MAKING MOVIES by FAITH | Introduction

MAKING MOVIES by FAITH

Making Movies by Faith is a small book I wrote and published online in the late 1990's, today, I've been updating it and soon, we will be publishing it as an eBook online. 

Our new Blog 'How To Make a Christian Movie' was created for first-time Christian Filmmakers from all walks of life, but specially for those who may be starting out this amazing Vision and Journey, one full of amazing Blessings and Breakthroughs.  I have been making Christian films for well over 28 years and I would not change it for anything else, because aside of movie making being my passion since I was 14 years old, it is also my movie making ministry onto the Lord.   Because Christian movies or Faith Based films (whatever the world wants to call it), they are truly Powerful & Creative evangelical tools.   

I truly believe that Christian filmmakers are at the level of most Christian Pastors or Preachers, in the sense that Christian filmmakers are both prophets and a teachers, just like Jesus Christ was.    We are like a prophet in that we are able to 'see' a story in thoughts, dreams or visions and then, through the Art of Movie Making, we are able to bring them to Life as a tangible 3, 5, 30, 60 or 90 minute Creative movie or video story.   While pastors preach and tell stories behind a podium live, we show our Creative Gospel stories on 4k or 6k video using actors and action, showing a more dramatic representation of any Bible Story.  So, as you may see... I believe we are both (pastors, filmmakers and teachers) all at the same time, since we share The Gospel in many similar ways.   While most pastors preach in Churches, our films may also have the potential to go all over the world, and continue to touch and transform lives for years to come.

How To Make a Christian Movie is geared to motivate the Movie Making desire God has placed in your heart and to help you get started, right now, not tomorrow, not the next day... but TODAY!  God is a NOW God and when He gives us a desire to do something, it's so we may start NOW!   

How long will you wait?  

God has already provided you with EVERYTHING you need to succeed on this earth... Today, you have been given all kinds of Creative Digital Tools that have never been available to mankind on the earth before the year 2000.  I started making movies, before Computers, before The Internet, Before the Cell phones... so did hollywood, and their movies (even their old silent movies) can still be watch on youtube.    Truly, you have no more excuses... specially when there are people all over the world even in Africa (I have many Christian filmmaker friend there) today they are making movies with their Smartphone or with any digital camera they can get their hands on.  Making movies has never been about the gear, but about the desire in a filmmakers heart.  It's like the time, I wanted to do something for the Lord, and the Lord one day spoke to me and said: "Norton, how bad do you really want it".   God was about to give me something, that I had prayed about, but when I really thought about what God had asked me... I discovered, that what I was praying for... wasn't really a passion but a simple desire.   So, I told the Lord, Lord, Thank you, I understand, you are right, that is not for me.     I then understood, that God knows your every desire, He knows when you are real and when you are not, when you are truly passionate about something or not.  The Good News is that God truly wants to give you all the desires in your heart, but only when those desires are lined with God's Vision.  You see, It's never our Vision, but The Lords. 

There are two ways to jump start a career as a Christian Movie Maker, one, is by going the film school route, and the other, by walking by faith and starting on your own… teaching yourself step by step through film books and youtube videos... and testing and practising movie making techniques until you become a movie maker.   This is the route I took in 1992 and I've seen many Christian filmmakers also start this way... by faith.  It does take seeking The Lord and Walking with Him hand by hand, while owning a good digital camera or smartphone, a laptop or computer for editing... or just plan to edit on your smartphone, something I would hate doing, but I know many young filmmakers are using their smartphone both to Film and Edit their films.  I mean, come'on you can't make it simpler than that :)

But do not worry, through my Making Christian Movies by Faith eBook and this How To Make a Christian Movie Blog, you will learn everything there is to know about Christian Movie Making; from how to write a simple movie script, finding your Cast and Crew, then filming it and editing your Christian Film in 30 days!   ...if you are willing to stick to a Fun Regid Movie Making schedule.  

I will show you Step by Step Exactly what you need to know and to do, so that your Christian Movie Project be a short film or a Feature Length movie becomes successful.   And keep in mind, that when I talk about a Christian movie being successful, I'm not talking Hollywood type of success, hollywood sees everything through a MONEY MAKING GLASS.   Their god is Money, while ours is The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and He is a God of All The Blessings found in Deuteronomy 28.

A Christian movie becomes successful the moment it's filmed, edited and completed.. and then it's Promoted, Marketed and Distributed everywhere possible.  That means, taking a movie Idea that comes from The Kingdom of God and making it happen in the realm of this world.  Because the moment a Christian film is born in the world (with your help and God's help), that movie has the potential to be seen by thousands and even millions of people around the world.  In some cases within months, some in a years time... and yet others, it make take 5 to 10 years to see their true results, but eventually be assured that God will use it as long as the movie has been produced and completed.   This is why we (as Christian movie makers) have to stay focused through the whole movie making process, so that The Movie Vision that God placed in our hearts comes to life!  That's your part as a Christian movie maker, God's part starts once we begin to produce the movie, then edit it, market, promote it and show The Lord's movies for years to come.    

And did you know, the Lord once told me this amazing thing:  The reason it's so important to make Christian films for The Lord is because a Christian movie is Eternal.   Yes, Christians films will play for Eternally in The Kingdom of God and in this Eternal earth.   But guess what?  Most Hollywood films are NOT eternal films.  Keep that in mind, so that you may understand The Importance of being A Christian Movie Maker for The Kingdom of God.  Amen.

Make Movies 4Him!
Norton Sr.