User:Cstickel(byu)/sandbox/Mormon cinema notes-4

"Mormon Cinema at Six: A Progress Report," Sunstone ✔

 * Dean C. Hale made the point that most Mormons do not take an interest in Mormon cinema—"most don't care, or are too busy"—this could also be related to the church encouraging its members to prioritize other things before entertainment (19:08) ✔

"A Reason to Believe: A Rhetorical Analysis of Mormon Missionary Films," Sky L. Anderson ✔

 * Jeff Simpson, former Disney executive and founder of Excel Entertainment, described how "“LDS people see our films as a mirror, but they are also a window into the LDS culture" (p. 2) ✔
 * Mormon films tend to have a "moral of the story" (p. 2) ✔
 * This subgenre of cinema has become an important part of cultural expression for Latter-day Saints (p. 3) ✔
 * "perhaps the most recognizable type of Mormon film is the missionary movie" (p. 4)
 * The range of years from 1973 to 2000 has been called the "Mass Media Era" in Mormon cinema. The films produced were still mainly products of the church itself, not of its members independently; but a growing number of Latter-day Saints began to work in the entertainment industry. (p. 11) ✔
 * Three main companies have spearheaded the production and distribution of Mormon cinema: Excel Entertainment, Zion Films, and HaleStorm Entertainment (p. 11) ✔
 * The LDS Film Festival is usually held around the same time as the Sundance Film Festival. (p. 11) ✔
 * Preston Hunter's defines Mormon cinema as films made by and for Mormons that are released commercially and do not contain unorthodox content (p. 12)
 * Theological elements, such as man's ability to be close to God, are often present in Mormon films (p. 15) ✔
 * "Fifth-wave Mormon cinema has fundamentally altered the LDS film aesthetic by creating a greater variety of types of films and styles." (p. 16) ✔
 * Mormon cinema has explored a variety of production methods: widespread commercial release, single-theatre release, and direct-to-DVD release. (p. 17) ✔
 * The documentary New York Doll tells the story of a member of a rock band—who also happens to be Mormon—and the reconciliation of his two worlds. It demonstrates the commonly-held goal of Mormon filmmakers to bridge the gap between how Mormons are perceived and the concept of the typical American. (pp. 18-20) ✔

Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon, vol. 2 ✔

 * Dutcher's second Mormon movie, Brigham City, did not financially perform as well as God's Army, but the film did earn praise from critics (p. 37)
 * The decline of Mormon novelty films was evinced by the financial failure of The Home Teachers (2004) and Handcart (2002) (p. 38)
 * The niche was too new to support the many Mormon films that were being produced (p. 38) ✔
 * The Mormon movies released since 2005 have been mainly small independent features. They are, however, arguably of a higher artistic quality than their predecessors (pp. 38-39) ✔
 * Included among these are 17 Miracles (2008) and The Errand of Angels (2008)