Sherwood Pictures
Encyclopedia
Sherwood Pictures is an American Christian film
production company in Albany, Georgia
, United States
. It is unusual among production companies in that it is a ministry of a local church, Sherwood Baptist Church
. The company uses mostly volunteers in their productions. It was founded in 2002 by Alex Kendrick
, the associate pastor of media for Sherwood Baptist Church with $20,000 in donations.
The company's first film was Flywheel
(2003), but it is best known for Facing the Giants
(2006), Fireproof
(2008), the highest-grossing independent film of the year, and Courageous
(2011).
, the associate pastor of media for Sherwood Baptist Church with $20,000 in donations. Kendrick has also written and directed each of Sherwood's films. The budget of each film has been significantly larger than the film directly previous, at $20,000 for Flywheel, $100,000 for Facing the Giants, $500,000 for Fireproof, and $1 million for Courageous.
Sherwood's films have earned back their budgets dozens of times over. Facing the Giants made 102 times its budget, Fireproof earned 67 times its budget, and Courageous made eight times its budget in its first ten days in theaters.
In 2011, The Hollywood Reporter
wrote about Sherwood's increasing success:
began in November 2002 and continued through 2003. The film was shot digitally to avoid film processing expenses. The filmmakers set a budget of $20,000 for production costs, and used church members as the cast and production crew. It was released in 3 theaters on April 9, 2003, ultimately grossing over $37,000, and a director's cut DVD was released on November 13, 2007. The DVD has sold over 600,000 units. It won awards at several film festival
s.
Jay Austin (Alex Kendrick) is a car salesman
who consistently cheats his customers. Austin teaches his employee, Bernie Meyers (Tracy Goode), to do likewise, while in the meantime his relationship with his wife and son deteriorates. Austin eventually realizes that what he is doing is wrong and decides to change his business practices and become a Christian. However, he is now thousands of dollars in debt
and the bank is about to confiscate the business. Austin decides to put his trust in God for the situation. After God provides customers to pull Austin out of the debt in the very last minute, Austin is challenged with the hard decision to honor God by apologizing and returning money to the customers he cheated.
was shot on high definition digital video tape and transferred to film. Using real high school football teams, the football action sequences were shot by the film's director of photography, Bob Scott, who is a veteran cinematographer for NFL Films. Another NFL Films technician, Rob Whitehurst, recorded the movie's sound. The film was shot for $100,000 and released to 441 theaters in 2006. It grossed over $10,000,000 at the box office and was released to DVD in early 2007 and made its television debut on September 21, 2008, on Trinity Broadcasting Network. The DVD has sold 2.5 million units.
Facing the Giants is the story of Grant Taylor, a high school football coach with a mediocre record. He is in danger of being fired, his car is breaking down, and he discovers that he is the reason that his wife Brooke cannot have children. In order to find a solution to these problems, he prays to God for help. Taylor begins a new coaching philosophy and decides to praise God after each game, no matter the result.
stars Kirk Cameron
, Erin Bethea and Ken Bevel
. It was released on DVD on January 27, 2009 on a budget of $500,000. The film received success at the box office, becoming a surprise hit, debuting at #4 and becoming the highest-grossing independent film of 2008 (with over $33,000,000). It received awards from evangelical Christian organizations, including the Best Feature Film award at the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.
Fireproof is the story of firefighter Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron) who lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. However, his relationship with his wife Catherine (Erin Bethea) is failing. As they prepare to file for divorce, Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to The Love Dare
. Caleb starts it, and soon discovers the book’s daily challenges are tied into his parents' newfound faith. When his father tells him that this is the love God shows to people, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And, with God's help, Caleb begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife.
, and was released on September 30, 2011. The title and plot of Courageous were announced on November 15, 2009. Sherwood Pictures stated that "After much prayer, creative brainstorming, more prayer, wise counsel, and still more prayer, Sherwood Pictures is ready to move ahead with their fourth motion picture."
The Kendrick brothers completed the script at the end of 2009. Ken Bevel
, who starred in Fireproof, stars in Courageous. Alex Kendrick also stars in Courageous. Casting
was completed in early 2010, and filming took place from April 26 – June 25, 2010. Co-producer and co-writer Stephen Kendrick stated that "The film's desire is for men to leave the theater making the decision that Joshua
made when he declared, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".
Courageous opened at #4 in the box office, beating out all other Hollywood movies also debuting that weekend. Through November 2, 2011, Courageous has grossed over $28 million in theaters.
Christian film
The Christian film industry is an umbrella term for films containing a Christian -themed message or moral, produced by openly Christian filmmakers to a Christian audience....
production company in Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is unusual among production companies in that it is a ministry of a local church, Sherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church
Sherwood Baptist Church is a Baptist megachurch in Whispering Pines, a subdivision of Albany, Georgia, with over 2,000 attendants, however this number places it among the smallest of referenced "megachurches".- History :...
. The company uses mostly volunteers in their productions. It was founded in 2002 by Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick is an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. He has been in Albany since 1999. He oversees the movie outreach for the church, which includes Sherwood Pictures, the movie-creating entity that produced Flywheel , Facing the Giants , Fireproof , and Courageous ....
, the associate pastor of media for Sherwood Baptist Church with $20,000 in donations.
The company's first film was Flywheel
Flywheel (film)
Flywheel is an American Christian drama film about a car salesman who intentionally overcharges his customers until reaching a turning point in his life where he decides to end his shady business practices and become a Christian. Alex Kendrick both directed the film and starred in the lead role,...
(2003), but it is best known for Facing the Giants
Facing the Giants
- Official listing :# Come Together - Third Day# Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns# Facing the Giants Theme - Mark Willard# I'm Finding You - Bebo Norman# The Deathcrawl - Mark Willard# Completely - Ana Laura...
(2006), Fireproof
Fireproof (film)
Fireproof is a 2008 American Christian drama film released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Affirm Films , directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Stephen Kendrick...
(2008), the highest-grossing independent film of the year, and Courageous
Courageous (film)
Courageous is an independent Christian drama film produced by Sherwood Pictures and was released to theaters on September 30, 2011. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Filming in Albany, Georgia concluded in June 2010...
(2011).
History
Sherwood Pictures was founded in 2002 by Alex KendrickAlex Kendrick
Alex Kendrick is an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. He has been in Albany since 1999. He oversees the movie outreach for the church, which includes Sherwood Pictures, the movie-creating entity that produced Flywheel , Facing the Giants , Fireproof , and Courageous ....
, the associate pastor of media for Sherwood Baptist Church with $20,000 in donations. Kendrick has also written and directed each of Sherwood's films. The budget of each film has been significantly larger than the film directly previous, at $20,000 for Flywheel, $100,000 for Facing the Giants, $500,000 for Fireproof, and $1 million for Courageous.
Sherwood's films have earned back their budgets dozens of times over. Facing the Giants made 102 times its budget, Fireproof earned 67 times its budget, and Courageous made eight times its budget in its first ten days in theaters.
In 2011, The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
wrote about Sherwood's increasing success:
Flywheel (2003)
Filming for FlywheelFlywheel (film)
Flywheel is an American Christian drama film about a car salesman who intentionally overcharges his customers until reaching a turning point in his life where he decides to end his shady business practices and become a Christian. Alex Kendrick both directed the film and starred in the lead role,...
began in November 2002 and continued through 2003. The film was shot digitally to avoid film processing expenses. The filmmakers set a budget of $20,000 for production costs, and used church members as the cast and production crew. It was released in 3 theaters on April 9, 2003, ultimately grossing over $37,000, and a director's cut DVD was released on November 13, 2007. The DVD has sold over 600,000 units. It won awards at several film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s.
Jay Austin (Alex Kendrick) is a car salesman
Automobile salesperson
The automobile salesperson is one of many sales professions. The automobile salesman is a retail salesperson, who sells new and/or used cars. Unlike traditional retail sales, car sales are usually negotiable...
who consistently cheats his customers. Austin teaches his employee, Bernie Meyers (Tracy Goode), to do likewise, while in the meantime his relationship with his wife and son deteriorates. Austin eventually realizes that what he is doing is wrong and decides to change his business practices and become a Christian. However, he is now thousands of dollars in debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
and the bank is about to confiscate the business. Austin decides to put his trust in God for the situation. After God provides customers to pull Austin out of the debt in the very last minute, Austin is challenged with the hard decision to honor God by apologizing and returning money to the customers he cheated.
Facing the Giants (2006)
Facing the GiantsFacing the Giants
- Official listing :# Come Together - Third Day# Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns# Facing the Giants Theme - Mark Willard# I'm Finding You - Bebo Norman# The Deathcrawl - Mark Willard# Completely - Ana Laura...
was shot on high definition digital video tape and transferred to film. Using real high school football teams, the football action sequences were shot by the film's director of photography, Bob Scott, who is a veteran cinematographer for NFL Films. Another NFL Films technician, Rob Whitehurst, recorded the movie's sound. The film was shot for $100,000 and released to 441 theaters in 2006. It grossed over $10,000,000 at the box office and was released to DVD in early 2007 and made its television debut on September 21, 2008, on Trinity Broadcasting Network. The DVD has sold 2.5 million units.
Facing the Giants is the story of Grant Taylor, a high school football coach with a mediocre record. He is in danger of being fired, his car is breaking down, and he discovers that he is the reason that his wife Brooke cannot have children. In order to find a solution to these problems, he prays to God for help. Taylor begins a new coaching philosophy and decides to praise God after each game, no matter the result.
Fireproof (2008)
FireproofFireproof (film)
Fireproof is a 2008 American Christian drama film released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Affirm Films , directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Stephen Kendrick...
stars Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron
Kirk Thomas Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains , as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor...
, Erin Bethea and Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer, pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the films, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police...
. It was released on DVD on January 27, 2009 on a budget of $500,000. The film received success at the box office, becoming a surprise hit, debuting at #4 and becoming the highest-grossing independent film of 2008 (with over $33,000,000). It received awards from evangelical Christian organizations, including the Best Feature Film award at the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.
Fireproof is the story of firefighter Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron) who lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. However, his relationship with his wife Catherine (Erin Bethea) is failing. As they prepare to file for divorce, Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to The Love Dare
The Love Dare
The Love Dare is a non-fiction marriage-related book written by Alex and Stephen Kendrick. It is a 40-day Christian devotional designed to strengthen marriages. Each daily devotion includes scripture, a statement of principle, the day’s "dare," and a journaling area and check box to chart progress...
. Caleb starts it, and soon discovers the book’s daily challenges are tied into his parents' newfound faith. When his father tells him that this is the love God shows to people, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And, with God's help, Caleb begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife.
Courageous (2011)
Sherwood Pictures' fourth film is titled CourageousCourageous (film)
Courageous is an independent Christian drama film produced by Sherwood Pictures and was released to theaters on September 30, 2011. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Filming in Albany, Georgia concluded in June 2010...
, and was released on September 30, 2011. The title and plot of Courageous were announced on November 15, 2009. Sherwood Pictures stated that "After much prayer, creative brainstorming, more prayer, wise counsel, and still more prayer, Sherwood Pictures is ready to move ahead with their fourth motion picture."
The Kendrick brothers completed the script at the end of 2009. Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel
Ken Bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer, pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the films, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police...
, who starred in Fireproof, stars in Courageous. Alex Kendrick also stars in Courageous. Casting
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
was completed in early 2010, and filming took place from April 26 – June 25, 2010. Co-producer and co-writer Stephen Kendrick stated that "The film's desire is for men to leave the theater making the decision that Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...
made when he declared, 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".
Courageous opened at #4 in the box office, beating out all other Hollywood movies also debuting that weekend. Through November 2, 2011, Courageous has grossed over $28 million in theaters.
Cast
| Actor/Actress | Film | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flywheel Flywheel (film) Flywheel is an American Christian drama film about a car salesman who intentionally overcharges his customers until reaching a turning point in his life where he decides to end his shady business practices and become a Christian. Alex Kendrick both directed the film and starred in the lead role,... |
Facing the Giants Facing the Giants - Official listing :# Come Together - Third Day# Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns# Facing the Giants Theme - Mark Willard# I'm Finding You - Bebo Norman# The Deathcrawl - Mark Willard# Completely - Ana Laura... |
Fireproof Fireproof (film) Fireproof is a 2008 American Christian drama film released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Affirm Films , directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Stephen Kendrick... |
Courageous Courageous (film) Courageous is an independent Christian drama film produced by Sherwood Pictures and was released to theaters on September 30, 2011. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Filming in Albany, Georgia concluded in June 2010... |
|||
| Alex Kendrick Alex Kendrick Alex Kendrick is an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Georgia. He has been in Albany since 1999. He oversees the movie outreach for the church, which includes Sherwood Pictures, the movie-creating entity that produced Flywheel , Facing the Giants , Fireproof , and Courageous .... |
Jay Austin | Grant Taylor | Pastor Strauss | Adam Mitchell | ||
| Kirk Cameron Kirk Cameron Kirk Thomas Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains , as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor... |
||||||
| Shannen Fields | Brooke Taylor | |||||
| Erin Bethea Erin Bethea Erin Bethea is an American actress. She is known for appearing in Sherwood Pictures' films, Facing the Giants and Fireproof.- Personal life :... |
Alicia Houston | Catherine Holt | ||||
| Ken Bevel Ken Bevel Ken Bevel is a former American Marine Corps officer, pastor and actor who co-starred in the 2008 film Fireproof and the 2011 film Courageous. Like many actors in the films, his work was performed on a voluntary basis. In Fireproof, Bevel portrayed firefighter Michael Simmons, and portrays police... |
Michael Simmons | Nathan Hayes | ||||
| Tracy Goode | Bernie Myers | Brady Owens | Benny Murphy | |||
| Jim McBride | Bobby Lee Duke | Church Member | ||||
| Jason McLeod | Brock Kelley | Eric Harmon | ||||
| Kevin Downes Kevin Downes Kevin Downes is an American actor, writer, producer and director. Downes grew up in Visalia, 3 hours north of Los Angeles. Most of the Christian films he participated in were shot there.... |
Judy Austin | |||||
| Bailey Cave | Ross | |||||
| Walter Burnett | Max Kendall | Stan Schulz | Dr. Anderson | |||
| Carla Hawkins | Ms. Wright | Tina Simmons | ||||
| Renee Jewell | Winners Friend | Jackie | Victoria Mitchell | |||