Church To Release Feature-Length Film (Commercially!)

[smac97]

Here:

For the first time in its history, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will release a feature-length documentary commercially on Oct. 10.

The new feature-length film, “Meet the Mormons,” highlights the lives of six Latter-day Saints who live across the globe — in areas spanning from the Himalayan mountains of Nepal, to the rain forests of Costa Rica, to the Salt Lake Valley.

Though the film was financed by the church, its net proceeds will be donated to charity.

“The intent of the film is to help people understand what our members are really like,” said producer Jeff Roberts.

I think this is great. We have perhaps allowed, for too long, our critics and enemies to define us in the public sphere. I just hope the film is, you know, interesting. Mormon cinema does not exactly have a stellar track record. For every decent outing (God's Army, The Best Two Years, The Saratov Approach, etc.) there have been five or six deplorable ones (too many to list).

He said the film conveys the Mormon faith, in terms of the impact it has on the lives of its members. ”It does so in a way that is entertaining, uplifting and engaging. It is not preaching in any way. We are not trying to convert anyone, we are just trying to inform.”

Featured in the film are Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen, who was known as “The Candy Bomber” during the 1940s Berlin Airlift; Ken Niumatalolo, head football coach of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; Bishnu Adhikari, a humanitarian and engineer in Nepal; Carolina Muñoz Marin, an amateur kickboxer in Costa Rica; Jermaine Sullivan, a LDS bishop in Atlanta, Georgia; and Dawn Armstrong, a mother living in the Salt Lake Valley.

...

After the project was finished, church leaders decided to expand the films release due to the positive response from both LDS and non-LDS sample audiences.

Treu said the objective was to give the film broader reach, making it available to members and their friends on the big screen — in their own cities and towns — and then on cable TV, Internet streaming and in the Legacy Theater and visitors' centers.

Church leaders have a lot of confidence in their membership, he said. “They never once, not once, ever told us who or where or what to shoot,” he said. “We were tasked with one thing: ‘Try to capture, as best you can, who we really are.’ That is it.”

...

For more information about "Meet the Mormons" go to www.meetthemormons.com.

I look forward to seeing this.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

-Smac

[Ahab]

I hope the 6 families they chose have some children. I enjoy watching children just being themselves and doing normal everyday thing, or at least good children like we have in our Church, but I don't know that I'd enjoy watching adults for 2 hours. I'll watch it though and I hope I will like what I see.

[cdowis]

What does "commerical" mean -- expected number of theaters, just in the mountain west?  It makes me wonder how many people will pay to see this film.

[Daniel2]

I'd love for the church to release a Book of Mormon movie in theaters. THAT would be cool!!!

[Scott Lloyd]

This is not the first time the Church has produced a film of this nature with the title "Meet the Mormons."

 

A movie of that title was widely shown in the 1960s as a tool of missionary work.

 

We were still showing a filmstrip version of the movie as late as the mid-1970s when I was on my mission.

 

I'm imagining President Monson saying, "Hey this worked for us back in the Sixties; let's see if we can make it work again."

[cinepro]

Though the film was financed by the church, its net proceeds will be donated to charity.

 

Well, at least they're optimistic...

 

Granted, the production costs on something like this are extremely low.  Digital cameras, a director and small non-union crew, no actors, digital distribution, minimal advertising.  The budget is probably well below $1M, and probably less than $500K.  Other Church productions with actors and sets probably cost more.

 

But who the heck is going to see this?  I can understand the loyalty many people feel towards supporting the Church, but are LDS really going to spend $8-12 each to go see this in a theater?  Do any Church members feel like we need to "Meet the Mormons"? 

 

And why would any non-LDS go to see this?  Even a documentary needs to tell a story and have some sort of narrative.  With a title like that, it sounds like it's about the most boring thing ever produced. 

 

Seriously, would anyone on this message board go see a documentary produced by another Church called "Meet The Catholics!"  or "Meet the Scientologists!"?

 

This is honestly the weirdest thing I've heard in a long, long time.

[cinepro]

I'd love for the church to release a Book of Mormon movie in theaters. THAT would be cool!!!

 

They salted the earth on this idea about 10 years ago.

[VideoGameJunkie]

I'm with Daniel. A Book of Mormon movie would be great if they turn it into a saga. Many stories and great battle scenes with the conclusion being Moroni burying the plates at the end.

[Scott Lloyd]

Well, at least they're optimistic...

 

Granted, the production costs on something like this are extremely low.  Digital cameras, a director and small non-union crew, no actors, digital distribution, minimal advertising.  The budget is probably well below $1M, and probably less than $500K.  Other Church productions with actors and sets probably cost more.

 

But who the heck is going to see this?  I can understand the loyalty many people feel towards supporting the Church, but are LDS really going to spend $8-12 each to go see this in a theater?  Do any Church members feel like we need to "Meet the Mormons"? 

 

And why would any non-LDS go to see this?  Even a documentary needs to tell a story and have some sort of narrative.  With a title like that, it sounds like it's about the most boring thing ever produced. 

 

Seriously, would anyone on this message board go see a documentary produced by another Church called "Meet The Catholics!"  or "Meet the Scientologists!"?

 

This is honestly the weirdest thing I've heard in a long, long time.

Depends on the circumstances, I suppose. If the nasties get together to picket and protest and tell people not to show up, it just might give it a measure of box office success.

 

As for whether a film about Mormons is a non-starter, it hasn't been too long ago that I would have predicted that about a musical stage play put on by outsiders lampooning Mormon missionaries.

[Scott Lloyd]

I'm with Daniel. A Book of Mormon movie would be great if they turn it into a saga. Many stories and great battle scenes with the conclusion being Moroni burying the plates at the end.

That was the intent of the one Cinepro made reference to. It was meant to be a series with plenty of action and war. But after the first installment tanked, the whole project was doomed.

[smac97]

Well, at least they're optimistic...

 

Granted, the production costs on something like this are extremely low.  Digital cameras, a director and small non-union crew, no actors, digital distribution, minimal advertising.  The budget is probably well below $1M, and probably less than $500K.  Other Church productions with actors and sets probably cost more.

 

But who the heck is going to see this?  I can understand the loyalty many people feel towards supporting the Church, but are LDS really going to spend $8-12 each to go see this in a theater?  Do any Church members feel like we need to "Meet the Mormons"? 

 

And why would any non-LDS go to see this?  Even a documentary needs to tell a story and have some sort of narrative.  With a title like that, it sounds like it's about the most boring thing ever produced. 

 

Seriously, would anyone on this message board go see a documentary produced by another Church called "Meet The Catholics!"  or "Meet the Scientologists!"?

 

This is honestly the weirdest thing I've heard in a long, long time.

I see your point. Still, there appears to be some market for consumers of documentaries. I have no particular interest in SeaWorld and its killer whales, but I still watched "Blackfish." I also have no particular interest in Paleontology, but I plan on watching "Dinosaur 13."  I have watched many other documentaries about all sorts of topics via Netflix's streaming service, including "National Geographic: Inside Mecca," "National Geographic: Inside the Vatican," and "National Geographic: Secrets of Jerusalem's Holiest Sites."

I think this is about the Church trying to define itself, rather than let definitions of us by folks like Trey Parker and Matt Stone remain alone. It's certainly not intended as a profit-generating effort. I suspect the reference to excess proceeds being donated to charity is not an indication that the Church expects to turn a profit. It is instead intended to clarify the educational/informational objectives of the film.

So will it end up competing with Guardians of the Galaxy? Nope. But will it get some attention, given that it is an official production of the Church, and hence may have something of an "imprimatur"-like vibe to it? I think so.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Senator]

"We are not trying to convert anyone..."

 

 

[Daniel2]

That was the intent of the one Cinepro made reference to. It was meant to be a series with plenty of action and war. But after the first installment tanked, the whole project was doomed.

But that attempt was VERY low-budget, and had horrible acting, writing, special effects, cinematography, production values...... well.... just about everything was terrible. It did NOT do justice to the swepping epic nature of the Book of Mormon, nor the intimate spiritual potential of the book. It was like a home video of some people wearing bathrobes, like someone filmed their ward's roadshow....

If the Church itself produced such a film, on par with The Testaments or Prophet of the Restauration, but sticking more closely to the text of the Book of Mormon itself, I think it would be HUGELY successful. The church already has permanent filming locations, a built in better-actor-base, and could provide VASTLY better writing, acting, directing, production values, etc.... again, just about everything. (Rumor has it that the temple film updates are vastly superior...)

I think they could release an entire series of movies. They could still capitalize on the same marketing campaign they used for Broadway's foray: "You've seen the move... Now read the book"!

Edited August 19, 2014 by Daniel2

[Daniel2]

Btw... Bible films are big right now... the success of Son of God... Noah... the upcoming Exodus staring Christian Bale... A remake of Ben Hur... I think I read that they're doing one on Joseph, too...

The church should throw it's hat into the ring and capitalize on the interest in religious epics, rather than a "Meet the Mormons" that few non-LDS will see (to your point, Spencer, most see movies like "Blackfish" and the other documentaries on Netflix, not in theaters...)

[VideoGameJunkie]

I agree with you Daniel. I would be there opening night for a real Mormon movie. Religious movies are doing quite well in Hollywood.

[Daniel2]

I agree with you Daniel. I would be there opening night for a real Mormon movie. Religious movies are doing quite well in Hollywood.

Count me second in line on opening night!

[cinepro]

Btw... Bible films are big right now... the success of Son of God... Noah... the upcoming Exodus staring Christian Bale... A remake of Ben Hur... I think I read that they're doing one on Joseph, too...

The church should throw it's hat into the ring and capitalize on the interest in religious epics, rather than a "Meet the Mormons" that few non-LDS will see (to your point, Spencer, most see movies like "Blackfish" and the other documentaries on Netflix, not in theaters...)

 

 

The movies you mentioned have been moderately to incredibly successful.  But they were directed towards a mainstream Christian (and in the case of Noah, mainstream everyone) audience. 

 

We've seen in the last 12 years what the audience is for LDS-targeted movies is, and it isn't the same as "God's Not Dead" (budget: $2M; gross: $60M!!!)

 

A real "movie" with a story, actors, sets and promotion is an investment, where real money is at risk.  There is no way in heck the Church should ever get into that business. 

 

And the Book of Mormon might be inspired scripture, but the actual "story" is actually pretty blah.  It's easy to blame the failure of the first Book of Mormon movie on the terrible acting, script, editing etc., but at its core is the problem of the story in 1 Nephi just not being very interesting from a cinematic standpoint.  In order to make it a good story, you'd have to change a lot of the characters and situations, which just isn't going to happen if an LDS produces it.  It actually says a good thing about the discernment of LDS film goers that that movie tanked.

Edited August 19, 2014 by cinepro

[cdowis]

But that attempt was VERY low-budget, and had horrible acting, writing, special effects, cinematography, production values...... well.... just about everything was terrible.

 

I remember that the costumes looked like rejects from Deseret Industries.  One costume looked like it was made from a rug!

 

But one thing was interesting -- it made it rather clear that there were "others" when it showed how Laman and Nephi split into two groups, and then said that they had many wars.  Huh!  There were only a handful of followers shown for each group,

 

 

 

And the Book of Mormon might be inspired scripture, but the actual "story" is actually pretty blah.  It's easy to blame the failure of the first Book of Mormon movie on the terrible acting, script, editing etc., but at its core is the problem of the story in 1 Nephi just not being very interesting from a cinematic standpoint.  In order to make it a good story, you'd have to change a lot of the characters and situations, which just isn't going to happen if an LDS produces it.  

 

Yeah, look what Hollywood did to Noah.  It might have worked in the 1950's when there was a market for Old Testament movies.

Edited August 20, 2014 by cdowis

[smac97]

The movies you mentioned have been moderately to incredibly successful.  But they were directed towards a mainstream Christian (and in the case of Noah, mainstream everyone) audience. 

 

We've seen in the last 12 years what the audience is for LDS-targeted movies is, and it isn't the same as "God's Not Dead" (budget: $2M; gross: $60M!!!)

 

A real "movie" with a story, actors, sets and promotion is an investment, where real money is at risk.  There is no way in heck the Church should ever get into that business. 

 

And the Book of Mormon might be inspired scripture, but the actual "story" is actually pretty blah.  It's easy to blame the failure of the first Book of Mormon movie on the terrible acting, script, editing etc., but at its core is the problem of the story in 1 Nephi just not being very interesting from a cinematic standpoint.  In order to make it a good story, you'd have to change a lot of the characters and situations, which just isn't going to happen if an LDS produces it.  It actually says a good thing about the discernment of LDS film goers that that movie tanked.

I agree with Cinepro.  Broadly Christian and Judeo-Christian movies have a very large built-in audience (in the U.S., anyway).  Evangelical Protestant movies (Facing the Giants, Fireproof, etc.) have a smaller, but still quite sizeable, built-in audience.  LDS-themed movies, with good production values, casting, directing, etc., with the attendant costs, do not have a sufficient audience.  We've really only seen one attempt at this: The Work and the Glory.  As I understand it, Larry H. Miller funded these movies and lost his shirt as a result.

 

Thems my thoughts, anyway.

 

Thanks,

 

-Smac

[Duncan]

Well, at least they're optimistic...

 

Granted, the production costs on something like this are extremely low.  Digital cameras, a director and small non-union crew, no actors, digital distribution, minimal advertising.  The budget is probably well below $1M, and probably less than $500K.  Other Church productions with actors and sets probably cost more.

 

But who the heck is going to see this?  I can understand the loyalty many people feel towards supporting the Church, but are LDS really going to spend $8-12 each to go see this in a theater?  Do any Church members feel like we need to "Meet the Mormons"? 

 

And why would any non-LDS go to see this?  Even a documentary needs to tell a story and have some sort of narrative.  With a title like that, it sounds like it's about the most boring thing ever produced. 

 

Seriously, would anyone on this message board go see a documentary produced by another Church called "Meet The Catholics!"  or "Meet the Scientologists!"?

 

This is honestly the weirdest thing I've heard in a long, long time.

 

 

That's what  I am thinking as well, who' pay to see it? but hopefully it'll do better then Gigli (2003) did!

[halconero]

I could actually see this doing well in venues where the Book of Mormon musical was performed. This might be one of those cases where it's good to make friends with mammon and use that angle.

[Coreyb]

I would see Meet The Scientologists, if it tried to get at the core of how their Church works and why people believe in it. I would watch a similar film about the Mormons, but I doubt this one will be the one. I cant see the Church producing anything like what I would hope for actually. This film looks like a longer version of Mormon.org profiles, which are nice and sweet for a few minutes, but have the advantage of being free . What we need is a high dollar, non "missionary tool" movie about Joseph Smith, using the writing of Bushman and Quinn, as well as Madsen and Jesse to write the script. If done well it would be an instant classic, not to mention being ten times the "missionary tool" Prophet of the Restoration will ever be

[Daniel2]

I think it's selling the Book of Mormon short to suggest it's narrative isn't all that interesting, or that it wouldn't be watched or watchable without the spiritual parts. The clear trend is that when a movie is released based on a classic book, interest in reading it is renewed. And movies based on sacred texts are not definitive... films based on the Bible are released every so often, being interpreted and reinterpreted for new audiences and new readerships... This would totally be a win for the church.

Here's an article describing the current trend of biblical epics:

5 Bible Movies We Want To See Next

By on Aug 13, 2014

With Marvel and DC taking up so much of Hollywood and the movie world for the next 6 years, what other genre or themed movies will hit Hollywood next? Hollywood is known for releasing certain type of movies one after the other. If its not terrorist themed movies, it’s space movies. We predict the next era will be the era of the bible movie. We’ve long-held the opinion that the bible has some of the best stories around, and with the lack of creativity in Hollywood, what better place to turn to than the bible? It has it all. Love, hate, war, betrayal, supernatural events of biblical proportions.

We’ve already received the earlier released ‘Noah‘ movie with Russel Crow, and ‘Exodus: God’s and Kings‘ starring Christian Bale is next. Hollywood has shown us that when done right, with the right script, budget, cast and director these movies can truly be epic.

Keep an eye out for the rebootof Ben-Hur, one of the most successful and oscar winning bible-themes movies ever. Ben Hur is listed as one of our top 10 reboots we look forward to, as well as one of our all time best revenge movies.

Here’s 5 bible movies we want to see next:

1. David

The story of David has it all. Love, betrayal, the underdog winning…and losing, war, and the age-old battle between good and evil. A David movie has the potential of hitting it big on the big screen.

Here’s a few key events in the life of David that would make an awesome movie:

Friendship – David has a friend so close to his heart, that makes the friendship between Frodo and Sam from Lord of the Rings seem pale in comparison. The friendship of David and Jonathan transcends the barriers of cultural differences, clashing backgrounds, different loyalties and emphasises the ends to which friends would go for one another.

Underdog – David and goliath. The age-old battle between the small underdog and the massive giant. What more do you need to inspire audiences and keep them entertained. Imagine the Brad Pitt scene in Troy.

A sheep herder becomes a King – The story of David is one of the least favourable among us proving that anything is possible, and becoming King of a nation that grows into one of the most powerful nations in the world.

The fall of a King – The story of David also includes his adultery, his removal from the throne by Saul,. David then becomes an outlaw, hiding in caves and the wilderness fighting for his life.

2. Joseph

Most of us will be familiar with the story of Joseph. The brother that nobody liked. The brother that gets sold to slavery, taken to prison where he eventually becomes the hand to the king of Egypt. A Joseph movie will work because:

Family – It has the origins of a family with loads of brothers that love, hate and fight among themselves. This ends with the ultimate betrayal of almost murdering, and selling Joseph off to slave drivers.

Fighting for survival – The story has elements of standing strong, staying positive and among all difficulties staying true to oneself and what one believes to be right. Joseph is faced with some pretty difficult decisions, but he manage to get through them and rise.

Rise to power – What better way to see Joseph rise to power, only second to the king of Egypt. With this new position comes new challenges. The will to seek revenge against his brothers, to abuse his new power.

3. Samson

The story of Samson may not be as complex as the two above, but it can sure make for an awesome movie. Imagine a man given such strength that makes him the strongest man in the world. It is a tale of tragedy, violence and betrayal.

Supernatural strength – Samson was a man whose people were captured, made salves and oppressed by mightier nations. He uses his power to rage war, kill, destroy and fight for his people’s freedom.

Lust – This story also contains one of the most beautiful woman in the world. Delila. It tells the story of lust, weakness and temptation.

Trust – It is a story of trust. One where Samson needed to trust in God to listen to him one more time. To help him, and assist him in freeing his people.

4. Hosea and the Prostitute

The story of Hosea is a story of undying love. It is the story of a prophet who falls in love with a woman who remain unfaithful. Over and over again. It is the story of how a man chooses to see the best in people and in his wife and how he chooses to keep on loving her, in spite of her being unfaithful. It is also the story of an unfaithful prostitute, who never knew love, never knew affection, only a life of prostitution.

Imagine ‘Pretty Woman’ in a biblical setup, with the woman who due to her history, due to her own scars and background falls back into a life of prostitution. It requires true unfailing love from Hosea to keep loving her, and to keep going back for her.

5. Esther

The story of Esther is one of bravery, beauty and strength. Esther was a beautiful Jewish woman who was selected by the Persian King to be his wife. The king did not know she was a Jew.When the king’s right-hand man, Haman, devised a plan to kill the Jews (this started way back in the bible), Esther fights for the survival of her people before the king.

This has all the elements to become a great political drama. With tensions high, nations that hate each other, and imminent war.

- See more at: http://geekshizzle.com/2014/08/13/5-bible-movies-we-want-to-see-next/?utm_source=crowdignite.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=crowdignite.com#sthash.6053XL01.dpuf

How cool would it be to add stories from the Book of Mormon to that list....?!

Edited August 20, 2014 by Daniel2

[Nofear]

There are about as many self-identifying Mormons as there are self-identifying Jews. However, more people report personally knowing a Jew than they do a Mormon. We Mormons have a statistical problem in under performance of awareness by the public of our identity outside of the Rockies. I think this film will help address that. Moreover, I do not believe the success of the film will be measured by just counts of those who watch it. The main point of the film is to get more people aware of Mormons. It's an ice-breaker, a conversation starter, an introduction for many. It will correlate (I think) reasonably well with the transition of U.S. missionaries to including internet and social media efforts in their activities.

 

Anyway, let me reiterate. The point of the movie will not be just to get people to see it, though that is desirable. It is to get people to think about Mormons. That's what we want.

[Senator]

I don't think a cinamatic depiction of Nephi's encounter with Laban would go over well with the American public right now.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Senator