After BYU’s Daily Universe published an article on Mormon film last week a lively discussion ensued on the ldsfilm email list. Robert Starling has allowed me to post his comments on Mormon Renaissance. As he explains, he’s been thinking about the dawning of a brighter day for Mormon film and media for a long time.

As in any genre, we can find both good and bad among LDS-oriented films. Let’s just hope that the genre survives long enough so that the “refiner’s fire” of the “great critics” and paying audiences will reward the best and weed out the rest. We as a people and a culture have many great stories that we need to tell in movies. Go back and read our Prophet Spencer W. Kimball’s talk (Given initially at BYU) on his vision of the arts. It still inspires me every time I read it:

Can we not find equal talent to those who gave us A Man for All Seasons, Doctor Zhivago, Ben Hur? … My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music and such have pleased their millions, but I believe we can improve on them. ..

Our writers, our motion picture specialists, with the inspiration of heaven, should tomorrow be able to produce a masterpiece which would live forever. Our own talent, obsessed with dynamism from a CAUSE, could put into such a story life and heartbeats and emotions and love and pathos, drama, suffering, fear, courage…

We are proud of the artistic heritage that the Church has brought to us from its earliest beginnings, but the full story of Mormonism has never yet been written nor painted nor sculpted nor spoken. It remains for inspired hearts and talented fingers yet to reveal themselves. They must be faithful, inspired, active Church members to give life and feeling and true perspective to a subject so worthy. Such masterpieces should run for months in every movie center, cover every part of the globe in the tongues of the people, written by great artists, purified by the best critics. (Ensign July 1977)

I’ve had the privilege of seeing the development of LDS motion pictures from many perspectives as President Kimball’s vision has sought to find its way into reality:

• As a student I worked part time at the BYU motion picture studio to earn my way through college.
• I was the producer of that first BYU student film “Ice Cream and Elevators” in 1971 before there was even a film curriculum at the “Y”, and hopefully it played some small part in inspiring the creation of what is now a terrific film school that has produced some great (and soon-to-be-great) filmmakers.
• I scripted and helped direct a theatrical documentary with LDS elements that I’m told has garnered possibly the highest box-office and TV broadcast earnings of any LDS-originated film to date ($22M).
• I worked directly for the Church’s Audiovisual department as a producer and director for over nine years.
• I’ve had a small (so far) part in the “fifth wave” of LDS filmmaking as a Consulting Producer on “Jack Weyland’s Charly” and a co-producer of the upcoming “Tears of a King” theatrical feature which describes Elvis Presley’s spiritual journey including his study of the Book of Mormon.
• I was the founder of the Associated Latter-day Media Artists (ALMA), a fellowship of LDS media professionals from around the world. For over fifteen years (1977-1992) ALMA provided a forum for discussing and nurturing LDS values in the interface between our unique culture and the entertainment and information “industry”.

I mention these perspectives not to blow my own horn, but to establish my “bona fides” as an observer and a participant in the several “waves” of LDS filmmaking.

And from that perspective let me say that I am encouraged by the growing quality of the “best” of our efforts, and even by the (sometimes painful) recognition of where the “rest” need to improve. As brothers and sisters and co-workers in the greatest venture in the history of the universe (the building up of God’s Kingdom on the earth), let us continually encourage one another to use our God-given talents in the finest way possible and to give the best that is in us, for this work deserves nothing less than our best.

And please… do not squander those talents in meaningless projects. The world does not need LDS filmmakers to make just another horror movie or bland sitcom. The talents we’ve been given are too sacred to waste. When I was a senior at BYU, Dr. Lael Woodbury was the Dean of the college of Fine Arts and Communications. He produced an experimental theater piece called “W-2 Form” which incorporated many Gospel elements (it had nothing to do with taxes). Thankfully, a friend of mine produced a companion TV documentary which has preserved some of that live theater production for posterity.

In a “behind the scenes” portion Dr. Woodbury was recorded saying something that has guided my creative life. He had gathered his cast and crew who were bone-tired from endless rehearsals and he was exhorting them to dig down into whatever reserves they had and give their very best. He said, “My brothers and sisters, we are in the very last of the Last Days. The time is too short to waste our talents in producing “small” plays and giving “small” efforts (and producing “small” movies?). Everything we do must be something that has eternal significance if it is to have any real value.”

I’m not saying that we should preach boring sermons with our work. We’re more creative than that, aren’t we? One of my favorite lines comes from an old song by Peter, Paul and Mary:

“I dig rock and roll music, I could really get it on that scene.
I think I could say something - if you know what I mean.
But if I really say it, the radio won’t play it,
unless I lay it between the lines!”

Certainly the Adversary has perfected the technique of “laying between the lines” his own messages, and we must become better at it if we are to win the battle for the souls of men.

I’m sure there are many who will read this and say “Come on, man, I just wanna make movies.” But to whom much is given, much is expected.

Consider this: Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life” was voted the “Most Inspiring Film of All Time” by the American Film Institute. An article from Christianity Today online (http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/commentaries/fof_capra.html) reports that in his autobiography The Name Above the Title, (of which I have an autographed copy) Capra recounted how he’d been visited by a stranger while hospitalized with tuberculosis, shortly after his first big hit.

The little bespectacled man—who he was, Capra never learned—made no introduction. He simply sat down across from the director and, after a moment or two of silence, accused him of cowardice.

Before the sickly (and flabbergasted) Capra could react, he continued: “Do you hear that man in there?” From a radio in an adjacent room issued the voice of Adolph Hitler. “That evil man is trying to poison the world with hate. But to how many can he talk, and for how long? Fifteen million? Twenty minutes? You, sir, can talk to hundreds of millions, for two hours—and in the dark. The talents you have, Mr. Capra, are not your own. God gave you those talents; they are His gifts to you, to use for His purpose.”

The little man stood, bade Capra goodbye and walked away down the stairs, never to be seen or heard from again. But his words turned the life of the director upside down—in very Capraesque fashion, we might add. Capra arose, checked himself out of the hospital and drove his family far from Beverly Hills and Hollywood. His tuberculosis miraculously cleared, his creativity and vigor returned and a new goal—to use his gifts to entertain, engage and encourage his fellow man—energized his films.

Capra summarized what he’d learned: “Only the morally courageous are worthy of speaking to their fellow men for two hours in the dark. And only the artistically incorrupt will earn and keep the people’s trust”.

Well, this rant has gone on long enough. As the most memorable line in “God’s Army” says, “Let’s go do some good”. And as one of my favorite hymns says, “Carry on, carry on, carry on!”

Robert Starling

BYU Class of ‘71

Robert Starling, Producer/ CEO
Trefoil Productions, LLC
12242 S. 1740 W.
Riverton, Utah 84065
Cell: (801) 824-2843
Email: starlingrd@msn.com

I appreciate people like Robert who keep our sights set high for achieving a cinema worthy of our efforts.