Death of CCM

I found these two articles very interesting.  I’ve been thinking about this topic for a long time, and typically find myself siding with David Acuff’s point of view.  Truthfully, I’d never heard anyone take Amanda’s position.  I have to admit, I kind-a agreed with Amanda.

What do you guys think?

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Christian Music Industry is Dying, Will Film Follow?

by S David Acuff  

I think it’s time we checked in with the CCM industry because as I’ve stated in ourChristian Film Wakeup Call – as it goes with the Christian music industry, so it will be with the Christian film industry.  It’s just that they are 20 years up the road from us along the journey.

But before I do that, I wanted to clarify one thing that separates Wired4Film from other Christian Filmmaking sites: We are not promoting the Christian Film Industry.

Gasp!  I know, let me explain.

Bob Briner is the author of a seminal piece of writing that is one of the first books any Christian Professional needs to read called Roaring Lambs.  It is simply a call to action for the Christian Community and explains how to be Salt and Light in the Secular world.  In it he chides us:

“We have created a phenomenal subculture with our own media, entertainment, educational system, and political hierarchy so that we have the sense that we’re doing a lot.  But what we’ve really done is created a ghetto that is easily dismissed by the rest of society.”

Today, there are some well intentioned voices out there calling Christian filmmakers to arms to build a Christian Film Media Empire or “Replacement Industry” which will in the end serve to broaden the Christian ghetto that Briner speaks of. 
Wired4Film is not about funneling filmmakers into the Christian Film industry.

Wired4Film is a movement to create paths out of the “ghetto” or what Phil Cooke calls the “Christian Bubble” and into the marketplace to be that salt and light that Christ has called us to be. 

To acknowledge that we are wired for a purpose: Filmmaking.  And that purpose is not to preach to the choir.  As Jesus said in Matthew 9:12, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”  So it’s not to preach to the secular world either.  It’s to heal them and tend to them and make them whole.

In early 2007, during Fox’s “On The Lot” series, this convo was overheard (and recorded) in a chatroom:
Member #1:  Hope you enjoy [my film]!  And let me know what you think.  I am a Christian Film  maker from Liberty University

Member #2: what is a christian filmmaker?

Member #3: If it’s anything like Christian Rock, it’s a film maker that sucks.

I don’t know about you, but I had to laugh at that one.  Because I know exactly where Member #3 — who went by the screen name “bocephus” — was coming from.

So is Christian Film going to be the answer to our cinematic woes?  Or will it be part of the problem?  Well, here is where we look to the Christian Music Industry.

Currently, I’m in the process of reviewing Phil Cooke’s book,The Last Televangelist: Why the next generation could care less about religious media  – I haven’t finished it, but even so, it’s already on my top 5 list of books along with Bob Briner’s that Christian Filmmakers need to grab hold of, read, and fully comprehend.

Here is an excerpt called “What About Christian Music?”:

In the July/Aug 2008 issue of Collide Magazine, Scott McClellan wrote a feature story based on music producer Charlie Peacock’s assessment that the Christian music industry is dying.  According to Peacock, the five most important issues are:

1) The major labels aren’t in danger of going under anytime soon, but they’ll be forced to depend on dwindling revenue from their song catalogues

2) The term CCM, or Contemporary Christian Music, will go away.

3)  Christian music that matters won’t have any affiliation with the Christian Music industry but instead will be written, recorded and released in the mainstream.

4) Worship music serves a purpose within the church, which guarantees its survival

5) The big names from CCM’s glory days (Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, etc.) will survive but many artists from the last decade will be left looking for a reason, roaming through the night to find their place in the world.
While, as McClellan states, the charges aren’t exactly blasphemy, they did set off quite the controversy within the industry.
David Sessions, editor of Patrol, an online music and media magazine (patrolmag.com) agreed: “The best thing that can happen is for people to forget entirely that they once specified whether their music was ‘Christian’ or ‘mainstream.’ That divide has been the single most damaging idea to Christianity in the modern world.”

Peacock echoed that indictment: “Anyone who has studied CCM knows that it’s front-loaded with a very specious strategy that is, the creation of a youth-oriented music to counteract the undesirable youth-oriented music of the culture at large. [That strategy] probably looked righteous in the beginning but proved very flawed.”

If it didn’t work for Christian Music, why would it ever work for Christian Film?  This section continues…
McClellan covers both sides of the issue, but the article does point to a deep divide in the world of Christian Music.  Should it continue to exist as a niche industry?  Should Christians move more into mainstream music?  Can the business model hold up – should it?

In a feature story in Christianity Today magazine on the issue…Mark Joseph points out:

“…Think of it this way: Would a plumber advertise himself as a ‘Christian plumber’ if he wanted to serve both believers and non-believers?  Perhaps, but then many non-Christians with clogged toilets might not hire him because of that designation.  But if he simply presents himself as a “plumber” — still intending to do a great job and prepared to discuss his faith with any interested clients — he’s likely to get more business, earn a better living, and interact with more non-believers.  Using ‘Christian’ as an adjective – whether you’re a plumber or a musician – is little more than a weapon, used to beat back people who might otherwise be interested in the service or product offered, but upon hearing that it is ‘Christian’ are no longer interested.”

Recently I was editing at the Billy Graham Evangelical Association (which was awesome by the way in their respect for high-end production value) and overhead some people giving kudos to the FIREPROOF filmmakers because their entire film crew was made up of Christians. 

Someone else agreed that that was the way to go, especially on Spiritually sensitive shoots, but I don’t buy that.  For one, I don’t buy that God is limited to only working through Christians.  It simply isn’t so.  And I’ve been on many many shoots of a spiritual nature and brought along non-Christian production members who were deeply moved by the experience and thanked me later for including them.

See, I thought that’s what our job was…not to insulate from the world, but to connect with them.  To me, that’s what “love your neighbor” is all about.  Bringing them on set to see Christ being modeled. 

Welcome to our industry where “show it, don’t tell it” is the golden rule!

I’m gonna be honest…if I need an amazing Director of Photography, I’m looking for one that can handle the job.  It’s important that the personalities mesh, but I’m not concerned if he or she is a Christian or Buddhist or Atheist.  If they are a professional they’ll do a bang-up job.  And if I’ve bathed the shoot in prayer before hand, that person will catch a glimpse of Christ somewhere along the way.  

So, let’s take a good hard look at Charlie Peacock’s CCM assessment, because it is the writing on the wall for the Christian Film Replacement Industry as well.

We’ve been warned.

OPPOSING VIEWPOINT

By Amanda Llewellyn

Just read S David Acuff’s article and realized that most people, including him don’t get it about Christian film or Christian music. The problem is that it is a platypus. A collection of unrelated parts that does very well in its own environment. It is not meant to survive outside of that bubble and therefore, it usually doesn’t. That does not mean that you should go about destroying the platypus’ environment either and perhaps, as is the penchant of many people, you would want to preserve the unique just because it is unique.  

The other issue is the whole “preaching to the choir” myth. It is a myth and one that is consistently propagated by those that are actually in the choir. So, the choir, it is then logically assumed, should put in earplugs for the second or third time that they hear the pastor’s sermon? Why go to church in the first place when all you are doing is talking about the same ol’ thing…Bible, Jesus, etc? I seem to recall that Jesus thought that “preaching to the choir” was so important as to make a contract with Peter. Yes, repeating three times not only redeemed the three-time denial of Peter but was also a way to making contracts with people in ancient Israel. Jesus said, “Feed my sheep!” Isn’t that just the same thing? Why have we made it so distasteful to do so? Shouldn’t people be fed when they want to be fed? I don’t hear him saying, “Feed the goats!” Sheep…Feed-The-Sheep. 

Now comes the final gripe and then I will go away to sit in the choir. It isn’t that you have an entire crew of Christians; it is that you give the Christian a “second look.” What is the second look? Well, I know a LOT of talented Christians in the industry that don’t have the resumes or the contacts of their “secular” counterparts because there are certain films and projects that they can’t, don’t or won’t work on. Why? Because they actually are silly enough to be trying to walk out their beliefs in their work. What truly kills me is that then, a Christian when they do get an opportunity to produce or have a certain sphere of influence, then look down on their brothers as not being good enough! What arrogance that is and yet you see it all the time. Why not Christian Nepotism? Ron Howard does it! The Jewish Community has done it for YEARS! The Gay Community? Yep, they have done it so well that now their lifestyle is positively mainstream. I am not looking down on these folks. I am congratulating them on their success. Christians? Not on your life. Nope, they won’t do it because they don’t want anyone to: A. Find out that they really are a Christian. B. Think that they are truly committed thus hurting any further chances. C. Think that they are showing any favoritism to other believers thus exposing their “fundamentalism.” D. All of the above. Why not give that qualified brother or sister a second look? Because, like everyone else in Hollywood, they believe that they have ostensively, made it on their own. They are just as infected with pleasing other men than everyone else is in this town. 

I know, it is a strong indictment against my brothers and sisters but it is true nonetheless. And if you are honest with yourself, you know it too. You have seen it up close and in action. No, I am not saying hire someone that is unqualified, but I am saying to hire someone that is good, may not have the resume with “American Pie” on it but is a believer that needs a break. And what could be wrong with that? 

I just find it maddening sometimes to see what Christians have done to each other in this business. Even before I was saved I promised myself NEVER to step over anyone’s dead body to get a job. I have not ever done that in all the years I have been in showbiz. Not everyone can say that, nor do I say that I have never been tempted to do so but, we really do need to stick together and to hire each other when we can and to show that crazy Jesus love to each other in front of those that don’t know Jesus. I find that to be the best evangelism tool in the box!  

The movies? Well, you can’t control who watches those things and after about the 20th time someone tracks you down and sends you an email about how your film was the final thing that brought them to repentance and into a relationship with Jesus, you let all of the other comments just roll off of your back. I don’t think that many secular films can say that, can you? And ultimately, Jesus isn’t going to ask about your box office receipts, is He?

 

 

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