Cinematic Arts New Opportunities

Surrounded by posters of his favorite “redemptive movies,” as he called them, cinematic arts professor Scott Curlee recounted the opportunities that students of Liberty University’s Zaki Gordon Cinematic Arts Center participated in over the past year.

Working on feature films such as War Room and Woodlawn, students made a favorable impression on the film crews.

“The producers said that the students who came on were very professional, knowledgeable (and) skilled,” Curlee said. “We’re very proud of them.”

War Room, released Aug. 8, follows a family struggling internally who turns to prayer for help, according to warroomthemovie.com. Woodlawn — to be released Oct. 16 — features a recently desegregated high school in Alabama and the struggle of a talented African American football player at the school, according to woodlawnmovie.com.

The cinematic arts website states 12 students worked with producers Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the brothers behind the movies Facing the Giants and Courageous, on War Room, and 11 students worked with co-producer Justin Tolley on Woodlawn. Students cultivated these connections through professional and educational settings.

Liberty hosted its annual Cinematic Arts Premiere Weekend Sept. 3-5 in which Woodlawn and War Room were screened as well as filmmakers participated in panel discussions.

“A lot of our special guest panelists for the (Liberty) film festivals come in to share their knowledge with our students and encourage them in the walk of Christian filmmaking,” Curlee said. “So when they do their own movies, they give us the opportunity to recommend students to be a part of that.”

The students who worked on these films proved themselves in both practical and academic settings during their time at Liberty.

“We recommend certain students that are … ready to handle the rigors of a real work scenario … and students that are currently able to meet or exceed the expectations that (the cinematic arts department) has,” Curlee said.

Cinematic arts student hopeful, Natalie Pace, is excited for the many hands-on experiences that the school offers.

“The professors work very hard to give us contacts with people that they know in the industry,” Pace said. “Doing something is the most effective way to learn. … So Liberty’s goal is to bring students up to speed on how to actually use industry standard equipment so they can walk out of college and onto a film set without missing a beat.”

Both Pace and Curlee agree that quality productions such as War Room and Woodlawn are key to combatting the negative stereotype of Christian films.

“In the film industry, the form is the message,” Pace said. “If you make a poorly made movie with bad acting, bad special effects or bad sound, people are going to say, ‘oh, it’s a (poorly)-made movie.’ But, if you have something that’s excellently made with no part of the production that is poorly done, if (someone has) an issue with it they have to talk about the message.”

Curlee adds that the story is where audience interest begins.

“We’re trying to raise the bar in educating the next generation of Christian filmmakers and … it has to start with story,” Curlee said. “You can have the coolest special and digital effects but if the story isn’t great then people tune out.”

With alumni succeeding in internships and the professional market, Curlee also emphasized the school’s enthusiasm for the future.

“We try to encourage students to pursue their dreams,” Curlee said. “The young filmmakers in our new core are so excited, so passionate, so driven and have such a great work ethic that it is really a pleasure to work with them. … We are hoping that the films they make will impact the world.”

Pace looks forward to applying to the film school and continuing the legacy of good filmmaking.

“I think it is our responsibility to do everything as well as we can so that it brings glory to God and not just try to do an off-brand version of what the culture is doing,” Pace said. “That gives the illusion that (the world) has the real thing and we just have a cheap alternative, whereas, we are the ones who have the ultimately satisfying reality in Jesus.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *