24 Hour Film Contest Results

"Never Cheat on a Super Hero" placed 14 out of 71 in the ChristianFilmmakers.org 24 Hour Film Contest. I didn't expect to win, but I am very pleased with the results.

Over the years, I've managed to do well in finding an audience for my drama material. A lot of you out there love RI scripts, and I am thankful you've been able to use them. As a film maker, however, I think I am still seeking my audience. I don't write like most Christian writers, and I don't appeal to the standard Christian comedy (i.e. Chonda Pierce and Mark Lowry) audience. My humor tends to be darker, even meaner at times And this movie had a definite anti-climactic ending a lot of folks didn't like.

Nevertheless, I am proud of what we did, and very proud of those who helped make it. Denny Grinar (Freezy Boy) was just a band geek when I met him. He started hanging out at improv parties, and the theater bug bit him. He works extremely hard at his craft, and Denny is always looking for that one twist that will get a bigger laugh, even sacrificing himself to make it happen.

Jeff Williams is not an actor, but he married a long time friend, Addie, who has acted with me for years. Jeff worked very hard on his role, and when shooting began, he didn't need a lot of direction. His hard work paid off, and he gave a tremendous debut performance as Heatstroke.

Rounding out the cast is another former band geek turned professional wrestler, Jason Alexander. Jason is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and immensely talented. He was extremely nervous, but with more than a decade in the squared circle (much of it as a heel), he had the skills to make the leap to film. He was a natural for Victor Von Spew, and we are already making plans for him to take on more demanding roles in future film projects.

I'd be remiss not to mention the ladies behind the camera. My wife Jessica filled in as Freezy Boy's nagging mom with great gusto. And Addie Williams' costume designs for Freezy Boy and Heatstroke were inspired.

The music score came from Kevin MacLeod, a composer who generously offers a wide range of royalty-free music on his website, www.incompetech.com. I urge all you indy film makers looking for good music to give Kevin's site a look. He has set the mood beautifully in many of my own works.

And last but not least, thanks to Natalie Nicole Gilbert for the use of her song "The Rest of Our Lives" in the car sequence. That definitely seems to be the favorite gag of the film's fans.

But enough of that. If you haven't seen the movie, check it out for yourself below. The web-based video is free to use if you can incorporate it in your ministry. Anyone who wants a full-quality copy can email me and we'll work something out.