to the end of the Hays Code and religious dominance. Today, Hollywood operates in a more secular, artistically liberated, and commercially driven environment, where religious groups have little direct control over content. ?

?“I know if I told you what God looked like and felt like then I’d be telling you a story. I just think we don’t know. God manifests himself, herself or itself in a way that we need it, in a way that we can grab a hold of and a way that we can put our arms around.” - Tim McGraw, singer, actor

?In 2004, Mel Gibson produced and directed The Passion of the Christ, which was a game changer from a Hollywood standpoint as far as faith-based films go. Against all odds, Gibson did this as an independent project for $30M. It has grossed well over $600M, but more importantly, it opened up this big path for other faith-based films to start coming back into the marketplace. All the major studios jumped on the bandwagon, not wanting to miss out on the money coming from faith-focused consumers, and every major studio created their own faith-based divisions. Some movies would do well and were relatively faithful to biblical values and stories like Secretariat, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Prince of Egypt and The Blind Side. Others were just straight up bizarre and beyond fictional in their approach like Noah (still not sure where the concept of the “rock people” came from in that movie).

?"The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic." - Mel Gibson, On directing one of the biggest Christian movies that ever hit the Hollywood screen, The Passion of the Christ.

?In his annual report to the Entertainment Industry, Ted Baehr, the founder of Movieguide? says this: "Movies that fit Movieguide's high Christian, moral, biblical, theological, spiritual, production, aesthetic, and entertainment principles, values, and standards do much better than those movies consistently violating those principles, values, and standards." And, whether you like it or not, it’s true. G and PG movies do better than R rated movies… consistently. You can go see the money reports that prove it.

?“Jesus is there for us in the scriptures. How often do we ignore Him?? We must shake off this indifference” - Jim Caviezel, actor

?Eventually, the faith divisions of most of the studios would close down due to lack of money-making projects. On the other side, groups like Fox Faith, Sony Affirm and Sony Provident, as well as PureFlix would flourish providing better movies in this new stream of faith content. Project like I Can Only Imagine, Soul Surfer, Heaven is for Real, God’s Not Dead, American Underdog, Mom’s Night Out, The Shack and many others would create another pathway for more faith movies to succeed and target their own audiences through streaming platforms. By and large, these faith-based movies were supported by the general church communities to make a point that they were faithful to good, family-oriented visual storytelling efforts – basically speaking with their dollars.

?“It is no easy thing to trust in God, to walk away from a career, to give it all up not knowing if you can ever get it back or even come close. But I did it. I heeded his voice, and somehow I found peace about it.” - Chip Gaines, co-host of Fixer Upper

?This brings us to today, where you may have seen The Chosen Series or The Sound of Freedom movie. ?Both were promoted and launched by Angel Studios, which serves as an incubator for faith movies, with them basically overseeing the business and money-raising side of things. Angel Studios started being VidAngel, a group that took regular movies and deleted all the curse words so families could enjoy them. Disney came hard against them, but VidAngel prevailed in the end.

?"In Chariots of Fire the runner Eric Liddell says, 'When I run, I feel His pleasure.' And I feel that pleasure when I act and it's going well, particularly on stage... before I go on stage every night, I pause and dedicate the performance to God." - Hugh Jackman,?actor

?Frankly, that’s the hardest part of this business, raising the money to make good movies in the faith-based world. Most movies you see that claim to be “Christian” have, notoriously, really bad acting, even if it is a good story, which is a bummer… and many times a bad example, especially if you’re asking your friends to take their friends (READ: usually meaning “unchurched” people) to your movie. If you’re claiming to serve the God of everything and then produce a Rotten Tomatoes 5% movie - ugh – what kind of witness is that?!

?"It always helps to have a bit of prayer in your back pocket. At the end of the day, you have to have something and for me that is God. Jesus." - Pierce Brosnan, actor

?As a producer myself, my goal is to use “real” actors so that people will pay attention to the story. ?Seven Days in Utopia is a good example. We were able to secure Robert Duvall and Melissa Leo, both Academy Award winning actors, which brought greatness to the performances while they communicated the story of redemption well. Lucas Black, who is known for his NCIS New Orleans and Friday Night Lights TV work, played the young golfer. We also got the PGA involved so that any real golfer would not be distracted by “bad” golf in the movie. The PGA heralded this movie as “the most accurate golf movie… EVER!”

"You need to have the guidance of someone else. You cannot train yourself. I feel the same way about Christianity and what the Church is: the Church is the gym of the soul." - Sylvester Stallone, actor, producer

?As visual storytellers, we need to be more active and intentional about our efforts, especially when we’re working with a variety of crews. We need to treat people well on sets. (My rule is “no yelling,” unless a light is falling on someone’s head or they step in front of a moving truck!) We need to have integrity and honesty in our accounting practices. The “business” of movie making is as much a testimony, and maybe even more, than your talking about your witness. Walk the walk. My point is, Christian movie or not, quality and excellence matters.

??"When you align yourself with God's purpose as described in the Scriptures, something special happens to your life." – Bono, lead singer U2

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Jess Stainbrook is an 8x Emmy Award winning producer/director and university professor who is passionate about raising up the next generation of creative professionals and visual storytellers.