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Reflections methodolgy

The methodology that I used during this research blog was a few different techniques. I based my overall theme of the blog on my script development process, each post was exploring topics linked to the themes of my script. For example I looked at three main areas, the Christian film industry, apocalypse films and queer representation, as these all are present in my creative project.  

My methodology was using the university online library system, or Google Scholar, and searching general terms. For example I searched “queer romance TV” and searched through the list of sources for ones that were most reliable and academic, and also fit in best with my interest. This was helpful because it gave me many results from books and journals, instead of looking on websites that may not have been as reliable.  

Myself being the researcher may have impacted in some ways on my research methods, because of the subjective nature of it and how emotions can come into effect. I think this is important because I researched some areas that ive had involment and personal relation to, namely LGBT and Christian issues. It could have shaped what kind of sources I chose to use, which ones I thought were reliable. This self critical analysis into my assumptions shows that this was a research blog shaped by my personal background, leading to the selction of choices that were chosen for these reasons.  

Through the research my  methodology changed in a few ways. In the start of the blog I was foucsing on a narrow scope of Christian film, this didn’t allow for as many unique perspectives as the sources were from only one side of the issue. When I later researched into LGBT film, it allowed for greater scope of ideas, and sources that discussed these topics togther, how they interact in film. It was important to adjust my methodology over time to bring in other areas such as the thematic content of my script, not just its genre and structural intentions.

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Modern and old trans character in TV

I thought that because I am writing about a transgender character in my script, it would be important to look at the representation of trans characters on screen. I read a chapter from the book “The Pedagogy of Queer TV” (Parsemain, 2019).  

This talks about the history of this type of representation, and how it has adapted and changed for the modern era, which is useful to bring my own portrayal up to date in a realistic and inclusive way. The author says about this about the evolution through history using the examples of Glee and Orange Is The New Black, among other TV series, “older representations of transgender people focused on deceit, shame and forced disclosure, these portrayals are more empowering since the transgender characters are usually out of the closet and are given the authority and agency to define their identity” (Parsemain, 2019 p.32). 

I think its important to take lessons from the examples the author describes, in order to create a more relatable character, that an audience can relate to and emphasize with. ‘authority’ and ‘agency’ are terms that describe the characters taking actions and being the driving force of the story. I believe audiences can relate to and connect better with a character with strong agency to make decisions, so in the case of trans characters it helps viewers understand the perspective of trans issues expressed. If trans characters have story-lines that happen to them, such as forced ‘coming out’, they are further dehumanized and disconnected from any audience connection, as a person who can be a independent decision maker instead of society alone shaping their existence.   

By this research I tried to take a lesson from this description of portrayals. I thought it’d be important to not have this identity as the focus of the character and their plot line, but rather just an accepted trait of their existence. This was to avoid whats described about older portrayals, that their identity is intrinsically linked to their story-line if its about ‘coming out’ or ‘shame’.  

A, L, Parsemain., 2019. The Pedagogy of Queer TV. Sydney: Palgrave Macmillan

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The ideas of ‘forever’ in queer romance media

Because the center of my script is the LGBT queer romance story, I decided to do research into this area. I read a book chapter that discuses contemporary examples of this, to make my own creative work current and up to date with this sensitive social topic.  

The chapter from the book “Imagining "We" in the Age of "I": Romance and Social Bonding in Contemporary Culture” (Cicoski, 2021) discusses how the themes of a queer romance story differ from those in a more typical heterosexual romance plotline. With the quote that describes queer romance films as “constant negotiation between the striving towards a fictive “forever” and the grappling with present harms... the unrelenting sense that such hope will inevitably transform into future losses” (Cicoski, 2021, chapter 9)  

I think this was an important part of my research because it gives a good description of the general themes of queer romance plots, and the emotional themes they cover. I think I can relate this analysis to my own plotline of my feature script. In reference to the idea that a romance between queer characters isn’t going to last forever, in opposition to a straight romance story where their ‘happily ever after’ is usually implied, I'd apply this to the characters I have written. It's especially relating to my LGBT characters because their romantic relationship is situated in the coming apocalypse event, therefore taking this genre trope and putting into a much more extreme and exaggerated context where the cause of the queer relationship’s end isn’t only pressure from society, the religious ideas and familiar authority's views, but also the literal end of the world. I am also subverting this idea of hope of forever turning into future loss through how the queer themes interact with religious ideas, this is because the characters struggle with the potential loss of their salvation because of their sexuality, and the hope of a romance that’s literally forever in the afterlife. Researching and finding this quote about progression of queer romance plots in contemporary film really helped situate my own script in this genre and show how it subverts and extends these storylines.    

J, Cicoski. 2021. The Bittersweet Queer Romance: Affect and Temporality in Weekend and Paris 05:59: Theo and Hugo. In: M, Harrod, S,Leonard, D, Negra ed. 2021. Imagining "We" in the Age of "I": Romance and Social Bonding in Contemporary Culture. New York: Routledge. Chapter 9  

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Queer desire as ‘monstrous’ in horror films

I did some researching into how film presents and deals with queer issues, especially as it pertains to horror movies. I found this area of research because of my creative project script dealing with a queer romantic relationship, and its interactions with horror genre type situations. I read from the chapter “Re‐building Sodom and Gomorrah: the monstrosity of queer desire in the horror film” (Brintnall, 2004) in the publication “Culture and Religion.” This discusses how the moral discourse of queer relationships are explored through the lens of horror in the quote: 

“These films and their ideological projects, however, remain only partially understood if we do not subject them to queer readings... cultural anxieties are projected onto the screen in the shapes of these monsters.” (Brintnall, 2004 pp.145-160) This quote is in reference to how these religious ideas that are in opposition to queer identity are disguised as other threats. In my own script I'm developing, the queer romance is dealt with in some similar ways, but also subverting these tropes.  

Instead of putting the LGBT aspects into the subtext, I'm having them forefront, and its the religious reactions instead that are given shape through the ‘monster’. My script deals with a mysterious killer that tries to break up the gay relationship, this killer being presented as a force of nature that is always creating anxiety and threat in the background of the queer character’s lives. This is my way of coding the religious objection to same-sex couplings as a ‘monstrous’ being. Researching into this book’s analysis gave me a good foundation on which to develop my subversion and reversal of this religious issue coding.  

K, L. Brintnall., 2004. Re‐building Sodom and Gomorrah: the monstrosity of queer desire in the horror film, Culture and Religion, 5:2, 145-160.

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Role of the paternal figure in apocalypse film

Because my creative project script is based in an apocalyptical scenario, I found some research into how characters are written in this genre. This can help me with the development of my characters, and how their archetypes can fit into the end of world situation’s themes.  

The father figure, and themes of parental authority are a big focus within my script. To this end I found through my research, some sources that discusses this within the genre of post-apocalyptic film. I read the article “The Killing the Father: Paternal Authority at Risk in Post 9/11, Post-Apocalyptic Film” from the publication “Cinematic Codes Review” (Cosey, 2016). It's talked about in the quote “The ideology behind patriarchy explains why subjects feel compelled to return to a past where the male presides over the family. The typical narrative revolves around a father figure fighting not only to protect his family but fighting to protect his masculinity and his symbolic position under paternal authority.” (Cosey, 2016. Volume 1, Issue 2). This relates heavily to my script’s story, because the father in the narrative tries to control his son’s life as the apocalyptic event is happening. He is a type of authority figure and represenation of traditional patricrchial views.   

A reference that I looked into was the film Interstellar (2014 directed by Christopgher Nolan), because it also revolves around both a father figure leading control over the family during an end of the world scenario, and has a rural setting on a farm. Both elements are present in my script, and Interstellar was an inspiration for my setting and the paternal figure character. This film puts central the father’s position in his control over his children's lives and how this changes when the end of the world arrives. I think this film is relevant and useful to analyze in relation to the above quote, because it cleverly deconstructs this paternal figure by changing his age in relation to his daughter. We see how the balance of power and emotional weight of their relationship develops when the father and daughter become the same age, and then her passing his age to become older than he is. The unusual ways that paternal characters adjust their power in apocalyptic scenarios is important to look into, from other examples that can help develop this theme in my own script .  

Cosey, F. 2016. Killing the Father: Paternal Authority at Risk in Post 9/11, Post-Apocalyptic Film. Cinematic Codes Review. Vol. 1, Iss. 2, Summer 2016

Interstellar. 2014. [Film] Christopher Nolan. UK, USA, Canada: Legendary Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros 

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TV show analysis: ‘The Chosen’

I researched into the TV Series “The Chosen” because of its distribution methods, and how they related to the show’s aims. This show is a planned six season project about the life of Jesus. Two seasons have been funded already by donations and crowd funding on the website of “Angel Studios.” (Angel Studios, 2021) Their unusual distribution model gives the show for free on apps, because of their aim to show the gospel story to a big audience. This method of financing and being non-profit helps to further the production's aims of being foremost an educational and evangelizing tool.  

I looked at the methodology this TV show uses to present its messages to the audience, to help me also do this in a successful way that doesn’t take away from the dramatic and thematic aspects of my creative project. I think its useful to look at the extreme end of the distribution methods within religious film, as I can assess its successes.

I believe this TV series was successful because it reached a wide audience, but less so in that its gospel subject matter will not have a mainstream mass market appeal. The Chosen is an attempt to be a Biblically accurate and detailed retelling of the gospel books. I think its style and presentation doesn’t lend well to an appeal to an average viewer, Christian or not. 

I read the article from The Atlantic ‘Christian America’s Must-See TV Show’ (DeVille, 2021). The author of this online article Chris DeVille discussed this TV show. He says it has caught on among Christain audiences, because of its scarcity. Also its speculated the showrunner Dallas Jenkins isnt too concerened with non-Christians seeing his show, that its aimed still at investors and patrons. This included trailers being made aimed at specific denominations. (DeVille, 2021 The Atlantic) This article by Chris DeVille was useful to look at because it gave analysis and opinion on the distribution of The Chosen. This source gives the view that this show has been restricted  

References:

The Atlantic, 2021. Christian America’s Must-See TV Show. [Website] Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/06/the-chosen-jesus-tv-show/619306/. [Accessed 03/12/2021]

Angel Studios. 2021. The Chosen, 2021. [Website] Available at: https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen

The Chosen, 2017. [TV show] Dallas Jenkins. USA: Out Of Order Studios, Angel Studios   

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Christian indie film: success or not

Because I would be part of the independent sector of the film industry, I thought it would be useful to find information about indie Chrisitan cinema. This research into the industry can inform my feature script, to make it more marketable in this sector, and to help me become active in this area. I found an interesting academic source the book “American Independent Cinema: Indie, Indiewood and Beyond” (Russell, 2013), where the independent evangelical market is discussed. Some various examples are discussed including the success of Sherwood “Hollywood studios were increasingly willing to tackle the sort of stories and subjects that had previously been the preserve of Christain independents. Both releases avoid the overt evangelizing that features in Sherwood’s movies” (Russell, 2013, chapter 13). This is in reference to other faith-based films such as “The Blind Side” (2009, USA) being more successful because they did not make their religious messages as obvious.  

I think I can learn from researching into the successes of Sherwood's films. Because although their films Flywheel (2003), Facing The Giants (2006), and Fireproof (2008) received moderate financial returns, they struggled to break into a widespread audience that also included secular viewers. From the previous quote, it mentions the overt evangelical nature of their films, as in being about and trying to persuade the viewer to convert to Christianity. This could be very off-putting for a non-religious viewer to watch because they will feel that rather than being entertained by the movie, they are being preached to and taught. The successes and failures within the independent Christian film industry will help me balance the entertainment aspects, and faith messages, within my script or future projects.  

References:

J, Russell. In Hollywood, but not of Hollywood: Independent Christian Filmmaking. In: G, King. C, Molloy. Y, Tzioumakis. ed 2013. American Independent Cinema: Indie, Indiewood and Beyond. New York: Routledge. Chapter 13.  

Flywheel. 2003 [Film] USA: Sherwood Pictures    

Facing The Giants. 2006 [Film] USA: Sherwood Pictures

Fireproof. 2008 [Film] USA: Sherwood Pictures

The Blind Side 2009 [Film] USA: Alcon Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment, Left Tackle Pictures 

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Contempory rapture based film

Because my script deals with themes about the rapture, I did some research into ways of writing this theme well within this Christian context. This was done through some articles that discussed how previous films dealt with the subject, and how they linked it to actual religious ideas.  

The first source I found was “Celling the End Times: The Contours of Contemporary Rapture Films” from the “Journal of Religion & Popular Culture” (Walliss, 2008). This article discusses how modern films tackle this topic for a section of the contemporary audience, “the films may be seen to articulate a contemporary form of evangelical identity; giving voice, in particular, to the anxieties faced by evangelicals regarding their place in the salvational economy.” (Walliss, 2008, Vol 19).  

This quote references stories that deal with characters being saved, or not saved, during the rapture events in film, therefore causing the viewers to examine that in their own lives and gain tension and excitement. This is a technique that I am also using within my creative project, as it deals with characters who worry about their own salvation and place within the faith. I have also taken a queer angle onto this angle of anxiety around the end-times, because my script deals with the internal conflicts and concerns of LGBT characters over this identity, and their faith. As this quote discusses, this is a way of engaging the viewers and creating tension and drama in a film script, because it asks audiences to examine how they feel about it.    

I looked at the film Left Behind (2014, directed by Vic Armstrong) because it tackles this in a very literal way through its depiction of the rapture’s aftermath. This film is about people worldwide disappearing during the rapture, and the chaos that ensues from the event. From looking at how Left Behind portrays this event with action and a worldwide panic, I decided further how to show this in my own script. Researching into the tone of this film enabled me to take a more subtle approach to showing the rapture in my script. I am placing my script in a small town and mostly on a single house location, instead of the entire world as in Left Behind. I’m also not showing the actual disappearances of people, rather implying it happening, therefore my script can be more nuanced and let viewers think of the themes rather than the action of the event itself.  

References:

J, Walliss. 2008. Celling the End Times: The Contours of Contemporary Rapture Films. Journal of Religion & Popular Culture, Summer 2008, Vol. 19.  

Left Behind. 2014 [Film] Vic Armstrong. USA: Stony Lake Entertainment 

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‘I Still Believe’ film analyis

Because I am writing a script within this genre, I thought it would be helpful to watch a modern example of the genre for my research. I watched “I Still Believe” (2020, directed by Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin) a faith-based romantic drama from 2020 about the life of the singer Jeremy Camp. While watching this film I took note of how it incorporated Christian themes and imagery, while still creating an emotional and engaging story.  

The beginning scene shows a happy family, of a straight couple and their three children. This is typical of the genre when representing a Christian family, the traditional ideals are subtly shown in this introduction. Upon taking notes watching this film, I picked up some other small Christian symbols and messages throughout the beginning of the film. An example is the first time we are introduced to the character of Melissa, played by Britt Robertson, she is wearing a cross necklace. This is obvious Christian symbolism, but in a tiny necklace in a scene where it’s not mentioned or drawn attention to at all. The effect this has for the narrative and viewer expectation is to establish the characters and settings as religious, but also that it’s normal and non-challenging. This unassuming portrayal can be a tool of softening the messages presented.

The main protagonist is also shown to the audience in this manner through some specific acting choices that display his faith. In one scene Jeremy, played by KJ Apa, is looking out at the landscape and smiles, then looks up to the sky, as if thinking about God and looking to the heavens. Another scene sees him react happily and enthusiastically to the Church on his college campus. These acting choices do not explicitly say anything about Jeremy’s religion but show it through his actions. This is a much more relatable message when done through acting rather than an explicit preaching message of his faith. I think these elements were included early on in I Still Believe to sell the Christian message to a wider audience and soften any negative impact of the stronger evangelical themes later in the story.  

To support my textual analysis of what i believe the intentions behind the film were, i looked at some quotes from filmmakers, the article ‘Why ‘Riverdale’ heartthrob KJ Apa embraced the Christian themes of ‘I Still Believe’ (LA Times, 2020). Director Andy Erwin is quoted as “I think the stigma toward faith-based films is really loosening. The success of other films in the genre has been opening up the doors for agents to realize this is a viable audience.” (LA Times, 2020), showing that this film has the intention of being part of this growing faith-film audience. The faith and acting choices of the main actor Apa is also shown in the article “he relied on faith to get him through moments of self-doubt. Before filming would begin most days, Andy Erwin would come into his trailer to pray for him.“Just pray for strength and to thank God for the opportunity,” Apa said” (LA Times, 2020).       

This film was also important to research because it was made by a production company “Kingdom Story Company”. This is a new company that was created by Jon Erwin, Andy Erwin, Kevin Downes and Tony Young and plans to release two faith-based films per year, so far they have already released four. This company was launched in 2019 and has partnership with Lionsgate (Kingdom Story Company, 2021), a much larger company that has helped it to reach a wide audience. Their film I Still Believe is on the streaming service Amazon Prime, reaching a global audience. This is a relevant company because they have a very current method for their evangelical films, to be mainstream and appealing to non-religious viewers.  

References:

Los Angeles Times, 2020. Why ‘Riverdale’ heartthrob KJ Apa embraced the Christian themes of ‘I Still Believe’. [Website] Available at: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-03-13/kj-apa-riverdale-i-still-believe-christian. [Accessed 03/12/2021]  

I Still Believe 2020 [Film] Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin. United States: Kevin Downes Productions, Kingdom Stroy Company.   

Kingdom Story Company. 2021. About section. [Website] Availible at: https://www.kingdomstorycompany.com/about 

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The Christian film industry: Origins until now

For this first post I am looking at the general area of the Christain film industry, how it has changed from its origins to the modern day. This is my area of research because it relates to my creative project, a feature script with these same themes and topics. There has been a clear shift in the way that the Christain establishment of America viewed films, both their usage and role within society.  

I read from the book ‘Sanctuary Cinema: Origins of the Christian Film Industry’ (Lindvall, 2007) to find out about the early state of this industry, compared with the current era. The book discusses the first recorded usage of film for the purposes of religious education, “Herbert Booth, used film as a means to propagate the faith and minster to the poor through storytelling. Claiming to be the first to use the moving pictures in the cause of Christianity.” (Lindvall, 2007, pp.56-57). This research was interesting to see the initially narrow scope of films used as a religious tool, by the charitable organization The Salvation Army. This began as an event in Churches, so preached their messages of conversion only to those already within the faith, and charity recipients. Therefore, it wasn’t overly successful as a wide distribution tool.  

The modern development of this Christain film industry grew to the wide audience it enjoys today, through exhibition with a larger scope and mission. This is demonstrated by the next quote that I found during my research from the book New Image of Religious Film (Hasenberg, 2000). It discuses a contemporary way this genre attracts audience “new tendency in the cinema of religious ideas may be called popularization. Popular genre structures are used as a vehicle for introducing religious ideas... talking to people about their existential problems at a level on which they can be easily addressed.” (Hasenberg, 2000, pp.49-52)  This more modern approach can appeal to, and be shown to, a much wider audience including a secular one, because the messages can fit within genre, and be more entertaining and easy  to link with a plotline. This research into the older and newer versions of Christian film exhibition is useful for me when creating my feature script project. This helps me gear my film in line with modern methods to any type of audience who would view it.    

References:

Lindvall, T., 2007. Sanctuary Cinema: Origins of the Christian Film Industry. New York: New York University Press.  

Hasenberg, P., The “Religious” in Film: From King of Kings to The Fisher King: In J, R May, ed 2000. New Image of Religious Film. Franklin, Wisconsin: Sheed and Ward. Chapter 3.