THE MEMOIRS OF SUMMER RAY

While listening to an excellent class on, “Effective Marketing Strategies for Indie Films,” (to me it’s about learning excellence in the film industry) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtTjULI9S-4 by our Fiscal Sponsor, Carole Dean of From the Heart Productions www.fromtheheartproductions.com , the guest speaker started to talk about faith-based films and marketing strategies. I was led to look up the definition of what faith based films actually are. After some research, I found an article by Laura Woodworth. https://www.creativescreenwriting.com/laura-woodworth-on-writing-christian-faith-based-films/.

“Most audiences who watch a faith-based movie expect Christianity to be portrayed in a positive light without glamourizing dark subjects, all the while maintaining entertainment value.“

This is precisely why we cannot and will no longer promote Summer Ray as a “faith-based” film. First of all, I believe she is absolutely correct when she stated, “without glamourizing dark subjects.” However, this is not real Christianity. I have actually talked about this many times before over the years. But I still wasn’t understanding the reality of it. I was like, “But wait! Dark subjects are all throughout the bible.” Or, “How will people get saved, if they don’t know what they are getting saved from?” How can I as a Christian, take out the “dark subjects,” and the reality of Satan’s kingdom? I don’t find enjoyment writing about Satan and his demons.

Even C.S. Lewis had a hard time writing about them in his book, “The Screwtape Letters.” https://www.amazon.com/Screwtape-Letters-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652934/. I don’t find it pleasant to expose him either. Dark is dark. Hell is hell! Period. It isn’t fun. But I have a responsibility before God to speak the truth. Grant it, this is an historical fiction book and film series. But I cannot leave out the “dark subjects” and make this a feel good, sugar coated, picnic. That is not real Christianity. Some Christians I know, who knew the story, raved about the story until they saw the Proof of Concept video. https://thememoirsofsummerray.com/. I was accused of promoting Satan. I went to my director, Tony (above picture as Woeburn – standing), and I asked him. “Why are they so freaked out when they knew the story?” He stated, “I can tell you in three words. It overwhelms them!” Reading about “dark subjects,” as opposed to seeing them in vivid color, can be quite traumatic and terrifying. I get it. But it’s also reality. But I can no longer, as previously stated promote this project as a faith-based one. This is quite sad to me because faith is at the core of this project. It is what the leading lady is fighting to keep…her faith. And yet, I cannot promote it as such because many in Christendom, only want to see Christianity in a “positive light.” But yet, that kind of thinking can send someone straight to Hell! I for one, am not going to stand for it. I absolutely refuse to take out the “dark subjects,” because it is truth that they exist. Christianity is not a fairytale. It is an outright war! So I have had to change my strategy on how to promote this project. Strategy is defined as, “a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim; game plan; a procedure adopted to deal with a situation.” The plan I had before, I have to now throw out and start over. Why? It’s because the former plan wasn’t working and as much as I tried to make it work, I just couldn’t. Carole Dean has ALWAYS told me to find my audience. I actually did not fully understand what she meant until I watched the above video and did some research after. I was absolutely reaching out to the wrong audience and it’s not easy to admit that. I thought for sure being a faith-based film that Summer Ray would be accepted, especially in churches. NOPE! Someone even walked out on the project after she saw the Proof of Concept video and accused me of promoting Satan. I think at that point, I felt like Jesus when he said, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?” This means our whole marketing strategy has to be reinvented. On June 16, 2017, I had a phone conversation with Carole’s daughter, Carole Joyce. I wrote the following blog right after I hung up the phone. https://thememoirsofsummerray.com/2017/06/19/reinvent/. That was six years ago. I have to, “remake, revive, renovate, resuscitate, revamp, and reaffirm.” This is also why I started renovating the book covers again. https://thememoirsofsummerray.com/2023/08/11/a-whole-story/. I haven’t really marketed the books because I just don’t have the desire to do so yet. But once they are fully ready, God will help me get them out there. Just the same way He is helping me to understand how to market the film project. We were pitching to the wrong audience, which ended up being no audience. But at least I know now and we can begin to move forward and stop spinning our wheels. Our ship was sinking, our tires were stuck in mud and we simply were not going anywhere. It’s been very frustrating because of the countless hours put into this project and it never crossed my mind that Christianity would reject us. To be honest, its a hard hit. I feel like we have been sucker punched. But even Jesus talked about leaving the 99 on the hill, to go after the one that was lost. So, that is what we will do from now on. We will go after the lost!

Reference: Google search, dictionary; www.biblehub.com