Christian moviemakers swindled in Hollywood
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But hope offered by makers of 'The Patriot,' '7th Heaven,' 'Finding Nemo,' more
Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of Movieguide, a Christian ministry that has been making a major impact on Hollywood for more than 20 years, explains that even brilliant men like Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst "got conned" by the Hollywood community for lack of know-how.
"With the success of 'Blindside,' 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' 'The Passion of the Christ' and 'Facing the Giants,' more and more Christians are getting involved in the entertainment industry [too]," Baehr says. "The bad news is that many of the deals they are doing just don't make sense, and these brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ are getting fleeced."
For example, Baehr explains, some distributors are asking independent movies produced by Christians to put up $5 to $10 million in distribution fees for their homegrown films. But by the time theaters and other parties take their cut of the ticket price, a movie would have to gross more than $40 or $50 million to break even – four times as much as "Facing the Giants" made and one-and-a-half times as much as "Fireproof."
But now Baehr is releasing a wealth of Hollywood insider information that can equip Christians to dodge the traps and make a difference in his new book, a field guide for Christian screenwriters, actors, producers, directors and more.
"As P.T. Barnum said, 'There's a sucker born every minute.' Regrettably, history has shown that some of the brightest financial minds have been conned by the Hollywood community," Baehr says. "If you'd like to know all of the different pitfalls, tricks and opportunities to succeed in Hollywood, please, get a copy of my book."
Baehr continues, "'How to Succeed in Hollywood' will show you how to use your God-given and God-ordained gifts and talents to make significant creative contributions to the entertainment world."
The book includes interviews with from Hollwyood professionals – the brightest and best people of faith in the entertainment industry – describing how they developed their screenwriting, acting, directing, producing and behind-the-scenes interests to make Hollywood and the world a better place.
Contributions found exclusively in "How to Succeed in Hollywood" include insights from the following:
- Richard Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Pictures
- Peter Engel, producer of "Last Comic Standing," "All About Us" and "Saved by the Bell"
- Bill Ewing, former Executive Vice President of Columbia Pictures
- Bill Fay, executive producer of many movies including "Independence Day" and "The Patriot"
- Penelope Foster, co-producer of many movies, including "Operation Dumbo Drop," "Free Willy" and "Rosewood"
- Don Hahn, producer of many movies including "The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
- Brenda Hampton, writer of many television programs, including "Love Boat," "Safe Harbor" and "7th Heaven" (creator and executive producer)
- Bruce Johnson, president of Porchlight Entertainment
- Dave, Gary and Joan Johnson, writers and producers of many television programs including "Against the Grain," "Doc" and "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye"
- Al Kasha, Academy Award-winning songwriter and composer for many movies and television programs, including "The Poseidon Adventure," "The Towering Inferno" and "The Rugrats Go Wild!A"
- Ron Maxwell, writer and director of many movies including "Parent Trap II," "Little Darlings," "Gettysburg," and "Gods and Generals"
- Brad Moore, president of Hallmark Hall of Fame
- Bud Paxson, owner of PaxTV
- John Ratzenberger, who voiced every Pixar movie, starred in the hit TV show "Cheers" and is producer of "Made in America"
- Barry Reardon, former president of Distribution for Warner Bros.
- Phil Roman, executive producer of "Garfield," "Tom and Jerry" and "The Simpsons"
- Andrew Stanton, scriptwriter for "Toy Story," "Toy Story II," "Monster's Inc." and "Finding Nemo" (which he also directed and produced)
- Chuck Viane, president of Walt Disney Company's Buena Vista Film Distribution Group
- Randall Wallace, the writer of many movies including "Braveheart," "Pearl Harbor" and "We Were Soldiers" (which he also directed and produced)
- Frank Yablans, former president of Paramount Pictures.
Stephen Collins, star of "7th Heaven," said of the book: "'How to Succeed in Hollywood' is full of wonderful interviews, tips and research that anyone can put to work. ... Written with real-world practicality, here's a primer on how to break into the movie business while hanging on to your soul."
April 2, 2011