Shout Out to the Silver Screen Blueprint

Reeling in the Real of the Movies!

“Splash down in the Silver Screen, into a deep dramatic scene,

I swim through the theater, or maybe I’m just a dreamer.” ~Owl City

Overview:

Why do we love movies so much in today’s culture? Depending on who you ask, you may end up with a large variety of answers. Some would answer they love the special effects, others the thrilling action scenes, and for some it’s the escape to a memorizing fantasy world. The quality, content, and storylines have changed drastically over the years in the movies from silent movies in the twenties, to cartoon animation classics from the landmark studio of Disney, to the revolutionary special effects phenomenon of the late 70?s to early 80?s, to full-length animation films started by the legendary company of Pixar, to the present craze of 3-D movies in the 21st century. There are also a large growing variety of genres of movies: action, drama, comedy, animation, foreign, horror, musical, science fiction, suspense–the list keeps getting larger and larger. What’s stayed true over the course of the years is this: A movie’s worth isn’t the special effects, the action packed sequences, the budding romance, or the witty humor–it’s the story, the characters, and the message that resonates with us. A movie stands the test of time when it’s story can be related to and applied in our own lives. Some movies’ message is easily seen by the audiences of all ages; others have much more depth and richness that requires several views to truly grasp all the messages that the writers, directors, and producers are trying to get across.

So that’s what this ministry is all about. The messages, the story, the characters, and how we can relate and apply a movie or set of movies into our individual lives. There are many reasons why this ministry is relevant to our society today:

• We love watching movies whether at home, at the theater, on our cell phones, or on our IPods. Just take a look at the billions of dollars spent on DVD sales each year!
• Movies are fun to discuss, analyze, debate about, and study.
• We idolize certain movie characters and we would like to put ourselves in their position in many cases. Characters such as Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, James Bond, Jack Sparrow, and Buzz Lightyear are just a few examples.  
• Our society is increasingly becoming a VISUAL society and drawing less upon reading to attain information. Powerpoint presentations, YouTube videos, and webinars are a highly popular way to convey information these days.    
• And last but not least–it’s FUN!!

Why the Title: “Shout Out to the Silver Screen?”

There are many reasons why I choose this title for this ministry. First the founding ministry is called, SHOUT IT Ministries, so naturally the phrase, “Shout Out”, seemed necessary to input into a ministry name and this ministry’s name jumped out at me. Also a trademark of SHOUT IT Ministries is alliteration (I’m sure you’ve observed this by now!) so it the title fit well into my trademark. The final and main reason is the double meaning behind the phrase “Shout Out to the Silver Screen”. When someone says the phrase “I want to give a shout out to…” they’re acknowledging someone or something. Whether it be an accomplishment, a special event, or just saying “thank you”. When we say “Shout Out to the Silver Screen” it’s an acknowledgement to the movies and their worth, value, and merit. The other meaning is not only are we noting a movie’s worth, but in return they are giving us messages about life, moral values, lessons to be learned, character traits to emulate, and mistakes to be avoided. So it’s a two way arrow–the movies give us meaning and we in return give meaning back to viewing and treasuring movies.

The Slogan: “Reeling in the Real of the Movies”

The slogan of this ministry is “Reeling in the Real of the Movies”. Why this slogan? The heart of this ministry is the section, “The Real of the Reel” for starters. Also because we’re going to reel in what’s real through this ministry. Application is the heart of this ministry, but I must add that the main focus will be relating the message to Christian concepts and moral values. Most of these movies are not necessarily “Christian” movies, made by Christian producers who’s aim is to convey a Christian message. But regardless of this fact there are many lessons, concepts, and moral values to be taken away from many of yesterday’s and today’s movies. That is the main focus of this ministry and why it was founded to begin with.

What Movies are We Going to Look At?

The main focus on this ministry is movies, but it is not exclusive to movies. Television shows will be included from time to time also(albeit on rare occasions). First, let’s go over what this ministry will not cover. There will not be any rated “R” movies included–none whatsoever. This is not to say that “R” rated movies have no worth or value, but for purposes of this ministry and also to uphold Christian values–I feel like it is best to promote G to PG-13 movies only. Also there will be no horror movies included. Again this is not to say all horror movies are bad in nature, but the genre’s main purpose is to create suspense and entertain you through scaring you. Thus there is very little moral values to be taken away from this genre in my opinion. You are entitled to your own opinion, of course, but at the end of the day my view on this will not be changed!(Sorry horror movie fans) Finally, there will be no movies that heavily promote immoral messages such as sex, drug or alcohol use, violence, godlessness, cursing, or other wrong behavior. This is not to say that the movies that will be discussed don’t include any immoral behavior; it’s just the movies that glamorize these lifestyles and mock the Christian worldview that will not be included in this ministry.

What will be included? The list is literally endless. From drama, comedy, action, animation– past and present, movies taken from classic book series, fantasy, Television series–all will be included in this ministry. Here is a some examples movies that will be discussed and analyzed in the upcoming years:

• Toy Story Trilogy (Mid-May through mid-December 2011)
• Harry Potter Books/Movies (May-September/October 2012)
• The TV Series: LOST (May-September 2013)
• Pixar Classics: Wall-e, Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo
• Star Wars Saga
• Lord of the Rings
• The Chronicles of Narnia
• Fireproof, Facing the Giants, Flywheel, Courageous
• To Save a Life
• Soul Surfer
• Bruce Almighty/Evan Almighty
• Back to the Future
• Old Classics such as: Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins
• The Grace Card
• Remember the Titians
• Glory Road
• Letters To God
• Tron, Tron Legacy
• Indiana Jones
• Veggie Tales
• Chariots of Fire
• The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and other Disney animation classics
• Christmas Classics such as: The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, The Nativity Story, It’s a Wonderful Life
• And many, many more!

What Features will Be Included?

Each movies or movies will be covered differently; some will have much more content covered due to the material that they may require. If it’s a trilogy or set of movies, obviously there’s much more content to go through, analyze, and discuss (i.e. Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings). The movies covered in the summer to fall months (May-September/October) be fully analyzed with most, if not all, of these features. On the other hand, the movies covered during the holiday season (November-December) will only be discussed through The Real of the Reel blogs. These movies will all cover a central theme such as love, friendship, overcoming the odds, dreams, maintaining integrity, etc.  Here is a look at the many distinct sections that this ministry will have:

Taking Care of the Characters:

 It is here that the all the characters will be profiled. Their background, their strengths, weaknesses, personality, and relationships to the other characters will all be included. Also video clips, pictures, and trivia will be presented when necessary.

The Real of the Reel:

The series of blog entries that will cover different messages on life that can be taken away from the movie(s). Themes, spiritual values, life lessons will be analyzed and discussed in depth taking a deeper look into the story of the movies(s). This is the heart of the ministry.

Words with Wisdom and Wit:

When we think of movies one of the first things we think of the dialogue. It firmly sticks in our minds–the witty, funny, thought-provoking quotes that say with us throughout the course of our lives. In this section the most famous quotes will be included and who stated the quote.

Scene to Seen:

Here your knowledge of the movies will be tested. See if you can answer tough questions on the movie and declare yourself a fan-addict. There will be multiple sections that present questions of all difficulty levels.  

Examining Easter Eggs:

This section will go beyond the surface of the movie and reveal some things that go easily unnoticed. This covers the hidden gems in a movie(s) and also the DVD features. Usually this will be one the last sections presented.

Photos:

Throughout the pages of each case study of a movie or movies, photos will be included. What kind of photos you ask? Stills from the movies, behind the scenes photos, character promo pictures, poster ads, and much more!

Video Clips:

Like the photos, video clips will be provided throughout the pages of the case study of a movie or movies when possible. Trailers, advertisements, special features, and clips from the movie will all be included.

Moving Movies that Make Memories:

Go behind the scenes to see how the movie(s) were made covering the skeptics, sounds, actors, script, settings, and more. There will be a heavy use of visual content here from picture galleries to the behind the scenes clips; this section is for you movie buffs!    

Settling the Score:

Imagine a movie without the score…Hard isn’t it? Without music a movie fails to give us emotion, depth, or inspiration that we come to expect. Often times the score is what gives a powerful scene it’s magical touch. This section will provide you with behind the scenes look at the score, providing sample clips, and its impact in our culture today.

The Lens of the Legacy:

Last, but not least, this is where we’ll look at how a movie has impacted our culture and inspired us. This section will either be presented to kick start the case study or conclude it.

How Often will New Case Studies Come?

There will be a new case study of a movie or set of movies twice a year starting in 2011. The set times are Mid-May through September/October and Mid-November through December. Why these time periods and amount of time for each? For a few reasons. First, because the summer months will be devoted to a franchise of movies; thus requiring a much more in-depth study compared to the end of the year which will be devoted to a theme in a set of movies. The time period when they will be posted is typically when the big blockbusters come out to theaters and we’re more prone to be interested in watching movies—mainly the summer months and holiday season.

How Will the Information Be Presented?

The information and sections will not all be presented at once. Over the course of the 4-5 months for the franchise in the summer and 1-2 months during the holiday season–information, photos, videos, and blogs will be slowly posted. The Real of the Reel section will be include anywhere from 3-7 entries depending on the material is available to cover. This way, you can watch the movie(s) over and over again over this time period seeing in under a whole new light if you choose to do so. Now that’s what I call fun research!

Do I Have Any Input in this Ministry?

Yes! There will be a interaction available so that you can provide input on what I’m writing about. It is here where you can state how a movie has impacted you and what your impressions of what the main messages of the movie are about. Also they’ll be a place where you can provide comments on what you’d like to see in the future concerning the features and even future case studies of future movies that you’d like to be covered. Finally, polls will be included so you can vote on different topics about a certain movie(s).

**Update: All of these features will be available with the launch of the partner website that will be devoted for the Shout Out to the Silver Screen ministry. Some of the material will still be presented on this website (www.shoutitforlife.com) but much more content and features will be available on the new website. The official launch is targeted for mid-May corresponding to the next case study over the Harry Potter films. More information will be given as we draw closer to this date**  

Final Thoughts:

So ultimately this ministry is created for the following reasons:

• To better illustrate how we can apply life lessons and spiritual truths into our lives from the movies
• Inspire us to use our imaginations!
• To find value in the movies and why they’re a valuable teaching tool to our generation
• Because it’s FUN!! (This cannot be stated enough!)
• If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please feel free to contact me at kylej317@gmail.com.
•  Get Ready for Lights, Camera, Action!!