Sunday School Musical Interview
With Faith Films
Brian Brinkman was born in Elkhart, IN and grew up in Lansing, MI. A Northern Michigan University (Marquette, MI) alumni, Brian is married to Alice Brinkman and is currently living in Hollywood, CA. He enjoys reading National Geographic, playing tennis and salsa dancing.In this interview with Faith Films, Sunday School Musical director Rachel Goldenburg joins Brian to talk about the movie with Christian-Movie.com.
Christian-Movie.com: Sunday School Musical really does capture the colorful and upbeat tone of its namesake – the popular High School Musical trilogy. What key elements had to be incorporated in order to mimic the feel?Faith Films: 1 part colorful t-shirts. 3 parts hip hoppin' original music. 10 parts multi-talented cast. 1 part dedicated director. 2 parts passionate youth-savvy writers. 1 part good color correction. (Amounts are arbitrary...make your own mix!) I think we wanted to capture the feel of High School Musical, but also create something that felt a little closer to real life. The premise of the choir competition helped with the musical integration of the film.
Director Rachel Goldenberg (right) discusses positioning
with choreographer Cheryl BaxterChristian-Movie.com: What about right-wing conservatives who might object to basing a Christian movie on a iconic symbol of pop culture? What is Faith Films’ argument for going in this direction with Sunday School Musical? Faith Films: An alternative, perhaps. We wanted people to see the cover and know what kind of film they were getting. Plus, we love musicals, so we had to put the word "musical" in the title. Christian-Movie.com: What audience is Sunday School Musical intended for? Faith Films: Anyone who enjoys an upbeat and energetic film with some sweet dancing and crazy vocals.
The talented and upbeat cast of Sunday School MusicalAnd families. If I had to pick one demographic, it'd be primarily elementary school kids through early high schoolers. But...then again...some of my favorite movies are usually found in the "kids" section... Christian-Movie.com: What kind of choreographic and voice training was necessary in order to prepare the actors for the movie? How long was the preparation period? Faith Films: Most of the actors/dancers/singers were put in front of the camera with only the training they had prior to the film. The entire production schedule of this movie was painfully short. Maybe one week of prep/choreography and then two weeks of shooting. These kids did an amazing job for how much time they had.
Actors Chris Chatman and Cliff Tan bust some dance moves
on the set of Sunday School MusicalChristian-Movie.com: Don Raymond and Wayne Peet did a fantastic job on the music for the film (and of course the impressive vocal talent of actors Chris Chatman and Krystle Connor complemented the music). Is there a Sunday School Musical soundtrack available for purchase? Faith Films: It’s in production. We didn't expect so much interest so quickly. Hopefully the soundtrack will be available within the next few months. Christian-Movie.com: What cameras did you guys use for Sunday School Musical? Faith Films: We used the Sony F900 and the Sony EX1.
Lead actress Candise LakotaChristian-Movie.com: And which scene or sequence was the most difficult to coordinate and shoot with those cameras? Faith Films: The final States Competition scene. There were lots of flips, lots of extras and lots of variables. Christian-Movie.com: Let’s talk big picture. What are the top three things you wish you had known before you started? Faith Films: - How to shoot a musical.
- How to do a backflip.
- How much food high schoolers can eat.
Christian-Movie.com: Besides having to learn how to do back flips and be an expert chef for high schoolers, what was the biggest hurdle that you faced during the filmmaking process, and how did you overcome it? Faith Films: Focus-pulling. The solution for us was to cut to a different shot. More generally, we found that nothing goes as planned...so improvise!
Choir practice scene in Sunday School MusicalChristian-Movie.com: What was the most significant lesson that God taught you, from a personal standpoint, during the making of Sunday School Musical? Faith Films: Persevere. God has good gifts for those who stick it out. Christian-Movie.com: What’s next for Faith Films? Faith Films: Secret! We have a book series we're looking at doing. Christian-Movie.com: What other film projects has Faith Films been involved in that our readers may be interested in? Faith Films: We've done a number of apocalyptic adventure/thrillers. Our latest is called Meteor Apocalypse and it’s coming out Febuary 23, 2010. Christian-Movie.com: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us! Any closing thoughts? Faith Films: Make your life a musical.
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