The Young Christian’s Guide to Vocational Filmmaking

Like the Berlin Wall, the seemingly impenetrable colossus of Hollywood, with its enslaving influence on American culture, will someday come crashing down, destroyed by inexpensive technologies, new distribution methods, and a rising tide of independent filmmakers. All of these factors represent unprecedented opportunities for innovative Christian visionaries who are willing to take every thought captive through a presuppositionally biblical approach to making films outside the Hollywood system.

In this groundbreaking book, experienced cinematographer, writer, and animator Isaac Botkin prepares Christians for successful Christ-honoring leadership as writers, directors, and producers. Botkin has worked as both a Hollywood outsider and an insider, and is a leading proponent of a new independent film industry. In Outside Hollywood, he smashes the myth of methodological and cultural neutrality and offers a paradigm for developing a family-friendly approach to this hugely important field of cultural influence.

Readers will benefit from his insights on the proper training and qualifications and the history and future of the Hollywood industry, as well as the key to courageous script writing, and the responsibilities of professional directing. Several appendices explain ways to get the most out of modern equipment, how to avoid the common mistakes of new filmmakers, and more.